Waingels

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school All groups of students achieve well and make good progress. Disabled students and those with special educational needs make equally good progress as others.

The school has successfully eliminated the gaps in performance between students eligible for free school meals and other students. Students' attainment at GCSE is getting better year on year. The progress students make between the ages 11 to 16 is improving sharply.

In English and across the curriculum, students' reading and writing skills are very well developed. The quality of teaching is good with many examples of outstanding practice. Teaching has improved since the last inspectio...n and most teaching is demanding, exciting and gets the most out of all groups of students.

Students behave well and feel very safe. They have a good understanding of the school's high expectations of behaviour. Leaders, managers and governors have an accurate understanding of the school's strengths and have taken decisive and effective action to improve the quality of teaching and to raise students' achievement further.

This is a school that continues to improve. The sixth form is outstanding. Students achieve very well from their broadly average starting points.

The subjects and qualifications available to students in the sixth form have been chosen thoughtfully in order that every student can achieve as well as possible and be very well prepared for the next stages in their lives. It is not yet an outstanding school because : Teachers do not always make sure that students respond to what has been asked of them when their work is marked. Questions are not always used well enough by teachers to encourage students to think deeply.

In some lessons, there is insufficient challenge for the most-able students. Occasionally, lessons are too dominated by the teacher with insufficient opportunity for students to learn independently.

Information about this school

The school is larger than the average-sized school.

The large majority of students are of White British heritage and there is a low proportion of students who speak English as an additional language. The proportion of students known to be eligible for the pupil premium (additional funding from the government for students from service families, looked after children and those known to be eligible for free school meals) is low. There are currently three students who are in the care of the local authority.

The proportion of disabled students and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is above average; the proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is broadly average. A very small number of students spend some of their time studying work-related courses at South Berkshire College. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for students' progress and attainment.

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