Cedars Upper School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school Leaders have accurately identified the strengths and weaknesses of the school.

They take effective action to improve areas of weakness. The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good overall. Teachers' strong subject knowledge and positive relationships with pupils help pupils to make good progress.

Where teaching that is not good exists, leaders take effective action to improve it. This has not yet had a full impact, particularly in science. Pupils achieve particularly well in mathematics.

Across the school, most pupils achieve at least as well as their peers nationally. Pupils behave well in lessons and around the sch...ool. They work hard and treat others with respect and courtesy.

Leaders' work to promote the well-being of pupils is good. Leaders provide clear guidance to help pupils make informed choices about their future education and career. Provision in the sixth form is good.

Sixth-form students are well taught and they make good progress. Leaders' work to secure pupils' safety is effective. Pupils are safe and feel safe.

The curriculum supports pupils to make good progress. Leaders ensure that what is taught suits the needs of pupils with different starting points. Disadvantaged pupils make good progress in English and mathematics.

Across the curriculum, the difference between the progress they make and the progress of other pupils nationally is becoming smaller. Most pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities now make better progress than in previous years. Leaders' actions to support these pupils are effective.

However, in some subjects, these pupils do not make progress in line with their peers. Absence and exclusion rates for disadvantaged pupils, and for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, are higher than for other pupils in the school.

Information about this school

The school does not meet requirements on the publication of information about examination and assessment results or its curriculum on its website.

The school does not comply with Department for Education guidance on what academies should publish about examination and assessment results or its curriculum. Cedars Upper School is a secondary school serving the area of Leighton Buzzard. It is larger than the average secondary school.

The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below average. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is broadly average. The proportion of pupils whose first language is not believed to be English is below average.

The proportion of pupils who receive support for special educational needs and/or disabilities is above average. The school does not have any pupils at alternative provision. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum requirements for pupils' attainment and progress.