The Bemrose School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from the strong relationships they form with staff at this school.

Pupils value the inclusive ethos created by leaders. One pupil summed up the views of many when they said, 'This is a school where you can be yourself.' Many pupils join the school part way through the academic year.

The school supports these pupils to integrate into the school and continue their education very well.

Staff have high expectations of pupils. Pupils recognise this and feel that staff care about them.

They know that staff want them to do well. Pupils know to approach members of the safeguarding team or visit the 'cherry tree' if they have any worries or con...cerns. Pupils feel safe and happy here.

Older pupils wear their golden ties with pride to demonstrate their academic success. Similarly, younger pupils know their achievements will be rewarded with golden tickets and the opportunity to be invited to sit at the golden table.

Pupils know their voice helps the school improve further.

There is an active pupil parliament in all year groups. Sixth-form students are encouraged to campaign for change which leads to further improving the experience of all pupils and staff at the school.

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

The school has a broad and ambitious curriculum.

The curriculum is carefully planned to ensure that all pupils build their knowledge over time, regardless of when they start at the school. This means that the many pupils who join part way through the year are very well supported to achieve the curriculum aims. Many pupils attend 'period 6', which helps pupils access a subject specialist and learn parts of the curriculum that they have missed through absence or being new to the school.

The curriculum is well sequenced across all key stages. This helps pupils build on what they know. For example, in physical education (PE), pupils in key stage 2 master a lateral pass in rugby.

They build on this in key stage 3 when they take part in small team games and use the same pass to beat a single defender. As pupils get older, this understanding allows them to take part in a tag rugby match effectively.

Teachers receive bespoke training through 'master classes' and 'teaching and learning communities'.

These help ensure that they have appropriate subject knowledge and use effective teaching methods. Some aspects of teaching are not consistently of a high quality though. On occasions, some teachers do not make sure that activities are designed to help pupils learn the intended curriculum.

This can limit some pupils' depth of understanding. Teachers usually use assessment well and provide helpful feedback. This helps pupils achieve most of the time.

However, there are also occasions when teachers' use of questioning does not always identify gaps in pupils' knowledge.

In key stage 4, the positive impact of the curriculum is not aways reflected in national tests. This is partly due to the high mobility of pupils which has fractured the education for these pupils.

Many pupils speak English as an additional language. The school ensures that the needs of these pupils are met. As a result, nearly all pupils remain in education, employment or training when they leave the school.

Pupils are very well prepared for their next steps.

The support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is a strength. The internal enhanced resource provision is used effectively for bespoke teaching for those pupils who need it.

Many pupils who use this provision develop the skills and knowledge they need to access the mainstream classes. When pupils join these classes, staff continue to provide effective support, so pupils' needs continue to be met. This helps pupils with SEND achieve well.

Children in the early years benefit from a well-planned curriculum. The curriculum allows children to develop across all areas of learning. In discrete teaching activities, adults exploit opportunities to develop children's language and communication.

The early years environment is well resourced and helps children to learn through play.

Children start to learn to read as soon as they arrive in the early years. Teachers deliver an ambitious and well-sequenced phonics curriculum with fidelity.

Pupils read books that are well matched to the sounds that they know. This helps them quickly become fluent readers. Targeted teaching is used effectively to support older pupils at the early stages of reading.

This helps pupils access the full curriculum as soon as possible.

Students in the sixth form value the tailored support they receive from adults. They benefit from the small class sizes.

Teachers use their expert knowledge to help students achieve well on their programmes of study. Students receive the information and guidance they need to be successful in their future next steps.

The school aims to provide opportunities to develop pupils' cultural capital.

Pupils have recently returned from a trip to France and others have benefitted from experiencing their first British Basketball League match to see the Leicester Riders in action. Pupils learn about healthy relationships and what it means to be British. The house system encourages healthy competition.

This helps pupils develop their character. The careers education pupils receive is a strength. All Year 10 and 12 pupils benefit from work experience.

The school is calm and orderly. Pupils attend well. The school uses effective and bespoke intervention to ensure that those who struggle to attend or behave get the support they need to improve.

Teachers do not tolerate poor behaviour and manage it well if it occurs. Pupils know the importance of challenging any derogatory language and/or bullying. They are confident that staff will deal with this immediately.

Staff are proud to work at the school. They feel that leaders consider their workload and well-being. Staff feel well supported.

Those responsible for governance and senior leaders invest their full capacity into improving the lives of the pupils who attend this school. They lead with moral purpose.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• On occasions, some teachers do not match teaching activities precisely enough for some pupils to develop their learning further. As a result, some pupils do not have the opportunity to gain a depth of understanding. The school must ensure that teaching activities are designed to help pupils learn the intended curriculum.

• Formative assessment and questioning are not consistently well used by all teachers. As a result, knowledge gaps that some pupils have are not sharply addressed. The school must ensure that formative assessment and questioning is more effectively used to address gaps in pupils' knowledge.