North Chadderton School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including students in the sixth form, are proud to attend this welcoming school.

They told inspectors that they feel part of a community where everyone is respected.

Pupils and students feel happy and safe at school. They know that staff care for them.

For example, pupils enjoy well-being Wednesday each week, where they learn about looking after their own mental health.

Pupils understand that leaders expect them to work hard and be kind. They rise to this standard and conduct themselves well.

Poor behaviour rarely disrupts learning. When bullying happens, leaders deal with it quickly and effectively. Most pupils are confident that bu...llying will be resolved.

Pupils and students feel that they are listened to by staff. They have many opportunities to take on leadership responsibilities, such as sixth-form students working alongside younger pupils on the eco and charity committees.

Leaders have raised their expectations of what all pupils and students can achieve.

This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). However, there are some areas of the curriculum where pupils do not learn as well as they should.

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

Leaders have high aspirations for pupils and students in the sixth form.

All pupils, including pupils with SEND, study a wide range of subjects. This includes those in the specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND (specially resourced provision). Students in the sixth form achieve well across a range of academic and vocational qualifications.

However, pupils' achievement in key stages 3 and 4 is uneven.

Senior leaders are in the process of finalising the curriculum so that pupils and students learn and remember more. In many subjects, leaders have thought carefully about the most important knowledge that pupils in key stages 3 and 4 need to learn.

However, in some other subjects, leaders are not clear about the knowledge that pupils should learn. Pupils in key stages 3 and 4 do not develop a deep body of knowledge in these subjects.

Teachers know their subjects well.

They use this knowledge to explain new learning clearly. Students in the sixth form benefit from expert teaching. As a result, students in the sixth form achieve well.

Leaders have recently improved their assessment strategies to identify the gaps in pupils' knowledge. In some subjects, these strategies are not used effectively. This is because leaders have not finalised their curriculum thinking.

As a result, teachers are not as clear about what pupils should be learning. Added to this, teachers in these subjects have a less clear picture of how pupils are learning the curriculum. That said, senior leaders are acting swiftly to address these issues.

Leaders' systems to check how well students are learning in the sixth form are more advanced.

Leaders use appropriate systems to identify the needs of pupils and students with SEND. They do this in a timely way.

Leaders have improved the quality of the information that they provide to teachers about pupils' additional needs. This includes those pupils who attend the specially resourced provision. Most teachers use this information increasingly well to adapt the delivery of the curriculum.

This is enabling more pupils with SEND to learn well alongside their peers. However, on occasions, a few teachers lack the confidence to design learning that meets these pupils' needs effectively.

Leaders have recently introduced a range of strategies to encourage pupils to read more frequently.

As a result, pupils are reading in school more often than they were before. Leaders have started to identify pupils who are not reading as well as they should. However, it is too early to see the full impact of this work.

Most pupils behave well. Their polite and respectful conduct creates a calm atmosphere around the school. Leaders deal effectively with any poor behaviour and help pupils to learn how their choices affect others.

Students in the sixth form are highly motivated and demonstrate increasing maturity.

Leaders have developed effective strategies to improve pupils' attendance since the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, pupils and students, including those with SEND, attend well.

Leaders are in the process of helping a small number of pupils to understand the importance of attending lessons on time.

Leaders have prioritised pupils' and students' character development through a well-planned personal development curriculum. For example, pupils and students learn about respect, consent and healthy relationships in an age-appropriate way.

Students in the sixth form value the opportunity to explore democracy through working with the local youth parliament.

Pupils and students access a thorough careers programme, including opportunities to engage with local employers. Students in the sixth form apply to a wide range of post-18 destinations, including universities and apprenticeships.

They are well supported in their choices.

Trustees and trust leaders know the school well and lead with integrity. They have taken positive action to build additional leadership capacity in the school.

As a result, the quality of the curriculum has begun to improve apace. Leaders are mindful of staff workload and well-being. Staff, including early career teachers, value the support and development opportunities that they are given.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have created a strong culture of safeguarding. They know their community very well.

They have carefully identified the support that potentially vulnerable pupils and students may need to keep them safe.

Leaders work closely with local agencies to ensure that pupils and students get the help that they need when they need it. Leaders follow up concerns until they are sure that this help has been effective.

Staff receive thorough training. They know how to spot when a pupil might be at risk of harm. Trustees are well informed about the effectiveness of safeguarding arrangements.

They work with leaders to ensure that robust systems are in place.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, in key stages 3 and 4, leaders require further support to develop their curriculum thinking. They have not identified the most important knowledge that pupils should learn.

This means that some pupils do not build a secure body of subject knowledge. Senior leaders should ensure that subject leaders are clear about what they want pupils to know and remember. ? In a number of subjects, in key stages 3 and 4, teachers do not have a thorough enough understanding of what pupils have learned and remembered of the curriculum.

This makes it difficult for teachers to identify and address the gaps in pupils' learning. Leaders should ensure that assessment strategies in these subjects are well matched to the intent of the curriculum. ? Leaders do not identify thoroughly enough the specific aspects of reading that some pupils struggle with.

This means that pupils who struggle to read do not get the most effective support to improve their reading knowledge. Leaders should make sure that they diagnose the gaps in pupils' reading knowledge accurately and in a timely manner. This is so that pupils who are behind in their reading can catch up quickly with their peers.

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