UTC Warrington

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

UTC Warrington has an inclusive culture that successfully nurtures pupils' unique talents and abilities. Many pupils have experienced personal trauma or had disrupted education before joining this school.

Staff develop trusting relationships with pupils. This helps to build pupils' self-esteem. Pupils are happy at the school and feel safe.

Sixth-form students act as strong role models for younger pupils. Many pupils in key stage 4 behave well in lessons and in the dining hall. However, some pupils do not show positive attitudes in lessons, and occasionally, some pupils do not behave well when moving around the school.

Pupils enjoy taking part in a variety of ...activities, including robotics club, 3D printing and combined cadet force. Overseas trips extend pupils' learning. The school has forged strong partnerships with prestigious employers to help pupils and students to be 'work ready'.

The school has high expectations of what pupils should learn. In the main, curriculum subjects are well designed across the school. However, there are some weaknesses in the design and implementation of the curriculum in key stage 4.

As a result, some pupils learn better in some subjects than in others. Students in the sixth form, however, do benefit from a better-designed curriculum and achieve well.

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

UTC Warrington has developed an ambitious curriculum that helps meet the needs of local and regional employers.

Many pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), have significant gaps in their knowledge and understanding when they start in Year 10. The school helps them to develop educationally and supports their social and emotional well-being.

The school is in the process of refining the content of some curriculum subjects.

In many subjects, the school has identified the knowledge pupils must learn and when they should learn this content. Consequently, pupils learn well in these subjects. However, in some subjects, the school is finalising what it wants pupils to know and the order in which this new learning should be taught.

In these subjects, pupils do not achieve as highly as they could.

Many staff are knowledgeable about the subjects that they teach. The school has implemented a variety of strategies aimed at developing teachers' classroom practice.

However, at times, teaching is not adapted to support pupils' learning, including for pupils with SEND. In addition, some staff do not use assessment strategies consistently well to check what pupils know or to identify errors and misconceptions. At times, this hinders some aspects of pupils' achievement.

Reading remains a priority for the school. The school has appropriate systems in place to check which pupils in Year 10 are behind with their reading. The school supports pupils who find reading difficult to catch up.

This helps them to develop confidence in reading.

The needs of pupils with SEND are identified quickly. The school shares this information with staff.

However, some staff use this information better than others. As a result, some pupils with SEND in key stage 4 do not progress as well as they should through the curriculum.

The quality of education in the sixth form is stronger than in key stage 4.

Typically, staff use their secure subject knowledge to explain new concepts clearly. Students have many opportunities to revisit prior learning. This helps students, including those with SEND, to achieve well.

Many pupils who enter Year 10 in UTC Warrington have previously developed poor attitudes towards their education and had low attendance when they joined this school. The school is working with pupils and their families to remove barriers to learning. It has raised expectations of behaviour and introduced new behaviour and attendance strategies and rewards.

These are having a positive effect on encouraging many pupils to behave well and improve their rates of attendance. However, some pupils still do not attend school regularly enough. This has a negative impact on their achievement.

Pupils and students learn about healthy relationships and managing risks. They show respect towards people of other races and religions. Pupils and students receive high-quality careers advice and guidance.

Speakers from local businesses give regular presentations to pupils and students. This helps them to have a clear understanding of their next steps. All students in Year 13 move on to education, employment and training, including apprenticeships.

Staff feel that the school considers their well-being. The school is aware of the pressures on staff workload, for example the introduction of new vocational subjects in the sixth form, and is focused on alleviating these. Trustees provide an equal balance of support and challenge to secure improvements in the school's provision.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school has not finalised the curriculum in some subjects. It has not defined all of the subject knowledge pupils need to learn.

This hinders some pupils from learning as well as they should. The school should identify the important knowledge and skills pupils should learn in these subjects. ? At times, some staff do not consistently apply the school's agreed learning techniques and checks on learning.

This makes it harder for pupils, including those with SEND, to improve their knowledge and understanding. The school should ensure that staff have the skills and knowledge they need to deliver the curriculum and check pupils' learning so pupils know and remember more over time. ? Some pupils do not demonstrate positive attitudes towards their education.

Some of these pupils' behaviour falls short of the school's high expectations while others do not attend as regularly as they should. This hinders how well these pupils achieve. The school should build on the effective strategies they have put in place to remove barriers to pupils.

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