Cansfield High School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are proud to attend this school.

The appreciate the caring and nurturing atmosphere. Staff know the pupils very well. This helps staff to provide the right level of support to pupils, including to those who attend the specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND (specially resourced provision).

Most pupils behave well. They have positive attitudes towards learning and to each other. Pupils enjoy making friends and they are respectful of their peers.

They enthusiastically use their 'pal' leadership roles to help younger pupils to settle into school and make friends.
...r/>The school has high expectations for pupils' achievement, including for those who attend the specially resourced provision. The improvements made to the design and delivery of curriculum means that most pupils achieve well.

Pupils benefit from the wide range of worthwhile educational experiences that are on offer. For instance, older pupils enjoy choreographing dances for the younger pupils to learn at dance club. Furthermore, pupils enjoy building their resilience through outdoor adventure activities and developing their linguistic skills through international trips.

These opportunities enrich pupils' learning and nurture their personal development.

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

The school has improved the curriculum to ensure that it is broad and ambitious. In most subjects, the curriculum is well thought out.

The key knowledge that pupils need to learn is clearly identified. Learning also builds in a logical order over time. This helps pupils to progress well through most subject curriculums so that they achieve well.

Most teachers use their strong subject knowledge to design effective learning activities. They usually identify and address gaps in pupils' knowledge quickly. This helps most pupils to remember and apply what they have been taught successfully over time.

However, from time to time, teachers' choice of learning activities do not allow pupils to access the subject content of the curriculum in sufficient depth. This hampers how well some pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, achieve.

Well-trained staff expertly identify the additional needs of pupils with SEND.

Mostly, teachers are equipped well with information and strategies to adapt their delivery of the curriculum for these pupils, and those with attend the specially resourced provision. This means that most pupils with SEND get the help that they need to access the curriculum well.

The school has secure processes in place to identify the gaps in pupils' reading knowledge.

These pupils receive effective support to help them to read fluently.Reading is promoted well. Through the 'global citizen' lessons, pupils are encouraged to read for pleasure.

In addition, the pupil librarians encourage and motivate younger pupils to read widely and often.

Pupils understand the school routines. They behave well.

This means that learning is rarely disrupted. Pupils who find managing their behaviour difficult receive suitable support. This helps them to regulate their behaviour.

As a result, there is a calm and purposeful atmosphere around school. The school has a thorough approach to monitoring and implementing strategies to reduce absence rates. Most pupils attend school regularly.

The school has a well-considered programme to promote pupils' personal development. Pupils develop a mature understanding of how to keep themselves safe from risks, such as knife crime and unhealthy relationships. However, this programme provides limited opportunities for pupils to celebrate different cultures and faiths.

This means that some pupils are not prepared for life in modern Britain as well as they could be.

Pupils enjoy taking on a range of responsibilities as part of the school's 'student parliament'. For instance, they take pride in advocating for their peers to improve their school experiences.

Pupils have regular opportunities, such as a 'careers fair', that expose them to a wide range of education, employment and training organisations. As a result, pupils, including those with SEND and those who attend the specially resourced provision, are well-informed about their next steps in education.

Governors know and fulfil their statutory duties well.

They provide appropriate support and challenge to the school around its improvement work. Particular attention is given to staff's workload and well-being. As such, the school makes sure that change is managed carefully.

Staff feel valued. This helps them to contribute positively to the school community.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Occasionally, teachers choose learning activities that do not allow pupils to cover subject content in sufficient depth. This means that some pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, do not learn as well as they could. The school should ensure that teachers improve how they design learning so that pupils can achieve as well as they should.

• The opportunities for pupils to learn about and celebrate different cultures and faiths is limited. This means that some pupils' understanding of life in modern Britain is not as secure as it could be. The school should improve how pupils learn about different cultures so that they have a deeper understanding of the differences between people in society.

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