Gateacre School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils enjoy coming to this friendly and welcoming school. They maintain positive relationships with their teachers.

This helps most pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to feel safe.

The school has raised its expectations of pupils' academic achievement. However, pupils do not achieve as well as they should.

This is because there are weaknesses in the design and delivery of the curriculum in some subjects. In addition, the sixth-form programme of study is not broad or ambitious enough. Students do not develop a deep and secure body of knowledge securely over time.

This limits their success in their... next stage of education, employment or training.

Most pupils conduct themselves well in lessons and during social times. Typically, they abide by the 'Gateacre way' so that they are respectful of others.

Most pupils are confident in the approaches that staff use to deal with poor behaviour. Some pupils, including those in the sixth form, do not attend school regularly. As a result, they miss vital learning.

This hampers pupils' achievement.

Pupils understand the importance of looking after their physical health. They learn about personal safety and how to take care of their mental health.

Some pupils enjoy a range of sporting, drama and musical activities. This encourages them to socialise and make new friends.

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

In recent times, the school has improved the curriculum in Years 7 to 11 so that it is increasingly ambitious.

For instance, the profile of languages has been raised. As a result, more pupils are choosing to study a modern foreign language at key stage 4. This means that an increasing proportion of pupils are studying the English Baccalaureate suite of subjects.

In some subjects, the content that pupils will learn is ordered logically. This helps teachers to identify what key knowledge pupils should know and remember. Most teachers deliver the curriculum with confidence and expertise, which in turn means that pupils learn well in these subjects.

In other subjects, the school has not finalised its curriculum thinking. The core knowledge that pupils should gain is not identified well enough for teachers. This restricts them from designing learning that helps pupils to build on what they know.

It also has a negative impact on teachers' ability to spot, and then address, gaps in pupils' knowledge. This hinders pupils' academic performance.

The school has effective systems to identify the needs of pupils with SEND.

Nevertheless, the weaknesses in the design and delivery of the curriculum mean that some pupils with SEND do not achieve as well as they should. The school has improved the way in which it supports pupils who find reading difficult. Gaps in pupils' reading knowledge are identified as soon as they join the school.

Pupils, including pupils with SEND, receive effective support to overcome their reading difficulties. This helps them to become confident and fluent readers.

The systems to manage poor behaviour are applied consistently well by staff.

Classrooms are typically calm and orderly. Nonetheless, many pupils are frequently absent from school. They miss out on important knowledge that they need to succeed in subsequent learning.

The school has introduced strategies that aim to reduce the absence rate. However, these systems do not address effectively the barriers that some pupils face when coming to school. As a result, some pupils continue to miss school regularly.

There are some opportunities that promote pupils' personal development. For instance, some pupils have opportunities to take on roles of responsibilities, such as peer mentors. These roles promote independence and boost pupils' confidence.

Through the personal, social, health and economic curriculum, pupils are encouraged to discuss and debate current affairs in the news. This broadens their understanding of the wider world. However, there are limited opportunities for pupils to enjoy enrichment experiences that enhance their curriculum knowledge.

Pupils, including those in the sixth form, receive impartial careers advice. Some sixth-form students visit universities, and most complete work experience. This raises their aspirations and widens their knowledge of future career choices.

However, this opportunity it more limited for pupils in key stage 4.

Students in the sixth form do not achieve well. This is because the sixth-form programme of study is not designed effectively.

Many students do not complete and gain the qualifications that they need to successfully enter education, employment or training.

The governors understand their roles and statutory duties well. They hold leaders to account and provide sufficient challenge when needed.

This has supported the school to accelerate the actions required to improve the quality of education. Staff value the clarification and guidance that are provided when changes are made. This increases their confidence and ability to adopt new policies and strategies.

Nonetheless, the school faces some financial constraints beyond its control. This has delayed some of the improvements made to staffing and resources.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The school has suitable systems to identify pupils who are at risk of harm. Staff know how to report and respond to concerns. The school engages well with external agencies and professionals to support pupils and their families.

Despite introducing new systems to record and report concerns, staff have not received training and guidance on how to use these systems effectively. Some staff do not record the actions taken to support pupils as well as they should. This makes it difficult for the school to evaluate the effectiveness of its safeguarding practices.

Even so, this does not place any pupils at risk of harm.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, the school has not identified the essential knowledge that pupils need to know and remember. This means that some teachers do not know what knowledge to teach pupils, or how to check whether pupils have developed gaps in their learning.

The school should ensure that the curriculum is designed effectively so that pupils can build on their learning securely over time. ? The school's system to improve attendance is not effective enough. Many pupils do not attend school as often as they should.

These pupils miss crucial learning, which impedes their achievement. The school should strengthen its strategies to support pupils to attend school regularly. ? The system to record the actions that have been taken to address safeguarding concerns is not used effectively.

This means that, at times, the school cannot accurately evaluate the effectiveness of how concerns are dealt with. The school should ensure that staff receive training and guidance to help them to keep accurate and clear safeguarding records. ? The sixth-form programme of study does not prepare students adequately for ambitious futures and careers.

In addition, some students do not complete their full programme of study. As a result, many students do not progress well into their next stage of education, employment or training. The school should ensure that the programme of study for sixth-form students is suitably broad and ambitious to help pupils succeed in the future.

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