Debden Park High School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school The executive headteacher and head of school, together with other leaders and governors, have created a very popular school where pupils of all abilities and backgrounds flourish. A culture of high aspirations and high expectation pervades the school's work. Pupils' progress across a range of subjects, including English and mathematics, is well above average.

Disadvantaged pupils make similar progress to other pupils nationally. Some aspects of personal, health, social and economic (PHSE) education are developed very well. Careers education and guidance is a major strength.

Assemblies are used well to promote internet safety and i...ssues such as drug awareness, but overall provision for PHSE is not as strong as other aspects of the school's provision. Consistently high-quality teaching results from the school's relentless focus on training and development. Excellent behaviour around the school is demonstrated by pupils' polite and orderly conduct.

Pupils get on together really well, supporting one another's learning in lessons. The school's special focus on the arts, including high-quality music, drama and visual art, helps to promote pupils' excellent cultural development. Pupils' moral and social development is very strong and the school recognises the need to make spiritual development a greater priority.

The new sixth form is rapidly becoming popular and successful. It is judged to be good, because the outstanding aspects of the main school have not yet had time to become well established in the sixth form.

Information about this school

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. This is an average-sized secondary school. The majority of pupils are of White British heritage.

The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is below average. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is below average. The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is below average.

The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is very close to the national average. The school has established arrangements with Epping Forest College and Grace Academy for pupils in key stage 4 to take alternative work-related courses there. Debden Park High School is a 'teaching school'.

It works closely with the local authority to support other schools across the county. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress. The sixth form opened in September 2015.

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