Ron Dearing UTC

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Ron Dearing UTC has the hallmarks of a school that could be viewed as a guiding light in the educational sector. Pupils attending the school are fortunate to receive an exceptional quality of education.

Many parents and carers say that, since starting at the school, their children have changed for the better. Indeed, pupils are mature and act professionally at all times. They achieve particularly well from their different starting points.

Pupils' behaviour is exemplary. Staff and pupils report very high levels of satisfaction. Pupils say that staff really care about them and that they feel safe.

Relationships between pupils and staff are extremely positive. E...veryone is on first name terms. When walking around the superb facilities and observing the interactions between staff and pupils, one could be excused for forgetting that you are in a school at all.

Leaders have worked hard to create an environment which is business-like and heavily focused on the world of work.

The school has considerable links to industry and business in the local area and beyond. Pupils and staff work very closely with professionals, both in the school and the workplace.

Pupils develop a wide range of employability skills so they are ready to enter the world of work.

So far, when leaving the school, all pupils have secured apprenticeships with the school's partner employers, attended university or found alternative employment.

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

The school has been open to pupils for less than three years.

In that time, leaders have successfully developed a unique curriculum that includes a lot of input from the school's partners. In school, pupils regularly participate in work-related projects to solve real problems. They do this alongside industry professionals.

This brings learning to life for pupils. It also allows pupils to use and apply their learning, helping them remember much more over time.

The curriculum is superbly designed to ensure that pupils develop a readiness to learn new content and skills.

This is because leaders have thought very carefully about what basic knowledge pupils must know before they attempt to learn something that is far more complex. Teachers often encourage pupils to reflect on and improve their work across all subjects. Teachers' insightful assessment and sharp questioning ensure that they know the strengths and weaknesses of every pupil they teach.

As a result, leaders and teachers adapt lessons and the curriculum quickly to help pupils understand more in the future.

Teachers know their subjects remarkably well. They demonstrate passion for their subjects.

They support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) effectively. Pupils' outcomes at the end of key stages 4 and 5 are very strong, particularly in engineering and mathematics.

The principal, vice-principals and other senior and curriculum leaders are astute, enthusiastic and entirely committed to the school, staff and pupils.

Staff morale and well-being are superb. Staff say that achieving a satisfactory work-life balance is a priority for leaders. As such, leaders look for every opportunity to ease the burden on staff.

For example, leaders commissioned an organisation to mark recent mock examination papers. This freed up valuable time for staff to plan lessons and support pupils on a one-to-one basis.

Governance is outstanding.

Without exception, all trustees and governors know the school inside out. They hold leaders to account very well. Governors and trustees ensure that the curriculum is ambitious and leads to pupils achieving their own career goals.

Rates of attendance are much higher than the national average. Very few pupils are persistently absent from the school. The attendance rates of disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND are higher than the rates for other pupils nationally.

Pupils with previously low rates of attendance who join the school come on leaps and bounds. There have been no pupils permanently excluded from the school since opening in September 2017. Very few pupils have been excluded for a fixed period.

Leaders set high expectations. They expect pupils to behave in a professional and mature manner. Pupils do not disappoint.

Leaders, governors and trustees place an emphasis on academic rigour. They place an equal importance on developing pupils personally. The personal development curriculum is worthy of being shared with others.

It is carefully planned so that pupils can successfully develop their employability skills. The extended school day allows staff to support pupils during a wide range of enrichment activities. Attendance at clubs and groups, such as the army combined cadet force and engineering design club, is high.

Students in the sixth form account for nearly 50% of the school's cohort. The school's many strengths experienced by pupils in key stage 4 also apply to students in key stage 5. Sixth-form students study a highly specialised curriculum, including digital media and engineering technologies.

Students' A-level outcomes in 2019 placed the school in the top 1% of schools nationally. All students attend work experience over the summer months. Students are asked to apply for highly sought-after positions so that they gain experience of the application process.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The safeguarding curriculum and procedures to keep pupils safe are very well led. Leaders with responsibility for safeguarding and the personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education curriculum ensure that pupils learn about the risks they might face in work and outside the school.

The school's close ties with industry enable pupils to complete a three-day first aid at work qualification.

Scrutiny of the school's record-keeping highlights that staff are vigilant and refer any concerns to leaders swiftly. Leaders' close links with a wide range of external agencies and healthcare professionals ensure that pupils receive specialist support if needed.