Harlington School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils agree that the school is a happy and welcoming place to be.

As a result, they feel safe in school. Raised expectations of pupils' behaviour are now paying dividends. Pupils, staff and parents all say that behaviour has improved in the last year.

The learning environment is mostly calm, and low-level disruption has reduced. Bullying rarely happens, and staff address it effectively if it occurs. Staff foster strong relationships with pupils, including those in the specially resourced provision and designated unit for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

The school provides strong pastoral and academic support. Staff make sure... that help is available if pupils need it. For example, the school offers mental health support and counselling as well as academic mentoring.

Year 11 pupils value the additional revision classes provided.

Pupils study a broad range of subjects from Year 7 onwards. Staff share the strong belief that all pupils can succeed and flourish.

The school has made necessary changes to the curriculum, which are benefiting all pupils. This is why most pupils achieve well. Students in the sixth form appreciate how they are supported to achieve by staff who understand them and how they learn.

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

The curriculum is highly ambitious for all pupils. This includes pupils with SEND. Subject leaders use the national curriculum to guide what is taught to pupils across each year group.

The school has worked hard to ensure that staff use effective teaching approaches. This includes drawing out information from pupils with thoughtful questions and ensuring pupils regularly recap what has been learned before. This is helping pupils to know and remember more.

Pupils achieve well in most subjects, but there are some variations. In some subjects, some pupils have not been sufficiently supported and have not achieved as highly as they might. For instance, misconceptions are not routinely addressed in a timely way.

Occasionally, teachers do not ensure that pupils use feedback provided to improve their work. In those instances, pupils do not always have the secure knowledge they need for the next stage of the curriculum. The school is aware of these areas of variability and continues to prioritise the training and development of staff to ensure all pupils achieve well.

The school identifies pupils with SEND promptly. Staff use the information about pupils' identified needs to tailor their support for pupils with SEND. This ensures that they are successful in their learning.

The new designated unit for pupils with SEND has been welcomed by the school and wider community. Staff who work in the designated unit and specially resourced provision are well trained. They create a nurturing environment which is enabling pupils to succeed.

There is a newly introduced reading strategy. This means there is now a strong focus on ensuring that all pupils can read well. Weaker readers are quickly identified.

Appropriate interventions are put in place to help them become confident and fluent readers. Pupils at the earlier stages of speaking English as an additional language also receive well-targeted support to read with increasing accuracy.

Most pupils behave well in lessons and at social times.

The number of significant incidents has reduced. However, there is a new behaviour approach in place which is not fully understood by all staff and pupils. The school is not complacent, however.

The new systems are being embedded carefully to improve the consistency of how they are used and followed by staff.

The school has invested in a range of strategies to improve the monitoring of pupils' attendance and to encourage them to come into school. Pupils who experience barriers to attendance work with trusted staff to support them to come to school more regularly.

This means that pupils' attendance is improving.

The school has introduced a well-designed programme to support pupils' personal development. They find out about different faiths and beliefs.

Pupils and sixth-form students learn about healthy relationships and consent in an age-appropriate way. Pupils spoke highly of the careers guidance that they receive, including learning about apprenticeships and taking part in work experience. The school also provides a range of other opportunities that enhance the school experience for pupils.

For example, many pupils take part in careers trips and sports clubs, are part of the school council and volunteer in the sixth form.

Leaders at all levels are highly focused on improving the school further. They recognise the changing needs of the school population and decisions are always taken in the best interests of pupils.

The school has navigated a period of considerable organisational change. Staff feel well supported in their roles and are united in their ambition for further improvement.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, teachers do not use assessment strategies sufficiently well to check and address pupils' misconceptions. This means that, at times, teachers do not identify the gaps in pupils' knowledge quickly enough. The school should ensure that teachers have the skills they need to identify and address gaps in learning so that pupils build their learning securely over time.

The new approach to behaviour is not fully understood and consistently applied by all staff. This means that some pupils struggle to meet the high expectations of behaviour. The school should work to embed the new systems, routines and policies to ensure that staff consistently uphold its high expectations of conduct across the school.

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