Jubilee High School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Jubilee High School continues to be a good school.

The headteacher of this school is Mark Conroy. This school is part of Bourne Education Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Alex Russell, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Andrew Field.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend Jubilee High School. Many recognise and enthuse about how their school has improved over recent years. They value how positive relationships with staff help pupils to perform beyond their own expectations, both academically and across the wider curriculum.

P...upils typically enjoy their learning and relish the wide range of extra-curricular clubs and activities on offer. As one pupil keenly shared, 'Teachers here go above and beyond. They put in so much time and effort because they really want us to succeed.'



There are high expectations of pupils across the school. Staff work together to ensure that pupils learn confidently across most of the curriculum. Pupils particularly value the opportunities offered through English, performing arts and physical education, which are areas of strength in the school.

High-quality provision for personal development and careers education nurtures confidence, resilience and encourages pupils' wider interests and independent learning skills. This equips them well for the future.

Positive relationships underpin the typically calm, courteous behaviour across the school.

Pupils understand and follow the school's behaviour system. Any form of deliberate unkindness is rare. Pupils know and trust the adults they can turn to should they have any concerns.

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

Staff have worked together to craft the school's ambitious 'rainforest curriculum' provision and approach. Staff training is coupled with regular checks on how the expertise of teachers is impacting on pupils' achievements. Consequently, learning is usually well structured and delivered in ways to systematically build knowledge and skills from Years 7 to 11.

Current pupils typically achieve well and are improving in subjects where published outcomes were lower in the recent past.

Teachers have high expectations and know pupils well. Most pupils actively engage in lessons to produce high-quality work.

Teachers encourage them to reflect on their learning by linking what they have studied before to what they are learning about now. Most teachers check pupils' prior understanding before explaining any new subject matter in ways that meet the needs of their pupils well. However, occasionally this is not the case.

Subsequently, some pupils' attention drifts and they can become disengaged from their learning.

Staff promote pupils' literacy skills and the enjoyment of reading. Systems are in place to check pupils' reading skills.

Bespoke support is offered to any pupils requiring it to read more accurately and fluently.

The school is committed to ensuring that all pupils are successful, especially those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and other disadvantaged pupils. These groups did not achieve as well as their peers in the past, so the school took action.

Now, most teachers have the knowledge and skills required to meet the needs of these pupils well. This is helping disadvantaged pupils to achieve more. The school is prioritising further training to ensure all teachers are adept at addressing any gaps in knowledge and skills that pupils with SEND may have.

The proportions of pupils studying the group of subjects as part of the English Baccalaureate has been low. The school is prioritising addressing this, while ensuring that pupils can still choose from a range of artistic, technical and creative GCSEs and vocational options. A comprehensive package of careers education and advice ensures that pupils are well prepared for their next steps in education or employment.

The pastoral care provided by the school is a strength. The school makes every effort to promote high attendance and challenge any absences. Effective rewards and behaviour systems ensure that conduct around the school is good.

The number of suspensions for poor behaviour dropped significantly this year. One parent, reflecting the views of many, praised the 'transformation in behaviour at the school in recent years'.

Provision for pupils' personal development is impressive.

The personal, social, health education (PSHE) curriculum incorporates local contextual issues well. Pupils value their teachers' subject knowledge and the many opportunities they have to learn how to keep themselves physically and mentally healthy and safe.

The school considers the workload and well-being of staff carefully, consulting and involving them in any changes.

Staff report feeling well supported, and morale is high.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• There is a small amount of variation in how well the school's curriculum is taught.

When it is implemented less well, some pupils are not as consistently engaged or do not get the support they need to achieve well. The school should continue to support staff in developing their knowledge and expertise, as well as their use of assessment, to teach the intended ambitious curriculum. The learning for some pupils with SEND does not always meet their needs, particularly in key stage 3.

This means that some pupils with SEND do not always learn the intended knowledge and skills to ensure that they can achieve well. The school should continue to ensure that all staff have the expertise required to consistently provide the appropriate support for pupils with SEND.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

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 would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which 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 in July 2015.