Greenbank High School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at Greenbank High School and they value the education that they receive.

Pupils embrace the school's values of a 'can-do' attitude and strive to be the best they can be. Everyone feels accepted and welcome.

Leaders and staff have high expectations for pupils.

In lessons, pupils are focused fully on their learning and behave well. Leaders and staff have worked diligently to ensure that pupils' learning is well thought through. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

Most pupils feel safe at the school. They appreciate the care and nurture that they receive from the school's pastoral team. For example, the 'We a...re awesome' club helps younger pupils to settle quickly and to build friendships.

Pupils said that sometimes bullying does happen, but that if it does, they know that staff will deal with it effectively.

Many pupils benefit from a plethora of extra-curricular and enrichment activities. Pupils communicate well with teachers about their interests and staff have responded by designing activities that have sparked pupils' imaginations.

Pupils enjoy attending a host of activities from across faculty areas, including sports and music activities, chess club, embroidery club or the many activities on offer in the school library.

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

Leaders are aspirational for all pupils at Greenbank High School. Leaders have designed a well-thought-out and ambitious curriculum.

This supports pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to deepen their understanding of subjects over time and achieve well. Subject leaders have thought carefully about the building blocks of knowledge that they want pupils to learn over time. This helps pupils to build securely on earlier learning and to know and remember more.

Leaders have supported teachers well so that they gain an expert knowledge of their subjects. This enables teachers to design and order learning well. For example, teachers have built in sufficient time to revisit important topics and ideas.

This means that pupils develop a secure understanding of key concepts. Teachers select appropriate activities to deliver the curriculum as leaders intend. This helps pupils to learn well.

Teachers use a range of effective assessment methods to ensure that pupils are secure in what they have learned previously. This means that teachers can quickly identify pupils' misconceptions before moving on to new learning. For example, pupils benefit from completing activities to check on what they can recall from previous learning.

Leaders are alert to those pupils who have lower reading levels than they should when joining the school. Staff are quick to identify and put in place effective programmes of support, including systematic synthetic phonics. This ensures that all pupils, particularly those who are disadvantaged, can catch up with their peers.

Teachers instil a love of reading in pupils. The library is a thriving part of the school.

Leaders have prioritised support for pupils with SEND.

The needs of pupils with SEND are identified quickly and accurately. Leaders have ensured that teachers receive high-quality information about the needs of this group of pupils. This ensures that teachers use effective strategies to best support pupils with SEND during lessons.

Pupils with SEND, and disadvantaged pupils, achieve well.

Pupils conduct themselves well in lessons and around school. Low-level disruption is not tolerated by teachers and, if it does happen, teachers follow clear routines that are understood by all.

Pupils told inspectors how much they value the support from their teachers.

Leaders recognise that rates of attendance for some groups of pupils have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Leaders and staff work closely with families to encourage pupils to come to school every day.

Attendance has improved for most, but a small number of pupils are still absent from school too often.

Leaders have designed a coherent personal development programme that supports pupils to become responsible and active citizens. Pupils enjoy the opportunity to take up leadership roles in the school.

They learn about protected characteristics, democracy and respect for other cultures. However, some pupils are less informed about looking after their mental health and dealing with conflict in friendships. There are wide-ranging enrichment opportunities on offer.

That said, some pupils do not make the best use of these activities.

Pupils receive an extensive programme of careers education. This helps pupils to make informed decisions about their future.

Staff enjoy working at the school. They appreciate leaders' actions to look after their well-being. Local governors and trustees support and challenge leaders effectively.

Those responsible for governance have a clear and informed oversight of all aspects of school life.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have a clear understanding of the risks that pupils may face in the community.

Staff at all levels are well informed about these.

All staff and governors receive regular safeguarding training. Staff understand the systems to report any concerns that they may have about pupils.

Records of referrals show that safeguarding leaders engage well with external agencies when needed. As a result, vulnerable pupils and families receive the support that they need.

Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe, such as in the community, and how to work safely online.

Pupils know whom they can speak with if they are feeling worried.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some pupils do not attend school as regularly as they should. This is despite the efforts of staff to engage with parents and carers, and pupils.

This means that these pupils miss out on important knowledge that they need to succeed in subsequent learning. Leaders should continue to address the low rates of attendance for these pupils, removing barriers and working effectively with families, so that pupils attend school regularly. ? Some pupils do not engage fully with aspects of the school's personal development programme, including the enrichment and wider pastoral offer.

This hinders some aspects of pupils' personal development. Leaders should assure themselves that their evaluation of the personal development programme is robust. This will help them to ensure that pupils take full advantage of this offer and make the best use of the school's wider curriculum.