The Radclyffe School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils enjoy coming to The Radclyffe School.

They know who to speak to if they are worried or upset. Pupils come from many different backgrounds. They all benefit from learning about each other's cultural differences.

The school is ambitious for all pupils. Staff are determined that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), gain the knowledge and skills that they need to thrive in their future lives. Overall, pupils in key stage 4 achieve well in public examinations.

The 'five respects' underpin the sensible behaviour that pupils display in classrooms. However, on occasions, the school's high expectations for ...pupils' behaviour during social times are not followed by a small minority of pupils. The boisterous behaviour of a few older pupils sometimes makes younger pupils feel uncomfortable at break or lunchtimes.

Pupils enjoy the extensive opportunities for their wider personal development. Many pupils told inspectors that they enjoy the wide range of sporting activities available to them. They are proud to collect a vast array of badges and achievement awards and wear these with pride.

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

The school's broad curriculum offers pupils in key stage 4 a wide range of choices to pursue their particular interests. The school has reviewed all of its subject curriculums with the intention of giving them more breadth and depth. In all subjects, these changes have resulted in curriculums which are well designed and allow pupils to build their subject knowledge in a logical way.

These changes have helped pupils to achieve well.

Teachers have secure subject knowledge. This helps them to deliver subject curriculums well across the school.

Teachers explain topics clearly to pupils. They make sure that important learning is revisited. However, in a small number of subjects, teachers do not routinely check that pupils have understood fully what has been taught, before they move on to new learning.

As a result, some pupils do not know and remember more in these subjects.

Typically, pupils behave well in lessons. They listen carefully to their teachers and act on instructions.

They follow routines as they move around the school building. The school has acted recently to address the boisterous behaviour of a small minority of pupils during social times by making changes to the behaviour policy. These changes have been welcomed by staff and the vast majority of pupils.

However, the new policies are not applied consistently well by staff.

The school has appropriate processes in place to deal with any concerns about pupils' attendance. It routinely monitors pupils' attendance, working closely with those pupils and their families, who struggle to attend school regularly.

The school understands the underlying causes of pupils' absence. It works thoughtfully with pupils and families to improve attendance, engaging with other agencies if necessary.

The school identifies the needs of pupils with SEND quickly and accurately.

Staff use the information that the school provides to support pupils with SEND to learn well. Teachers have benefitted from effective training which has helped them to adapt their teaching to meet the specific needs of pupils with SEND.

Recently, the school has improved its systems to identify pupils who have gaps in their reading knowledge.

These systems enable the school to pinpoint and remedy the specific problems that individual pupils face with reading. Most pupils become confident readers over time. The school actively promotes reading for pleasure.

This happens in form time and also when pupils access the spacious and well-stocked library. As a result, most pupils read widely and often.

Pupils appreciate the opportunities available to enhance their personal development.

The school shows a strong commitment to ensure that this aspect of the curriculum provides pupils with the knowledge they need to be well prepared for life beyond school. Pupils learn about relationships, sex and health matters and equality issues. They know how to stay safe online and how to maintain an active and healthy lifestyle.

All pupils receive age-appropriate careers education, information, advice and guidance. They receive independent advice about future careers and learn about wider opportunities through a well-designed curriculum. Pupils in key stage 4 spoke positively to inspectors about the quality of the support and advice they receive.

This comes from visitors to the school, such as those from colleges and other post-16 providers.

Governors know the school very well. They play an active role in supporting senior staff while also challenging them when necessary.

Staff appreciate the wide range of support that they have received from the school. This has ensured that recent changes have been managed well, and have not had a negative impact on their well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a small number of subjects, teachers do not routinely check that pupils have understood fully what has been taught, before they move on to new learning. Consequently, some pupils do not know and remember more in these subjects.The school should ensure that in these subjects, teachers receive appropriate training and guidance to allow pupils' learning to build on what they already know.

• The recent changes to the behaviour policy are not applied consistently by staff. As a result, some pupils do not conduct themselves as well as they should during social periods of the school day. The school should ensure that all staff are suitably equipped to apply the behaviour policy effectively.