Upper Wharfedale School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Upper Wharfedale School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

What is it like to attend this school?

Upper Wharfedale School is an enjoyable place to learn. Staff and pupils alike care for each other.

Pupils are happy to be in school. They feel safe too. Pupils want to learn so they make every effort to do so.

The school has very high expectations of all pupils. Pupils respond well to these expectations and take pride in meeting them.

Pupils' behaviour is a strength of the school.

In lessons, pupils work together to help each other with their learning. Around the school, pupils are respectful of each o...ther, of staff and other adults, including visitors. Pupils say that bullying is rare but if it does occur, the school deals with it.

The school knows the pupils very well. Pupils get the support they need to help them reach learning goals. They produce high-quality work because of this.

The standard of the presentation of pupils' work is high. Pupils explain their learning and knowledge with confidence.

The school provides lots of activities, which pupils enjoy.

Pupils who are disadvantaged and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) take full advantage of these opportunities.

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

The curriculum meets pupils' needs. Teachers make learning interesting for pupils by providing different ways to learn.

More pupils now study a language at GCSE level. This means more pupils follow the English Baccalaureate pathway than has been the case in the past. Teachers check pupils' understanding regularly.

Often this is done verbally when pupils most need it, during a learning activity. It helps them to develop their knowledge, skills and understanding.

The school insists pupils with SEND get the support they need.

Teachers and staff provide this support because they know pupils so well. Pupils with SEND achieve well.

Reading is a high priority.

Older pupils act as reading buddies and help their peers become more confident when reading aloud. Additional support to help pupils improve their reading is effective. The school works closely with its feeder primary schools to find out which pupils may need extra help.

These pupils receive the help they need to improve. At times, the school could do more to identify the reasons that some pupils struggle to improve their reading.

Pupils are encouraged to report any inappropriate behaviour or comments from others.

Pupils say this kind of behaviour is very rare. The school takes swift and effective action if such incidents occur. Pupils say disruption to their learning does happen now and then, but it is rare.

The school provides a wide range of opportunities beyond the classroom. They include visits and activities at home and abroad. There are visits to local community groups, the Houses of Parliament and Iceland to name a few.

Along with the taught curriculum, these opportunities ensure pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is high quality. The school has put in place a programme of careers advice and guidance for all pupils. This goes above and beyond the offer expected of schools.

The school is considerate of the workload and well-being of staff. Staff receive training to develop their practice. The governing body is effective in holding school leaders to account.

The school checks how well the strategies it uses are working. However, on occasion, the school does not promptly identify areas for improvement. This means that the quality of the school's provision cannot be improved on the small number of occasions in which this is the case.

School leaders are continuing to improve this school further.

Staff and pupils know who to talk to when they have a concern. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe, including when online.

The school makes sure pupils have the care and support they need. There is a sense of safety and belonging in this school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• On occasion, the school does not promptly identify areas for improvement. As a result, in these instances, it is not possible for the school to develop the quality of its provision. The school should ensure that it has the information it needs to identify and address any areas for improvement.

Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade.

This school was, before September 2024, judged to be outstanding for its overall effectiveness.

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding for overall effectiveness in June 2019.