Holmes Chapel Comprehensive School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Holmes Chapel Comprehensive School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

The headteacher of this school is Nigel Bielby. The school is part of the Holmes Chapel Comprehensive School and Sixth Form College Trust, which means that other people also have responsibility for running the school.

The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Nigel Bielby, and overseen by a Board of Trustees, chaired by Tracey Goodwin.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and students in the sixth form are proud to be part of this inclusive community. They feel safe when they are in school.

They know who to speak to i...f they are worried or upset. Pupils enjoy good, honest relationships with senior staff and teachers. Most pupils live up to the school's high expectations about behaviour.

In lessons, they listen respectfully to their teachers and to each other. During social times, many pupils enjoy meeting up with their friends at one of the many picnic benches around the school.

The school is ambitious for all pupils.

Staff are determined that all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), gain the knowledge and skills that they need to thrive in their future lives. Overall, pupils in key stage 4 and in the sixth form achieve well in public examinations.

Pupils gain the knowledge they need to live safe and happy lives.

They learn about a wide range of topics in form periods, assemblies and personal development lessons. Recently, the school has begun to rebuild the programme of extra-curricular opportunities and school visits, which lapsed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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

The school's curriculum is broad and ambitious.

In order to increase uptake of the English Baccalaureate, the school has reviewed aspects of its key stage 3 curriculum to promote more opportunity for pupils to study history, geography and modern foreign languages in greater depth. As a result, more pupils are taking these subjects at key stage 4. Across all subjects, the school has considered carefully what pupils need to know and when this content should be taught.

In each subject, including those taught in the sixth form, the curriculum sets out clearly for staff the essential knowledge that pupils need to learn.

Teachers are knowledgeable about their subjects. Most teachers explain concepts clearly.

However, in a small number of subjects at key stages 3 and 4, some teachers do not consistently use strategies that help pupils to learn key knowledge well. As a result, some pupils develop gaps in their knowledge and understanding. This prevents them from progressing as well as they should in these subjects.

In most subjects, teachers make effective checks on pupils' learning. They identify and remedy misconceptions swiftly. However, in a few subjects, there is more variability in how well these checks are made.

Gaps in pupils' learning are not consistently identified and addressed. This means that some pupils fall behind in their learning. This is particularly the case for those pupils who are disadvantaged.

The school identifies pupils with additional needs accurately. Staff are trained well to be able to support pupils with SEND in their learning. This helps pupils with SEND to progress through the same ambitious subject curriculums as their peers.

The school accurately identifies pupils who have gaps in their reading knowledge. Recently, it has strengthened its systems to support pupils whose reading is especially weak. Most pupils become more confident readers due to the support they receive.

Many pupils enjoy reading. Lessons for younger pupils begin with an opportunity to read a selected fiction text for a few minutes. The school library is well stocked with inviting fiction and non-fiction books.

Generally, pupils behave well around the large school site. Some younger pupils said that, occasionally, there was some pushing and shoving from older pupils in some of the narrow corridors. Lessons across the school typically take place without disruption.

Sixth-form students enjoy their own spacious study and social areas. They set a good example to younger pupils with their mature attitudes.

The school has prioritised raising attendance and, as a result, overall attendance has improved over the past two years.

Pastoral leaders work closely with those pupils, and their families, who struggle to attend school regularly, engaging with other agencies if necessary. A group of older pupils told an inspector how they appreciated the efforts the school had made to get them into school regularly.

Pupils follow a well-planned programme of lessons and activities that promote their personal development.

As a result, pupils develop their knowledge about a wide range of matters, including relationships and sex education. Pupils' understanding of the opportunities and dangers of the world beyond school is enriched by many speakers from different backgrounds in assemblies. Sixth-form students and younger pupils told inspectors that they receive age-appropriate careers education, information, advice and guidance.

Trustees know the school very well. They are strategic and committed to further school improvement. Trustees and leaders at all levels are considerate of staff's workload and well-being when making policy decisions.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a small number of subjects, in key stages 3 and 4, some teachers do not consistently use the most effective strategies to help pupils understand subject content. As a result, pupils have gaps in their knowledge and understanding.

This hinders how well they progress through the curriculum. The school should ensure that all teachers are fully equipped to deliver the curriculum content consistently well so that pupils know and remember important knowledge. ? In a few subjects, teachers do not routinely check pupils' understanding well enough.

This means that some pupils' misconceptions go unchecked. Some pupils, particularly those who are disadvantaged, develop gaps in their knowledge. The school should ensure that in all subjects, teachers identify and address gaps in pupils' knowledge so that pupils can build on what they know.

Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade.

This school was, before September 2024, judged good for its overall effectiveness.

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in February 2020.