The Bemrose School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school The executive headteacher is determined that all pupils will succeed, no matter what their circumstance or background.

This determination is shared by all leaders and all staff. Pupils thrive in this highly inclusive school. Teaching in English is a strength of the school.

Pupils receive expert help to gain the reading and writing skills they need to do well in all subjects. As a result, pupils make good progress. Teachers take account of individual pupils' needs in their good lesson planning.

They make sure that pupils, even those who arrive at unusual points in the school year, are quickly assimilated and make good progress. Co...mprehensive support is in place to make sure that the vast majority of pupils, including those who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities and disadvantaged pupils, are safe in school and are learning well. Pupils value their school.

Behaviour is good. Pupils' attendance is improving and is now at the national average. The quality of teaching within the early years is good.

The proportion of children achieving a good level of development is above the national average. Children are prepared well for the next stage in their education. Provision within the sixth form is good.

Students are taught well by teachers with good subject knowledge. All students leaving in 2017 were successful in gaining employment, training or further education. Standards are improving, but are not yet high enough.

Some pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and the most able pupils, are not making fast enough progress. Rapid gains have been made in phonics but too few pupils reach the expected standard. Some inconsistencies in the quality of teaching remain, including in science.

New leaders to the school are skilled and ambitious but not fully effective. Their actions are beginning to improve the school, for example in mathematics. It is too soon to assess the full impact of their work.

Information about this school

The school is smaller than the average-sized all-through school. The school has an executive headteacher and headteachers for the secondary and primary phases. A small number of pupils receive their education at Derby College and Murray Park alternative provision.

The school is part of The Bemrose Education Partnership. The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is double the national average. Three quarters of the pupils come from minority ethnic groups.

Many come from Asian, Asian British, Pakistani, Eastern European or White Gypsy/Roma heritage. More than half of the pupils speak English as an additional language. This is much higher than is typical nationally.

The current pupils in Year 6 will be the first in the school to sit the key stage 2 assessments in 2018. The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is well above average. The school includes specially resourced provision for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities.

A specialist autism unit, known as Elmtree, caters for 45 pupils with severe autism and/or challenging behaviour. The school meets the Department for Education's definition of a coasting school based on key stage 4 academic performance results in 2015, 2016 and 2017. The school meets the government's current floor standards for the end of key stage 4, which set the minimum expectations for students' attainment and progress.