Shaftesbury School

Inspection of Shaftesbury School Salisbury Road, Shaftesbury, Dorset SP7 8ER

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Sixth-form provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 7 and 8 March 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Shaftesbury School are encouraged to be ‘the best they can be’. Pupils have positive relationships with their teachers. Staff know pupils well. They encourage pupils to think deeply about what they are learning. Pupils remember important knowledge, and many achieve well. They are encouraged to read widely and often.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school offers an impressive range of activities to develop pupils’ talents and interests. Pupils enjoy attending clubs for sports, music and the arts. Trips, visits and community engagement projects are a regular feature of the school week. Sixth- form student leaders work with staff to ensure that younger pupils have a ‘voice’ in school improvement.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff ensure that pupils feel safe and happy. Pupils know how to stay healthy. However, some pupils do not have a secure understanding of healthy relationships.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from strong pastoral care at Shaftesbury School. Pupils who are struggling, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), are well supported by pastoral staff.

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better?

Leaders carefully design the curriculum so that pupils learn a broad range of subjects. Pupils benefit from a curriculum that has a strong academic core, as well as vocational courses. They are nearly always taught by subject experts. Pupils, including students in the sixth form, learn well because teachers present information clearly. In the sixth form, students recall their prior learning and use this effectively to learn new content. This enables them to develop a rich understanding of their A Level subjects. Students learn to work independently and they use their time well.

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better?

Leaders use assessment effectively to help pupils to learn well. However, sometimes, teaching does not routinely correct pupils’ mistakes. When this occurs, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge and are not ready to move on with their learning.

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better?

The school has prioritised reading. Pupils, including students in the sixth form, read widely. They understand the importance of reading. Pupils who struggle with reading are well supported. The support is structured well so that they do not miss learning in any other subjects.

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better?

Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. On the occasions when pupils do not meet expectations, there are clear procedures which teachers follow. These are well understood by pupils. Pupils are supported to behave well so they do not miss out on their learning.

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better?

Pupils take part in a wide variety of extra-curricular activities, including sport, drama, and design and technology projects. Pupils appreciate the events the school holds as 7 and 8 March 2023

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part of its science and technology programme. They enjoy many opportunities to broaden their experience outside the classroom and pursue their own interests. Sixth-form students enjoy taking on leadership roles. Leaders work closely with church leaders to support pupils’ spiritual development.

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Pupils learn how to stay safe, and the importance of physical and mental well-being. However, some areas of the personal, social, health education curriculum are not delivered consistently well. For example, some pupils do not have a secure knowledge of healthy relationships

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Pupils benefit from a careers programme that helps them to prepare for their next steps. Students in the sixth form are well informed about career options, for example through visits to apprenticeship providers. In addition, when students apply to university, they are well supported and staff provide helpful advice.

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Pupils with SEND receive effective pastoral support. When teachers have appropriate information about pupils with SEND, they identify pupils' needs and adapt the curriculum effectively. However, staff do not always have accurate information about how they can support pupils to learn well. When this occurs, teaching does not always adapt to meet pupils’ needs, and some pupils with SEND fall behind with their learning.

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Leaders know how to improve the school further. Recent changes to the pastoral, SEND and safeguarding team are starting to have a positive impact. Leaders consider teachers’ workload and well-being when making decisions. The school benefits from and contributes to the work of the multi-academy trust.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The school puts the safety and well-being of pupils at the heart of everything they do. Teachers feel confident reporting concerns. Leaders are working hard to make sure pupils do, too.

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Safeguarding

Leaders keep accurate and detailed records of all concerns. They work collaboratively with external agencies. Leaders make decisions which are in the best interests of the pupils. Pupils feel safe.

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Safeguarding

Safer recruitment practices are in place. Leaders have developed a culture of vigilance. 7 and 8 March 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Teachers do not always have accurate information to help them to support pupils with SEND. When this happens, the curriculum is not adapted effectively to enable pupils with SEND to learn as well as their peers. Consequently, some pupils with SEND do not develop a secure understanding of the subjects they study. Leaders must swiftly implement their plans to ensure that teaching enables all pupils with SEND to learn well.  The teaching of relationships and sex education is not consistently strong for all year groups. As a result, not all pupils have a secure knowledge. Some have a weaker understanding of healthy relationships. Leaders need to ensure that pupils learn all aspects of the intended curriculum.

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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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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. 7 and 8 March 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10256664 Type of school Secondary Comprehensive

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sixth form

Date of previous inspection 17 May 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Sherborne Area Schools Trust.  The school uses five registered alternative provision settings for its pupils.  The school has boarding provision for 100 pupils. There are currently 24 boarders.  Shaftesbury School is a voluntary controlled school in the Diocese of Salisbury.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 7 to 13 with information about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships. 7 and 8 March 2023

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded 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 leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, science, history and physical education. As part of this, they held discussions with senior leaders, subject leaders and teachers. Inspectors also talked to pupils about their learning and looked at work they had completed.  An inspector met with sixth-form students remotely when they were learning at home on day two of the inspection, due to severe weather.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted’s Parent View survey, the pupil survey and the staff survey.  Inspectors met with the special educational needs coordinator and reviewed plans that support pupils with SEND.  Inspectors met with the designated safeguarding lead, reviewed documentation

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Information about this inspection

related to safeguarding and referrals to the local authority. They also spoke to staff about how they keep pupils safe.  The lead inspector met with representatives of the local governing body and the multi-academy trust, and reviewed documentation relating to governance.

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Inspection team

Victoria Griffin, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Stuart Wilson Ofsted Inspector 7 and 8 March 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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