Davenant Foundation School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Davenant pupils are proud of their school and its heritage. The school's vision of 'nurturing mind, body and spirit' is embedded in the life of the school.

Pupils value the many opportunities provided for their personal development. Many pupils appreciate that staff care about their well-being.

Pupils are respectful and articulate.

Sixth-form students are strong role models for younger pupils. There is a harmonious atmosphere in the school where everyone 'gets along'. Pupils behave well in lessons most of the time.

There can be a bit too much chatter on occasion, but this is quick to stop. When bullying occurs, pupils are confident that staff will de...al with it quickly and effectively.

Sixth-form students, including students with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), have access to an ambitious curriculum and strong careers guidance.

This helps them to choose and secure their next steps.

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

Sixth-form students have an excellent education. There is a broad academic curriculum offer.

Subject planning is well considered, and teaching is of high quality. Teachers have strong subject knowledge. All students secure their next steps in further education, training or employment.

The school meets the requirements of the Baker Clause. Students enjoy a variety of enrichment activities. They can undertake further learning, such as British sign language or Latin.

Students develop leadership through running societies and being mentors. For example, students set up the medical society for pupils who express an interest in a medical career. Students are mature and excellent ambassadors for the school.

As one sixth former commented, reflecting the views of many, 'The school is beyond expectations'.

Similarly, there are examples of thorough curriculum planning and effective use of assessment in the main school. For example, in modern foreign languages, staff carefully consider when and how to teach vocabulary and grammar.

This is so pupils remember key learning over time. Pupils achieve highly in a range of subjects, including in English and mathematics. Due to the pandemic, some subjects are focusing more closely on aspects that pupils could not do at home, such as practical science.

However, there is also a weakness in the curriculum. Key stage 3 pupils do not study fieldwork in geography. This limits pupils' knowledge and understanding for later study in key stage 4.

Leaders have plans to address this.

The needs of pupils with SEND are closely identified. Pupils with SEND have detailed individual learning plans.

When teachers use these strategies or refer to individual plans effectively, pupils learn well. However, not all teachers apply the strategies consistently well. As a result, some pupils with SEND learn less well in some subjects than in others.

Pastoral support for pupils with SEND is strong. Pupils benefit from on-site specialist help.The extensive extracurricular programme is well established.

Many parents who responded to the Ofsted survey, Parent View, wrote in glowing terms about all the opportunities available to pupils. Pupils enjoy youth council, charity work and the many clubs. The school's personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) curriculum and the 'preparation for life' programme are well thought out.

They promote tolerance and give pupils insight into life in modern Britain. For example, pupils debate moral and ethical issues in the news. More recently, leaders have extended their work on diversity, for example training staff to understand other cultures and celebrating the heritage of pupils from ethnic minorities.

Pupils from some groups of ethnic minorities do not attend as well as their peers and have more time out of lessons. Leaders are working to address this.

Governors have held leaders to account effectively for their decisions regarding the curriculum and for the school's remote education offer during the pandemic.

They check that disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND achieve as well as their peers. However, governors have not checked that the arrangements to support pupils with SEND are providing best value for money.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff know the local risks that pupils face. Staff and governors receive regular safeguarding training. There are clear procedures for reporting concerns and staff know how to use these.

Leaders quickly identify pupils who may need support and they make timely referrals to their in-house professionals as well as to outside agencies.

Pupils feel safe. The school gives them sound advice and guidance, for example with online safety.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• When teaching pupils with SEND, some teachers do not use the strategies recommended by the SEND team. This limits some pupils' learning. Leaders should ensure that staff are given training and guidance on using pupils' support plans, so they are used effectively and consistently to support pupils' learning.

• Pupils from some groups of ethnic minorities do not attend school as often as their peers. They also have more time out of class than their peers. This prevents these pupils from progressing through the curriculum as well as they should.

Leaders should build on the strategies that they have put in place so that the attendance and behaviour of this group of pupils improve. ? While governors hold school leaders to account effectively in a range of areas, they have not checked the deployment of resources for the provision of SEND.Governors need to include this aspect in their governance work so that they can be confident current arrangements are providing best value for money.