The Ecclesbourne School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This school has high academic ambitions for all pupils. Pupils value the education they receive.

They benefit from the high-quality education that the school is providing.

Many pupils are proud to achieve merits. They know that 130 merits will earn them an all-burgundy tie.

Pupils who have these wear them with pride.

Pupils now feel safe at this school. Many enjoy attending school.

Pupils acknowledge that behaviour has improved. Many say the school is now much better. The school promotes inclusivity and develops pupils to be upstanders and not bystanders.

However, there are still pupils who are not confident that staff will deal wit...h derogatory language well and, as a result, they do not report it.

Pupils talk enthusiastically about the 'houses' they represent. They look forward to the different house competitions that enable them to compete against their peers.

Many pupils take part in school productions and shows, the most recent being 'Little shop of Horrors'. Pupils have opportunities to develop their talents and interests here.

Students in the sixth form benefit from teachers who are experts in their field.

This allows students to gain detailed knowledge across the subjects they study.

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

The curriculum is broad and ambitious for all pupils at this school. Leaders have used their expertise to organise the curriculum logically so that it helps pupils develop a depth of understanding.

They have thought carefully about the choice of content and resources. For example, in computing, pupils gain an understanding of programming constructs in a visual language. This helps them to apply this later in a text-based language.

In this way, pupils build on what they have learned previously.

Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They use this effectively to help most pupils achieve well.

Many teachers use assessment to check that pupils have learned important knowledge before they move on. There are occasions when teachers do not consider pupils' starting points well enough and present too much information at once. When this occurs, pupils struggle to keep up and do not achieve as well as they should.

This particularly impacts some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

On the whole, pupils know and remember more of what they have been taught. They perform well in national tests.

This sets them up to be successful in their next phase of learning.

The school is ambitious for pupils with SEND. There are very effective systems and processes to identify and assess the needs of pupils with SEND.

The support the school gives to pupils with more profound needs is a strength.

The school has prioritised reading. There is an effective strategy to support pupils to become better readers.

Many pupils enjoy using the library. Some pupils act as reading ambassadors and promote a love for reading in their peers.

Behaviour around the school is calm and orderly.

Many pupils speak with enthusiasm about what they learn. Lessons are productive and a place where pupils can learn. There are still occasions when pupils do not commit to their studies.

Although the school has set high expectations for pupils' conduct, some staff do not follow the new behaviour policy with precision. This means that some pupils deviate from what teachers expect.

There is now a whole-school strategy to develop a more inclusive culture.

Leaders have trained staff in using protocols and policies that allow the school to handle cases of bullying and derogatory language. Through the 'PDC' curriculum, pupils develop their understanding of protected characteristics and British values. However, leaders have not engaged well enough with some pupils.

They have not evaluated well enough the impact of the strategies they have deployed. As a result, there are still pupils who feel that staff will not listen to them. Some of these pupils are not confident enough to report the homophobic language they sometimes hear.

Pupils and students in the sixth form have the opportunity to take part in many trips. The wider curriculum prepares all pupils and students for the world of work and their future next steps. Careers education is a strength at this school.

All leaders are taking sustainable action to improve aspects of the school. They are fully aware that behaviour still needs to improve further. Leaders consider the workload and well-being of staff when they introduce new initiatives.

Staff feel well supported as a result.

The creation and work of the strategic oversight committee is allowing trustees to hold leaders to account more closely. Trustees carry out the core governance functions effectively.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some pupils lack the confidence to report derogatory homophobic language when they hear it. They do not believe the school will take appropriate action.

This language sometimes goes unchallenged. The school must ensure that it engages more effectively with pupils to help them understand that the school does and will take appropriate action when pupils report derogatory language. ? The new behaviour policy is not yet consistently and fairly applied by all staff.

As a result, some pupils do not engage with learning as well as they should. The school must ensure that all staff know how to implement the new behaviour policy. ? On occasion, teachers do not break down the curriculum content they want pupils to learn.

Pupils at the early stages of studying the subject and some pupils with additional needs are sometimes given too much information at once. When this happens, pupils do not achieve as well as they could. The school must ensure that teachers break down curriculum content more precisely to support all pupils to achieve well.

• Leaders do not always precisely monitor and evaluate their actions to improve the school. This means they do not always have an accurate understanding of the impact of the actions they take. The school should develop strategies to evaluate the impact of its actions more accurately.