Teignmouth Community School, Exeter Road

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils' experiences of school are too variable.

This is because expectations have been low and the curriculum is not well planned. This especially affects disadvantaged pupils. Punctuality is poor, even though leaders have taken some action to improve it, for example by establishing a more purposeful start to the school day.

Pupils recognise that behaviour and expectations are improving but are not good enough. Bullying sometimes happens, but staff deal with it promptly. Some pupils report hearing derogatory language.

A few are reluctant to report it, but an anonymous reporting tool makes that easier.

Leaders have not established an effective persona...l development programme. Pupils have little opportunity to learn about values and citizenship.

Pupils can develop their leadership skills. For example, recently appointed student leaders are just starting their new roles. Students are positive about some aspects of the school, especially about their relationships with staff and the broad choice of subjects.

Extra-curricular opportunities exist where staff are able to run a club or trip. Pupils take part in activities such as The Duke of Edinburgh's Award, Ten Tors and school shows. Sixth-form students are positive about their experiences and the wider provision of the sixth form.

Alongside a broad range of subjects, enrichment in the sixth form is well planned.

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

The curriculum is poorly planned. Some subjects do not have a clear, sequenced progression of learning.

Leaders have started work on this. In geography, for example, pupils follow a well-planned curriculum. They build on their knowledge to understand new concepts.

In many subjects, however, this depth of planning is not in place and so standards are not as high as they should be. This leads to pupils not achieving as well as they could..

As a result of the curriculum and previously low expectations, disadvantaged pupils do not achieve well. They do not receive the support they need to catch up with their peers.

Leaders do not ensure that staff provide sufficient support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Staff are not given specific training to make sure support is effective. Some pupils in key stage 3 miss lessons to access literacy and numeracy support. These sessions are not carefully matched to the learning needs of pupils.

Due to poor organisation, pupils are not able to return to their subject lessons and continue learning. Leaders do not plan intervention effectively.

Pupils who are in the early stages of reading do not follow a systematic approach to learning to read.

Although pupils practise their reading, they do not learn to read with confidence and fluency. This hinders their learning of the curriculum.

Leaders have prioritised improving poor behaviour in the school.

New systems are starting to have an impact. Defiance and extreme behaviours are infrequent. When teachers are consistent in using the whole-school strategies, pupils respond well to these expectations.

In most lessons, pupils behave calmly. However, these expectations are not applied with consistency, and some poor behaviour persists.

The personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum covers the content pupils must learn.

However, leaders have not planned the programme well. Staff teach challenging topics without depth or sufficient knowledge. As a result, pupils have limited understanding and do not remember their learning.

They do not understand the relevance of the PSHE lessons. In the sixth form, the PSHE curriculum is well planned and age-appropriate. Leaders ensure there is a well-structured careers programme for all pupils.

They make sure disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND receive the support and information they need. Pupils learn employability skills, attend work experience and are well prepared to make decisions about their next steps.

There have been recent, significant changes to leadership.

A newly amalgamated trust has led to the appointment of new leaders, trustees and a local governing body. These leaders have clarity about the improvement needed to bring change. In areas such as behaviour and curriculum planning, the work of new leaders is starting to take effect.

The curriculum in the sixth form is better planned than in the rest of the school. However, there are significant weaknesses at the school for leaders to tackle. Parents comment on the decline in the performance of the school, but recognise the work of the new leadership.

Leaders identify recruitment of staff as a hindrance to developing the curriculum. A focus on whole-school priorities means workload for staff is not always prioritised. However, staff are ambitious for change and supportive of the new leadership team.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders ensure staff receive the training they need to identify concerns. Staff report concerns, which leaders act on in a timely way.

The safeguarding team works with external agencies to provide additional support for vulnerable pupils. This means pupils get the help they need.

Leaders carry out appropriate employment checks to make sure staff are suitable to work with young people.

Governors and trust leaders regularly check the efficiency of safeguarding practices.

Leaders respond to concerns by teaching pupils about risk and whom to report issues to. The pastoral area provides a place for pupils to seek advice and support.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Pupils who are disadvantaged do not receive sufficient support or provision to help them overcome barriers to learning. As a result, they make poor progress compared to their peers. Leaders must ensure that the actions they have commenced are effective in tackling the declining progress of disadvantaged pupils.

• The school's curriculum is not planned and sequenced well in some subjects. This means there is not a clear progression of learning for pupils. As a result, pupils do not make the progress they should.

Leaders need to ensure that there is time and training for staff to plan and implement subject curriculums. ? Leaders have not prepared staff with the training and guidance to support pupils with SEND effectively. As a result, pupils with SEND do not receive the provision and adaptation they need to learn the curriculum as well as they could.

Leaders must make sure teachers receive appropriate training and guidance. ? Leaders have not planned a coherent approach to developing pupils' character. The curriculum does not develop pupils' moral values.

Leaders have not defined what they want pupils to learn. As a result, some pupils do not receive a wide set of experiences and are not well prepared for the world beyond school. Leaders need to ensure that pupils learn how to be well-informed citizens of 21st century Britain.