Lostock High School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Lostock High School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend Lostock High School. They feel safe and happy in school.

They are confident that staff will listen to them if they have any concerns. Pupils and staff value and respect each other's differences.

Pupils are friendly, polite and courteous.

They behave well in lessons and in social spaces. Pupils say that teachers will deal with any poor behaviour quickly and effectively.

Pupils say that bullying is rare.

Most pupils say that staff deal with any bullying well. However, a very small number of pupils do not share this view.

Lea...ders and staff are ambitious for pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

This includes those pupils who attend the on-site specially resourced provision. Leaders' high expectations are reflected in the ambitious curriculums that they have designed. Pupils work hard in their lessons.

They talk confidently about their learning.

Pupils enjoy a range of clubs, such as sports, music, chess and coding. They learn to become well-rounded citizens through the personal, social and health education curriculum.

For example, pupils learn about the importance of respect for diversity. They are supporting and accepting of those from different backgrounds to their own.

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

Leaders have ensured that pupils, including those with SEND and those who attend the specially resourced provision, benefit from a deep and suitably ambitious curriculum.

Leaders have ensured that pupils in Years 10 and 11 study a wider range of subjects than they did previously. For example, more pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, now opt to study geography, history, modern foreign languages and separate sciences at GCSE. Leaders have also ensured that pupils in key stage 3 benefit from an appropriate range of subjects.

Subject leaders have clearly outlined what they want pupils to learn, and in what order. Pupils build on what they already know. For example, in science, pupils use their earlier understanding of cells when learning about genetics and anatomy.

This helps pupils to develop their knowledge across the curriculum and achieve well.

Leaders ensure that teachers have the subject knowledge that they need to deliver curriculums well. Teachers help pupils to revisit the most important facts regularly.

For example, in mathematics, pupils revisit number facts and methods often to improve their fluency. This helps pupils to remember content over time.

Teachers use assessment effectively in lessons to check on pupils' learning and identify any mistakes.

They use this information to inform their teaching and provide pupils with additional help when needed. Teachers meet regularly to discuss their findings from assessments, identify pupils' common misconceptions and adapt their curriculum plans accordingly.

Those pupils who need additional help with their reading receive appropriate support to help them to read confidently.

The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) uses effective strategies to identify pupils' needs. The SENCo provides staff with appropriate information so that they can support pupils with SEND well in lessons. Leaders support those pupils in the specially resourced provision effectively to build their independence.

This support helps these pupils to access lessons in the main school and join in confidently with the many aspects of wider school life.

Pupils can learn without distractions in their lessons. They pay attention and try hard.

Teachers deal with any low-level misbehaviour effectively.

Leaders provide older pupils with appropriate advice so that they can make informed decisions about the next stage of their education, employment or training. However, not all younger pupils benefit from high-quality guidance about their possible next steps.

As a result, they do not learn about the range of opportunities available to them when they leave the school. Despite this, most pupils progress to further education, employment or training.

Staff feel that leaders are extremely supportive of their well-being.

Staff feel that they can approach leaders when they need support with their workload. Governors have a strong knowledge of the school's strengths and areas for further development. They have provided effective challenge and support around leaders' work to improve behaviour and introduce suitably ambitious curriculum plans across subjects.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Pupils feel safe in school. They know who to talk to if they have any worries or concerns.

Vulnerable pupils can access additional support from the school well-being hub. Pupils have a clear understanding of risks. For example, they learn about healthy relationships and how to stay safe online.

Staff receive appropriate safeguarding training. They know how to report any concerns about pupils' well-being. When necessary, leaders refer any concerns to external agencies without delay.

They take the time to follow these referrals up when needed. Leaders have appropriate systems to check the well-being of those pupils who attend alternative provision.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some younger pupils do not benefit from sufficient high-quality advice about the next stages of education, employment or training.

As a result, they are not fully informed about of the range of opportunities available to them when they leave the school. Leaders should ensure that pupils across the school benefit from suitably appropriate advice and guidance about their next steps.

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 a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that a good school could now be better than good, or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good on 3 and 4 June 2015.