Weatherhead High School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Weatherhead High School is a happy and friendly learning community.

Pupils, students in the sixth form and staff are proud to belong to this school. Relationships between staff and pupils are strong.

Leaders have high expectations of pupils' behaviour.

Pupils easily live up to these expectations. They are respectful towards staff and to each other. The atmosphere throughout the school is calm and orderly.

Pupils self-regulate their behaviour well.

Leaders have high aspirations for all pupils and students, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils and students achieve well.

Pupils and students ...enjoy taking part in a wealth of extra-curricular activities, such as rowing, The Duke of Edinburgh's Award, PULSE club and coding. These activities help to broaden pupils' understanding of the world. Pupils and students relish the opportunity to take on leadership roles, including community sports leaders, reading buddies and numeracy ambassadors.

Pupils and students feel safe in school because leaders deal thoroughly with any reports of bullying. They spoke positively about the levels of support that staff give to them. Pupils and students reported that they have a trusted adult to whom they can turn if they have any worries or concerns.

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

Leaders, local governors and trustees expect all pupils and students to succeed. Leaders have designed a broad curriculum that is suitably ambitious for all pupils and students, including those with SEND. The English Baccalaureate suite of subjects is at the heart of the curriculum.

For example, all pupils in key stage 4 study a modern foreign language. In the sixth form, students can choose to study a wide range of academic and vocational subjects.

Leaders have thought carefully about the knowledge that they want pupils and students to learn across key stages 3 to 5.

Teachers have secure subject knowledge. They use their expertise to explain new concepts to pupils and students clearly. This helps pupils and students to build a rich body of subject knowledge as they progress through the school.

The school's motto of 'resilience, respect, reach, reward' is exemplified in lessons through pupils' and students' eagerness to learn new things without fear of making a mistake. Teachers help pupils and students to practise their oracy skills and to use correct subject-specific terminology. In turn, this helps pupils and students to develop their wider knowledge and understanding.

Most teachers use assessment strategies well to identify gaps in pupils' and students' learning, and to adapt their delivery of the curriculum accordingly. This enables teachers to address any misconceptions that pupils and students may have swiftly. However, in a minority of subjects, teachers' use of assessment strategies is less effective.

Some teachers move on to new learning before pupils' and students' knowledge is secure. This hinders how well some pupils and students learn.

Leaders have effective procedures in place for identifying pupils with SEND.

They share detailed information about these pupils' needs with staff. This is so that teachers can skilfully adapt their delivery of the curriculum to support pupils' and students' learning in lessons. As a result, pupils and students with SEND learn well.

Pupils with SEND are fully included in wider school life. They enjoy taking part in many extra-curricular activities.

Leaders place a strong emphasis on reading.

They quickly identify pupils who find reading difficult. Well-trained staff help these pupils to catch up quickly so that they can access the wider curriculum. Pupils understand that they need to be able to read well to learn well.

In the sixth form, leaders have invested in materials to develop students' academic reading to help prepare them for future study. Across the school, staff promote reading for pleasure through activities such as author visits and 'Harry Potter' evenings. Pupils and students spoke enthusiastically about the books that they read.

Pupils behave well in classrooms. They show positive attitudes to learning. Learning is rarely disrupted.

However, despite leaders' efforts to improve attendance, there is a minority of pupils and students, including some who are disadvantaged, who are not attending school regularly enough.

Pupils' and students' academic progress is underpinned by high-quality personal development opportunities, such as volunteering and leadership roles. Pupils and students benefit from listening to expert external speakers who support the delivery of the personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education curriculum.

Most pupils and students have an age-appropriate understanding of healthy relationships. Leaders provide pupils and students with opportunities to be active citizens. For example, pupils in key stage 3 visit residents in a local nursing home.

Leaders ensure that pupils and students receive impartial careers information, advice and guidance. For example, they host an annual careers fair, which enables pupils and students to learn about the different choices available to them for their future lives. Pupils and students also benefit from the opportunities that they have to engage with local employers.

Many students move on to aspirational destinations after leaving school.

Most staff feel that leaders are considerate of their workload. Leaders are taking steps to reduce staff's workload further.

The local governing body and trustees are highly committed to the school. They support and challenge leaders well to improve the quality of education that pupils and students receive.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders ensure a strong culture of safeguarding. Staff and governors receive regular, up-to-date safeguarding training. Staff are vigilant.

They know how to spot the signs of abuse and know what to do if they are concerned that a pupil may be at risk of harm. Leaders act swiftly on any concerns that staff raise about a pupil's welfare.

Leaders work effectively with external agencies to ensure that vulnerable pupils and their families get timely and appropriate support.

Leaders ensure that pupils learn about local risks in the community through the PSHE education curriculum. Pupils and students learn about sexual harassment and why it is wrong. They learn how to keep themselves safe when online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a minority of subjects, teachers sometimes do not address pupils' and students' misconceptions before moving on to new learning. This hinders how well some pupils and students learn. Leaders should ensure that teachers identify and address misconceptions effectively so that pupils and students build their knowledge well over time.

• A minority of pupils and students do not attend school as well as they should. These pupils and students miss important learning, which has a detrimental impact on their achievement. Leaders should ensure that they support these pupils to improve their rates of attendance.