Dean Trust Wigan

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and staff at the school are right to identify the Dean Trust Wigan as an improving school. Pupils recognise and appreciate the changes taken to improve their experiences at the school. As a result, most pupils feel happy and safe.

The school has high expectations for pupils' academic achievement, including for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils are beginning to benefit from a rich, varied and ambitious curriculum that has been well designed across subjects. However, these curriculums are not consistently delivered well by teachers.

This prevents some pupils from achieving as well as they should.

Pupils understand h...ow they should behave. Most pupils meet the school's raised expectations for behaviour.

In lessons, most pupils embody the school's values of 'be ready, be respectful, be responsible' through their improved attitudes to learning.

Too many pupils are regularly absent from school. As a result, pupils miss out on important learning and do not achieve as well as they should.

Personal development is central to the school's work. However, much of the personal development programme is new and not fully embedded. This means that pupils are less aware than they should be of British values and the importance of tolerance and respect for those who are different to themselves.

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

The school has a sharp focus on improving the quality of education. The curriculum is ambitious and well thought out. Improvements in the curriculum mean that many pupils are encouraged to take the English Baccalaureate suite of subjects.

The school has thought carefully about the logical order in which they introduce pupils to new concepts and vocabulary. Consequently, the building blocks of knowledge that pupils learn over time have been mapped out well. The school makes sure that teachers are clear about the essential knowledge that pupils should learn and when they should learn it.

In recent years, a significant number of new teachers and subject leaders have joined the school. The school has set about supporting these teachers so that they gain the expertise to deliver learning effectively. However, despite this support, the delivery of the curriculum is too variable.

Some pupils do not learn the intended curriculum well enough. This is because some teachers do not use effective methods to build on pupils' prior knowledge. As a result, pupils' subject knowledge is not secure.

In some subjects, assessment systems to check where pupils are insecure in their learning are underdeveloped. Some teachers do not routinely check that pupils' knowledge is embedded. This means that for some subjects teachers are not clear about gaps in pupils' knowledge.

The school has taken some steps to promote a reading culture across school. However, the school's reading curriculum is still underdeveloped. This means that some pupils do not read widely or often enough from a rich body of texts or routinely read for pleasure.

The school identifies pupils with gaps in their reading knowledge and provides programmes of reading support to help them to catch up with their peers.

The needs of pupils with SEND are quickly and accurately identified. The school ensures that staff have the information that they need to adapt the delivery of the curriculum.

In the main, this helps to ensure that the needs of pupils with SEND are met suitably in the classroom. Pupils with SEND are fully involved in all aspects of school life.

The school has taken effective steps to embed clear routines and manage poor behaviour.

Classrooms are calm and orderly. Typically, pupils are engaged and want to learn. The school has made efforts to improve the rate of pupils' attendance, with some success.

However, a significant minority of pupils, including pupils with SEND, still regularly miss school. This hinders their progress through the curriculum.

The school places great importance on pupils' personal development.

Pupils are encouraged to have a voice in decisions to improve their experiences at the school. For example, the student leadership team has championed a school allotment. Pupils understand the importance of looking after their mental and physical health.

They know how to keep themselves safe, including when online. However, the delivery of elements of the personal development programme is variable. This means that some pupils are not as well informed as they should be about fundamental British values.

For example, some pupils display a limited awareness and understanding of the importance of tolerance and respect for people who are different to themselves.

Pupils receive an effective programme of careers education. This helps pupils to make sensible decisions about their future.

Trust leaders, together with the governing body and senior leaders, know what needs to be done to improve the school. They are starting to bring about the necessary improvements. Many staff enjoy working at the school and are appreciative of how the school has taken steps to be considerate of their well-being and workload, while trying to bring about positive change.

Parents and carers are welcomed into school for activities such as information evenings for pupils in key stage 4. This helps parents to work together with the school to support pupils' learning at home.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The delivery of the curriculum is too variable. Some teachers do not use effective methods to build on pupils' prior knowledge. This means that pupils' subject knowledge is not secure.

The school should ensure that teachers are suitably equipped to deliver the curriculum. ? The school has not ensured that the use of assessment is consistent and coherent across all subjects. This means that in some subjects, teachers are not clear about the gaps in pupils' knowledge.

The school should ensure that a consistent approach to assessment supports the swift identification of gaps in pupils' learning so that they can be addressed. ? The school's reading curriculum is underdeveloped. This means that some pupils do not read widely or often enough.

They do not read from a rich body of texts or routinely read for pleasure. The school should ensure that pupils are supported to read high-quality texts across the curriculum. They should also ensure that pupils are supported to read for enjoyment.

• There is a group of pupils who do not attend school often enough. This hinders their progress through the curriculum. The school should ensure that that these pupils come to school regularly and on time.

• The delivery of elements of the new personal development programme is variable. This means that pupils are less aware than they should be of British values and the importance of tolerance and respect for those who are different to themselves. The school should embed their ambitious approach to personal development so that pupils are better prepared for life in modern Britain.