The Turing School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, parents and staff talk enthusiastically about significant improvements over the past few years. Leaders are passionately committed to the school's core values of aspiration, respect, diversity and innovation. The curriculum provides pupils with many opportunities to engage in creativity, expand their cultural awareness and develop their understanding of different religions.

However, leaders acknowledge that further work is needed to develop the curriculum and raise attendance.

The school sets high expectations of pupil behaviour to ensure a purposeful learning environment. This supports pupils to learn and to achieve.

Behaviour in lessons is mostly go...od, and low-level disruption is addressed quickly and effectively. Behaviour outside of lessons is calm and disciplined. Pupils are kind and supportive.

They look after one another. There is a strong emphasis on celebration and praise.

An effective personal development programme supports pupils' welfare, well-being and mental health.

Enrichment and extra-curricular activities are extensive. Provision includes a wide range of clubs and activities, as well as university visits, field trips to Spain and an art trip to Paris. Pupils benefit significantly from the many additional opportunities available to them.

Aspirations are very high. Pupils are actively supported by a strong careers programme. The programme is strengthened by events, fairs and visiting speakers.

Strong links with local colleges and universities highlight the advantages of further study. Work experience is valued and valuable. As a result of the provision, significant numbers of pupils continue their education post-16 at other schools and colleges.

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

The curriculum is carefully sequenced to be ambitious, developmental and hierarchical. Teachers have a thorough understanding of the sequence of learning in their subject. They can articulate the learning journey that pupils are making.

Teachers are now much more focused on helping pupils to remember more through regular revisiting, retrieval starters and focused assessment.

The school has extremely high expectations for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Strong leadership in this area has ensured that vulnerable pupils are able to access the full range of provision.

Pupils with SEND as well as disadvantaged pupils are fully supported in their learning. Higher prior attainers are known and encouraged through classroom activities and extension work.

Teachers' subject knowledge is strong.

They are passionate about their subjects. Pedagogical knowledge is used well to plan and deliver effective lessons. These lessons allow pupils to make progress given their starting points.

Assessment is regular and supported with quality feedback. The school is resolutely focused on improving external examination results. Staffing is much more stable now.

The school has introduced a robust programme of initiatives to improve reading levels for all pupils. Some initiatives are new so not yet fully embedded. The school is working hard to improve pupils' attitudes to reading, but some pupils say that they rarely read for pleasure.

A programme of reading support is being piloted but gaps in reading ages are not always being addressed quickly enough.

The take up of modern foreign languages is not high. As a result, the number of pupils taking the full English Baccalaureate is below government aspirations.

There is insufficient evidence that this is being rigorously addressed. The school has not been quick enough to highlight the benefits and raise the profile of modern foreign languages.

Overall, attendance remains a significant issue for the school.

Leaders have worked with the national attendance strategy team and have adopted all recommendations. However, improvements have been severely hampered by the disproportionate number of pupils being admitted throughout the year. Many of these pupils join the school with previous poor attendance.

Leaders are committed and determined to improve the quality of teaching and the skills of curriculum leaders. Curriculum leaders are supported through effective line management and well-focused professional development. Staff workload and well-being are carefully considered.

Staff are proud to be part of the school and value their contributions to the school's improvement.

Governors are passionate and enthusiastic about the school. They know the school's strengths and areas for improvement.

Governors support and challenge the school in equal measures through meetings and visits. Trustees are similarly knowledgeable and actively engaged. They have been a driving force in the turnaround of the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The school has a secure, strong and well-established culture of safeguarding. Staff are suitably inducted, well trained and receive regular updates throughout the year.

Staff know how to report safeguarding issues. Leaders have a coherent picture of the safeguarding needs of their local community.

Pupils feel safe and secure in the school environment.

They all have an adult that they can talk to if they have a problem. Pupils are supported to keep themselves safe online and offline. Pupils have received training on harassment and consent.

The safeguarding policy is detailed with all statutory requirements met.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Pupils' reading skills, as well as their love of reading, are not yet fully developed and embedded across the whole school. This occasionally limits the breadth of their vocabulary and the depth of their writing.

Leaders should identify and address any reading gaps quickly. They should ensure that pupils are encouraged to read more widely. ? The uptake of modern foreign languages is not high enough.

As a result, the number of pupils taking the full EBacc is below government aspirations. Leaders should continue their efforts to highlight the benefits and increase the uptake of modern foreign languages. They should ensure that the EBacc is at the heart of the curriculum in line with the Department for Education's ambition.

• Leaders have made some headway with improving attendance, but absences and persistent absences are still too high. As a result, a significant minority of pupils have missed too much of their learning. Leaders should ensure that strategies to improve attendance are rigorously supported and further developed so attendance improves significantly.

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