Cams Hill School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Cams Hill School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

The headteacher of this school is Ian Hudson.

This school is part of the Gateway Multi Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Gwennan Harrison-Jones, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Judith Houghton.

What is it like to attend this school?

Cams Hill is a caring and welcoming school.

Pupils live up to the school's values of courtesy, courage and commitment. Pupils enjoy learning here and feel safe. Staff take the time to build p...ositive relationships with pupils and understand them as individuals.

As one parent said: 'The staff go above and beyond in supporting my children to develop and grow.'

The school has high expectations of what pupils can achieve. Following a slight decline in pupils' outcomes in the 2023 national tests, leaders acted decisively.

Consequently, pupils are achieving well, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Staff and pupils appreciate the improvements brought about by the school's behaviour curriculum. Behaviour around the school is calm and orderly.

Pupils treat others with respect. Diversity is welcomed and celebrated. Pupils know they can go to a trusted adult if they have any concerns.

Pupils have access to an extensive choice of extra-curricular activities. The diverse range includes sports, arts, charity work and national leadership awards. These help to develop pupils' talents and interests.

Pupils also benefit from many national and international trips, such as to The Brecon Beacons and Barcelona. The school council is proud of its contribution to improving the school environment.

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

The school has designed a broad and ambitious curriculum for pupils.

In key stage 4, pupils have a wide choice of academic and vocational subjects to choose from, including some more unusual ones, such as classical civilisation and uniformed services. This caters well for a range of pupils' interests and potential career pathways. The number of pupils choosing to study the English Baccalaureate suite of subjects is steadily increasing.

The school has improved the curriculum design in each subject. Pupils build their knowledge and skills with increasing complexity as they go up the school. Pupils in the specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND benefit from personalised learning pathways.

In addition, the Nexus Academy provision provides valuable academic and pastoral support for other targeted pupils.

The school identifies the needs of pupils with SEND accurately. Teachers get detailed information about how they can meet the needs of these pupils.

The school has trained staff on how to adapt their teaching to support all pupils, including those with SEND, to reach their academic potential. However, on occasions, these adaptations are not as effective as they could be. This means that some pupils do not learn as well as they should.

Teachers are subject experts. They help pupils grasp subject-specific vocabulary. Typically, new learning is explained clearly, and this helps pupils link new knowledge to what they know already.

Pupils try hard in lessons. Often, teachers use well-designed questions to help pupils think more deeply. However, sometimes the checking of what pupils understand is not always careful enough.

This means that, on occasion, teachers are unaware of, and do not address, any gaps in learning or misconceptions pupils have. As a result, some pupils do not progress as well as they could through the curriculum.

The school has ensured that pupils have more opportunities to develop their reading skills than previously.

For example, pupils in key stage 3 read aloud in tutor time. The school library is a hive of activity at breaktimes. The school assesses pupils' reading ability and identifies those needing extra reading support.

This is proving successful in helping these pupils become more confident and fluent readers.

Most pupils attend well because they enjoy school. Reducing the number of disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND who are absent too often is a priority for the school.

Pastoral staff work closely with these pupils and their families. As a result, attendance for many is improving.

The school has recently introduced an updated curriculum for pupils' personal development.

It is a well-thought-out programme with a range of experiences that broaden pupils' horizons and deepen their cultural understanding. Pupils learn how to be safe online and in the community and about healthy relationships and lifestyles. Pupils understand how to be respectful and tolerant of those who may be different from them.

Through this, they have opportunities to explore the fundamental British values and why they are important. Pupils have many opportunities to learn about the world of work. They get regular information about career opportunities, including apprenticeships.

As a result, they are well prepared for their next steps.

Leaders are determined to provide the very best opportunities for all pupils to be successful. Staff are proud to work at the school.

They say that leaders are considerate of their workload and well-being. The governing body is loyal and committed. It carries out its statutory duties effectively.

The trust provides valuable support and challenge. There is a clear vision for cross-trust collaboration in the future.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Learning is not always sufficiently adapted to meet the needs of all pupils. When this is the case, these pupils do not learn as well as they should. The school should continue its work to ensure that teachers are equipped with the skills needed to adapt learning across all subjects so that all pupils achieve well.

• Some teaching approaches do not check pupils' learning well enough. This means that gaps in pupils' learning and misconceptions are sometimes not identified or addressed quickly enough. The school should ensure that teachers are confident with the strategies to systematically check pupils' understanding so that they can identify when pupils need to revisit learning.

Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade.

This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in October 2019.

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