Long Stratton High School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The school sits at the heart of the local community.

Parents praise the high standards set for academic study and pupils' behaviour. Pupils respond well to these high expectations. They know that if they work hard and respond well to staff they will be rewarded for this.

Pupils feel listened to. Staff and pupils forge good working relationships. Pupils feel that staff are always approachable and will go out of their way to help them.

The school's small size and its supportive, friendly ethos ensure that all pupils are known well. Pupils receive the care and support they need to engage fully in all aspects of school life. This good-quality care was maintained ...during the disruption caused by the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic in order to keep pupils safe and engaged in learning.

This term, pupils are pleased to see the return of after-school activities, especially in sport.

Pupils are pleasant, polite and well-mannered. They behave well and attend regularly.

Pupils and parents feel that school is a safe place to be. If bullying happens, pupils say staff act promptly to stop it. Pupils feel poor behaviour is managed effectively.

They value the credits given to them and wear their star badges with pride.

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

Good leadership has transformed this school. Expectations of pupils and staff are much higher than in the past.

Visionary governance and the increased leadership capacity provided by the academy trust have steered the school's journey of rapid improvement in recent years. Leaders have raised pupils' aspirations, increased their ambition, and broadened their horizons. Staff have responded positively to the greater accountability and the raised expectations of them.

New opportunities for training and development without their workload becoming unmanageable have been welcomed.

Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum that gives younger pupils the knowledge, skills and understanding they need for further learning in key stage 4. Pupils have a broad choice of GCSE qualifications.

English, mathematics and science are real strengths. A few other subjects need to improve. Senior leaders know where improvements are needed and have plans in place to achieve this.

The Award Scheme Development and Accreditation Network award is offered as an alternative to one GCSE qualification to those not suited to GCSE study. Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) follow a study skills course in key stage 4 to help them catch up and keep up.

Pupils learn well across a wide range of subjects because subject leaders are knowledgeable and well organised.

They have considered what they want pupils to know, and the order in which content should be taught to help pupils learn effectively. Teachers have good subject knowledge. They forge good relations with pupils and set high expectations of them.

Teachers use assessment effectively to revisit skills, recall knowledge and regularly check pupils' understanding. At times, pupils spend too long listening to instructions, rather than being trusted to get on with tasks by themselves.

The curriculum in a few subjects remains underdeveloped.

Some leaders have not planned well enough what pupils will learn so that they build on what they already know, and so all of them are fully challenged. Low take-up of some subjects presents a barrier to increasing the proportion of pupils achieving the Baccalaureate award. Raising achievement in these subjects is prioritised in the school's improvement plan.

The leader responsible for overseeing the achievement and welfare of disadvantaged pupils has plans in place to ensure that additional funding is used effectively to support these pupils. The leadership of pupils with SEND has changed this year. A newly appointed coordinator shows a clear understanding of these pupils and their particular needs.

The coordinator is less familiar with the procedures for monitoring and evaluating how well teachers are meeting the needs of pupils and how well they learn.

Good-quality pastoral care underpins pupils' personal development. Year leaders and tutors combine well to ensure that pupils feel cared for, and supported.

Vulnerable pupils know they can approach staff in 'The Hub' who will listen and help them sort things out. In personal, social and health education, pupils are taught about healthy relationships, sex education and the potential risks attached to being online. Careers education meets national requirements.

It is taught throughout both key stages and enables pupils to consider the different pathways into further study and the workplace.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

A team of designated leaders oversee pupils' welfare and protect the most vulnerable from harm.

Established safeguarding procedures are known well by all staff. Child protection records show that staff act promptly when they have concerns. Leaders respond swiftly when there are emerging issues.

For example, leaders took swift action to raise pupils and parents' awareness of the risk of sexual harassment. Leaders ensure that all pupils understand their responsibilities to keep themselves and their peers safe.

The single central record shows that suitable checks are made when appointing adults to work with children.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some subject leaders have not planned the curriculum well enough to enable all pupils to build on what they already know and can do, and ensure that all of them are suitably challenged in lessons. Some subjects do not have a high profile and too few pupils choose to study them in key stage 4. The school must improve the quality of the curriculum and the outcomes achieved by pupils in these subjects.

• There have been recent changes in the leadership and oversight of pupils with SEND. The newly appointed coordinator is unfamiliar with the school's procedures for monitoring and evaluating how effectively teachers plan to meet the needs of pupils in lessons, and the impact this has on their learning. The school should provide suitable training and support so there is effective checking that the needs of pupils with SEND are fully met throughout the curriculum.

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