Wymondham High Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Wymondham High Academy continues to be a good school.

The headteacher of this school is Chris Smith.

This school is part of Enrich Learning Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Russell Boulton, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Jeffrey Lansdell.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils who attend Wymondham High Academy are proud to be part of a school community that looks out for each other.

They are considerate and kind to all. Older pupils provide support for younger ones. This sense of care pervades through the school.

It means t...hat bullying or any form of unkindness is extremely rare.

Pupils speak positively about how their teachers have high expectations for what they can achieve. They understand that to meet these expectations they need to work hard, and they do.

As a result, they produce high-quality work that reflects their constantly increasing knowledge. Pupils' learning prepares them well for public examinations, where they perform very well.

Pupils are polite and respectful.

They behave well in lessons. Learning is rarely interrupted. If it is, pupils know that teachers will respond quickly, consistently and fairly.

Pupils move around the large site purposefully.

Students in the sixth form are a visible and respected presence around the school. They understand that younger pupils see them as role models.

They view this as a privilege. Students develop a deep and rich understanding of the subjects they have chosen to study. They produce work that is of extremely high quality.

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

The school has designed a curriculum that is ambitious for all pupils. The school recognises that pupils need to follow a broad curriculum. All pupils study two languages when they start in Year 7, and all take at least one language through to the end of Year 11.

While the school has decided to condense key stage 3 into two years, this does not narrow the experience for pupils.

Subject specialists have identified the key knowledge and skills pupils need to learn. They have organised knowledge in a logical order.

Teachers provide opportunities for pupils to recall important facts. This helps pupils remember more. As they get older, pupils become more adept at successfully using this knowledge.

They apply what they know to different situations. They become confident problem-solvers, and are able to use what they learn both when verbally explaining and through their written responses.

In most cases, teachers use their checks well on what pupils know to identify if pupils have understood what they need to move on.

They use a range of strategies to determine where gaps in understanding may exist. The exactness of checking precisely identifies the nature of misunderstanding. When this is the case, teachers are able to address and remedy issues quickly.

However, not all teachers do this effectively enough to accurately assess pupils' understanding. In these situations, there is a lack of clarity about exactly what pupils know and do not know. Some pupils are set tasks they have not secured the knowledge to complete.

They struggle to engage. In these instances, pupils lose learning time patiently waiting for teachers to spot that they are struggling and intervene.

The school has equally high ambition for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

The SEND team has clearly communicated information about pupils' specific barriers to learning. Teachers use this information to successfully adapt their teaching. As a result, pupils with SEND learn the same curriculum and make progress alongside their peers.

The school has made reading a priority. Pupils enjoy it when teachers read from a wide range of books to them. Pupils who struggle with reading get high-quality support to overcome barriers to reading.

Teachers choose books that match pupils' reading levels and personal interest. As a result, pupils become confident and fluent readers.

Sixth-form students flourish in an environment where they are given increasing levels of independence.

They benefit from the expertise of their teachers. Students are encouraged to discuss, question and challenge their thinking. As a result, they show a deep and rich understanding of, at times, complex and abstract concepts.

The school has implemented a well-designed personal, social and health education curriculum. The curriculum is planned so pupils can build a deeper understanding of important topics in an age-appropriate way. Pupils learn about different cultures, faiths and lifestyles.

They appreciate and celebrate the importance of difference. Pupils value the extensive and inclusive range of extra-curricular activities offered by staff. They enjoy the opportunity to develop new skills and interests.

They appreciate the privilege of representing the school, for instance as part of the orchestra or as part of a sports team.

Staff are proud to work in the school. They feel valued and respected.

They appreciate how leaders, governors and trustees place a high priority on their well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Not all teachers use assessment accurately to determine where pupils have gaps or misconceptions in their learning.

This means that, in some cases, it is not clear when pupils have not secured enough knowledge to successfully move on to the next phase of learning. This lack of clarity means teachers cannot address specific learning issues quickly. Therefore, some pupils are unable to engage in, or complete, learning activities.

They lose time waiting for teachers to spot that they are struggling and provide help. The school should ensure that all teachers have the knowledge needed to use assessment effectively to determine what pupils know and if they are ready to move on to the next phase of learning.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in November 2017.