Christleton High School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils find where they belong in the cheerful community at Christleton High School. Most pupils are happy and flourish.

The five Cs of 'collaborative, committed, creative, caring and cheerful' underpin everything that the school does.

The school has high expectations of pupils' achievement. Pupils benefit from the school's carefully designed curriculum and achieve well.

The school has equipped pupils successfully with 'learning habits'. Typically, pupils behave well. They engage positively in lessons and are enthusiastic about learning.

Pupils want to do their best and to succeed academically.

The school's magazine 'The Swan' is crammed full... of exciting experiences that pupils have undertaken. These include trips abroad, whole-school musical productions and opportunities to explore subjects further, such as in Science Week.

A significant number of pupils take up the Duke of Edinburgh's Award up to the gold level, which helps them to develop into confident young adults. Furthermore, younger pupils also run clubs, such as role-playing games. 'Hot scholars' enthusiastically share their passion for a subject.

For instance, English hot scholars recorded readings of war poetry for their peers. Students in the sixth form also benefit from a variety of enrichment opportunities that contribute towards their wider development, such as first aid, model United Nations and mindfulness clubs.

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

Pupils benefit from a broad and ambitious curriculum that allows them to connect new ideas to previous learning.

Teachers are clear about what it is that they need to teach and the order in which it should be taught. They are highly knowledgeable about the subjects that they teach.

In many subjects, the curriculum is delivered well.

For example, retrieval activities are designed to help pupils to recall their prior learning successfully. Activities are carefully chosen to help pupils to consolidate their knowledge. However, from time to time, there are inconsistencies in how well the curriculum is delivered.

For example, some teachers do not routinely check if pupils have understood what they have been taught. As a result, a minority of pupils develop misconceptions of which teachers are not aware.

In the main, pupils' work demonstrates that they know more and remember more.

They are confident in recalling their learning over time. Overall, they develop a secure body of knowledge. Students in the sixth form could clearly articulate their understanding of the subjects that they have studied.

They reflect well on their work and use the feedback that teachers give them effectively to move their learning on. Consequently, students in the sixth form achieve well.

The school's processes for checking on how well the curriculum is delivered are not used well enough.

Some leaders lack the confidence to be able to identify areas of weakness and the specific strategies needed for improvement. This contributes to an over-generous evaluation of the quality of education and hinders how quickly improvements can be made.

At present, the school does not systematically assess all pupils' reading knowledge.

This means that some pupils do not receive the help that they need to help them to read confidently and fluently. However, the school has a clear strategy to address this moving forward.

The school identifies pupils' additional needs accurately.

The provision for a small number of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) in the nurture class is used effectively. This allows these pupils to access the same curriculum as their peers. Nevertheless, in other subjects across the curriculum, teachers do not adapt teaching as well as they should for pupils with SEND.

This means that a minority of pupils with SEND do not achieve as well as they could.

The school has increased the size and capacity of the pastoral team to meet the increasing challenging needs that a small number of pupils have. Pupils benefit from safe spaces, such as 'The Hive', to help them to manage their emotional well-being.

Pupils follow the school's rules. Most pupils show respect towards one another.

There is a very comprehensive programme of careers information and guidance.

This includes work experience, meetings with careers advisors and engagement with employers. The school is aspirational for its pupils. Former pupils' progression to university, apprenticeships and employment is celebrated to inspire pupils who are currently in the school.

Pupils are provided with high-quality information that empowers them to make ambitious and informed choices about their futures. Pupils understand fundamental British values. They understand and respect the different beliefs and opinions that others may hold.

The governors and trustees work closely with the school to continue to refine the quality of education that the school provides. They offer robust challenge to the school. Staff think that the school is particularly considerate about their well-being.

They said that the school listens to them and supports them well. Staff appreciate the generous amount of time that is built into the calendar for their professional development.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• There are some inconsistencies in teachers' pedagogical choices. As a result, a small number of pupils, including those with SEND, do not achieve as well as they could. The school should ensure that teachers are clear about the most appropriate teaching strategies to employ in their subject and that they are supported to use these well so the curriculum can be delivered as intended.

• The school's systems to check on how well the curriculum is delivered do not identify weaknesses in practice well enough. This slows down the school's work to make improvements to the quality of education. The school should ensure that its processes for monitoring are sharpened so that it can accurately identify and address any specific areas for improvement.