Ruskin Community High School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school. The headteacher and governors have worked hard to develop a shared understanding among all staff of the capability of all students to achieve well. Leaders at all levels now focus on improving students' progress.

This is resulting in improving achievement across the school. Subject and pastoral leaders are effectively playing their parts in ensuring that students develop the skills to progress well. Students' behaviour in lessons is consistently good because they are eager to learn.

They respond positively to teachers' instructions and engage well, supporting each other in their learning. The pastoral care for students is good and the pr...ocedures to help them stay safe are effective. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good and this leads to a cohesive and calm school community.

Teachers have high expectations of students. They have good subject knowledge and use this to generate a curiosity and an eagerness to learn among students. This is helping to secure good achievement.

Students, given their starting points, are making good progress in both English and mathematics. Their performance in a range of subjects is improving on previous years. Students for whom English is an additional language are making exceptional progress because : of the excellent support and guidance they receive from staff.

It is not yet an outstanding school because : Teachers do not always ensure that students have the necessary skills, knowledge or understanding to secure outstanding progress. Homework set is not always consolidating learning or preparing students for their next stage of learning, nor does it consistently develop a curiosity and eagerness to learn.

Information about this school

This is a much smaller than the average-sized secondary school.

There are slightly more boys than girls on roll. The proportion of disadvantaged students, those supported through the pupil premium, is much higher than average. The pupil premium is additional funding to support students known to be eligible free school meals and children who are looked after by the local authority.

The majority of students are White British. A higher than average proportion of students is from minority ethnic groups, the largest of whom are Other White from a range of Eastern European countries. A higher than average proportion of students speaks English as an additional language.

The proportion of disabled students and those who have special educational needs is higher than average. There are three alternative providers of education used by the school for a small number of students. Reaseheath College and Sandbach High School Sixth Form College are used for vocational courses.

The local authority support for off-site education is used for one student. In 2014, the school met the government's current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for students' attainment and progress by the end of Year 11. The proportion of students who leave or join the school at other than the usual time at the start of Year 7 is above average.