St Andrew’s CofE High School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend this nurturing and highly inclusive school where kindness flourishes. The school's core values of respect, responsibility and integrity run through all aspects of daily life.

Pupils feel cared for. Their voices are heard and valued by staff who know them well. Pupils understand the importance of respecting differences between people and celebrate diversity regularly.

Should any bullying or harassment occur, pupils rightly trust that staff will listen and deal with it effectively.

Leaders are ambitious for pupils to achieve their very best. Pupils understand and take pride in meeting the raised expectations staff have for their work ...and behaviour.

As a result, pupils learn in a positive and focused environment. Behaviour during breaktimes is calm and orderly.

Pupils develop their interests and talents through attending a wide range of clubs and enrichment activities.

These include clubs for role-play games, global advocacy, the fitness suite, sports and performing arts. Pupils also enjoy going on local and international trips. There are many opportunities for pupil leadership as, for example, worship leaders, tutor captains, prefects or a member of the school council.

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

Leaders have worked tirelessly to ensure that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), receive a good quality of education. Their work to improve behaviour and attitudes is particularly notable. Leaders ensure that staff have high expectations for pupils' behaviour across all aspects of school life.

Pupils show dedication to learning and pay close attention to their teachers' instructions. Consequently, learning is rarely disrupted by low-level behaviour issues.

Significant improvements have been made to the curriculum by leaders.

Across subjects, they have carefully identified the knowledge pupils should learn and the order in which they will acquire it. In key stage 3, the curriculum is broad and balanced, preparing pupils well to study subjects at GCSE. However, the number of pupils opting for a modern foreign language (MFL) at key stage 4 is low.

As a result, too few pupils achieve the English Baccalaureate (EBacc).

Overall, pupils achieve well. Leaders provide staff with well-considered training and coaching.

This means that, over time, the teaching of the curriculum is becoming increasingly expert. Staff identify the needs of pupils with SEND promptly. They skilfully adapt learning for these pupils.

This enables pupils with SEND to produce high-quality work that is in line with that of their peers. Many teachers use their subject knowledge and expertise to inspire and enthuse pupils about their learning. They skilfully check how well pupils have understood what they have learned before moving them on to more complex concepts.

Nevertheless, at times, there are some minor inconsistencies in teaching, which leaders are taking timely and effectively action to address.

There is a clear focus on developing pupils' vocabulary and reading. In many subjects, the key words pupils need to learn and understand are regularly discussed and revisited.

Weaker readers' needs are identified quickly and accurately. However, a small number of pupils who find reading more difficult do not always get the precise teaching to help them read fluently.

Leaders cater well for pupils' personal development.

Through personal, social and health education (PSHE), pupils are prepared well for life beyond the school and in modern Britain. Leaders adapt this programme regularly and listen to the views of pupils, so that the PSHE content is relevant. Pupils also receive appropriate, high-quality careers guidance and advice on next steps in their education.

Leaders take every opportunity to promote good attendance. However, there remains a small number of pupils who do not attend regularly. Therefore, these pupils do not benefit fully from all that the school has to offer.

Governors know the school well and robustly challenge leaders to keep making improvements. Leaders and governors do their very best to ensure that all staff feel well supported and valued. Consequently, staff morale is high.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders ensure that all staff receive appropriate safeguarding training. As a result, staff identify pupils who may need additional help or support quickly and report any concerns swiftly.

Leaders are tenacious in their interactions with other agencies. This ensures that pupils get the help they need. Leaders check on the welfare of pupils who are absent and those who attend alternative provision.

They make the necessary recruitment checks on staff. Through the curriculum, pupils receive clear guidance about how to keep themselves safe. They are confident that if they raise any worries, adults will deal with these quickly.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• At key stage 4, the number of pupils who study MFL is not high enough. This means that the proportion of pupils who achieve the EBacc is lower than the national average. Leaders need to ensure that pupils study a broad range of subjects, so that the EBacc is at the heart of the curriculum.

• The support for the small number of pupils who find reading more difficult is not always precise enough. Consequently, these pupils do not read as well as they could. Leaders should continue to strengthen the support for these pupils to ensure that they can read confidently and fluently.

Some pupils do not attend school regularly enough. This means that these pupils regularly miss out on essential learning. Leaders should ensure that the strategies they have introduced are implemented consistently to continue to improve the attendance of all pupils, particularly those who are persistently absent.