Malet Lambert

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This school has great ambition for all pupils. Pupils study a well-designed curriculum, which is designed to give them the best possible life chances in the future. Most pupils make good progress and achieve well.

The school is using various strategies to improve consistency of progress for all pupils.

Most pupils feel happy and safe at this school. Pupils behave well in lessons and as they walk around the school.

A small minority of pupils sometimes use inappropriate or derogatory language, but this is not common. Bullying can be reported easily and is dealt with quickly if it occurs. Staff care about pupils at this school and have good relationships with th...em.

Most pupils attend regularly, but some do not. This limits the progress that these pupils make.

Pupils enjoy a huge range of clubs and activities at the school.

They can take part in over 70 additional activities, such as knitting, table tennis, board games and fitness. Pupils play an active part in the leadership of the school and have led campaigns, such as 'Challenge it' that educates young people about harassment.

Pupils are educated about local risks and are taught to keep themselves safe.

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

The school delivers a curriculum that provides pupils with the best opportunities to improve their life chances. Leaders have taken steps to ensure that most pupils study the English Baccalaureate set of subjects. The Trust supports school leaders to ensure that the curriculum is well planned and fully inclusive.

Teachers are knowledgeable and enthusiastic about delivering the curriculum. The needs of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are identified and acted on by all staff.

In many lessons, pupils are challenged effectively through skilled questioning, coaching and modelling.

In these lessons, teachers adapt their teaching well to meet the needs of pupils with a range of abilities. As a result, pupils in these lessons make rapid progress. However, this is not consistent across the curriculum.

Occasionally, the implementation of the curriculum does not fully address misconceptions or support pupils to develop deep understanding. As a result, in some lessons, pupils remain passive and do not make the progress they are capable of.

Reading is a priority at the school.

Opportunities to develop reading skills have been newly introduced throughout the curriculum. These include learning of subject-specific vocabulary, specific comprehensive tasks and the use of graphical organisers to help pupils to understand key vocabulary. Several new approaches are used to promote a love of reading among pupils.

For example, '16 by 16' books to read, 'drop everything and read', literacy assemblies and celebration of World Book Day are some ways in which reading is promoted.Pupils who struggle to read are very well supported. The school provides swift diagnosis and a wide range of intervention strategies.

As a result, pupils make good progress and improve rapidly.

Some pupils do not attend school regularly enough. The school recognises that this is an ongoing challenge.

The school has invested in additional staffing and strategies to address this. There are some early indications that attendance is improving. Persistent absence for disadvantaged pupils remains high.

Most pupils behave in a calm, orderly and respectful manner. A small number of pupils sometimes use inappropriate language and occasionally exhibit boisterous behaviour outside lessons. The school has put in place various strategies to address this.

For example, a 'RESPECT' charter has recently been launched and there is a focus on social norms in each lesson. Bullying does occur but is swiftly dealt with. Leaders have introduced new systems and methods by which pupils and parents can report any concerns.

The school provides a suitable curriculum to support pupils' wider personal development. Pupils learn about world faiths and topics such as relationships, consent and online safety in an age-appropriate manner. Pupils are well prepared for their next steps through a comprehensive careers programme.

The school provides a wide-ranging extra-curricular programme of enrichment activities. Pupils are very enthusiastic about this and enjoy participating in lots of different activities such as crochet, board games, fantasy league and reading clubs.

Staff are very proud to work at this school.

They feel valued and that the school invests in their professional development. Leaders have ensured that, through the Trust's workload charter, staff have a good work-life balance. Leaders have ensured that there is time for teachers to hone their skills and the curriculum.

Governors and trustees work effectively to bring about positive change at the school. They understand their areas of responsibility and provide challenge to school leaders.

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, questioning does not address misconceptions effectively or probe pupils' understanding in sufficient depth. As a result, some pupils become passive in lessons and do not make the progress that might be expected of them. The school should support teachers to use questioning to develop pupils' understanding and address misconceptions effectively.

The school's recent work to create a culture of respect and tolerance is not fully embedded. Some pupils do not self-regulate their behaviour, and derogatory language is used by a minority of pupils. The school should ensure that pupils develop their character in such a way as to establish a strong culture of respect at the school.

• Some pupils do not attend school regularly enough. This means that they do not make enough progress through the curriculum. The school should ensure that all pupils, particularly those who are disadvantaged, attend school regularly.