Thornleigh Salesian College

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, and students in the sixth form, benefit from high-quality pastoral care. They enjoy positive relationships with staff.

The school is a calm place. Pupils work purposefully. Behaviour is well managed by staff.

At social times, pupils conduct themselves sensibly.

The school's expectations of pupils' academic achievement are rising. However, in some subjects, weaknesses in the delivery of the curriculum mean that some pupils do not achieve as well as they should.

This particularly affects pupils who are disadvantaged and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Pupils eagerly take up positions such as global lead...ers, year captains and literary and debate leaders. These opportunities help pupils to develop their confidence and become active citizens.

The school provides a range of clubs which cater for pupils' interests and develop their talents. For example, robotics and gaming, netball and drama clubs. Pupils enjoy caring for the guinea pigs in the St Francis animal garden.

Pupils clearly display the Salesian values. They show compassion to others. Students in the sixth form encourage one another in charitable works.

Pupils show kindness towards one another.

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

The school has designed a broad curriculum. It has considered the order in which information should be taught, and defined the essential knowledge that pupils should learn.

This helps teachers to know what to teach and when to teach it. Teachers have strong subject knowledge. However, there is an unevenness in how well the curriculum is delivered.

At times, learning is not designed or adapted well enough to meet the needs of pupils, including pupils with SEND. Activities do not help pupils to consolidate knowledge. Some pupils struggle to recall learning over time and to build on prior learning.

Some staff do not apply the school's assessment strategies effectively. This means that in some subjects, teachers move on to new learning before pupils are ready. This does not help pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, to secure a deep body of knowledge over time.

Disadvantaged pupils do not achieve well. Students in the sixth form typically benefit from more effective teaching. Staff adapt learning to help students to fill any gaps in knowledge that they may have.

This helps students to achieve more highly.

The school has robust systems in place to identify any additional needs that pupils may have. Staff receive information about pupils with SEND.

However, at times, this information does not provide staff with the detail they need to be able to adapt their teaching so that pupils with SEND can successfully learn the curriculum. The school has prioritised reading. Pupils are proud of the refurbishment of the school library.

Pupils in key stage 3 read for pleasure during form time. Those who find reading more difficult are given the support that they need. This helps them to improve their reading knowledge.

Pupils behave well in lessons and display positive attitudes to learning. They follow staff's instructions diligently. The school closely monitors pupils' attendance and uses this information to provide support to help pupils to improve their attendance.

Most pupils, and students in the sixth form, attend school regularly.

The school's provision for pupils' personal development is well considered. Pupils learn about different faiths and religions.

They appreciate the ways that people can be different. The school encourages pupils to be reflective. For example, pupils use 'sacred time' to think about their week.

They take great pleasure in participating in sporting and theatrical events. Pupils have an age-appropriate understanding of healthy relationships. The annual safety week teaches pupils how to keep safe in a range of situations including rail safety and mental health first aid.

Pupils benefit from experiences with employers that help to shape their decisions around their next steps.

The school has recently prioritised staff well-being. Staff have welcomed changes such as the weekly celebration briefing.

The school's actions to reduce administrative burden around exam results analysis have helped staff to concentrate on teaching.

In the past, governors did not hold the school to account effectively. While the governing body has been strengthened recently, it has not had sufficient time to bring about lasting change.

The school does not have rigorous processes in place to monitor the effectiveness of its work. Leaders, at all levels, have not had sufficient support to enable them to accurately evaluate the impact of the strategies that it has employed. As a result, the school has not identified the most important actions that it needs to take to improve the quality of education for pupils.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, teachers do not design appropriate activities to allow pupils to consolidate their learning. This means that some pupils, including pupils with SEND, do not secure a deep understanding in those subjects.

The school should support teachers to adapt their delivery of the curriculum to meet pupils' needs well. ? In some subjects, teachers' expertise in using assessment information is underdeveloped. Some teachers move on to delivering new knowledge before pupils are ready.

As a result, some pupils, develop gaps in their learning and consequently underachieve. The school should ensure that assessment strategies are used consistently well to identify, and then address, any missed or forgotten learning. ? The school's quality assurance processes do not provide an accurate understanding of the quality of education that pupils in the school receive.

This limits how well the school can evaluate its effectiveness and plan for improvement. The school should ensure that its quality assurance systems rigorously evaluate the impact of the strategies that it has employed. Furthermore, the school should ensure that staff are supported to use these processes effectively.