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The Toynbee School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.
What is it like to attend this school?
This is a happy school. Pupils feel cared for, and they value the support and encouragement from pastoral and guidance staff.
Behaviour is positive and there are high levels of respect between pupils, and between pupils and adults. Pupils are proud of the school's inclusive culture, where all are welcome, regardless of background or need.
The school's curriculum is ambitious.
Pupils study a broad range of subjects from Year 7 onwards. Staff share the strong belief that all pupils can succeed and flourish. In many are...as, pupils participate enthusiastically in lessons, clearly wanting to do their best.
Consequently, pupils are achieving increasingly well, both in school and in public examinations. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
Pupils' personal development is a high priority for the school.
The wide range of extra-curricular activities enables pupils to develop character and nurture new and existing interests. The senior prefects ably lead their peers in various projects, from diversity to environment and charity. Staff take care that all pupils can participate in such activities, including those pupils with SEND.
Staff know pupils and families extremely well and this contributes to parents and carers feeling very positive about the school.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The curriculum is well designed. However, there is still some variation in its delivery in a few areas.
In each subject, staff have identified how important knowledge and skills build up over time. The school's teaching and learning principles have been thoughtfully and collaboratively developed. Staff receive regular training and useful information to help them support all pupils to access learning, including those with SEND.
Most staff use this guidance effectively to adjust their teaching and adapt to specialist approaches, for example, for pupils with visual impairments. In most lessons, teachers introduce new content and select activities appropriately. They regularly check pupils' understanding before moving on.
In these cases, pupils recall and apply what they have learned confidently. They achieve well, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND. Nevertheless, the school recognises that there is more to do to ensure all pupils experience high-quality teaching in all areas.
The school has a new and carefully considered reading strategy. The 'tutor reading programme' is starting to have a positive impact on pupils' comprehension. For pupils who are not yet fluent readers, the school identifies their gaps and then targets support accordingly.
These pupils make progress in catching up, but the school is developing ways to help them do this faster.
The school has acted decisively to reassert its high expectations for behaviour. Staff and pupils recognise that behaviour has improved as a result.
Staff manage behaviour effectively and foster very positive relationships with pupils. Most pupils behave extremely well in lessons and at social times. Significant incidents have reduced.
Bullying is rare and pupils trust staff to deal with any cases. Generally, attendance is positive, including for disadvantaged pupils. The school is not complacent, however.
It continues to refine how it supports those few pupils who still find meeting the school's high expectations for behaviour and attendance challenging.
Personal, social, health and economic education is very well sequenced and resourced in all years. Pupils value these sessions.
They gain an age-appropriate understanding of healthy relationships and how to stay safe, including online. Careers provision is equally strong. Pupils benefit from a wide range of partners from the world of work, education and training.
The school ensures that all pupils can access personal development and careers activities, including pupils with SEND. Consequently, pupils are very well prepared for their next steps in terms of education and training, and as citizens of modern Britain.
Governors know the school extremely well.
They take their statutory duties very seriously, not least safeguarding. Staff value the school's collaborative approach to staff development. They recognise that the school is mindful of their workload and well-being.
They feel listened to and are extremely proud to work at the school.
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
What does the school need to do to improve?
(Information for the school and appropriate authority)
• There is variation in how well the curriculum is implemented.
In a few areas, the school's teaching strategies are not embedded. Consequently, some pupils do not achieve as highly as they could. The school should continue to refine teachers' understanding of pedagogical approaches, so that they are applied consistently and effectively in all areas.
• The school's reading strategy is new and not yet fully embedded. As a result, some pupils who need help with reading do not catch up with their peers quickly enough. The school should continue to support staff to deliver each aspect of the reading strategy, particularly the new programme for the weakest readers.
Background
Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade.
This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.
We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.
We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act.
Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.
This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in October 2015.
