SGS Forest High School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The quality of education pupils receive is not good enough. Staff have low expectations of pupils, particularly pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and pupils who speak English as an additional language (EAL).

The new headteacher has the support of many parents, pupils and staff.

He has made some improvements, for example with behaviour, around the school. However, there is still a long way to go. Learning is, too often, disrupted by poor behaviour.

This is because pupils' needs are not always met well enough.

Pupils are keen to learn about a broader range of subjects and they want to do well. However, the organisation of... the curriculum does not help pupils to know more or to remember more.

Teaching does not help pupils to learn as well as they could. Therefore, pupils' knowledge across many subjects is not secure.

Pupils say they feel safe in school and most say that there is someone they can talk to if they have worries.

Nonetheless, pupils are not always respectful of people who are different from themselves. Some pupils experience derogatory language used by their peers. When bullying occurs, although it is dealt with, it sometimes continues for too long.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The new headteacher knows where the weaknesses are and he is determined to improve the school. However, a weak leadership structure means there is limited expertise and capacity to lead improvements. Leaders, including those responsible for governance, fail to ensure that pupils receive an acceptable quality of education.

The school's curriculum is not ambitious. It is not broad or balanced. The range of subjects that pupils learn is too narrow.

Pupils do not get the opportunity to learn subjects such as music, drama, or design and technology. This does not prepare pupils fully for opportunities beyond school.

Curriculum leaders do not understand what makes a strong curriculum.

This means the essential knowledge that pupils need to learn is not explicit or well-sequenced. Leaders are unclear how content links back to prior learning or how it will support future learning. As a result, pupils' learning is not secure, which means they cannot move on to more complex work.

Teaching does not expect enough of pupils. Teachers do not use approaches that help pupils to learn the curriculum effectively. Therefore, pupils do not always complete their work or stall because the following steps have not been planned well.

This means that pupils' experiences in lessons contribute weakly to how they learn the intended curriculum.

Assessment is not used effectively. Teaching does not routinely check what pupils know and can do.

Where pupils have gaps in their learning, these go unchecked and grow over time.

The curriculum does not meet the needs of pupils with SEND. Although leaders have accurately identified the needs of pupils with SEND and have shared this information with staff, many staff do not use it.

This means that staff have low expectations of such pupils. Therefore, pupils with SEND produce work of poor quality that is often incomplete. When pupils with SEND become frustrated, this sometimes leads to poor behaviour.

Staff do not have high enough expectations of pupils' behaviour in lessons. Sometimes poor behaviour is ignored by staff, including the use of derogatory language. It is common for learning to be affected by some pupils' persistent disruption.

Pupils are frustrated when poor behaviour contributes to reduced learning in lessons.

The personal development programme includes a newly structured curriculum for personal, social, and health education (PSHE). However, this is not yet fully implemented, so pupils have gaps in their knowledge.

For example, they have not been taught essential content such as sex education and an understanding of diversity. Careers advice and guidance is helping pupils to select their next steps. The school meets the requirements of the Baker Clause, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeship.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The headteacher is clear that safeguarding is a priority. Leaders ensure that necessary checks are made on newly appointed staff before they start work in school.

Leaders make sure that staff know how to report concerns. Staff receive training that keeps them up to date with safeguarding practices. Teachers early in their career say they would appreciate additional support.

Leaders of safeguarding have a clear understanding of local risks. They seek advice and support from external agencies. They work closely with families to provide help when it is needed.

Leaders have recently introduced a pupil survey to help them understand pupils' school experience and check on their well-being.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Leaders and those responsible for governance have not acted effectively to identify and tackle the failings at the school. As a result, pupils are not receiving an adequate education.

The new headteacher knows where the weaknesses lie. However, he is limited by the weak leadership structure. Those responsible for governance should ensure that leadership capacity and expertise is quickly developed.

• Leaders have designed a curriculum that is not ambitious enough for pupils. The curriculum structure is too narrow. This means pupils do not have the opportunity to learn a broad range of subjects.

Leaders should broaden the curriculum so that pupils are better prepared for opportunities beyond school. ? Curriculum leaders do not understand what makes a strong curriculum. This means the essential knowledge that pupils need to learn is not clear or well sequenced.

Pupils do not build knowledge over time in a way that helps them to remember it. Leaders need to develop curriculum expertise so that pupils achieve as well as they could. ? Sometimes pupils experience derogatory language used by their peers.

They do not always feel that staff deal with this. Leaders must ensure that the behaviour policy is applied consistently across the school and that all staff instil a culture of respect and tolerance. ? The PSHE curriculum does not adequately support pupils' learning.

For example, older pupils cannot recall being taught sex education. Other pupils lack an understanding of diversity. This means that pupils have gaps in their knowledge.

Leaders should ensure that the PSHE curriculum has in-depth, age-appropriate opportunities to learn about relationships and sex education, diversity, tolerance and the appropriate use of language. ? Staff expectations of what pupils can achieve are too low. This is particularly evident for pupils who speak EAL or pupils with SEND.

Leaders have not ensured that the needs of these pupils are being met fully. Therefore, many pupils do not receive the support that they need to learn well. Leaders must make sure that teachers are better trained to meet all pupils' needs and use the information leaders provide to adapt the curriculum effectively.

• Staff do not always deal with poor behaviour in lessons successfully. This means that pupils' learning is often interrupted. Leaders need to ensure that all staff apply the behaviour policy consistently and with effect.