St Martin’s School Brentwood

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are very positive about their school. They talk confidently about their great experiences at St Martin's. The culture is very supportive.

Pupils respect each other and display high levels of kindness towards others. Across all years, including sixth form, pupils are incredibly well mannered and polite. Both during and outside of lessons, it is common practice to greet and talk to adults in a friendly manner.

This contributes to the warm ethos that is felt around the school.

Pupils learn in a friendly and calm environment. Disruption to learning is extremely uncommon.

Pupils value the excellent behaviour displayed by others both in lessons and ...during social time. Older pupils talk about how much better the school has become in recent years following a purposeful drive from leaders to increase standards.

The school's ethos 'to be the best you can be' is well established.

From Year 7 through to sixth form, pupils know that they will be challenged and supported to be successful. They appreciate that their teachers push them to achieve well. They really enjoy the range of class activities such as quizzes and practical learning.

Pupils want to achieve highly and value the support that teachers give them that enables them to do so.

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

In recent years, there have been considerable changes to the leadership of the school. This has brought about significant improvements to the school's culture and pupils' behaviour.

The curriculum is very well considered and ambitious. The school has carefully planned the learning so that pupils do well across all key stages, including sixth form. Leaders have a precise awareness of what is working well and what could be even better.

Teachers receive targeted professional development that closely aligns with the needs of the pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They are confident in using a range of strategies, such as regular questioning, to make sure that pupils learn what is being taught.

In the main, teachers are very skilled in planning lessons that support all pupils, including those in sixth form, to achieve well.

They focus carefully on how well disadvantaged pupils, including those with SEND, are doing. They take appropriate action where needed to make sure that pupils do not fall behind their peers. Teachers are skilled at making sure pupils keep up with the challenge of the curriculum.

However, there is sometimes inconsistency in how effectively teachers plan activities that support all pupils to excel. On occasion, some pupils are not given sufficient opportunities to meet the intended ambition of the curriculum.

The school has a programme in place to support pupils to develop the skills they need to be confident readers.

Many pupils enjoy reading and benefit from a well-resourced library. Specific teaching of key vocabulary in lessons ensures pupils can access the texts with confidence. However, the weakest readers do not always receive sufficiently timely support to develop the skills they need to quickly become fluent readers.

The behaviour of pupils across the school is consistently impressive. This is because there is a shared understanding of the school's high expectations. Younger pupils have settled into school extremely well.

They are engaged and passionate about their learning, proudly talking about the products they have made in design lessons or talking confidently about their new skills in French or German. Routines are well established which means learning time is not wasted. Sixth-form students play a key role in school life.

Many volunteer to support younger pupils in a range of activities. Pupils feel very safe in school.

The school's personal development programme is well thought out and organised.

Staff ensure the information pupils receive is age-appropriate and highly relevant to their context. Pupils are positive about how these themes are taught in their lessons and assemblies. They have a good understanding of important themes such as how to stay safe and sexual harassment.

They display high levels of respect for other races and religions. There is a high-quality careers programme in place. Pupils are well informed about work and study options open to them.

They are very positive about the impact of the guidance they receive which allows them to make important decisions about their future.

School leaders, including trust personnel, display an excellent knowledge of the school. The new leadership team took robust and effective action to bring about rapid improvements which have impacted all pupils positively.

Staff are very happy and speak positively about the leadership of the school. Parents are equally positive about their children's experiences at St Martin's.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Sometimes, teachers do not plan activities that are closely matched to pupils' various starting points. Some pupils are not consistently given the opportunity to deepen or extend their learning. Leaders must ensure that all teachers give all pupils appropriate opportunities to meet the intended ambition of the curriculum.

• Pupils who struggle to read with confidence do not consistently receive the most appropriate support to help them catch up. Interventions are not always timely or matched closely enough to pupils' needs. The school needs to ensure that the weakest readers are given the support they need to quickly become fluent readers.