Madeley High School

Inspection of a good school: Madeley High School Newcastle Road, Madeley, Crewe, Cheshire CW3 9JJ

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Outcome

Madeley High School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

All the pupils who spoke to inspectors said that they always enjoy school and feel safe. Pupils’ high attendance is evidence of how much they like school. Pupils are proud of their school. They look smart in their uniform and they keep the building litter and graffiti free. Pupils are very welcoming to visitors. All pupils spoken to would recommend the school to others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Teachers expect pupils to do well. Teachers are approachable and helpful. Pupils like the friendly and relaxed atmosphere. Pupils behave well in lessons and at social times. Bullying is rare and, when it does happen, teachers deal with it quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are many opportunities for pupils to learn beyond lesson time. They take advantage of this and take part in numerous activities. These include sport, photography, a young engineers club, eco club, drama and music.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils achieve strong and improving outcomes in some subjects, but not all. Leaders are fully aware of this and are taking effective action. They are addressing the right things at the right time.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education. They move on to take up places at further education, at college or on apprenticeships.

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

The principal joined the school after the last inspection. It became part of the Shaw Education Trust in January 2017. The principal has transformed the culture of the school. He introduced new core values. Pupils are expected to work hard and behave well. The new school uniform is popular. The principal has restructured staffing to reduce a large budget deficit.

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

Most curriculum leaders have planned skilfully what and how pupils should learn. This is 3–4 December 2019

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particularly the case in mathematics, science and the humanities. Pupils learn well and consequently achieve better results. In mathematics, pupils develop their mathematical understanding and skills. As a result, they successfully complete reasoning and problem- solving activities. The quality of the curriculum in English is improving. Work is challenging and reading widely encouraged. Pupils’ good behaviour contributes to their ability to learn. The proportion of pupils studying for the English Baccalaureate is increasing. It is above the national average.

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In some subjects, pupils do not perform as well as leaders intend. This includes in modern foreign languages. Leaders have taken strong action, including appointing new leaders in modern foreign languages and technology. These curriculum areas are improving. Pupils told inspectors they enjoy lessons in these subjects. Pupils are proud of the work they complete in technology. Many changes are in the early stages and it is not yet possible to see the impact on standards. Mathematics has a proven track record of success. The approach taken in this department is coherent and successful.

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There is a small number of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They are well known to all staff who help them achieve well. Pupils, including those with SEND, listen attentively and try hard, even when work is difficult.

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There is a well-organised programme to support pupils’ personal development. Leaders want to develop ‘Effective citizens for tomorrow, equipped with skills to support good decisions’. Inspectors saw Year 7 pupils discussing why discrimination is wrong. Pupils in Year 10 are preparing well for their forthcoming work experience.

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Staff say leaders try to reduce workload. There are fewer meetings and reduced administration. New systems in place enable staff to share ideas more easily. There is a strong approach to teamwork and staff feel valued.

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Governors (academy councillors) and the trust act in pupils’ best interests. There is a clear system for academy councillors to hold the school to account. The trust has a clear handle on what needs to happen and when. Trust leaders are proud of improvements to date. They accept there is more work to do. This includes strengthening the implementation of the curriculum to improve pupils’ outcomes.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Pupils and staff say this is a safe school. Inspectors agree. Leaders are vigilant. They make detailed checks on all adults who work in school. Staff receive relevant training and read necessary documentation. Staff, including support staff, are aware of the procedures for reporting concerns. All concerns are well managed.

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Safeguarding

Specialist safeguarding leaders support pupils well. Pupils benefit from their good advice, such as keeping safe online.

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Safeguarding

Leaders are aware of potential risks in the community. They make good use of local 3–4 December 2019

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intelligence. Work with external agencies is effective.

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What does the school need to do to improve?

 While pupils’ achievement is improving, the curriculum in some subjects is more developed than others. In modern foreign languages and technology, leaders are still refining aspects of the curriculum. Leaders need to embed the recent changes so pupils build on what they already know and can do effectively.  As the support from leaders continues, intended outcomes in all curriculum areas need to be as ambitious as mathematics. Leaders need to be clearer about what pupils need to learn and remember to succeed in their subjects. Leaders must ensure that staff are trained in sequencing and delivering their curriculums in a way that leads to pupils learning well and succeeding over time.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged Madeley High School to be good on 18 January 2013.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 3–4 December 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10058628 Type of school Secondary comprehensive

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School details

Date of previous inspection 25 February 2016

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Information about this school

 The principal took up his post in January 2017. Madeley High School joined the Shaw Academy Trust in January 2017. When its predecessor school was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.  The school does not have any pupils at an alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 We spoke with pupils about their work and school life. We held meetings with senior leaders, subject leaders, the special educational needs coordinator (SENCo), teachers, academy councillors, and members of the trust, including the chief executive officer. We had a telephone conversation with the headteacher of the virtual school in Telford, Shropshire.  We reviewed documentation, including leaders’ evaluation of the school’s strengths and areas for development, the school improvement plan, and minutes of academy councillors’ meetings. We also looked at information about safeguarding, including the school’s record of checks undertaken on newly appointed staff. We also considered behaviour and attendance information.  We took account of 117 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey, as well as 3–4 December 2019

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parents’ comments received via the free-text facility on Parent View. We considered the 30 responses to a questionnaire for staff and nine responses to a questionnaire for pupils.  We focused on the quality of the curriculum in mathematics, English, and design and technology. We met the curriculum leader of each subject, visited lessons, talked to pupils, looked at a sample of books and talked to subject teachers. There were visits to lessons in other subjects including history, photography, modern foreign languages, science, and personal development.  We walked around the school at different times of the day to check on pupils’ punctuality, behaviour and conduct. During these times, we held informal discussions with pupils. We also spoke to kitchen staff.

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Inspection team

Nigel Griffiths, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Huw Bishop Ofsted Inspector 3–4 December 2019

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regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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