Nidderdale High School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school. Students' achieve well. The progress that they make has improved rapidly and securely since the previous inspection.

Attainment has been consistently above average in recent years. Teaching is good. Its quality has improved since the previous inspections because : leaders and managers have tackled any inadequate teaching firmly.

The partnership with another school has been used very effectively to raise the quality of teaching through the sharing of good practice between the two schools. Behaviour is good and improving. The number of exclusions has fallen significantly, as have incidents of poor behaviour in lessons and around school..../>
Most students are polite and respectful. They say they feel safe at school. They enjoy school as seen in their above average and improving attendance levels.

New leadership and management have brought about rapid and sustained improvement to all aspects of the school's work. Parental support for the school is strong and staff work together very well in the pursuit of improving the school. It is not yet an outstanding school because : The proportion of students making better than the progress expected given their starting points is not yet high enough to be outstanding.

Although the quality of teaching is improving rapidly and securely, a small amount still requires improvement and not enough is yet outstanding. Some marking is not as helpful as it could be.

Information about this school

Nidderdale is much smaller than the average sized secondary school.

Nearly all students are White British. The proportion of students known to be eligible for the pupil premium is below average. Pupil premium funding is intended largely for the benefit of pupils who are known to be entitled to free school meals.

The proportion of students whose learning needs are supported through school action is above average. The proportion of students supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is average. The school meets the government's current floor standards which set minimum expectations for attainment and progress.

About 20 students in Years 10 and 11 attend part-time vocational courses off-site at Harrogate College, Craven College and Askham Bryan College. The school organises and manages a before-school breakfast club for students. Since the previous inspection staffing has been reduced by about 5 full-time equivalent members of the teaching staff.

The school is in a formal partnership with another secondary school, whose headteacher has been acting as the executive headteacher for both schools for the last year. The deputy headteacher from the partner school has been acting headteacher at Nidderdale for about a year. He has been appointed as substantive headteacher at Nidderdale with effect from 1 January 2013.

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