Chipping Campden School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school The leadership of the principal is exceptional.

He leads the school with far-sighted analytical skill, underpinned by integrity and compassion. These attributes pervade the school. Pupils of all abilities make excellent progress in most subjects.

Those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities achieve very well from their starting points. The most able attain the highest grades in many subjects. Disadvantaged pupils make progress at least in line with other pupils nationally and, in many cases, significantly better.

The school improves year on year. This is because the leaders have focused on embedding key im...provements to teaching, learning and assessment. As a result, pupils make consistently strong progress.

Pupils have excellent attitudes to learning. They take their studies very seriously and are keen to succeed. They pay close attention when teachers give them feedback to help them improve their work.

Pupils' personal development is of a very high quality. They treat each other with good humour and tolerance. Their behaviour around the school is very good.

Pupils are respectful and confident when talking with adults. High expectations permeate the school. Everyone, from the principal to staff and to pupils, knows what is expected of them.

All are encouraged to rise to the challenge. Consequently, they do. Senior leaders are skilful and committed.

They are completely focused on ensuring that pupils achieve as well as they can. Middle leaders feel empowered to take decisions to improve their departments and, as a result, respond readily with ideas and plans to further improve their work. Governors make a substantial contribution to the strength of the school.

They are self-critical and perceptive. New governors have been recruited to ensure that the governing body has the necessary skills to hold leaders to account. They now do this to great effect.

The school is a very cohesive community. Parents, staff and pupils all agree on the school's qualities and are all equally committed to its success. The quality of teaching in the sixth form is improving rapidly.

In the past, it had suffered from some variation in quality between subjects. Rigorous action by school leaders is leading to rapid improvements and students are now making good progress from their starting points towards their goals.

Information about this school

The school is larger than the average-sized secondary school.

The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is broadly average. The proportion of pupils supported by pupil premium funding is well below average. Almost all pupils are of White British heritage.

There are very few from minority ethnic groups and very few who speak English as an additional language. Chipping Campden has set up a free school in collaboration with two other schools that provides alternative provision for pupils who find mainstream school life challenging. At any one time, approximately four to six pupils are based there.

The school meets the government's current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress by the end of Year 11. The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website. The school complies with Department for Education guidance on what academies should publish.