Teignmouth Community School, Exeter Road

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Teignmouth Community School has the ambition for pupils and staff to be 'the best version of themselves'. This shared vision has driven the recent rapid improvements made to many areas of the school.

The school recognises that there is more work to do to further raise the achievement of pupils by the end of key stage 4 and replicate the improvements seen in sixth-form outcomes.

The school has clear expectations for the behaviour of pupils. Pupils appreciate that they can largely learn without disruption.

There are some pupils who have found it challenging to adapt their behaviour to meet these higher expectations. The school is providing support for these pup...ils to reduce the number of suspensions.

Bullying remains a concern for some pupils at this school.

They are starting to understand what behaviour is unacceptable and are increasingly prepared to share concerns with adults. However, for some pupils, incidents are not resolved swiftly enough to reassure them that they will not reoccur.

Activities such as geography fieldwork and trips to local museums bring the curriculum to life.

Pupils and sixth-form students develop leadership skills through the charity committee and the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. School productions and sporting competitions encourage pupils to develop their talents.

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

The school has significantly improved the curriculum to make sure it is broad and ambitious for all learners.

Subjects set out what pupils should learn in order to build their understanding and enable them to be successful in their qualifications. The sixth-form curriculum has been reviewed to provide relevant courses that meet the aspirations of pupils. This means that pupils and sixth-form students are now increasingly better prepared for their next steps.

The activities used in lessons do not always enable teachers to know precisely what pupils can and cannot do. Therefore, without this information, teachers do not make the changes needed to the curriculum to resolve these gaps and misconceptions. This means that some pupils find it harder to understand new content.

Equally, when pupils have grasped concepts, they are not always given the opportunity to move on to more challenging work quickly enough.

Reading is a school and trust priority. The weakest readers are quickly identified and receive the support that they need to catch up and keep up with their peers.

The books read together have been chosen to develop pupils' cultural understanding and celebrate difference. This reinforces what pupils have learned through other areas of the curriculum.

The school appropriately assesses the individual needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

However, the school has not provided sufficient information and training for adults to make sure that they can adapt the curriculum to meet pupils' needs. As a result, these pupils are not learning the curriculum as well as they might. In contrast, sixth-form students with additional needs are well supported to be successful in their chosen courses.

Improving attendance is a key focus of the school. While there have been small improvements in attendance, it remains below national average. The school closely tracks pupils' attendance to identify areas where support is needed.

It is engaging with parents and carers to raise their awareness of the importance of attending school regularly. The school is also beginning to raise expectations of pupil engagement in lessons. The 'Bridge' facility provides bespoke support to re-engage pupils with school life.

The personal, social and health education curriculum has been substantially revised to provide pupils with the information they need to prepare for adult life in modern Britain. Pupils receive age-appropriate information about healthy relationships. They are encouraged to look after their physical and mental health.

Sixth-form students particularly appreciate how adults listen to their feedback when planning sessions. This means that those in the sixth form benefit from a wide range of personal development opportunities.

Pupils are given effective careers education, information, advice and guidance.

Careers fairs, guest speakers and visits to universities help pupils to understand the range of future pathways that are available to them. Sixth-form students have individual support to make applications for higher education, apprenticeships and employment.

The school is considerate of the workload and well-being of staff.

Staff receive extensive training opportunities and individual coaching. This has supported them to develop the knowledge and skills they need to deliver the new curriculum effectively.

Those responsible for governance seek to hear parental feedback about the school through engagement events.

Many parents recognise the improvements that have been made at the school. However, the trust recognises the need to give a greater number of parents opportunities to provide constructive feedback to resolve their concerns.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Assessment within the curriculum does not help staff accurately identify pupils' starting points or gaps in their knowledge or understanding. This means that some pupils do not receive the support or challenge they need to learn as well as they should. The school should ensure that the use of assessment checks pupils' understanding more effectively so that the curriculum can be adapted accordingly.

The curriculum is not adapted precisely enough to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. Consequently, these pupils do not learn the curriculum as well as their peers. The school should ensure that teachers have the information and training they need to adapt the curriculum to meet pupils' needs.

• When there are incidents of unacceptable behaviour, including bullying, the actions taken are not always resolving issues. This means that some pupils are experiencing repeated bullying and the number of suspensions given for persistent poor behaviour remains high. The school should ensure that the actions taken after a behaviour incident provide pupils with the support that they need to improve how they manage their behaviour.