Bungay High School

Inspection of a good school: Bungay High School Queen’s Road, Bungay, Suffolk NR35 1RW

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Inspection dates: 9 and 10 November 2021

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Outcome

Bungay High School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Bungay High School is a friendly community where the pupils are proud of their achievements. A group of pupils said, ‘It’s inspiring here. Don’t be afraid to ask for help; there are plenty of friends.’ The school environment is lively. Pupils are enthusiastic about lessons.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations. A wide range of academic and vocational subjects are available to all pupils. Pupils say they are not afraid to make mistakes and try again as they learn. Most pupils achieve well at school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe at school. Staff and pupils are proud of their relationship and honest conversations. Pupils appreciate that teachers are willing to help them deal with issues outside school. Bullying does not happen often. Pupils and most parents say that staff deal with bullying when it does occur.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Following the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders are rebuilding the programme of activities and events. Pupils who joined recently in Year 7 are settling well, after a year of disruption and lack of usual transition arrangements from primary school. There is a strong sense of togetherness at the school.

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

Senior leaders have a structured approach to curriculum design. Subject leaders plan curriculums in line with this. They create colourful ‘snake journeys’. Pupils enjoy using these to look back at what they have learned and what is coming next. Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They use this to teach the ambitious curriculum well. Therefore pupils study challenging work and achieve well. Assessment is a strength in the school. Teachers check carefully what pupils have learned and what they have struggled with. Teachers set bespoke tasks which help individual pupils learn content they are unsure of.

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

The proportion of pupils entered for the range of qualifications that make up the English Baccalaureate (EBACC) is low. Leaders’ plans to address this are hindered by a low uptake 9 and 10 November 2021

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of modern foreign languages (MFL). The curriculum design has not secured the same impact in MFL as in other areas. Pupils do not achieve well enough.

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The school has a growing sixth form. Leaders have taken the same level of care in planning the sixth-form curriculum as they have elsewhere. Sixth-form students are positive about their experience and are mature in the way they approach their work. Many have leadership positions within the school community and support younger pupils.

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Reading is a priority for leaders. This works well in Years 7, 8 and 9. All lessons in these year groups contain reading time. This encourages pupils to read and develop a love of reading. However the same strengths are not as evident in Years 10 and 11. Some older pupils do not have the same enthusiasm for reading.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive effective support and access the same curriculum as everyone else. Teachers make adaptations to the lessons to ensure these pupils are able to achieve as well as they can. The school has a resource base for deaf pupils. Assistants translate with sign language, allowing deaf pupils to integrate in the lessons. Pupils with SEND are ambitious for the future. They enjoy school and value the positive relationships with their teachers.

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Behaviour has improved since September 2021. Pupils, staff and parents are positive about this change. This has made a difference to lessons and low-level disruption is rare.

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Pupils learn about healthy relationships. Pupils say their teachers are honest and open with them, so they can talk about any issues. Teachers are skilled in having sensitive conversations with pupils. The personal, social and health education (PSHE) programme is extensive. Leaders have ensured the curriculum goes beyond academic study. Clubs and wider school events have resumed following the pandemic restrictions. Many pupils attend these activities. They are proud of their achievements, including representing the school at the British Taekwondo Championships.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have established a culture of vigilance. Staff are trained on the priorities for safeguarding in their local area. Pupils feel safe in school. Leaders have made it easy for staff, pupils and parents to make their concerns known. Leaders work well with outside agencies to support vulnerable pupils and diligently follow up all concerns raised. They employ other partners and groups to give talks or workshops for staff and pupils on safeguarding issues, such as youth crime. Leaders have ensured that all adults working in the school are vetted and suitable to work with young people. 9 and 10 November 2021

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The culture of reading is not fully embedded in key stage 4. Fewer older pupils are enthusiastic about reading for pleasure than pupils in key stage 3. Leaders should ensure all staff follow the reading programme.  The take up of MFL is lower than leaders intend. This hinders leaders’ ambitions for the number of pupils achieving the qualifications needed for the EBACC. Leaders need to improve the provision in MFL and encourage pupils to study it as GCSE.

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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 or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, 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 deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we inspected the school in September 2016.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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 school 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 years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 9 and 10 November 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10200121 Type of school Secondary

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form

Appropriate authority The board of trustees

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form

Date of previous inspection 28 and 29 September 2016, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The current headteacher was appointed to the school in September 2021.  The school is a founding partner of the East Anglian Schools’ Trust, established in 2019.  The school has additionally resourced provision for up to eight pupils with a hearing impairment.  The school uses one provider of alternative education. 9 and 10 November 2021

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and other senior leaders, teachers and pupils. The lead inspector also met with the chair of governors and members of the governing body.  Inspectors completed deep dives in English, MFL, science and geography. In each subject, inspectors visited lessons, scrutinised the work in pupils’ books and held discussions with subject leaders, teachers and pupils.  Inspectors spoke informally with pupils around the school site. The lead inspector also met with a group of pupils with SEND.  Inspectors reviewed a range of school documentation, including policies and records for behaviour management, exclusions and attendance.  The lead inspector held a telephone conversation with a senior leader from the

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Information about this inspection

alternative provider of education used by the school.  Inspectors considered the 84 responses to Ofsted Parent View, including 67 free-text comments. Inspectors also reviewed the 65 responses to the staff survey and the 107 responses to the pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Diana Osagie, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Russell Ayling Ofsted Inspector 9 and 10 November 2021

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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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