Wheelers Lane Technology College

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

An overwhelming sense of community and mutual respect greets you as you arrive at this school. Relationships between pupils and staff are strong and supportive.

Pupils appreciate their teachers and know that they want them to be successful in their learning. Remembering key knowledge is a focus in every subject. As a result, pupils achieve exceptionally well.

Pupils understand and follow the 'Wheelers Way Personal Development promise', which includes developing character and resilience. They are safe and know who to talk to about any concerns they have.

There is a purposeful atmosphere around the school.

Pupils can focus on their learning. On the rar...e occasions when there is low-level disruption, teachers act quickly and effectively to address it. During social times, pupils move around and mix in a calm and orderly manner.

This is evident in pupils' exemplary behaviour, pride in their appearance and how they speak to visitors and staff.

The school places a powerful emphasis on pupils' personal development. The school celebrates and supports pupils' interests well.

Pupils welcome many leadership opportunities including reading buddies and charity ambassadors. The majority of pupils take part in an extensive range of high-quality enrichment opportunities. Public speaking, rock climbing and science clubs enhance pupils' wider experiences.

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

There is exceptional leadership of this school. Leaders have designed a highly ambitious and rigorous curriculum for all pupils. The curriculum successfully encourages and enables pupils to achieve their academic potential.

Positive relationships between staff and pupils help pupils to learn the most important skills and knowledge across the curriculum with great success. As a result, pupils demonstrate significant achievement in their learning.

The school has precisely identified the important things that pupils need to know to succeed.

Teachers use activities at the start of lessons to help pupils recall and build on their learning. Pupils welcome this and say it helps them to remember the most important information. For example, pupils in Year 7 mathematics could use their knowledge about the area of a cylinder to confidently explain which method of working out would help them to calculate the area of a cone.

Teachers routinely check pupils' understanding and then make effective adaptations to ensure that each pupil achieves their potential.

The school quickly identifies the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). 'Pupil profiles' outline their needs, and teachers use these effectively to support pupils and to adapt learning.

The school identifies pupils who are not confident readers. Specialist teachers support these pupils to address weaknesses in phonics, grammar and comprehension. Pupils value reading.

The school encourages pupils effectively to widen their reading through form time, inter-house competitions and author visits.

Pupils' behaviour is exemplary. Pupils display excellent self-control and highly positive attitudes to learning.

Staff and pupils share highly respectful relationships. This creates an open and encouraging culture where everyone is equally valued. School attendance is excellent, with robust systems in place to support absent pupils to catch up on their work quickly.

The school communicates well with parents and carers about the importance of pupils being in school.

Personal development is a strength of this school. An extensive personal development curriculum promotes the development of pupils' character and interests exceptionally well.

Pupils develop detailed understanding of healthy relationships and respect for the views of others. Pupils regularly discuss careers, university aspirations and apprenticeships. This prepares pupils extremely well for the next stages of their education and careers.

All leaders, including those responsible for governance, understand deeply how the school's local context impacts pupils' learning and attendance. The governing body holds the school to account well for all aspects of provision, including exemplary safeguarding and the quality of personal development. The school has implemented a comprehensive and well-thought-out professional development programme for staff, which benefits staff expertise.

Ongoing encouragement, praise and openness to research are key to this. The school supports all staff with both their workload and well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Also at this postcode