St Edward's Roman Catholic/Church of England School, Poole

Inspection of school: St Edward's Roman Catholic/Church of England School, Poole Dale Valley Road, Oakdale, Poole, Dorset BH15 3HY

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Inspection dates: 22 and 23 November 2022

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Outcome

St Edward's Roman Catholic/Church of England School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This school is a positive learning community. The core values of kindness, hard work and the development of individual strengths and skills are evident in the school’s work. Pupils are happy, friendly and polite. They learn to respect others and celebrate difference.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe in school. They say that there is an adult they can talk to if they have any concerns. Pupils say bullying is rare. They have confidence in staff to deal with it effectively if any incidents do occur. Leaders have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. There are positive and respectful relationships between staff and pupils. This leads to a calm learning environment. During social times, pupils are orderly and polite.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils talk about having a range of clubs, sports and visits available to them. These include leadership roles in the sixth form to mentor younger pupils, as well as sporting and musical opportunities.

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

This school is well led and managed. The school’s ethos and values run through all they do: unity, achievement, faith. Leaders ensure that there is an ambitious and challenging curriculum in place. Subject leaders and teachers design the curriculum together. This means pupils benefit from a curriculum, where the knowledge they need to learn has been carefully considered.

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

Teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve through the curriculum. There is careful ordering of the knowledge pupils need to learn in each subject. This is logical and allows pupils to build their knowledge over time. The curriculum is adapted as necessary to correct any misunderstandings that pupils may have. In the sixth form, teachers know the students they teach very well. Teaching supports students to develop a deep understanding of the subject. 22 and 23 November 2022

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Leaders are ambitious for pupils to take the full suite of English Baccalaureate subjects. Leaders have recognised that some pupils are restricted in their option choices, so have taken steps to strengthen the curriculum offer from the next academic year.

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Leaders have worked with the local authority to develop provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff now have an increased expertise in this area. Teachers have the information and training that they need to make sure that the curriculum is adapted to support such pupils. Leaders assure themselves that this is of the high quality they expect. Those pupils who are at the early stages of learning to read receive support to develop their understanding of phonics. Pupils are encouraged to read more extensively through the tutor reading programme. This helps pupils to become more fluent readers.

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All pupils follow a religious education curriculum. Pupils also benefit from a well-planned personal development curriculum. This is flexible enough to include topical issues when needed. There is appropriate training in place for staff to deliver this curriculum effectively. Pupils have a wide range of extra-curricular opportunities open to them. However, leaders do not have a sharp enough understanding of whether pupils take up this offer. Pupils receive helpful guidance on the options open to them for future employment, training or further education. The school meets the requirements of the Baker Clause.

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There is strong moral leadership from the headteacher. Everything leaders do are in the best interests of the pupils that attend the school. Staff have a very positive view of leaders. They say leaders are approachable and considerate of their workload. Governors understand their responsibilities well and are cognisant of the need to support staff well- being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have created a strong culture of safeguarding. They ensure that staff receive up- to-date safeguarding training. Staff use this well to identify and report any concerns quickly. Leaders work effectively with vulnerable pupils and their families to ensure they get the help they need. Pupils are taught how to be safe and know where to seek help if required.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that the school has suitable policies in place to raise awareness among staff and parents about the dangers of sexual harassment, online sexual abuse, and sexual violence. Recruitment checks are undertaken thoroughly. 22 and 23 November 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders do not have a detailed enough understanding of the pattern of pupils’ participation in extra-curricular activities. This means that they do not know which pupils are regularly accessing these opportunities. Leaders should ensure that they have a clearer overview, which allows them to check that all pupils are benefitting from the enrichment programme.

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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 May 2013.

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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. 22 and 23 November 2022

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School details

Local authority Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole

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School details

Inspection number 10256735 Type of school Secondary Comprehensive

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1104

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form

Appropriate authority The governing body

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Website http://www.st-edwards.poole.sch.uk

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form

Date of previous inspection 3 May 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school uses one registered alternative provider.  The school has a religious character of Church of England and Roman Catholic. The next section 48 inspection is due this academic year.  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

 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. 22 and 23 November 2022

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 Inspectors met with the headteacher, senior leaders and governors.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: geography, mathematics, modern foreign languages and design and technology. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a selection of lessons, met teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning, and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors met with the designated safeguarding lead, examined school records, and discussed safeguarding cases.  Inspectors met with staff to discuss support for pupils with SEND.  Inspectors met with non-teaching staff.  Inspectors talked with a leader from the alternative provision that the school uses.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, and responses to the staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Matthew Collins, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Fran Gormley Ofsted Inspector 22 and 23 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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