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Pupils enjoy attending this school. They are happy, safe and well supported. They have trusted adults they can talk to if they have any worries.
Staff act promptly when pupils need help.
The school has high aspirations for what all pupils can achieve. The curriculum is suitably ambitious.
Historically, pupils have not always secured the best possible outcomes in key stage 2 tests. However, recent changes mean that pupils now know and remember more.
Theatre visits, competitions hosted at universities and outdoor education broaden pupils' horizons, giving them access to experiences they might not otherwise have.
Visits to local rivers and plac...es of interest support learning and enthuse pupils.
Pupils appreciate the raised expectations of behaviour. Most pupils behave well and are keen to learn.
At social times they share play equipment and cooperate well with one another.
Pupils have many opportunities to develop beyond the academic curriculum. Pupil leaders in sports and languages make a tangible contribution to the life of the school.
For instance, Year 8 'buddies' help younger pupils to settle into school.
Communications with families are strong. Parents and carers know what their child is learning and how they are getting on at school.
They find staff approachable and responsive.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The curriculum is broad and logically ordered. The school has identified the knowledge and skills that pupils must learn in all subjects.
Pupils have opportunities to re-visit what they have learned before and build on this knowledge.
The school has recently improved the curriculum and how it is taught. While pupils' achievement, as evidenced in published outcomes, has not been consistently strong, the impact of recent improvements is now evident.
Pupils have strong recall of what they have learned of the new curriculum. This means they are well prepared for their next steps.
Teachers have strong subject knowledge.
They use this to design learning activities that are well matched to the knowledge and skills that they want pupils to build. However, sometimes they do not explain these activities well enough for pupils to learn all that is intended.
The school accurately identifies pupils' additional needs.
Staff adapt learning for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This enables most to learn the same curriculum as their peers.
The reading curriculum builds pupils' knowledge of different cultures and of complex issues, such as migration.
It also develops their vocabulary, fluency and comprehension. The texts pupils read are ambitious and support learning across the subjects they learn. Pupils who do not read well enough are promptly identified.
They get the help that they need to catch up with their peers.
The school has taken effective action to improve behaviour. Pupils who struggle to meet the school's raised expectations receive the support they need.
Consequently, most pupils learn, attend and behave well. Suspensions and other sanctions have reduced significantly because most pupils now behave consistently well. However, occasionally learning is interrupted by a minority of pupils.
The school has used pupils' interests to expand the clubs and activities on offer. Many more pupils now take up these opportunities. The school has ensured that pupils with SEND and those who are disadvantaged take part alongside their peers.
Pupils learn about different jobs, colleges and university. Careers events and interactions with employers and employees enable pupils to explore options for their futures. Pupils value this.
Pupils' wider development is well catered for. They understand respectful relationships, online safety and how to protect their physical and mental health. Pupils learn about fundamental British values and the cultures, faiths and experiences of people from different backgrounds.
However, some pupils use language that is not acceptable in modern Britain. The school deals with these incidents promptly and robustly.
Leaders, including trustees and the local partnership board, use the information they hold to gather an accurate view of the school.
They have a clear vision for how to further improve the school. This vision has created a common sense of purpose and greater consistency among staff.
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
What does the school need to do to improve?
(Information for the school and appropriate authority)
• Sometimes, teachers' explanations and instructions are not clear enough. As a result, pupils cannot always complete the tasks expected of them, or understand the root of misconception they may have. The school needs to ensure that teaching consistently enables all pupils to learn the curriculum effectively.
Some pupils' behaviour in lessons does not meet the high expectations that the school has of them. Learning is sometimes interrupted as a result. The school needs to ensure that low-level disruption does not prevent pupils from learning.
• A minority of pupils use discriminatory language, particularly that which is homophobic. This makes their peers uncomfortable. The school needs to strengthen the curriculum further to ensure that this minority of pupils understand and use language that is acceptable in modern Britain.
