Lawnswood School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Lawnswood School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are polite, friendly and respectful. They belong to a welcoming and inclusive school that seeks to know and understand them as individuals. The school has created a positive environment in which pupils feel happy and safe.

Pupils' views and ideas contribute to the development of school life.

The school has high expectations for pupils' achievement. It has developed a curriculum that reflects pupils' diverse backgrounds.

This helps to engage pupils in their learning and motivates them to succeed. In lessons, pupils show positive attitudes to their work. The school raises p...upils' aspirations further through strong links with universities and employers.

This is a calm and orderly school where pupils form positive relationships with each other and with staff. Pupils know the standards of behaviour expected of them. They also know the consequences of not meeting those standards.

Staff address any misbehaviour, including low-level disruption to learning, appropriately. Pupils behave well.

The school provides pupils with a wide range of opportunities to develop their talents and interests.

Pupils take part in research projects and enjoy visits to places of cultural interest. There are many clubs, including sports, drama, art and enterprise. Pupils enjoy the school's culture day, where they celebrate their diverse cultures and ethnicities.

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

The school has developed a broad and balanced curriculum. Pupils study a wide range of subjects at key stage 3. At key stage 4, they can select from both academic and vocational courses.

The school aims to increase the number of pupils studying for the English Baccalaureate (EBacc). To do this, the school is prioritising the development of modern foreign languages. The school's intention is that more pupils will take French or Spanish at GCSE.

In Year 9, the highest attaining pupils already study both French and Spanish. The school emphasises the value of studying a modern foreign language with pupils and with parents and carers. The school has ensured that the sixth-form curriculum meets students' needs and interests.

Students can take both academic and vocational courses. Sixth-form courses build on and complement students' key stage 4 studies. This helps sixth form students to progress on to higher education, apprenticeships and employment.

The curriculum is ambitious and well sequenced. Pupils build their knowledge and understanding with increasing depth and complexity. They learn to think and work like subject specialists, such as geographers and scientists.

The school prioritises reading. It provides extra support for pupils who need it. This helps pupils to become confident and fluent readers.

The school also promotes reading across the curriculum and develops pupils' love for reading. It organises activities and events, including Non-Fiction November, author visits and reading competitions.

The school identifies the needs of pupils well.

It has established effective provision to meet pupils' specific needs. This includes for pupils who speak English as an additional language. A high proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) complete the same work as their peers.

Teachers have good subject knowledge and use this well to present new information to pupils. At the start of lessons, teachers revisit what pupils have learned before. This helps pupils to remember essential knowledge and make connections to previous learning.

Teachers give pupils guidance on how to improve their work. Pupils respond to this feedback, amending and adding to their original work. However, at times, teachers' questioning and choice of activity are not effective.

They do not secure or extend pupils' knowledge and understanding with enough rigour.

The school has established a comprehensive, age-appropriate personal development programme. Pupils learn about relationships, equality and diversity and physical and mental health.

They are taught how to keep themselves safe, including online. The school enhances the quality of its programme through partnerships with external agencies. These agencies come into school to lead assemblies and workshops with pupils.

From Year 7 to Year 13, pupils receive careers information, education and guidance. This helps pupils to make well-informed decisions about course choices and future careers.

Leaders show commitment and determination to develop the quality of provision for all pupils.

The work the school does in meeting the diverse needs of pupils is a particular strength. It has developed in-school provision to support pupils' social, emotional and mental health needs. The school has created a culture in which staff feel valued and well supported.

Staff workload is manageable and the school prioritises staff well-being.

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 lessons, including in the sixth form, teachers' questioning and choice of activity do not systematically secure and extend pupils' knowledge and understanding.

This means that some pupils do not acquire a coherent body of knowledge or gain the depth of understanding they need to attain highly. The school should ensure that teachers receive the training and development they need to use appropriate pedagogical strategies, such as effective questioning, to secure and extend pupils' knowledge and understanding.

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 October 2013.