Valentines High School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders strive for excellence in all aspects of the school's work. Staff pay close attention to helping every pupil achieve academic excellence and mature into successful, thoughtful and active citizens.

Pupils are determined to succeed. They work hard throughout lessons and concentrate fully on their work. For example, sixth-form students work with diligence when learning in the independent study room.

Pupils and sixth-form students are happy in school. They enjoy each other's company and offer a warm welcome to those who are new to the school. Pupils are respectful and get along well with all.

As a result, the school is a harmonious community and incidents ...of bullying are rare. Pupils know how to raise any concerns and are confident that staff will deal with them quickly.Pupils thoroughly enjoy the many well-planned activities that support their personal development.

Staff actively seek pupils' views and opinions and act on these. For instance, following pupils' suggestions, boxercise and karate clubs have been recently introduced. Promoting pupils' mental and physical health is always at the forefront of leaders' work.

Staff are also keen to support pupils' unique talents. They help pupils find opportunities to nurture and extend their interests, for example in music, art and debating.

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

Leaders have designed an ambitious academic and personal development curriculum.

Leaders are never complacent and always seek improvement. They continually adapt plans to meet the changing needs of pupils, the local area and current events. For instance, leaders have done their upmost to overcome disruptions to pupils' learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Leaders aimed to ensure that pupils did not develop gaps in knowledge. They prioritised making sure that remote education focused tightly on delivering the planned curriculum. Leaders also tracked pupils' participation closely.

Those who needed extra help and resources received them promptly. When pupils returned to school, leaders checked their well-being and learning. They took effective action to support pupils who needed it.

For instance, they appointed specialist staff to increase the support available for pupils' emotional and mental well-being.Curriculum leaders across all subjects and year groups plan learning very effectively. They carefully choose the core knowledge they want pupils to know and remember in the long term.

They also identify how best to break down knowledge into manageable chunks. This helps pupils to master complex ideas and concepts. Pupils apply their increasing knowledge to refine and deepen their understanding.

They make connections across different subjects and experience the joy of grasping concepts securely.Teachers take part in high-quality training opportunities. These aid them to strengthen their subject expertise, and ensure that they are highly skilled in teaching the planned curriculum.

Importantly, teachers give pupils carefully planned opportunities to revise prior learning. This also helps pupils to remember their learning in the long term. Assessment systems support teachers to check how effectively pupils learn and remember essential knowledge.

Teachers use these checks well to address misconceptions and gaps in pupils' learning.

Leaders make sure that staff have the knowledge and resources to fully include pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. These pupils study the full curriculum and flourish with bespoke help from support staff and therapists.

Leaders and staff also make sure that pupils who join with lower attainment in reading catch up quickly. This enables these pupils to succeed across the curriculum.

Pupils demonstrate excellent behaviours and exemplary attitudes to learning.

This makes a marked contribution to their very successful learning in all subjects.

Pupils across school achieve highly in all subjects. This includes students in the sixth form.

All are prepared exceptionally well for leaving school, whether they continue in education or training, or start employment. The vast majority continue their studies at university across a range of disciplines.

Impartial careers information, education, advice and guidance are comprehensive.

Pupils across Years 7 to 13 gain experience of the world of work. They learn about the many career pathways available and are helped to make the right choices for them.

The personal development provision is exemplary.

It aims to ensure that pupils develop a deep understanding of issues that affect them and society more generally. Pupils learn about healthy relationships and how to treat all with respect. Staff deliver the school's own specially designed curriculum which aims to support pupils' character development.

All subjects arrange enrichment activities, including plentiful visits and visitors. During the week, there are some 70 clubs on offer. All pupils attend at least two a week.

Leaders consult often with staff about school practices and policies. Staff find leaders approachable and considerate. They said that leaders take care of their well-being and take effective steps to reduce their workload.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have established a culture of vigilance. This is supported by ongoing training for staff and clear procedures for reporting concerns.

Consequently, leaders quickly identify safeguarding and welfare concerns.

When needed, leaders ensure that pupils get help promptly from the safeguarding and welfare teams, including counsellors. Leaders have well-established links with a range of external agencies.

They make referrals without delay when appropriate.Policies and the curriculum help pupils to understand risk, stay safe and know how to seek help. This includes, for example, concerns related to appropriate and safe behaviour with their peers.