UTC Swindon

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils apply to the school to specialise in studying engineering and/or digital technologies.

High-quality resources and strong relationships with industry support them in their learning. Pupils enjoy learning the specialist subjects. Some students joining the sixth form complete their specialist studies with a core offer of A levels.

Most pupils have respectful relationships with staff. When this happens, attitudes to learning are positive. However, some pupils in key stage 4 do not behave well.

The school has re-set the expectations for behaviour. It has put clear systems in place to address unacceptable behaviour. This has brought about a reduction in some... behaviours and so fewer pupils attend the reflection room.

However, the systems are not applied consistently across the school and so some poor behaviour still goes unchallenged.

The school provides a strong and well-developed career education provision for all pupils. Pupils relish the many opportunities to engage with employers, visit industry and learn about apprenticeships in local and national companies.

Sixth-form students move to a range of destinations, such as university or apprenticeships, at the end of their studies. They follow routes that put them on-track towards the careers they aspire to, such as engineering.

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

The school experienced some recent changes to leadership.

This created a period of instability. The trust has taken prompt action to improve this. Staff are positive about these changes.

For example, new leaders have put in place systems for assessing pupils. As a result, the school has a knowledge of pupils' starting points and progress through the curriculum.

The school has planned the curriculum to identify what it wants pupils to learn and when.

In English, for example, the school has considered what knowledge and vocabulary pupils will need for the next stage of their learning. In science, the school is starting to deepen planning and develop links across mathematics and engineering.

The school has established points in the curriculum for formal assessment.

This helps teachers to identify what pupils know. The trust has introduced a whole school approach to teaching the curriculum to check how well pupils understand their learning in lessons. However, this is not well implemented.

As a result, some staff do not consistently identify the gaps pupils have in their learning.

The disrupted implementation of a few key subjects prevents pupils from progressing well through the curriculum. Many staff changes mean that some pupils do not have an equitable experience of the curriculum.

As a result, pupils do not achieve as well as they could. In the sixth form, students are less affected by this.The curriculum is well planned and implemented.

As a result, sixth-form students are ready for their next steps.

Too many pupils do not attend school well. There is a culture of non-attendance that is taking time to reduce.

The school track this and follow up. There is some improvement as a result. For some pupils, their experience of the curriculum impacts their attendance.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported. As they join, the school ensures their needs are well understood. Teachers have bespoke training to support them in adapting the learning for pupils.

However, when the curriculum is not well implemented, pupils with SEND experience the same challenges as their peers.

The school has established a whole-school approach to reading for pleasure. Pupils in key stage 4 read frequently.

The school checks how well pupils can read when they join the school. For pupils who need support to improve their reading, there are interventions to help them. However, the school does not diagnose the reasons why a pupil may not read well.

Therefore, these interventions are not planned with precision.

The school has successfully raised expectations for the standards of pupils' writing. As a result, in English, pupils take time to develop and improve their writing well.

The school plan to embed this work across all subject areas.

Through global and cultural learning (GCL), pupils learn a well-considered personal, social, health education (PSHE) curriculum. The school ensures pupils understand the local context well.

They learn about how to stay safe online and in the community. Pupils articulate their knowledge of these issues well as a result. Pupils feel safe and confident to report their concerns.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Too many pupils do not attend school regularly. This means these pupils do not learn the curriculum and achieve well.

While the school is taking action to address this, some pupils continue to miss too much of their education. The school and the trust should ensure they understand why pupils do not attend and remove barriers to improve attendance. ? Some pupils do not behave well.

This is frustrating for other pupils. It impacts on their learning and their experience of school. The school has recently made changes to how behaviour is managed.

This has started to have some impact.However, the school and the trust need to ensure behaviour systems are consistently implemented so that pupils can learn effectively. ? The school has introduced a pedagogical approach to help pupils know and remember their learning.

However, some staff do not routinely check how well pupils have understood. As a result, some pupils do not have a secure understanding of their work. The school and the trust should ensure the pedagogy to check for understanding is used precisely and consistently, so staff can adapt and amend teaching accordingly.