Ricards Lodge High School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school Leaders and governors have significantly improved the school since the previous inspection. It is now outstanding.

Leaders have a deep and accurate understanding of the school. They tackle any weaknesses quickly and head on. The school community has turned the school's vision of 'Trust, Equality, Resilience and Aspiration' into a reality.

Leaders fully prepare pupils, and students in the sixth form, for their role as women in the 21st century. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) awareness is exceptional. The impact of the 'Youth That Care' and 'LGBTQ+' groups are just two examples of how pupils educate and support... each other on staying safe and promoting equality of opportunity.

Leaders ensure that teachers receive the high-quality training that they need to improve their teaching. As a result, teachers are highly skilled in meeting pupils' different needs. Teachers challenge pupils to think deeply about their learning.

Leaders take great care in designing the curriculum. They evaluate the impact of their decisions thoroughly, including gathering pupils' views. As a result, the curriculum meets the interests, needs and abilities of all pupils exceptionally well.

Outcomes are outstanding. Pupils achieve well above national averages in English, mathematics and almost all other subjects. Current pupils continue to make substantial progress across the curriculum.

Pupils have highly positive attitudes to learning. They take their learning, including homework, seriously. Pupils move around the school calmly and sensibly.

They treat adults and each other with respect. Leaders have created a school culture where safeguarding comes first. Pupils are well cared for and supported throughout their time at the school.

Leaders are proactive in ensuring that they identify, help and manage any welfare concerns as soon as they arise. In 2015, pupils' progress in modern foreign languages was well above the national average. Since then, there has been some variability in either French or Spanish.

Outcomes in German remain strong. The sixth form is good. Students make substantial progress on work-related courses.

However, their overall progress on academic courses, although improving, is not outstanding.

Information about this school

The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website. Ricards Lodge is a larger-than-average-sized secondary school with a small, but growing, sixth form.

The sixth form, known as 'RR6' is a shared provision with Rutlish School, another local secondary school in Merton. The school is a lead school in the Teach Wimbledon teacher training scheme. The school manages the day-to-day provision for the trainees on the secondary programme.

The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is above the national average. The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is in line with the national average. The school has a specialist resource provision, the Cedar Base, for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities.

The Cedar Base provides support for pupils' speech, language and communication needs. There are currently seven pupils in the provision. They mainly attend lessons in the main school but receive support in the Cedar Base as required in their education, health and care plans.

A small number of pupils are educated in alternative, off-site provision. This is through The Smart Centre, a local authority pupil referral unit. The school currently meets the government's floor standards which set the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress by the time they leave school.

Also at this postcode