Carrington School

Inspection of Carrington School Noke Drive, Redhill, Surrey RH1 4AD

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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 17 and 18 May 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their school. They know that staff work very hard to support them. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), who get the support they need to participate fully in the life of the school. The school’s pastoral team is extremely strong. Parents are very happy with the provision for their children, describing it as ‘excellent’ and ‘brilliant’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders set high standards. They know that some pupils did less well in the past and are adamant that this must improve. Staff and pupils are on board with the changes. This includes providing a broad choice of academic and creative subjects.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Relationships between staff and pupils are very strong. Pupils see staff as role models. As one pupil put it, ‘They trust us and we trust them back.’ As a result, pupils are happy and they behave well. They value difference and treat each other with respect. Bullying is very rare, but resolved quickly if it happens.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy a very wide and exciting choice of extra-curricular activities through the school’s ‘Excellence’ programme. This inspires pupils to be intellectually inquisitive. The school’s ‘ACE (Aspiring Carrington Experiences) Foundation’ supports this further, providing unique opportunities, such as overseas residential visits.

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better?

Determined leaders have improved this school since the last inspection. The multi- academy trust has provided strong guidance and has ensured that staff feel well supported. Leaders have focused on correcting many of the historical issues that led to weaker performance in examinations in 2022. Leaders’ curriculum plans have become more ambitious. In the past, the proportion of pupils studying a modern foreign language was too small. School leaders have increased these numbers to ensure more pupils will now meet the government’s national ambition for the English Baccalaureate.

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better?

Subject leaders organise their courses well. Teachers take account of their pupils’ existing knowledge when designing their lessons. Time is taken to ascertain the needs of pupils with SEND, giving teachers information ‘passports’ about each pupil. This supports teachers to identify and meet any additional needs in order to help pupils with SEND achieve. Pupils learn the information they need and teachers make sure that it is remembered through providing regular opportunities to recall key knowledge. New learning builds on existing knowledge. For example, in religious studies, key stage 3 pupils learn the meaning of the word ‘prophet’. In GCSE, they can then discuss the importance of prophets in different religions.

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better?

Mostly, teachers encourage pupils to think deeply about their learning. They ask searching questions. Well-chosen ‘ad astra’ activities extend understanding. Teachers ensure that pupils know exactly how to improve their work. This is particularly useful for pupils with SEND. However, teachers sometimes set work which is less 17 and 18 May 2023

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demanding or unnecessarily repetitive. In these cases, pupils struggle to reach the deeper levels of understanding they need to achieve well.

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Some pupils arrive at Carrington at a very early stage of learning to read. This includes some pupils with SEND or from a disadvantaged background. These pupils get support to learn to read, but some staff do not have the specialist training that is required. In these cases, the support is less effective and pupils do not learn to read fluently as quickly as they should.

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Leaders set high expectations for behaviour. They provide behaviour support when pupils need it, particularly for those with SEND. Pupils have responded very well to this support. Lessons are now rarely disrupted by poor behaviour.

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Leaders ensure that pupils are ready for their next steps when they leave school. Pupils learn how to keep themselves healthy. They are taught how to be a good citizen. In religious education, pupils learn about important religious and moral issues. Pupil leaders proudly influence school decisions. Careers education is strong, with a big choice of vocational subject options in key stage 4. In some lessons, there is a running display of potential jobs that use the skills being taught in that lesson. Many pupils find these informative and inspirational.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding leaders are well informed and dedicated to pupil safety. Governors provide valuable guidance and supervision. Records of employment checks are thorough. The school makes sure that all safeguarding training is kept up to date.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have effective systems to identify and support any pupils who need help. The skilled pastoral team checks the well-being of their pupils regularly and with great care. Staff are vigilant and take their responsibilities seriously. They call in outside agencies when this is needed.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn many strategies to keep themselves safe, including when online. Leaders give pupils advice on healthy relationships and consent.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Sometimes, teachers set work that is not challenging enough. It does not match the ambition of the curriculum and, as a result, some pupils do not learn as well as they could. Leaders should make sure that the work set in all subject areas is equally ambitious and provides pupils with the opportunity to achieve well across the curriculum. 17 and 18 May 2023

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 Some pupils at an early stage of reading do not get the specialist support they need to learn to read. As a result, those pupils struggle to access the full curriculum and sometimes fall further behind. Leaders should ensure that all staff who teach early reading receive effective training so that they can support pupils to improve their reading swiftly.

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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. 17 and 18 May 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10268254 Type of school Secondary Comprehensive

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School details

Date of previous inspection 2 and 3 July 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school moved into its new buildings in 2021.  The school uses two registered providers of alternative provision for a very small number of pupils.  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

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. 17 and 18 May 2023

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 Inspectors met with the headteacher and her senior team. They also met with representatives of the multi-academy trust and with governors. One inspector spoke by telephone with each of the alternative providers used by the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, science, modern foreign languages, geography and religious education. 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 spoke to leaders about the curriculum in some other subjects. They also visited a sample of lessons in those subjects.  The lead inspector examined the school’s single central record of employment checks, met the designated safeguarding lead and his deputy, reviewed safeguarding records and looked at case studies of referrals.

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 Inspectors checked behaviour and attendance records, minutes of the governing body and a variety of other documents. They checked the school’s website, reviewing documents and information available there.  Inspectors took note of the views of parents, staff and pupils that were expressed in Ofsted’s surveys.

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Inspection team

Keith Pailthorpe, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Taj Bhambra Ofsted Inspector 17 and 18 May 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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