West Craven High School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Trusting relationships with staff help pupils to feel safe at West Craven High School. Many pupils are happy and proud to be part of an accepting and supportive community where staff will help them if they have any worries.

Mostly, pupils are confident that if incidents of bullying are reported, they will be dealt with effectively by staff.

That said, a small proportion of pupils, parents and carers, lack assurance in leaders' systems to tackle bullying and prevent it from happening in the future.

Leaders have raised their expectations of what pupils can achieve. Many pupils have responded positively, rising admirably to the challenge.

They work hard... in class and try to do their best. However, pupils told inspectors that a small minority of their peers still do not behave well. This is particularly the case when their usual teacher is not delivering their lesson.

Pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are benefiting from a more ambitious curriculum than they did previously. However, in some subjects, teachers have not had sufficient help and guidance to deliver curriculums consistently well. This means that some pupils do not achieve as well as they should.

Pupils across different year groups enjoy the after-school clubs on offer. For example, activities such as rounders, cricket and athletics help pupils to hone their sporting talents. Pupils in the young enterprise team have recently gained an award for developing a software application designed to help pupils to revise for GCSE examinations.

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

Leaders have acted appropriately to ensure that the key stage 3 curriculum is suitably broad and that an increasing number of pupils study the English Baccalaureate suite of subjects in key stage 4. Subject leaders make it clear to teachers the order in which to deliver curriculum content. This is helping pupils to make links with earlier learning and build on what they know already.

Leaders' work to establish important curriculum content is well under way. Teachers are increasingly clear about the essential knowledge that pupils should know. That said, in some subjects, there remain weaknesses in how well teachers deliver subject curriculums.

For example, some teachers have not received the support or subject-specific training that they need to design learning suitably well. In addition, some teachers do not use assessment strategies effectively to check that pupils have secured and remembered earlier learning. Inconsistencies in how well subject curriculums are delivered mean that some pupils are hindered in deepening their knowledge and understanding of subjects over time.

Leaders have improved their systems to identify the needs of pupils with SEND. Added to this, staff have been able to benefit from relevant training to support pupils with SEND to access the curriculum. The quality of information that staff receive about this group of pupils has improved markedly and, as a result, most teachers have a better understanding of pupils' individual needs.

However, some teachers do not use this information well to adapt the delivery of the curriculum for this group of pupils.

Leaders have appropriate mechanisms in place to identify those pupils who join the school unable to read with fluency and confidence. Leaders ensure that these pupils receive appropriate support to catch up with their reading so that they can access the wider curriculum.

For example, a small group of highly skilled staff provide additional help for those pupils with missing phonics knowledge. Leaders also ensure that those pupils who speak English as an additional language benefit from carefully tailored help from well-trained adults.

Leaders have strengthened the systems for staff to manage pupils' behaviour.

During the inspection, both pupils and staff reported considerable recent improvements in this area. Many staff are confident that leaders' systems help them to deal well with incidents of poor behaviour when they occur. That said, some staff do not apply the sanctions to manage pupils' behaviour consistently well.

This means that some pupils continue to experience disruption to their learning.

Pupils, particularly in key stage 3, benefit from a well-thought-out programme that supports them to become responsible citizens. For instance, pupils learn about how to eat healthily and maintain an active lifestyle.

They were positive about the opportunities that they have to learn about careers and their next steps. That said, some staff lack the knowledge that they need to deliver some aspects of the personal development curriculum with confidence. This is particularly the case regarding some topics within the relationships and sex education curriculum.

Together, those responsible for governance have the appropriate knowledge and skills to hold leaders to account well. Since the previous monitoring inspection, trust representatives have acted to strengthen senior leadership. They have also ensured that suitable staffing appointments have been made.

For the most part, staff are confident that leaders pay due regard to their well-being and their workload.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have ensured that staff have received relevant safeguarding training.

Staff are reminded of important safeguarding guidance and training regularly. As a result, they remain alert to the signs that indicate that a pupil may be at risk of harm. Staff are clear about the procedures to follow when they need to report a safeguarding concern.

Leaders have forged effective links with external agencies. Leaders make timely referrals to the local authority and other external partners when necessary. This ensures that vulnerable pupils and their families access appropriate support.

Pupils appreciate the support that they receive from staff to look after their mental health. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe. For example, they learn about: the dangers of drug and alcohol misuse and online gambling, contraception, the features of healthy relationships and the importance of consent.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some teachers do not have the necessary expertise or guidance that they need to deliver some aspects of subject curriculums well. This includes using assessment strategies effectively to check that pupils have learned earlier curriculum content. This means that some pupils are hindered in their progress through subject curriculums and this prevents them from achieving as well as they should.

Leaders should ensure that teachers are trained well to deliver subject curriculums effectively. ? There are inconsistencies in how well some teachers use the information that they receive about pupils with SEND. This hampers how well this group of pupils are helped to access subject curriculums.

This also means that there are times when pupils with SEND do not benefit from appropriate support from staff. Leaders should ensure that staff understand how to use the information that they receive about pupils with SEND to support this group of pupils to access the curriculum. ? Some staff, particularly those staff working at the school on a temporary basis, do not use leaders' systems and procedures to manage pupils' behaviour consistently well or as intended.

This results in some pupils' lessons being disrupted by a small minority of peers. Leaders should ensure that teachers, including those staff working at the school on a temporary basis, are supported to use and apply the systems to manage pupils' behaviour consistently well. ? Some teachers who deliver the personal development curriculum have not received sufficient training to teach some aspects of curriculum content well.

This is particularly the case for those topics that feature within the relationships and sex education curriculum in key stage 4. This means that some older pupils do not feel that they are sufficiently well prepared for life in modern society. Leaders should ensure that staff are suitably knowledgeable and skilled to deliver these aspects of the personal development curriculum with confidence.

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