Noadswood School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school. Staff at Noadswood are determined that all students will achieve their best. Students' achievement is good and well on the way to becoming outstanding.

The school benefits from good leadership at all levels that is focused on ensuring that all students make the best progress they can. The school's leaders are highly committed to their roles and to continuing to improve all aspects of the school's work. Students' GCSE results are consistently above average, largely due to teaching that is giving them the confidence to try to achieve their full potential.

Teaching is good, with some that is outstanding and none that is inadequate. Most tea...chers plan interesting and enjoyable lessons that motivate and engage all students. Most teachers know what their students are capable of and adapt their teaching so that all of them make good progress.

Students' behaviour is outstanding. They are clear that staff take good care of them and they feel very safe, reflecting the strong emphasis the school places on developing students' spiritual, moral, social and cultural life. Noadswood is a vibrant and thriving school that plays a positive role in the local community.

It is not yet an outstanding school because : In a few lessons, teachers do not provide work which effectively meets students' individual needs and their written feedback is not good enough to ensure students make the progress of which they are capable.

Information about this school

Noadswood School converted to become an academy on 30 August 2011. When its predecessor school of the same name was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good.

Noadswood is slightly larger than the average-sized secondary school. The proportion of students eligible for the pupil premium (additional government funding for students known to be entitled to free school meals, children looked after by the local authority and children from service families) is well below that found nationally. Fewer students than average are from minority ethnic groups or speak English as an additional language.

The proportion of disabled students and those with statements of special educational needs supported through school action plus is in line with that found nationally. The proportion of those with special educational needs supported through school action is below average. The school has an on-site unit for students with physical disabilities.

Three students are educated in the local Forest Education Centre, where provision is more suited to their educational and behavioural needs. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which are the minimum standards set for students' attainment and progress. Noadswood School is a specialist sports college.