Rayner Stephens High School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including those with special education needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are proud and happy to attend Rayner Stephens High School. They value the positive relationships that they have with their teachers. Most pupils are polite and courteous to each other.

Pupils in Year 7 settle into school well with the support of their peer mentors. The school is warm and welcoming.

Pupils benefit from the improvements made by the trust.

This has helped to raise the school's expectations for pupils' achievement. Recent changes to the curriculum are helping pupils to build on their learning more securely at key stage 3. However, the work to improve the curriculum a...t key stage 4 is not complete.

As such, older pupils do not achieve as well as they could.

Pupils' behaviour and conduct have improved since the trust made changes to the behaviour management systems. Most pupils have positive attitudes to learning.

Nonetheless, weaknesses in how the curriculum is sometimes delivered mean that some pupils do not enjoy their learning. Some pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, miss school frequently. This leads to gaps in their learning.

Pupils relish the opportunities that promote their wider development. For instance, many pupils complete the Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme. Older pupils enjoy their roles as ambassadors for sports and anti-bullying.

Pupils lead activities which serve their community. For example, they fundraise for the homeless and host dinners for the elderly. This helps pupils to develop their independence as well as their communication skills and empathy for others.

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

Trustees and the local governing body are ambitious in their aim to provide high-quality education for all pupils, including those with SEND. They have revised policies and practices which has led to some improvements in pupils' learning.

The school has made many positive changes to the curriculum in recent times.

This is making a difference to pupils in key stage 3. As a result, pupils' achievement in this part of the school is improving. Improvements to the curriculum in key stage 4 are at an earlier stage of development.

They have not had the same impact on the achievement of older pupils. The curriculum for pupils in Years 10 and 11 does not cover subject content in sufficient breadth and depth. This limits how well some pupils learn and build on their knowledge.

In some subjects, teachers connect pupils' prior knowledge well to new learning. This ensures there is a secure foundation on which pupils can build their subject knowledge. However, some teachers do not design learning activities that help pupils to learn subject content.

This prevents some pupils from securing a deep understanding of the curriculum content.

The school has worked with the trust to refine its assessment strategies. Nevertheless, these strategies are not used consistently well by some teachers.

This means that some teachers do not accurately identify the gaps in pupils' knowledge. As a result, some pupils continue to have misconceptions.

The school takes appropriate steps to identify the needs of pupils with SEND.

Teachers use information about the specific needs of pupils well. However, weaknesses in the curriculum mean that key stage 4 pupils with SEND do not achieve as well as they could.

Reading has a high profile.

The school meticulously identifies pupils who have gaps in their reading knowledge. Effective support is put into place for pupils who struggle to read. This helps pupils to become confident and fluent readers quickly.

Staff use the behaviour systems consistently well. As a result, learning is rarely disrupted by poor behaviour. Pupils in key stage three enjoy the daily 'family dining'.

This helps them to be responsible and maintain a calm routine at lunchtime.

The trust and the school have made attendance a high priority. They liaise with external agencies and continuously review their systems to manage pupil absences.

This means that the school is better equipped to understand the causes of absences. Parental engagement supports the school to improve pupils' learning and attendance. Even so, much of this work is in its infancy.

Some pupils continue to miss school. As a result, these pupils do not achieve as well as they should.

The school ensures that pupils learn about equal opportunities and healthy relationships.

As such, pupils understand and appreciate the views of others. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe and how to mitigate risks online and offline. Pupils take part in many activities which broaden their experiences of the world.

For instance, they visit the airport to learn about business and decision-making.

The school prepares pupils well for their next steps. They know the different routes that they can take to reach their desired career choices.

They also take part in meaningful work placements. This helps pupils to broaden their understanding of work and finances. Most pupils successfully enter education, employment or training when they leave school.

The responsibilities and roles of the trustees and the local governing body are under review by the trust. Even so, they continue to provide sufficient challenge to the school. The school consults well with staff when making decisions about school-wide policies.

This helps staff to manage their workload. Staff feel valued and well supported.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The key stage 4 curriculum for some subjects is not well designed. This means that pupils in key stage 4 do not acquire the knowledge that they need to succeed. The school should ensure that the curriculum is carefully crafted so that pupils learn subject content in sufficient breadth and depth.

• Some teachers do not teach the curriculum content well. As a result, some pupils do not build on their knowledge securely. The school should support teachers to design learning activities that enable pupils to learn subject content.

• Some teachers do not use assessment strategies consistently well. This means that gaps in pupils' knowledge are not checked and addressed. The school should ensure that teachers have the resources and skills to identify and address any misconceptions that pupils have in their learning.

• Some pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, miss school frequently. This means that these pupils do not learn as well as they could. The school should continue its efforts to address low attendance rates so that pupils attend school regularly and achieve well.