NCEA Duke’s Secondary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Duke's Secondary School is a welcoming school where there has been much improvement. There are strong relationships between staff and pupils.

Leaders have put in place a new behaviour system, and staff and pupils speak highly of these changes. This has resulted in a calm and orderly environment in school.

Leaders and teachers are ambitious that pupils will do well in their future lives.

Staff successfully promote pupils' personal development and well-being. For example, enrichment is built into the school timetable, which enables pupils to experience a range of activities.

Currently, the quality of education and the standards that pupils achieve are ...not good enough.

Leaders are raising expectations of what pupils should achieve. Students in the sixth form benefit from its small size. They receive personalised support and are taught well.

Most pupils say that they feel safe in school and have an adult whom they can speak to if they are worried or concerned. Many pupils say that bullying is rare and that it is dealt with well by staff if reported.

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

Leaders have begun work to improve the quality of education.

There are now much clearer links between pupils' primary curriculum in key stage 2 and their new key stage 3 curriculum. In all subjects, leaders have clear aims for what they want pupils to learn. There is evidence that, in some subjects, pupils are now knowing and remembering more important knowledge.

However, not all teachers are routinely checking how secure pupils' knowledge is. This means that some teachers ask pupils to complete work that they cannot do due to gaps in their knowledge. Teaching is much more secure in the sixth form, where teachers check precisely what pupils know to inform their next steps.

Pupils in key stage 4 select courses from a range of options. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), can study the same curriculum. In key stage 5, students can choose from a small number of A-level subjects and from a wider range of vocational courses.

Pupils study different combinations of subjects that suit their needs, interests and future ambitions.

Support for pupils with SEND is positive. They are supported effectively to access the curriculum.

Knowledgeable leaders use clear strategies to support pupils' social, emotional and mental health needs well. There are many safe spaces in school for pupils with SEND to use. They very much value these spaces.

For example, the sensory room enables pupils to calm and reduce their anxiety.

Leaders have prioritised reading and literacy. The English department promotes a love of reading well.

There are many activities and events in the library that support reading. Staff assess pupils' needs in Year 7 to help them to understand who needs extra support with reading. Some pupils access a phonics programme if they need help decoding words.

However, too few pupils currently access this programme. It is not delivered frequently enough to have maximum impact. Some pupils also have insecure knowledge of letter formation and, as a result, have poor handwriting.

Some pupils with SEND receive appropriate handwriting support, but more pupils would benefit from this.

A small number of pupils attend alternative provision. This is being used in the best interests of pupils.

Leaders take responsibility for their safeguarding and well-being. However, records of leaders' visits to these providers are not appropriately thorough. There is a lack of clarity when tracking what has been monitored when visits do take place.

Behaviour and attitudes have improved significantly of late. There is a clear behaviour policy in place. Some pupils report minor variations in the application of the policy.

These are not detrimental to overall standards of behaviour. Leaders track and monitor incidents of behaviour. However, their analysis of trends and patterns in pupils' behaviour are not as precise as they could be to secure further improvements.

There is a well-considered personal development programme in place. Pupils take their personal development seriously and speak confidently about important issues such as inclusivity. Careers advice and guidance are particularly strong.

Pupils, and students in the sixth form, are well supported to gain insight into the range of study or work opportunities available to them.

Leadership, at all levels, is focused on continued improvement to the school. While there is still progress to be made to improve the quality of education, other areas of school improvement are more secure.

Leaders are ambitious and know what needs to be done. Most staff who work at the school feel happy and well supported. They appreciate the way that leaders consider their workload.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders ensure that staff know how to keep pupils safe. Staff receive regular training and are aware of the local risks that pupils face.

All staff recognise that safeguarding is an important part of their role.

Staff are aware of the process of reporting a safeguarding concern. Leaders keep accurate and detailed records of reported concerns.

They make sure that pupils receive the support they need, including help from external agencies.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• School leaders have not ensured that their records of visits to alternative providers are clear enough. They do not have sufficient detail to evidence that pupils who attend these providers have the quality of their curriculum thoroughly monitored.

Leaders cannot be sure of the continued suitability of the alternative providers in meeting pupils' needs. Leaders should ensure that they keep appropriately detailed records of their visits to alternative providers so that they are assured as to the continued suitability of placements for pupils. ? There is variability in how well teachers deliver the curriculum.

Some teachers do not check systematically what pupils know and understand in lessons. This means that, sometimes, lessons move on before pupils have learned the curriculum securely. Leaders should ensure that teaching of the curriculum is of a consistently high quality.

• Some reading and wider literacy interventions do not include all pupils who have weaknesses in these areas. This means that too few pupils can access the support they need to improve. Leaders should ensure that all pupils who need extra help with their reading and literacy skills receive timely support and appropriate intervention to ensure that they make rapid progress.

• While leaders have a good understanding of individual pupils and their involvement in behavioural incidents, there is not enough analysis of patterns and trends. This means that leaders are not fully aware of which groups of pupils are involved in different types of incidents. Leaders should ensure that they have robust systems in place to support further improvements in behaviour and reduce the need for suspensions.

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