Lyndon School

Inspection of Lyndon School Daylesford Road, Solihull, West Midlands B92 8EJ

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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 2 and 3 March 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Lyndon School is a happy, friendly and caring place. Leaders are ambitious in their expectations. They want the very best for their school community. Pupils enjoy positive relationships with caring staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe and are safe. Pupils know there is someone in school that they can talk to if they need help. Bullying is rare, but when is does happen pupils know that staff will sort it out properly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. Disruption in lessons is very rare. Pupils know that inappropriate behaviour is not accepted. Most pupils enjoy school, and attendance is returning to pre-pandemic levels.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum. In many subjects this sets out the important things that pupils need to know and remember. A rich set of experiences are returning, following the earlier challenges of the pandemic. There is an effective programme of careers education.

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better?

The school is well led. The principal’s clear and determined leadership has won the respect of the staff. Morale is strong. Leaders listen to the views of the learning community and adapt school practice accordingly. The multi-academy trust (MAT) has supported the school well. It has provided effective support and challenge to further raise expectations. Impact-focused leadership has led to effective progress since the last inspection.

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better?

Pupils study a broad curriculum throughout key stage 3. They continue with a range of subjects at key stage 4. A strong emphasis is placed on those subjects that make up the English Baccalaureate. In most subjects, subject leaders have planned learning that builds on what pupils already know and can do. Where this is less effective, leaders have correctly identified strategies to make further improvements.

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better?

Teachers use assessment effectively to identify any gaps in pupils’ learning. They explain ideas well to pupils. Staff are knowledgeable and value the training that they receive. Teachers can access support from the school’s professional development programme and from the MAT’s professional learning institute. This helps staff to further develop their practice. Staff appreciate the consideration that is given to their workload.

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better?

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported successfully, and this ensures they are able to access the full curriculum. As a result, pupils with SEND make good progress. 2 and 3 March 2022

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Leaders are in the early stages of introducing a strategy to promote reading for pleasure. The pandemic has slowed its progress. Pupils read in every subject and pupils who need help with reading get useful extra support. However, some pupils are still not keen on reading and do not read outside of school. Leaders are aware this is a priority for the school.

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The school is calm and orderly. Pupils are welcoming and respectful. Pupils open doors for one another and for visitors. Staff apply the school’s behaviour policy well, and this has led to improvements in behaviour over time. For example, the numbers of exclusions and suspensions continue to reduce.

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Pupils learn about a range of social topics including relationships and diversity. Pupils say the school’s work on values has reduced the likelihood of pupils making inappropriate comments. Pupils know their views are listened to and respected. They appreciate this. Pupils are well informed about their next steps through the school’s carefully planned careers programme. The school has well-established links with the local sixth form college.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Pupils feel safe in school. Leaders provide a wide-ranging programme that explains risky behaviours well to staff and pupils. Staff work well with other agencies that help to protect children when the need arises.

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Safeguarding

Leaders, including those responsible for governance, make appropriate checks on staff who join the school and on visitors visiting the school.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Promoting a love of reading, a key feature of the school’s development plan, was slowed due to the pandemic. As a result, some pupils are still not keen on reading for pleasure. Leaders need to continue to extend and refine strategies that instil a love of reading.  The curriculum is less well developed in a small number of subjects. This means that, on occasion, pupils find it difficult to recall prior learning. Leaders have rightly identified the planning required in these subjects. They now need to make sure that pupils learn the important knowledge and develop the necessary skills in all subjects to help them in the next stage of their education. 2 and 3 March 2022

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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. 2 and 3 March 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10211763 Type of school Secondary

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School details

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,142

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School details

Date of previous inspection 9 – 10 May 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Summit Learning Trust.  The school uses alternative provision for a small number of pupils at seven registered providers.  The school meets the requirements of the Baker Clause, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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Information about this inspection

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

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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 the school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation.  Inspectors met with the principal and other senior leaders, Meetings were held with curriculum leaders and the special educational needs coordinator. Inspectors also met with a range of staff, including early career teachers, trustees of the 2 and 3 March 2022

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MAT, governors of the school, the education director of the MAT and the chief executive office of the MAT.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: art and design, English, geography, languages and science. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of safeguarding information, including the school’s safeguarding policy. They spoke to staff and pupils about safeguarding and looked at how pupils learn how to keep themselves safe. The lead inspector spoke to safeguarding leaders about the reporting and recording of safeguarding incidents.  Inspectors took account of the free-text comments and responses on Ofsted Parent View. Inspectors also considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.  The lead inspector spoke with a representative from the local authority.

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Inspection team

Richard Gill, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

David Hermitt Ofsted Inspector 2 and 3 March 2022

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