Fitzharrys School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school The headteacher, ably supported by his senior team, provides good leadership.

They have forged close partnerships with other schools which have led to significant improvements in all aspects of the work of the school since the previous inspection. Subject leaders are sharply focused on improving the quality of teaching and learning in their subjects. This drives improvements strongly.

Teaching is securely good because there is a shared drive for continual improvement. Governors and leaders ensure that staff are held to account and that high-quality training is provided. Teachers know their pupils and sixth formers well and plan engaging l...essons to meet their needs.

Pupils achieve well in English and mathematics and in most other subject areas. Gaps in achievement between different groups of pupils currently in the school have either closed or are closing rapidly. Fitzharrys offers a very caring and supportive community where pupils flourish.

Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is at the heart of the curriculum and staff passionately strive to ensure that their welfare needs are met. Pupils and sixth formers are rightly proud of their school and attendance and behaviour have improved. Many pupils become actively involved in bringing about improvements in the work of their school.

It is not yet an outstanding school because : Not all teaching offers pupils the very high levels of challenge found across most of the school. A few teachers do not yet mark pupils' work precisely enough in order to help them understand what they have to do to improve. Pupils with special educational needs, and disadvantaged pupils, have attended less often, and have been excluded more often, than others in the past.

This is improving, but gaps remain. A very small number of pupils sometimes exhibit poor behaviour.

Information about this school

The school is smaller than the average-size school.

The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disability is above average. The proportion of students known to be eligible for the pupil premium (additional government funding) is less than the national average. Some students are eligible for the Year 7 catch-up premium.

The school serves a community with relatively little ethnic or cultural diversity. A very small number of pupils in key stage 4 attend Trax Motor Project part-time to follow vocational courses. The school has dedicated provision to support the needs of pupils with speech, language and communication needs or autistic spectrum disorder.

Ten pupils are currently supported in this unit. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum expectation for attainment and progress. The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.