Light Hall School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school? '

The best from everyone, all of the time' is the school motto.

Staff and pupils work hard to live up to it. Pupils enjoy a wide range of extra-curricular activities. The curriculum supports their personal development.

Teachers pay attention to the progress of all their pupils. Pupils are positive about the way teachers help them to learn. They make good progress.

Pupils get on well with each other and with their teachers. In this large school, staff are attentive to the well-being of pupils. In their inspection survey responses, many parents praised the school's welcoming atmosphere.

They also mentioned the effective support their children get, inclu...ding the period when they had to learn from home because of the pandemic.

Pupils usually behave well in lessons and around the school. Poor behaviour is not accepted.

If any pupils misbehave, then teachers are prompt to respond. The school supports pupils who misbehave to improve their behaviour. Staff also tackle bullying well.

Pupils feel safe at school and do not consider bullying to be a problem.

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

Leaders have improved the quality of education. They also have a long-term plan to improve it further.

Subject leaders and teachers work well together to deliver these improvements. Over the last two years, they have redesigned the curriculum and teachers started using the new curriculum plans this term.

Teachers check that pupils remember what they have learned.

In languages, for example, teachers regularly start lessons by asking pupils to use phrases they learned before. In history, teachers often ask five quick questions about the last lessons. Teachers use pupils' answers to adapt what they teach.

They also check how well pupils learn new topics. Pupils keep records of what they need to do to improve. In English, for example, they have green 'tracking' sheets.

Work in books shows that pupils progress well overall, but do better in some subjects than in others. Leaders are aware that the impact of the new curriculum varies between subjects. They are still developing systems to check that progress is strong in all subjects.

Leaders want all pupils to have the literacy skills they need to learn well. The school has a 'literacy for learning' policy. Pupils who do not read well for their age get support.

Teachers put on extra reading lessons to help them catch up. Pupils read in every subject and say that they read every day at school. However, many are still not keen on reading and do not read outside school.

Leaders know that they need to do more to make more pupils enjoy reading.

Pupils say that they like coming to school. However, their attendance is not as good as it was before the pandemic.

Leaders are looking at ways to address this issue.

The school's personal, social, health and economic programme helps pupils to prepare for their adult life. This programme covers a wide range of topics, including relationships, diversity and citizenship.

Pupils receive helpful careers guidance at various times in their school years. The school has a clear policy for this, which meets the requirements of the Baker Clause.

Leaders want all pupils to be successful and happy at school.

The school looks after disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well. Leaders ask parents for their views about the support the school provides. Staff adapt teaching and other aspects of school life to make sure that pupils with SEND learn well and can enjoy all activities.

Leaders do their best to make sure that staff do not feel under too much pressure. Teachers and other members of staff say that leaders listen to them and support them if they have issues with their work.

Governors are knowledgeable and committed.

They support leaders well.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The school has a strong culture of safeguarding.

Training for all staff is up to date. All staff understand their duty of care and are confident in identifying and reporting pupils who may need urgent help.

The designated safeguarding lead (DSL) and deputy DSLs act swiftly when staff refer issues to them.

They are trained in safe recruitment procedures. They work well with families and external agencies to provide support and find solutions to problems.

Pupils are taught how to keep safe.

This includes teaching them about online risks and the damaging effects of inappropriate sexual attitudes and language.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The new curriculum has only been implemented in full since the start of this academic year. Its introduction coincided with several new teachers and subject leaders starting at the school.

While the implementation of the curriculum is successful overall, there are still variations between subjects in terms of the impact on pupils' progress. The school needs to further develop systems to measure the impact of the new curriculum and ensure that progress is equally strong across all subjects. ? The periods of time when pupils were educated remotely due to COVID-19 (coronavirus) restrictions have changed some pupils' and parents' attitudes to attendance.

Consequently, the school's strategies to sustain a high level of attendance are not as effective as they used to be. The school's records show that attendance for all groups is not back to pre-pandemic levels. Leaders need to continue to adapt their strategies to secure higher attendance for all groups.

• Promoting a love of reading is a key part of the school's 'literacy for learning' policy. While the objective to have pupils reading in school across the curriculum is broadly met, reading outside school is not widespread. As the literacy policy is in its early implementation phase, the school needs to continue to look for new initiatives to increase the number of pupils who read for pleasure.