Farnham Heath End

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Farnham Heath End has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

The headteacher of this school is Stuart Maginnis. This school is part of the Weydon Multi-Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), John Winter, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Ralph Johnson.

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a welcoming and happy school. Staff know the pupils very well. They care deeply that all pupils achieve both academically and personally.

The trust has supported the school to establish an inclusive a...nd aspirational school culture. This culture is based on high expectations and positive relationships. Pupils are polite and respectful with adults and each other.

They behave well, both in lessons and in social time.

The school is ambitious for all pupils, regardless of starting points, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils follow a broad and balanced curriculum.

Recent developments to the curriculum mean that learning is well sequenced from Year 7 to Year 11. This helps pupils build their knowledge and skills steadily and securely over time. However, these improvements are not yet reflected in public examination results.

Parents and carers appreciate the balance between striving for high academic standards and supporting pupils' personal development. Pupils and parents value the school's extensive extra-curricular programme. Staff ensure that these activities are inclusive.

Consequently, the programme provides opportunities for all pupils to nurture talents and interests. It also contributes strongly to the school's community ethos.

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

The school's aspiration is that all pupils will follow its curriculum.

However, when it is in a pupil's best interests, staff put bespoke curriculum programmes in place, in school or through other providers. For pupils with SEND, the school carefully identifies their needs. Staff use the information and training they receive to make adjustments in lessons.

Staff benefit from a thoughtfully structured professional development programme. They are using the trust's learning strategy increasingly effectively. For example, most staff introduce new knowledge and skills clearly.

They routinely link learning to broader themes to link content to the wider world. They select activities that help most pupils to remember what they have been taught. However, sometimes teachers do not ensure that misconceptions or gaps have been identified and addressed before moving on.

Consequently, pupils can generally draw on what they have been taught recently to respond to structured questions. However, they do not systematically have opportunities to explore what they have learned in depth. This means they are not consistently supported to develop the resilience and strategies they need to manage their own learning with confidence, especially when faced with more complex tasks.

The school's reading strategy ensures pupils explore a range of challenging texts, for example in lessons or tutor sessions and also through the richly stocked library. The school helps pupils who are not yet fluent readers to catch up with their peers as quickly as possible. The school identifies their gaps and then targets support accordingly, not least through the school's 'Aspire' curriculum.

This helps them become more confident readers.

Pastoral care is a strength of the school, and pupils are confident to ask staff for help if they need it. Staff provide very effective support to pupils who struggle to attend school regularly or find meeting the school's behaviour expectations challenging.

Consequently, attendance is improving, and rates of suspension are starting to fall.

The personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) programme is very carefully designed. Pupils explore themes age-appropriately.

They learn how to keep themselves healthy and safe, including online and in relationships. The strong careers programme benefits from contributions from a wide range of partnerships with education and apprenticeship providers and employers. Staff take care that all pupils receive the PSHE and careers education they need, providing bespoke support if necessary.

Consequently, pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, are well prepared for their next steps.

The trust, including those responsible for governance, provides the school with robust challenge and support. Statutory responsibilities are taken very seriously, including in relation to safeguarding.

Staff are proud to work at the school. They value the commitment shown to their development and well-being. They recognise that the school is doing what it can to help manage workload.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school's 'FLOW learning strategy' is not fully embedded. Sometimes, checks do not identify and address when pupils have gaps in understanding effectively enough.

This means some pupils do not embed and connect what they have been taught before new content is introduced. The school should continue its work with staff to refine their curriculum implementation, especially their checking of understanding and how they respond to it in lessons. ? Some pupils do not yet consistently develop the strategies they need to manage their own learning, especially when faced with more complex tasks.

As a result, some pupils are not able apply their knowledge fluently and confidently. This means they do not make the progress they could. The school should refine its work with staff so they can help pupils acquire the tools and resilience they need in order to approach increasingly challenging learning activities independently and spontaneously.

Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade.

This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in January 2020.