Orleans Park School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Orleans Park School continues to be an outstanding school.

The headteacher of this school is Kathy Pacey. The school is a single academy trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by David Tanner.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive at this school. They are happy, safe and achieve very well. Staff and pupils uphold the school values of 'responsibility', 'resilience' and 'respect'.

By the end of Year 11, pupils are very well prepared for the next steps in their education, whether it be in the school's popular sixth form or elsewhere. Pupils build very re...spectful, working relationships with each other and with staff. Pupils learn to be responsible and reflect on their own actions.

This results in very positive behaviour and exemplary attitudes to learning.

Pupils benefit from a broad and rich curriculum which is enhanced through the study of additional subjects such as astronomy and vocational courses in Years 9, 10 and 11. Pupils are focused and eager to learn.

They appreciate the many sporting opportunities and other activities such as debating and chess. There is also the opportunity for all younger pupils to take part in new experiences such as creative days and camping or adventure trips.

Pupils take great pride in their school.

Pupils trust staff to always have their best interests at heart. Should bullying occur, it is taken seriously and dealt with quickly.Parents and carers who responded to the Ofsted survey were very positive about their child's education.

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

The school has put together a broad and ambitious curriculum for all pupils. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) access an equally broad offer.Teachers are very well informed about pupils' individual needs.

As a result, they make appropriate adaptations to teaching and resources. For example, in languages, pupils have access to vocabulary glossaries, which they can use to build up their fluency. Reading is prioritised across the whole school.

The school identifies pupils who need extra help with reading and provides a wide range of targeted support depending on individual need. This enables these pupils to gain greater confidence and improves their access to the range of subjects they study.

Leaders think carefully about the order in which subject content is taught.

They identify the important concepts that pupils must understand to become subject experts. For example, in music, they introduce different composers and instruments in stages, from the keyboard in Year 7 moving on to guitar, drums and wind instruments in Year 9. Pupils talk about the way that what they have learned before connects to what they are learning now.

For example, in English, they explain how different Shakespeare plays are from different genres. This makes pupils ambitious and they want to learn more and more. They tackle more complex tasks successfully as they move through the school.

As a result, pupils deepen their knowledge and understanding over time. For example, in science, some Year 10 pupils are able to grapple with ideas usually taught at A Level.

Leaders and teachers ensure that they have many opportunities for checking pupils' understanding.

This includes the skilful use of questioning in lessons while teachers move around the room to check pupils' comprehension. If there are any gaps in learning, teachers will go over key knowledge to get pupils back on track.

The school has high expectations for pupils' attendance at school.

Leaders follow up any persistent absence robustly. This results in very high levels of attendance. Across the school and sixth form, pupils are eager to succeed.

These positive attitudes make a strong contribution to pupils' achievement. Published examination outcomes are well above the national average.

The school develops pupils beyond their academic studies.

There is a very strong focus on pupils' personal development. Staff teach pupils about the importance of topics such as mental well-being and consent. Pupils are encouraged to build up a strong understanding of fundamental British values.

For example, in assemblies they learn about a wide variety of cultures and celebrate religious events and festivals throughout the year. There are many local, national and international visits. These include museums, banks, theatres and even as far as Borneo for a world challenge expedition.

The school has embedded a programme of careers education from Year 7 to Year 13. Leaders make use of external speakers and careers fayres to ensure that pupils have high-quality interactions with employers and higher education institutions.

Trustees know the school very well.

They provide appropriate support and challenge. Teachers appreciate the high-quality training and professional development they receive. They feel valued and supported by leaders.

Leaders, staff and pupils are proud of being part of the Orleans Park community.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Background

When we have judged a school to be outstanding, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains outstanding.

This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding in November 2017.

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