Dedworth Middle School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The school's vision is to unlock the potential for all pupils to achieve and to be ready for the next stage of their education.'

The Dedworth Way' sets high standards, expecting all to be kind, ready to learn and safe. Through this, pupils are guided to become active and responsible members of society.

Pupils are proud of their school, describing it as safe, friendly and inspirational.

In the words of one pupil, they are 'happy with the school and would not want to change anything'. Staff live the vision, caring about pupils as individuals from the moment they walk through the door.

Pupils behave well and are respectful to each other.

They a...re aware of how to keep themselves safe. Bullying is not accepted and any incidents are dealt with promptly. The learning mentors in the 'Achieve Centre' provide support for pupils' well-being and help them to access their learning.

The community has confidence in the school and has recognised the changes over time. One parent said, 'Would I send my child to Dedworth? Yes, I would, 100%'.

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

Leaders are determined that the curriculum will be high quality across all subjects.

The curriculum is ambitious and designed to build pupils' knowledge and skills over time. Teachers' knowledge is strong in most areas. In many subjects, teachers plan lessons that involve recall of previous learning.

For example, in mathematics, pupils are expected to work independently to solve problems and to then contribute their ideas to class.

However, the curriculum has not always been delivered exactly as planned in the past. In a small number of subjects at key stage 2, the knowledge and skills pupils should gain have not been as well planned as they are in the rest of the curriculum.

This means that pupils' learning is sometimes disjointed. Leaders are aware of these issues and are continuing to work with staff to ensure that the curriculum is well planned and implemented as intended.

Teachers skilfully adapt classroom activities for learners and support when needed.

Well-trained staff in the special educational needs department develop interventions for pupils who have identified special educational needs and/or disabilities. This helps to ensure that all pupils can follow the school's curriculum within an inclusive environment

Pupils are eager to talk about the different books they read during English lessons. While reading is a school priority, the support in place for a small number of weaker readers is not yet fully effective.

Leaders are aware of this and are currently planning the implementation of a phonics programme to provide support.Pupils' behaviour in class and around the school is respectful and kind. Where behaviour does not meet the school's high expectations, pupils attend the restorative 'give back group'.

During these sessions, pupils are asked to think about their behaviour. They are then able to give back to the school community through making soup and bread, painting sheds and gardening.

Pupils recognise that many different after-school clubs and trips, including theatre visits, support their education.

The personal development programme supports pupils to gain confidence and believe they can succeed. The curriculum helps pupils to learn about other cultures, safe relationships and careers for the future. There are close ties with local organisations.

For example, the Community Police visit Year 6 and speak about the opportunity to join the 'mini' Police.

In a short time, the vision and drive of the headteacher and her leadership team have made significant improvements to the school. The local governing body, supported by the chief executive officer for the multi-academy trust, are strategic in their approach, both supporting and challenging the practices of the school.

Staff value the support for their workload. They know leaders consider this when implementing new systems. A member of staff said, 'The why is behind every decision, and this always takes pupils into consideration and us as staff.

It is a happy and lovely place to work and thrive.'

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Pupils' safety is a high priority for the school.

Leaders have developed systems to identify pupils at risk. The school has an experienced team of trained safeguarding officers to support pupils and access external agencies. Staff know when and who to report to.

Regular training keeps them up to date to be aware of current risks and able to identify any concerns. Pupils say they feel safe, and the parents that responded to Ofsted's parent survey agreed.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a small number of subjects, some of the knowledge and skills in the key stage 2 curriculum have not been planned carefully enough.

This means that information is sometimes presented in an incoherent way. Leaders are aware of this and are making changes to curriculum planning to help pupils build their knowledge and then apply it to new learning. For this reason, the transitional arrangements have been applied.

• While leaders have carefully planned the rest of the curriculum, it is not yet securely embedded in some subjects. This means that pupils are not always confident in recalling and using knowledge and skills. Leaders should continue to monitor the implementation of the curriculum to assure themselves that it is of a consistently high standard.

• A small number of pupils do not get all the support they need to read with accuracy and fluency. This impacts on their learning in other areas. Leaders should implement their plans to introduce a phonics programme and train staff as a matter of priority.

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