Elm Court School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school The headteacher, senior staff and governors provide excellent leadership.

Staff are very supportive of leaders' vision for the school. Leaders are rigorous in their evaluation of the school's effectiveness in all areas and in the planning for improvement. As a result, the school has improved significantly since the previous inspection.

The school is highly inclusive. Leaders are providing a rich curriculum that enables all pupils to make excellent progress. Pupils are ambitious and almost all pupils in Year 11 now stay on into the relatively new sixth form.

In the sixth form, students take on leadership roles which strong...ly support their personal development. The curriculum offer includes useful work-related qualifications. Pupils are challenged to make outstanding progress in literacy and numeracy, and in their other subjects.

These combine to support pupils in achieving their ambitions. Teaching is outstanding. It interests and engages pupils so that they want to learn.

Teachers make regular and thorough checks on pupils' work. Teachers use their checks to help pupils make excellent progress in acquiring deep knowledge and understanding. The development of the curriculum and highly effective teaching in the sixth form means that almost all students complete their courses.

Strong links with other organisations and colleges help students to move on to suitable courses at the end of their time in the sixth form. Students are extremely well supported when deciding on their next steps. Staff and pupils work very well together.

The high quality of these relationships promotes excellent behaviour and attitudes. Safeguarding procedures are effective. They help to keep pupils safe in school and in knowing how to stay safe out of school.

The school provides very well for pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils have a strong understanding of British values, such as tolerance, democracy and the rule of law. Attendance has improved because pupils enjoy school.

However, there are still a few parents and carers who do not understand the importance of their child attending school regularly.

Information about this school

The school admits children from the age of nine but currently has no children aged under 11 on roll. Since the previous inspection, the school has started a sixth form.

Almost all pupils now continue their education in the sixth form, where they may stay until they are aged up to 19. All pupils have an EHC plan. These are mostly for moderate learning difficulties, speech and language needs, autistic spectrum disorder and social, emotional and mental health needs.

A high proportion of pupils are entitled to free school meals. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is broadly average. Pupils come from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds.

The two largest groups are of Black African and Black Caribbean heritage. Over 75% of pupils are boys. The school uses alternative provision for older pupils with part-time opportunities to study work-related courses at Lambeth College and Newstart.