Edwinstree Church of England Middle School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school Since the last inspection, the strong leadership of the new headteacher and her restructured senior team has brought about rapid improvement.

Parents, pupils and staff are overwhelmingly supportive of the school's leadership. The governing body is effective in supporting and challenging school leaders. School leaders are committed to maintaining a consistently high quality of education across a rich and relevant curriculum.

As a result, pupils make good progress in a wide range of subjects. Pupils' writing is strong because there are well-planned opportunities for pupils to practise what they learn in English in other subjects. The school...'s work to ensure that disadvantaged pupils make strong progress is having a positive impact.

Pupils' behaviour is good. They have responded well to the school's positive ethos, which effectively uses Christian values to shape a caring and inclusive school. The overall quality of teaching is good, and the school's focus on developing teachers' skills ensures that teaching is improving.

Outcomes are improving across the school, but they are not yet good because the most able pupils in mathematics and the most able disadvantaged pupils do not make the progress they should. Where outcomes are not good it is because : currently strong teaching has not had time to fully compensate for previous weaknesses. Teachers do not routinely provide sufficient challenge for the most able pupils in lessons.

There are too few opportunities for pupils to practise the skills they learn in mathematics in other subjects.

Information about this school

The school is a voluntary-controlled Church of England school. The last section 48 inspection was in June 2017.

The school is smaller than the average-sized secondary school. The proportion of disadvantaged pupils for whom the school receives pupil premium funding is below the national average. Most pupils are White British.

The proportion of minority ethnic pupils and pupils who speak English as an additional language is below average. The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is in line with the national average. A small number of pupils are currently taught off-site at Rivers Education Support Centre, Hertford.

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