Springwood High School

Inspection of a good school: Springwood High School Queensway, Gaywood, King’s Lynn, Norfolk PE30 4AW

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Outcome

Springwood High School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and safe. They move around the large site in a calm manner. Pupils have good relationships with their peers and the staff. They say bullying is rare. If it happens, staff deal with it quickly. Pupils enjoy coming to school. They learn about tolerance and respect and feel that the school is very inclusive. Pupils appreciate the high-quality care and support they receive from staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are positive about their education. They pay attention to teachers in class and are keen to answer questions. Pupils take pride in the presentation of their work. They value the wide range of subjects that they can choose, such as astronomy. Low-level disruption is not common but is dealt with effectively when it happens.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Sixth-form students are fully involved in school life. Many mentor younger pupils in mathematics and English. They access a wide range of enrichment opportunities. Students are supported to set up and run their own clubs and societies. This allows them to explore their own passions and interests. They benefit from independent careers advice that prepares them well for their next steps.

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

A well-planned and ambitious curriculum is in place, including for students in the sixth form. It builds on what pupils have learned in key stage 2 and develops knowledge throughout their time at school.

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

Teachers know their subjects well. In most areas, they are skilled at using appropriate teaching strategies to help pupils and students improve. Leaders have introduced strategies that help pupils learn and remember key information. Pupils enjoy the knowledge retrieval activities that are part of many lessons. This helps them to think hard and remember information they previously learned. Subject leaders are developing their use of assessment to support pupils to achieve well. Many teachers are precise in using a range of information about what pupils know or struggle with to adapt their teaching. This 2 and 3 November 2022

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ensures gaps do not appear in pupils’ understanding.

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In some areas, teachers are less clear about what they want pupils to know and be able to do at specific points. This means that some pupils have gaps in their knowledge and do not achieve as highly as they could.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are accurately identified. Where appropriate, the SEND team works closely with external agencies to secure additional support. Team members provide staff with clear information about how to support pupils effectively. This helps to ensure that pupils are well integrated into school life.

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Leaders ensure that appropriate support is put in place to help pupils who struggle to read develop their fluency. Staff are well trained to help weaker readers to get better. Pupils read regularly in school, and this contributes to their confidence and enjoyment of books.

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Staff use the behaviour system appropriately to allow pupils to concentrate in lessons. Low-level disruption is not common. It does happen on occasion, but teachers manage it effectively and this allows pupils to learn.

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Pupils engage well in the wider curriculum offer. Pupils, and sixth-form students, benefit from the diverse choice of activities available. They talk passionately about the benefits of participating in different sports teams, as well as the wide range of music clubs. Singing is particularly popular. In addition, the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) club and the school pantomime provide pupils with opportunities to develop particular skills and interests. Enrichment opportunities are inclusive and pupils from different backgrounds are well represented.

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Leaders, including governors, have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development. Leaders and teachers benefit from effective support from colleagues within West Norfolk Academies Trust (the trust). Staff and parents are very positive about the school leadership. Staff feel well supported and appreciate the consideration that leaders give to their workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Throughout the school, there is a strong safeguarding culture. All necessary pre- employment checks are made on adults working at the school. Staff are trained to identify and recognise signs that pupils may be at risk of harm. Suitable and effective systems are in place to record any concerns. When external support is required, leaders liaise with agencies in a timely manner. The needs of the school’s community are well known. Pupils receive age-appropriate information about their well-being. They have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe. 2 and 3 November 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a minority of subjects, subject leaders and teachers are not clear about what they want pupils to know and be able to do at key points in the curriculum. This means that pupils do not learn all of the key information they should. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum identifies the key knowledge pupils need for all subject areas.

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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 an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in February 2017.

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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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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 November 2022

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,892

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form

Date of previous inspection 22 February 2017

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Information about this school

 The school currently makes use of one registered alternative provision.

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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 leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, science, music and history. 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 met with representatives from the trust, school leaders, staff and pupils over the course of the inspection. 2 and 3 November 2022

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 The lead inspector checked the school’s single central record of recruitment and vetting checks and met with the designated safeguarding lead and deputies to discuss how the school keeps pupils safe. A range of safeguarding documents were reviewed.  Inspectors reviewed 124 responses from Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including 120 free-text responses. They also considered 317 survey responses from pupils and 117 responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.

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Inspection team

Bessie Owen, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Zoe Fisher Ofsted Inspector 2 and 3 November 2022

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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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