Herschel Grammar School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive in the vibrant community of this school.

They are ambitious for themselves and what they can achieve, modelled by the high aspirations that staff have for them, but also fostered by an increasing independence as they progress through the school. Lessons are engaging places of learning, where pupils are keen to ask questions and challenge one another's opinions, founded on the highly secure knowledge and skills they have accrued as a result of exceptional teaching.

Relationships across the school are warm and founded on respect.

Pupils live out daily the school's values of responsibility, success and care. Pupils are known well by staff, meaning ...they know how best to support them, both academically and more widely. Behaviour is exceptionally settled and calm, both in lessons and at social times.

Pupils achieve exceptionally well in this school. At GCSE and A Level, outcomes are high and often sit in the highest percentages nationally. But it is not just in examination outcomes that pupils thrive.

They are happy and proud to be associated with their school. Pupils engage with work beyond the school in their local community, such as litter picking, volunteering in care homes and nurseries and supporting local events.

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

The school has a highly ambitious curriculum which supports all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to do exceptionally well.

The knowledge and skills that pupils need to develop have been carefully sequenced, building from Year 7 through to the sixth form, so that pupils develop a broad range of knowledge and are increasingly able to apply this independently.

A buzz of excitement pervades the school. Pupils move with purpose to lessons that engage them, keen to get learning.

In lessons, behaviour is very strong. Pupils engage readily, lessons are highly focused and learning is rarely disrupted. Around the school, conduct is similarly calm, and pupils show adults and one another respect in their interactions.

Lessons are characterised by highly expert teaching. Explanations are clear, and pupils pick up the knowledge and skills they need to understand their learning at a high level. Staff are adept at asking questions both to check pupils' understanding and to ensure that pupils think hard about their learning.

As a result, pupils routinely think deeply and challenge themselves. Staff know how to adapt their input so that pupils with SEND can access the same high-quality opportunities as their peers.Pupils are increasingly independent, with careful thought given to homework and independent study that pupils engage with readily.

There is an exemplary range of opportunities for pupils to develop beyond the classroom. For example, the school's 'culture week' is a well-considered opportunity for pupils to learn about a range of other countries and cultures beyond their own. A large range of clubs and house competitions, along with initiatives such as the Duke of Edinburgh's Award and Young Enterprise schemes, supplement opportunities in the classroom.

There is a range of leadership opportunities for pupils to engage with. They are proud to hold responsibilities such as house captain, being members of the year and school councils or contributing to the 'Eco-Committee'. Sixth-formers work as mentors for younger pupils and as head prefects.

Lessons in personal, social, health and economic education are closely linked with a pastoral programme, assemblies and visiting speakers. These all work seamlessly together to develop fully rounded pupils. A well-developed careers programme is also in place to support pupils in considering their options when they leave school.

This connects across the school and is especially bespoke to students' needs and next steps in the sixth form. These programmes also leave room to respond to the needs of the pupils in the school.

Leaders are astute in their identification of what works well in their school and what they can refine further.

Their plans are founded on a secure understanding of the school, and they take decisive actions where they are needed. Trustees and governors know the school well and hold leaders to account effectively through a range of developed systems.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.