Stretford High School

Inspection of Stretford High School Great Stone Road, Stretford, Manchester M32 0XA

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 3–4 December 2019

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is a safe and caring place. Teachers know pupils well. Staff have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. Staff expect pupils to live by the school’s values ‘morning, noon and night’. Pupils behave very well in lessons and they display good manners.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say that they feel safe and that bullying is not a problem. If bullying does occur, pupils say it is dealt with quickly. Relationships between staff and pupils are highly positive. Both staff and pupils are proud to be part of a diverse and inclusive school community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know where to find extra help if they need it. They make good use of ‘the hub’ as a place of reflection. Staff go out of their way for those pupils who need additional support.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are lots of exciting activities and clubs on offer, such as those for art, drama, Scrabble and basketball. The student newspaper shows pupils benefiting from a wide range of trips and visits, including a recent visit to Westminster. Pupils can visit universities and local employers. Pupils who attend this school are prepared well for the next stage of their education.

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better?

Since the previous inspection, leaders have improved the quality of education for pupils considerably. They have brought about change successfully, making sure they have considered the workload of staff. Leaders are committed to helping every pupil to do their best.

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better?

Teachers are highly knowledgeable about their subjects. They explain ideas clearly and they link new knowledge to what pupils know already. Teachers are particularly skilled in supporting those pupils who need extra help in the classroom. This ensures that pupils can overcome misconceptions. As a result, pupils achieve well across the curriculum. This is also the case for disadvantaged pupils.

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better?

For the most part, subject curriculums are ambitious and designed well. However, decisions that leaders have made about the curriculum in English in the past have placed a limit on pupils’ achievement. For example, pupils sometimes sit one of their GCSE English examinations in Year 10. This has meant that some pupils do not have a deep enough understanding of this subject when they take the examination. Leaders are taking positive action about this approach by reviewing when pupils are entered for their GCSE English examinations in the future.

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better?

Leaders have ensured that there is a wide variety of academic qualifications on offer to pupils in key stage 4. However, the proportion of pupils who choose to study the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) remains low. Leaders have already made changes to the curriculum at key stage 3 to ensure that the proportion of pupils who achieve 3–4 December 2019

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the EBacc increases. For example, pupils now spend more time studying languages, geography and history in key stage 3. Leaders have designed a distinct and appropriate key stage 3 curriculum for each of these subjects. This means that younger pupils are better prepared for the increased demand and rigour of these subjects at GCSE.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) follow the same curriculum as other pupils and they benefit from the same opportunities. Teachers use information about pupils with SEND to adapt the curriculum well for this group of pupils. Pupils with SEND achieve well.

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All pupils have a weekly lesson called ‘everything else’, which explores topics such as democracy, first aid, personal finance and relationships. Pupils can attend a very wide range of extra-curricular activities. However, many pupils choose not to take up these opportunities.

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Pupils learn about the different opportunities on offer when they leave the school. For example, pupils in Year 7 have recently visited a local university. In Year 11, pupils receive a wealth of information about local colleges. Pupils appreciate the opportunity to work towards the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

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Pupils receive lots of support when they join the school in Year 7. This means they settle well. Staff are particularly committed to supporting vulnerable pupils. Staff work very closely with the local authority and other partners to ensure that these pupils receive the support that they need.

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Leaders have high expectations of how pupils should behave. Learning is rarely affected by poor behaviour. Teachers feel well supported by leaders to manage pupils’ behaviour. Systems to manage behaviour are clear and effective. As a result, fewer pupils are excluded from school than have been in the past. Pupils’ attendance has also improved. However, pupils with SEND do not attend as well as their peers.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Senior leaders are deeply committed to the well-being and safety of all pupils. Pupils are confident that there are trusted adults they can speak with if they are worried about something.

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Safeguarding

Staff receive appropriate safeguarding training. All staff, including lunchtime supervisors, know what to do if they have concerns about a pupil. Members of the safeguarding team use their expertise and knowledge to decide on appropriate next steps. Staff ensure that pupils and their families receive appropriate support from other agencies. 3–4 December 2019

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders’ decision to enter Year 10 pupils early for one of their GCSE English examinations has prevented some pupils from developing a deep enough knowledge of this subject. This has placed a limit on how well pupils can achieve in these examinations. Leaders have taken clear and positive steps to tackle this shortcoming and they are in the process of reviewing this policy. It is for this reason that the transition arrangements have been applied to determine that the quality of education is good. Leaders must now implement their plans to ensure that pupils can acquire a deep understanding of both English language and literature before they take their English examinations.  Only a small proportion of pupils study EBacc subjects at key stage 4. Leaders should build on the positive steps they have taken to ensure that more pupils are encouraged to study the EBacc suite of qualifications. This is to equip pupils more

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

fully for the next steps in their education, employment and training.  Many pupils choose not to participate in the wide range of clubs and societies on offer. This means that some pupils do not benefit from these additional experiences. Leaders must check on pupils’ participation in the wider life of the school so that, where possible, any barriers that prevent pupils from attending the school’s extra-curricular programme are removed.  The attendance of pupils with SEND is improving. However, this group of pupils do not attend as often as their peers. This has an impact on their learning. Leaders should ensure that the attendance of pupils with SEND continues to improve.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the provider and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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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 3–4 December 2019

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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 10110888 Type of school Secondary comprehensive

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 7–8 June 2017

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Information about this school

 The number of pupils who join the school in Year 7 has increased markedly since the previous inspection.  The school currently uses alternative provision at Gain Focus and The National Teaching & Advisory Service to contribute to the education of a small number of pupils.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 We held meetings with the headteacher, the deputy and assistant headteachers and other leaders. We also met with a range of teaching and support staff.  We focused deeply on English, mathematics, science and history. We discussed curriculum design with subject leaders, carried out lesson visits, scrutinised pupils’ work and spoke with pupils and teachers.  We evaluated the effectiveness of safeguarding. We reviewed the school’s single central record. We met with the safeguarding team.  We met with four governors, including the chair of governors. We also spoke with 3–4 December 2019

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a representative from the local authority on the telephone.  We considered the views of 100 members of staff who responded to Ofsted’s online staff survey.  We took account of the 89 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey, including parents’ and carers’ responses to Ofsted’s free-text facility.  We met with groups of pupils to discuss their views about the school. We also talked to pupils informally around the school site. We also took account of the 140 responses to Ofsted’s online pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Stephen Adcock, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

David Hampson 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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