Settle College

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Settle College has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

What is it like to attend this school?

This close-knit, nurturing school has high-quality pastoral care. Pupils and parents value the support it offers. Staff are ambitious for what pupils can, and will, achieve academically.

The school ethos of 'Be the best you can be' is well understood by all. The school has established high expectations for how pupils should behave. The majority of pupils meet these expectations.

Pupils are welcoming and polite. Staff are proud to work at the school.

All pupils study a broad and balanced curriculum.

Students in t...he sixth form pursue subjects that prepare them well for their next steps in education, employment and training. Whether pupils leave at 16 or continue their studies to 18, many pupils achieve well. This is particularly the case in humanities and the arts.

The school provides access to an increasingly rich careers programme. Pupils are ambitious for their future prospects.

The school nurtures pupils' talents and interests.

Many opportunities are available outside of the classroom. These include educational visits to local landmarks, sporting competitions and work experience placements. Staff are committed to increasing pupils' life experiences.

All pupils have access to these opportunities, including the most vulnerable. Pupils thrive because of the school's work in this regard.

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

The school continually reviews the curriculum in each subject.

Careful consideration is given to what pupils will learn at each stage of their education. The knowledge and skills pupils need to understand are clearly set out. The curriculum increases in complexity and ambition over time.

This prepares students in the sixth form well for the challenges of higher education. Opportunities to learn beyond the classroom are frequent, including local fieldwork in geography, international visits in history and theatre trips in drama. These strengthen pupil's knowledge and appreciation of each subject.

Staff often check what pupils know and can do in lessons. However, this is not consistent across the school. When staff identify misconceptions, especially in pupils' written work, they do not always ensure pupils have rectified these before moving on to new learning.

This leaves gaps in pupils' knowledge and understanding.

Staff are knowledgeable about the subjects they teach. When staff are not subject specialists, they receive training to help them teach the curriculum effectively.

However, tasks are not always well adapted to meet the needs of all pupils. This includes for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Plans and strategies to support pupils with SEND sometimes lack precision.

This has an impact on how well they know and understand the curriculum.

Pupils regularly reflect on their learning in lessons. Students in the sixth form engage in discussions and debates on complex topics.

This enriches their understanding of the curriculum. The school's approach to improving pupils' written and verbal communication is well considered. Staff are increasingly confident when leading discussions.

However, these opportunities are not always available to younger pupils. This sometimes affects behaviour and how engaged pupils are in their learning.

The school understands how important it is that all pupils can read fluently.

Staff quickly assess pupils' reading abilities as they join the school. Additional support is provided for those pupils who need it. The impact of this work is strong.

The school has recently increased the level of support for pupils with SEND. This includes recruiting more staff and providing additional training for teachers. The school is highly inclusive and ambitious for all pupils to succeed.

Pupils engage well in the wider life of school. The clubs and activities available to pupils are wide-ranging. The school supports vulnerable pupils to get involved in these aspects of the school.

Sixth-form students organise charity events and community engagement. They are role models for younger pupils. The 'Settle College Diploma' recognises exceptional commitment to personal progress.

It broadens pupils' horizons and encourages them to take on new challenges. Pupils are proud to be recognised for their achievements.

School development priorities are precise.

These have led to improvements in pupils' behaviour, attendance and achievement over time. The school's plans are well supported by those responsible for governance. Governors regularly check that the school is making decisions in the best interests of pupils and that changes are having the desired impact.

Staff receive regular professional development. Opportunities to reflect on their own practice and share it with other staff are frequent. This approach ensures the quality of education at the school continues to strengthen.

The school takes the well-being of staff seriously. When changes to the school are planned, the impact on staff workload is carefully considered.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Sometimes, pupils do not act on teachers' suggested improvements or develop their verbal responses in sufficient detail. Staff do not consistently address these issues. Consequently, pupils do not develop as deep an understanding of the curriculum as intended.

The school should ensure that high expectations of pupils' written and verbal responses are maintained and that staff thoroughly check pupils' understanding before moving on to new learning. ? The curriculum is not consistently well implemented to meet the needs of all pupils. At times, plans to support pupils with SEND lack specific information.

Additional adaptations, especially for those pupils with SEND, are not always made in lessons. Therefore, some pupils do not learn the curriculum as well as they might. The school should ensure that staff understand precisely how to adapt the curriculum to meet the needs of all pupils, especially those with SEND.

Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade.

This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in November 2015.