Bridgnorth Endowed School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy an inclusive and aspirational environment at Bridgnorth Endowed School.

They are encouraged to live out the school values of kindness, trust, aspiration, resilience and respect. Pupils work together effectively in the classroom. They develop positive relationships with the adults working with them.

The school has worked effectively to improve the quality of the curriculum and pupils' outcomes. They have also increased the range of opportunities for pupils to grow beyond the academic. All pupils take part in the wider activities every day which enhances their school life.

They participate in lunch clubs which range from a variety of sports to astr...onomy. After-school clubs include support for curriculum learning.

Pupils behave well throughout the school day.

They focus on their learning in lessons. There is a calm atmosphere throughout the school day. Younger pupils settle in well.

Older pupils have opportunities to contribute to the wider life of the school as house and sport captains.

Staff take bullying seriously. They have put systems in place to capture pupils' concerns.

This includes any concerns that may arise over harassment. Pupils feel safe in school. They say that staff take issues seriously and deal with problems that arise.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school has strengthened the curriculum in recent years and it is now more ambitious. In all subjects the learning is carefully sequenced. Staff give pupils opportunities to regularly revisit work.

However, on some occasions, teachers move pupils on to new learning before their knowledge has been checked. This leads to gaps in pupils' understanding and, at times, misconceptions developing.

Pupils experience an effective curriculum.

This helps them to know and remember more. While published outcomes are low, the impact of the curriculum seen by inspectors shows a different picture. Pupils can make clear links to prior knowledge across a range of subjects.

Their work shows that they use prior learning to do more difficult things.

Pupils benefit from the school's focus on reading and writing. They are exposed to a variety of literature and diverse reading material.

Pupils' reading ages are assessed on entry to the school and appropriate support is put in place for those who need additional help to read fluently. The school continues to track and encourage the pupils' reading. This happens both in lessons and in form time.

There is some variability in how well teachers adapt the curriculum for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This is due to the specific needs of some of those pupils not being identified. Leaders are aware of this and have support from the trust to improve the identification of pupils' needs.

Pupils with SEND access the same ambitious curriculum as their peers. Most of them are having their needs met effectively.

Pupils explore issues around healthy relationships and online safety well.

They experience a planned programme of personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education. The school has built the PSHE programme within the strong culture of safeguarding. It prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain.

Pupils work with external partners to deepen their knowledge of important issues as they arise. They receive well-planned moral and cultural education through the combined use of form time and assemblies. For example, pupils develop an understanding of race and equality through their work during Black History Month.

Careers education helps pupils to prepare for their next steps after school. Pupils speak positively about work experience and helpful one-to-one interviews. However, the requirements of the provider access legislation are not met at present.

The school is aware of this and is taking action to address this issue.

Behaviour in lessons is positive. The school has set high expectations for behaviour.

Pupils know and follow the routines and expectations for break and lunchtimes. Leaders record and analyse incidents of poor behaviour. Effective preventative action is taken where appropriate to address any poor behaviour.

Attendance is currently in line with national figures. The school is proactive in its approach to securing good attendance.

Leaders remain mindful of staff's workload while driving improvement.

They provide training and resources to support staff to do their jobs. Staff talk highly of the collaborative and open working culture. They enjoy working in the school.

The school has recently joined the 3–18 Education Trust. Trustees and members of the local governing body know the school and have high ambitions for it. Trustees and the chief executive officer have systems in place to check improvement and support developments.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Pupils' understanding is not always checked well enough before moving on to the next part of the curriculum. As a result, pupils have gaps in their knowledge or misconceptions.

Leaders at all levels should ensure that teachers check pupils' understanding consistently well. This will enable pupils to build knowledge more effectively over time. The needs of some pupils with SEND are not identified accurately enough.

This means that they do not receive the support they need to make sustained progress through the planned curriculum. The school needs to ensure that initial assessments reflect the pupils' needs. Leaders at all levels should then ensure that the resulting actions to support pupils with SEND are implemented effectively.

• The school does not currently meet the requirements of the provider access policy for careers education. As a result, pupils are not exposed to a wide enough range of opportunities to develop an understanding of all the routes available to them as they enter the workplace. The school needs to ensure that the requirements of the policy are fulfilled, aiming to ensure that pupils gain a better understanding of how they can make a successful start to their careers.