Coundon Court

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The recently appointed headteacher and leadership team have high expectations for every pupil. They have begun to introduce positive changes at Coundon Court. For example, pupils now have a consistent experience in their lessons as teachers follow a shared lesson framework.

However, pupils' learning, in different subject areas, is still too variable.

Pupils are safe at school. Leaders ensure that safeguarding is their top priority.

Attendance is improving. However, leaders recognise there is still more work to be done to improve attendance and punctuality.

Staff have clear expectations about pupils' behaviour.

However, some pupils fail to me...et the high standards that leaders expect. Many lessons are calm and purposeful. However, too often some pupils misbehave and disrupt learning.

The actions leaders have taken to improve behaviour are beginning to have a positive impact. Pupils who frequently misbehave receive sanctions. Although bullying and name-calling does occur, school staff deal with this well.

This helps ensure that issues do not increase.

Pupils learn about healthy relationships and online safety as part of their personal development programme. Pupils and students in the sixth form receive useful guidance around their careers and the next stages of their education.

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

In the majority of subjects, leaders have considered the precise knowledge and skills that pupils need to develop to be successful. Clear teaching structures develop pupils' learning. This helps pupils to know more and remember more.

However, in a small number of subjects, this is not considered in enough detail. Therefore, in these subjects, not all pupils understand the links between the topics that they learn. A minority of teachers do not effectively assess pupils' understanding.

This means some pupils have gaps in their knowledge and make slower progress.

Most teachers follow the 'Coundon Lesson Framework' well. This means that pupils have a consistent learning experience in different subjects.

Teachers ask pupils to recall what they have learned previously. This helps pupils to build their expertise.

Pupils' recall of their previous learning is less effective in some subjects.

In these instances, teachers do not respond effectively to pupils' misunderstanding. As a result, some pupils cannot make connections between different parts of what they are learning.

Leaders quickly identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

However, the pupil passport provided to teachers is not always specific or precise enough. As a result, teachers do not consistently meet the needs of each pupil. This means that some pupils with SEND do not make as much progress as other pupils through the curriculum.

Leaders focus on improving the reading levels of those pupils who have fallen behind. A structured programme helps these pupils to make rapid progress, which they do.

Some pupils do not behave well enough.

Some pupils and parents are concerned about disruption to learning. Too many pupils are suspended for defiant or disruptive behaviour. Leaders have introduced new strategies to bring about improvement.

These are beginning to have a positive impact. Most classrooms are quiet, orderly places where pupils can learn.

Staff at the school appreciate the changes made by the new headteacher.

The collective work of leaders is beginning to make a positive difference. While it is too early to see the full impact of this, staff are working collaboratively to bring about improvement. Leaders ensure that staff workload and well-being are carefully considered following the recent changes in the school.

Staff feel leaders are very supportive of their views.

Coundon Court is an inclusive school. Pupils from different backgrounds say that they settle well and feel part of the community quickly.

Leaders have thought about what pupils need to know to be successful in their later lives. The personal development curriculum is relevant and valued by pupils. There is also a well-planned careers programme.

Pupils benefit from this.

Trustees have invested time and resources to develop leadership across the school. This is helping to ensure that leaders develop the skills and knowledge needed to make further improvements.

Those responsible for governance provide challenge and support to leaders.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The leadership of safeguarding is a strength.

Staff training is very effective. Leaders are very knowledgeable about local and national issues. Leaders work effectively to ensure that pupils have a detailed understanding of the risks they face and how to stay safe.

All staff understand the role they play in maintaining a vigilant culture of safeguarding. There are clear processes that allow staff to report any concerns. Staff rigorously follow up on these concerns.

Leaders work effectively with external agencies where appropriate.

Leaders work effectively to ensure that pupils have a detailed understanding of the risks they face and how to stay safe. This means that pupils know who to talk to and how they can report any concerns they have.

Pupils make use of this effectively. Pupils are taught about how to keep themselves safe, including online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• A minority of pupils continue to be disruptive and defiant.

Too many pupils are removed from lessons or suspended from school. Leaders must continue to embed the new behaviour policy, consistently, to ensure that all pupils benefit from calm and orderly classrooms. ? Some pupils with SEND do not consistently get the support they need.

Some of the information in passports written to support pupils' learning needs is too generic. Consequently, teachers do not all make the adjustments necessary to support these pupils to make progress through the curriculum. Leaders must ensure that pupils' passports are more closely matched to pupils' specific needs so that staff know what strategies they must use to adapt their teaching.

• Some teachers do not accurately address gaps in pupils' understanding. Pupils do not build on what they have learned before in these subjects and are not able to make connections between different parts of learning. Leaders must ensure that the curriculum and its implementation is improved in these subjects.