Cirencester Deer Park School

Inspection of a good school: Cirencester Deer Park School Stroud Road, Cirencester, Gloucestershire GL7 1XB

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Inspection dates: 17 and 18 January 2023

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Outcome

Cirencester Deer Park School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The values of ‘trust, kindness and determination’ pervade this school. Pupils welcome leaders’ high expectations of their behaviour and conduct. They know that if they do not uphold the school’s values, they will be challenged by staff. When pupils experience derogatory language or bullying, leaders take swift and effective action.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers speak highly of the school. They value the communication they have with leaders and the quality of education their children receive. Comments such as ‘I couldn’t ask for a better school for my child’ were typical in Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy their learning and feel well prepared for the future. The annual careers convention, for instance, helps pupils learn about an extensive range of next steps for their education and employment. Pupils appreciate the opportunity to have a voice through the school council and leadership positions as presidents or vice-presidents.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils relish the opportunities to develop their talents and interests. The expressive arts, for example, are at the heart of the school. Pupils speak with enthusiasm about events, such as the school production and young musician competition. The biannual talent show is a popular occasion. Pupils enjoy celebrating the talents of their peers and of staff.

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

Leaders have re-established their high expectations of pupils’ behaviour since the COVID- 19 pandemic. Pupils behave well in lessons and benefit from learning without low-level disruption from others.

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

Leaders have a clear and ambitious vision for the quality of education that pupils receive. This vision extends to all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and pupils who are disadvantaged. Leaders keep the curriculum under review and use feedback to help them improve it where they need to. 17 and 18 January 2023

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When designing the curriculum, leaders have carefully considered the important knowledge and skills pupils should learn. This includes important knowledge from each subject and how best to teach it. For instance, in history, pupils learn about important historical concepts and how to use information from historical sources. Across the curriculum, teaching is ambitious about the subject-specific vocabulary that pupils should learn and use.

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In each subject curriculum, leaders have sequenced knowledge to prepare pupils for future learning. Improvements to the languages curriculum in key stage 3 provide a stronger foundation for more pupils to study the English Baccalaureate in key stage 4.

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Teachers have the subject expertise they need. For example, in mathematics, teachers clearly explain to pupils the mathematical methods and approaches required to problem- solve. Pupils are then able to use these proficiently. Teaching typically uses assessment well to check pupils’ understanding and identify gaps in their learning.

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The curriculum is adapted well for most pupils with SEND. However, for some pupils, their needs are not identified precisely enough. This means that the curriculum is not always successfully adapted for them. Similarly, the curriculum for some pupils who are in the early stages of learning to read is not as effective as it could be.

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Leaders have a clear vision for pupils’ personal development. Since the pandemic, this has included a strong focus on ensuring positive mental health. Pupils learn about the importance of tolerance and citizenship.

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Pupils receive useful careers information, advice and guidance. They undertake meaningful work experience and have good encounters with a wide range of employers.

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Staff are proud to work at the school. They feel well supported by leaders in respect of workload, well-being and managing pupils’ behaviour. Leaders are reflective and self- critical. They regularly seek ways to improve or enhance the school’s effectiveness. Staff value the professional development they receive.

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Trustees and local governors are experienced and ask challenging questions to hold leaders to account. They ensure that resources are well managed and that the school fulfils its statutory duties.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have established a strong culture of safeguarding. Appropriate checks are made on adults working in the school. Staff understand the priority that should be given to safeguarding. They receive effective training and report concerns about pupils or adults appropriately. 17 and 18 January 2023

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When pupils are at risk, leaders make timely referrals to safeguarding partners. They engage external agencies to support and educate pupils. Leaders are not afraid to challenge partners to secure the support that children need.

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Pupils learn about online safety. They feel confident to talk to staff if they are worried about anything. The school has appropriate practice to manage sexualised language or abuse that arises in or out of school.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some pupils with SEND are not supported well enough. In these cases, pupils’ needs are either not accurately identified or the curriculum is not adapted appropriately. Leaders should ensure that pupils’ needs are identified and met so that all pupils are supported to achieve well.

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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 June 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. 17 and 18 January 2023

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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. 17 and 18 January 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10256737 Type of school Secondary Comprehensive School category Academy converter

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School details

Number of pupils on the school roll 1013

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School details

Date of previous inspection 16 May 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Corinium Education Trust.  The school uses two registered alternative providers.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 7 to 13 with information and engagement 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.  Inspectors held discussions with the headteacher, members of the senior leadership team, curriculum leaders, members of the local governing body, a member of the board of trustees and the chief executive officer of the trust.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: mathematics, history and modern foreign languages. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, looked at curriculum planning, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with 17 and 18 January 2023

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teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the lead inspector scrutinised the single central record of adults working in the school. The lead inspector met with the designated safeguarding leader and examined the school’s safeguarding records. Inspectors also spoke with a range of pupils and staff about safeguarding.  Inspectors considered the responses to Parent View, including free-text comments. Inspectors also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online staff survey and to Ofsted’s online pupil survey.

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Inspection team

James Oldham, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Nic Blunsum Ofsted Inspector 17 and 18 January 2023

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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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