Stoke High School - Ormiston Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to be part of Stoke High School's vibrant, diverse community.

As one pupil noted, 'Everyone treats each other equally and respects each other.' Pupils who join the school mid-year quickly settle into the school ethos of 'respect, inspire and achieve'.

It is okay to be different in the school.

Pupils understand that while they are different from each other, it is important to get on well together. Prejudicial language or hurtful comments are not tolerated by anyone. Pupils trust adults to sort out bullying or disagreements when they occur.

The strong ethos of respect continues into the classroom. Pupils listen carefully to their teach...ers. Learning is rarely disrupted.

If any poor behaviour occurs staff deal with it consistently and fairly. Adults use a range of effective support to help pupils get their behaviour back on track, so pupils do not miss out on learning.

There is a wide range of clubs, trips and experiences available for pupils of all ages and backgrounds.

Younger pupils value the 'Stoke awards'. Pupils are rewarded for doing something different, like taking up new sports or visiting places like art galleries. Older pupils join different societies.

They work with leaders to make the school better for everyone.

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

Leaders, with the support of the trust, have made swift and effective changes to the curriculum and culture of the school. All pupils, regardless of need, access an ambitious curriculum that covers a range of academic and technical subjects.

The number of pupils taking the English Baccalaureate is growing. The academic curriculum is well supported by wider activities and experiences that promote a positive school culture where everyone gets on well with each other.

In each subject, curriculum plans outline clearly what pupils need to know.

This important knowledge is laid out in a logical order, from Year 7 to Year 11. In English, for example, Year 8 pupils use what they remember from Year 7 to discuss plays like 'The Tempest' in detail. Curriculum leaders adjust the plans effectively to recover from missed learning due to the pandemic or if a pupil is new to the school.

Teachers have good subject knowledge. They plan interesting activities that help pupils learn new knowledge. Teachers use assessment consistently well.

Gaps in pupils' knowledge are spotted quickly. Teachers identify misunderstandings and then take time to go through them carefully, so pupils' knowledge is not muddled.

Leaders recognise that reading is a barrier to the curriculum for some pupils.

A range of strategies are in place to support pupils who find reading tricky. Some of the support is very new and has not had time to be established. Additionally, there is still more work to do to improve opportunities for pupils to read across different subjects.

Leaders have not evaluated what works well in supporting reading across the school.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) access the same curriculum as everyone else. Teachers make clear adaptions to their lessons, so learning is accessible for pupils with SEND.

As a result, many achieve as well as their peers.

There is a high-quality personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education programme. Pupils value these sessions, particularly as they teach them about how others are different from themselves.

Pupils said that this is one of the reasons why everyone gets on so well together. PSHE supports the evident culture of mutual respect. Additionally, the PSHE sessions cover a range of other areas, for example how to build positive relationships, finance and careers.

This important, independent advice and guidance prepares pupils well for their daily lives outside school.

Staff use the behaviour systems consistently and fairly. As a result, pupils behave well both in and out of class.

If behavioural issues do occur, leaders take thoughtful and intelligent action to support pupils to behave in the right way. Attendance has improved. Prior to the pandemic, persistent absence had begun to improve.

This improvement has now slowed. A small number of pupils are still persistently absent.

Leaders, governors and the trust have improved the school.

Staff say that the pace of improvement has added to their workload. Leaders recognise this issue and have taken positive steps to address staff concerns.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff, across the school, are well-trained to spot if a pupil is at risk of harm. The school has clear processes in place to report safeguarding concerns. These processes are used well by staff and pupils alike.

Detailed safeguarding records show that pupils quickly receive the support they need.

Strong links with the local authority enable the school to diligently follow up concerns about pupils who are missing from education.

Pupils are well taught about keeping themselves safe.

Pupils have good knowledge about risks in their local community and know what to do if they are worried about themselves or a friend.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• While leaders have prioritised support for the weakest readers, many of the systems to support these pupils have not had time to become well established. Additionally, opportunities to read across the curriculum are still very new and not embedded in all curriculum areas.

Consequently, some weak readers may not always have the best support to quickly improve their reading ability. Leaders need to evaluate what is working well and adjust their reading curriculum and subject curriculums so that all weak readers are supported effectively. ? Leaders' work to improve attendance has been recently hampered by the pandemic.

For some key groups, like pupils with SEND, persistent absence remains high. These pupils are missing school life. Leaders need to work closely with pupils, parents and external agencies to ensure that persistent absence reduces, and that all pupils attend school regularly.