Thomas Gainsborough School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Thomas Gainsborough School (TGS) attend a school that, at all levels, wants them to succeed both academically and socially. This culture is clear in the way in which pupils respond positively to the expectations placed upon them. As a result, pupils behave in a manner of which they can be proud.

Equally, their academic performance reflects the school's value 'excellence for each, for all'.

Pupils describe feeling safe and happy. They trust that adults will look out for them if they have any concerns.

They are respectful and polite to one another, staff and visitors. The pupils themselves say that bullying is exceptionally rare, that they almost neve...r hear unkind language and that, once reported, any issues are dealt with quickly.

Pupils have high aspirations.

Sixth-form students are captivated by their subjects and their experiences. High profile visiting speakers expand the students' horizons. Much of the enrichment in the sixth form is student-led.

Fundraising, meeting with local business leaders, editing the school magazine, and leading mentoring in the lower school are all part of the sixth-form experience.

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

Pupils achieve well at TGS. This is because the curriculum they are following is carefully considered and designed.

Teachers are experts in their classrooms. They know their subjects well and provide clear explanations of subject content. The teaching materials used by the school focus very much on the needs of pupils, for example, by extending reading skills.

Effective use is made of activities, which support pupils in retrieving knowledge. Pupils are able to respond intelligently and confidently to technical questions. Students and staff in the sixth form use technology very successfully in supporting their exploration of subject matter.

In most subjects, pupils work is checked effectively. Where this is found not to be so, errors in pupils' work can go unaddressed. As a result, these errors are repeated.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are increasingly well supported. The school is now employing focused methods to ensure the needs of pupils are met consistently highly. Additional resources are being deployed to ensure that where pupils with SEND do not currently access the curriculum effectively, this is addressed to ensure they develop appropriate knowledge and skills.

The school is passionate about ensuring pupils become confident and fluent readers. The opportunities for pupils to read are extensive. This is encapsulated by one pupil who said, 'reading transports me to a different place'.

In the sixth form, students are provided with extensive additional reading materials to enhance their understanding.

Pupils behave exceptionally well. Their conduct towards one another and staff is exemplary.

During break and lunchtime they chat happily together in a calm and relaxed atmosphere. Pupils queue sensibly for lunch. In classrooms, pupils are able to learn well because they can concentrate fully.

They are not distracted in any way. There are high expectations of pupils' behaviour in the school. This ensures an ethos of respect.

This is mirrored by the sixth form, where there is a culture of impeccable behaviour. Pupils absolutely know right from wrong. Most pupils attend school regularly, and they are universally punctual to lessons.

There is an extensive personal development programme that has a wide-ranging, and highly positive, impact. The taught curriculum provides pupils with a wide spectrum of opportunities to discuss and debate current topics. In the sixth form, students develop this into their highly popular and well-attended debate society.

Pupils learn about healthy relationships. They articulate very clearly that they are well prepared to stand up to any form of harassment. The work of the school in this is pivotal.

Pupils have a voice in the school. It is a voice that makes positive change through a variety of student leadership roles across the school. Students in the sixth form describe wanting to give something back to the school that has supported them.

The highly successful careers education, advice and guidance programme is fundamental to the opportunities pupils have to be successful in their next stage of their education or employment.

Leaders have a very clear principled and moral purpose to ensure pupils receive the highest standard of education. They have an accurate understanding of what remains to be done to achieve this for all pupils.

This is well supported and understood by trust leaders and governors. Staff comment very positively about the professional development opportunities they receive, in addition to the support with their workload and 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)

• While the curriculum is increasingly ambitious for all pupils, some pupils with SEND are not always able to fully access their learning because the planning for their needs is not sufficiently precise. The school should ensure that support for pupils with SEND is consistently effective to help them achieve well. ? In a small number of subjects, the quality of written work is not always consistently well assessed.

As a result, errors and misconceptions are not always picked up. This means they are repeated without correction. The school should ensure that the approach to checking pupils' work is sufficiently rigorous in all subjects.

Also at this postcode