Uppingham Community College

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school. Students achieve well.

They make good progress overall to reach standards that are above average by the end of Year 11. Achievement in mathematics is improving well and students are now making particularly good progress in this subject. The school is successfully closing the gap in achievement between students eligible for support through the pupil premium and their classmates.

Teaching is good overall with some outstanding practice. There is a positive climate for learning across the school and lessons are often planned so that there is a clear structure to students' learning. When teachers set challenging work that encourages students ...to develop their thinking skills, students make very rapid progress.

Students' behaviour is excellent. They enjoy school greatly and have an appetite for learning. Their mature and thoughtful behaviour is evident both in lessons and at break times.

Leaders, managers and the governing body work well together to drive improvements across the school. Leaders in charge of subjects are fully involved in checking the quality of teaching and learning. Leaders set clear targets for teachers to help improve their practice in the classroom and provide good quality training for staff.

It is not yet an outstanding school because : The proportion of outstanding teaching is not high enough. At times, work is not set at the right level of difficulty, particularly for the most able students, and teachers do not always check students' understanding during lessons. There is too much variation in the quality of marking.

As a result, students are not always sure about how to improve their work. Systems for checking on the impact of the training provided for teachers are not fully developed. A minority of staff do not adopt the best practice recommended by leaders.

Information about this school

Uppingham Community College is slightly smaller than the average–sized secondary school. The great majority of students are of White British heritage and very few speak English as an additional language. The school converted to become an academy school in April 2011.

When its predecessor school, also known as Uppingham Community College, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be outstanding. The school is designated as a Specialist Technology Academy. The proportion of disabled students and those who have special educational needs who are supported at school action is below average.

The proportion supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average. The proportion of students known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium is below average. This is additional support for looked-after children, pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and pupils with a parent in the armed services.

The majority of students in the school entitled to this support are from service families. At present, the school does not receive funding through the Year 7 'catch-up' premium. A few students in Years 10 and 11 attend alternative provision.

These are a motor vehicle course at 'Lunar Racing' in Rockingham, and courses such as construction at Tresham College of Further and Higher Education. The school works in conjunction with its feeder primary schools as part of the 'Midshires Partnership'. The school meets the government's current floor standards for secondary schools, which set the minimum expectations for students' attainment and progress.

Also at this postcode