JCoSS

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending this ambitious, supportive and inspiring school. Leaders have embedded an ethos that promotes tolerance and inclusion.

They think carefully about how to develop each pupil as an individual. Pupils achieve highly and become confident and committed learners. They are encouraged to develop their own identity while learning to understand and celebrate that of others.

The curriculum is broad and balanced for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Across the school, teachers focus on ensuring that pupils make progress through the curriculum. They teach pupils to collaborate and develop independence as le...arners.

Working relationships between staff and pupils are warm.

Pupils behave well. Very little learning time is lost to poor behaviour.

Pupils treat others as equals, showing kindness and respect. On the rare occasions on which bullying occurs, it is dealt with effectively.

Teachers and subject leaders continually consider how to ensure that pupils' learning becomes even better.

They enrich learning through trips and in-school events like debates.

The school is popular and well regarded by parents and carers. Nearly all pupils opt to stay on for the sixth form, which provides strong pastoral support and a highly ambitious curriculum offer.

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

Leaders ensure that all pupils learn a curriculum that is deep as well as broad. Ambitious decisions about the knowledge that pupils study form the basis of leaders' curriculum thinking. In English, for instance, the judicious choice of texts enables pupils to learn about the literary tradition and to challenge it.

Another example is in languages, where all pupils learn a year of Ivrit and French, but may then also diversify into Spanish and Latin.

Leaders consider pupils' aspirations and goals carefully, including, for example, through the guidance provided to Year 9 pupils about their GCSE options. In the sixth form, leaders ensure that a wide range of choices are on offer, even if group sizes are small.

In all subjects, teachers consider how to enrich the curriculum. Examples of this include organising debates on key ideas and encouraging pupils to take part in competitions for science, mathematics and technology. Leaders and staff focus on helping pupils to embrace the challenges and opportunities in their future learning.

They teach pupils what they can do to be independent and resilient learners.

Leaders keep a close eye on where there are areas for development in the curriculum. They address these quickly and effectively.

For example, they have taken steps to develop the provision for modern foreign languages, with all pupils studying two languages in Years 7 and 8.

Lessons are well sequenced to ensure that pupils learn and remember more over time. This is particularly the case in the sixth form, where students acquire detailed knowledge in a structured way.

Leaders have ensured that each subject has a purposeful approach to assessment. Teachers check pupils' understanding regularly and help pupils to reflect on and improve their work. Nevertheless, while the curriculum is working well in the classroom overall in Years 7 to 11, a few inconsistencies remain.

For example, on occasion, staff do not follow agreed approaches for supporting and checking pupils' learning in a subject. Leaders are working on ironing out these remaining inconsistencies.

Teachers have a secure understanding of the needs of pupils with SEND.

In the main, they use what they know about pupils' needs to adapt support in lessons. At times, this is supplemented by expert support from teaching assistants.

Pupils who are less proficient readers are identified and supported well.

Leaders and staff foster a positive reading culture from Year 7 through to Year 13.

When pupils have to make choices about their futures, they receive strong support. Careers education is carefully targeted to ensure that pupils learn about a range of options.

Sixth-form students are well supported with applications to their choice of further study, including university.

Teachers ensure that all pupils organise their learning well and collaborate to a high level. This is a strength of the school.

It is reflected in the behaviour policy, which focuses on addressing the needs of pupils who do not meet expectations.

Pupils build strong professional relationships with their form tutors, who track how well they are learning and behaving. The school's positive environment for learning is reinforced by a skilfully planned personal, social and health education curriculum.

This focuses on understanding and respecting the identities and experiences of others. Pupils learn about how to be safe and are educated about a range of other important issues.

Pupils attend a wide selection of clubs and activities.

They are also looking forward to the trips that were a key feature of school life before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Governors have a deep knowledge of, and commitment to, the school. They challenge and support leaders.

Staff are proud to work here. They feel they are well supported and receive high-quality professional development.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders provide training to staff to make sure that they have an up-to-date knowledge of safeguarding. Leaders have also set up pastoral systems that help them to identify where attendance or behaviour may indicate concerns about a pupil. They teach pupils how to keep themselves safe, and share this information with families.

They also have a clear system for recruiting suitable staff.

All staff are vigilant about pupils' safety. They report concerns promptly.

Leaders ensure that needs are met, for example by providing counselling on site. They make referrals to secure additional help from outside agencies where this is needed.

Pupils are confident that they can speak to staff about concerns, and that they will receive help.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few instances, leaders have not made sure that their expectations for the delivery of the curriculum are followed by all staff. This leads to inconsistencies in how pupils' knowledge is deepened over time. Leaders need to strengthen the way they ensure and assure the curriculum is working in practice in Years 7 to 11, providing staff with guidance and training as necessary.