Worle Community School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The school aims to make pupils PROUD (prepared, respectful, optimistic, understanding and determined). Pupils understand the school's aims.

Expectations of what pupils can achieve and how they behave have increased substantially. Most pupils now understand what is expected of them and why. However, pupils do not achieve well enough.

When pupils' behaviour disrupts learning, it is not consistently well managed by staff.

Many pupils enjoy school. Bullying is not a widespread issue.

However, some pupils feel that bullying is not stopped promptly enough. The environment is largely calm and orderly. Most pupils are friendly and courteous.

They fe...el safe at school.

Some pupils thrive as a result of the opportunties they have to develop their characters, talents and interests. There are clubs for music, art, drama and sports.

Pupils are proud of the leadership roles they hold. Some become young journalists in the on-site news centre. However, the school does not ensure that all pupils benefit from the personal development offer that it provides.

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

The school has recently improved the rigour and ambition of the curriculum. The key knowledge that pupils should learn has been identified. Leaders have considered how new knowledge will build on what pupils have learned before.

This work has not yet had an impact. Pupils do not achieve well enough.

The school is at an early stage of making sure that teaching enables pupils to follow the more rigorous curriculum that is now in place.

Most teachers present information clearly, using secure subject knowledge. However, they do not consistently check pupils' understanding of new learning, or their existing knowledge. Consequently, teachers are not always aware of gaps in learning, so they are unable to close these gaps.

This means that pupils do not learn effectively.

Staff receive training and information to ensure they know how to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). However, they do not always apply this.

They do not make sure that pupils with SEND can access the curriculum. Consequently, pupils with SEND do not achieve well.

Pupils who do not read well enough are identified.

However, the support that they receive is not prompt. This means that they do not catch up with their peers quickly. Most pupils read regularly in school.

Reading time aims to improve pupils' vocabularies and confidence.

Recent changes to how staff manage behaviour have reduced low-level disruption. As a result, pupils are more able to focus on their learning.

However, poor behaviour is not challenged consistently well. The school does not always identify and tackle the root causes of poor behaviour.There are new systems and staff in place to improve pupils' attendance.

However, too many pupils continue to miss school. As a result, they do not achieve as well as they should.

The programme for personal, social, health and economic education covers suitable content.

For example, pupils are taught about healthy relationships, physical and mental health, and safety, including online safety. Assemblies and the reading programme expose pupils to other cultures and perspectives. However, some pupils can recall little of what has been taught.

The comprehensive careers programme helps pupils to consider their future options. Almost all pupils move into education, training or employment at the end of Year 11.

The trust has supported the school to ensure that it has the right staff and resources to bring about positive change.

However, too much of this work is in its infancy and has not yet had sufficient impact.

Governors and trustees support and challenge the school. Engagement with parents is not always effective.

Many have frustrations about the way the school responds to concerns that they raise.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The curriculum is not taught consistently well.

Teaching does not always check what pupils understand. As a result, misconceptions and gaps in knowledge remain, and pupils do not learn effectively. The trust needs to ensure that teaching is effective in helping pupils know and remember more.

• Some pupils, particularly those with SEND and those who are disadvantaged, are frequently absent from school. This means they miss out on learning. The trust needs to ensure that the school takes effective action to improve pupils' attendance.

• Some pupils and parents lack confidence in the way that the school deals with concerns they have, including about bullying. Issues that are raised with the school sometimes persist for longer than they should. The trust needs to ensure that communication with parents and pupils, and the timeliness of actions it takes, improves.

• The school does not always check the impact of its actions, or that all staff are following agreed strategies, including how they support pupils with SEND. This means that the school does not always know what progress is being made and where weaknesses remain. The trust needs to ensure that the school's actions have impact and approaches are adapted to bring about more rapid improvement.