Thomas Telford School

Inspection of Thomas Telford School Old Park, Telford, Shropshire TF3 4NW

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Sixth-form provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

This school was last inspected 13 years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time. From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between inspections. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last inspection. 6 and 7 December 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils flourish at Thomas Telford School. A culture of high expectations permeates every aspect of school life. From Years 7 to 13, pupils rise to the academic challenge and wealth of additional opportunities that staff provide. Leaders work in close partnership with parents and carers to ensure that pupils grow and develop into successful young adults.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour throughout the school is exemplary. In lessons, pupils show a hunger and desire to learn. They feed off teachers’ enthusiasm and passion for their subject. At lesson change-over and social times, pupils are mature and respectful of others. They carry their red folders to each lesson sensibly and wear their uniform and physical education (PE) kit with pride. Leaders deal with bullying swiftly if it ever occurs.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The curriculum is broad and varied. In many subjects, teachers deepen pupils’ knowledge and extend their learning through activities in and outside of the classroom. The sixth-form curriculum is similarly wide-ranging and supplemented with a wealth of other meaningful opportunities.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the school and the support it gives to their children. As one parent commented in response to Ofsted’s survey, ‘My child is encouraged to follow her dreams and reach her full potential.’

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better?

Leaders have constructed a highly ambitious curriculum. Careful thought has been given as to how the key stage 3 curriculum successfully prepares pupils for the rigours and demands of key stages 4 and 5. In many subjects, pupils achieve extremely well in both academic and vocational qualifications.

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better?

The curriculum is impressively planned and sequenced. Leaders have identified the smaller blocks of knowledge pupils need in order that they can make connections in what they are learning. Leaders have given a high level of thought to organising learning so that pupils build on what they know and revisit key ideas. In science, for example, leaders have constructed the curriculum around ‘the big picture’, enabling pupils to draw together key knowledge and deepen their understanding of important concepts. There are similar strengths in art. The curriculum builds over five years so that pupils talk confidently and with sophistication about contemporary and historical artists. Across the curriculum, pupils make exceptionally strong progress and produce work of a very high standard.

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better?

Teachers use their subject knowledge highly effectively to implement the curriculum. In lessons, strong modelling and clear explanations ensure that pupils understand the tasks they are completing and how these connect to what they already know. Teachers use questioning extremely well to check pupils’ understanding and pinpoint 6 and 7 December 2022

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any gaps in their knowledge. Additionally, teachers use a range of different assessment strategies so that pupils know what they do well and how they could improve. As a result, pupils make impressive gains in their knowledge and understanding over time.

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Leaders have placed high importance on reading across the school. Pupils in Years 7 to 9 have regular visits to the school library, which is well stocked with a range of different texts. Reading interventions are carefully planned and based on accurately identifying those who need additional support. Leaders ensure that weaker readers are part of a phonics catch-up programme to help them improve their reading. Staff also run a highly successful peer reading scheme, where sixth-form students read to younger pupils.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are extremely well supported. Leaders accurately identify pupils’ needs and provide clear, precise and effective support. This helps to ensure that pupils with SEND are well integrated into school life and make similar progress to others.

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Leaders’ work to enhance pupils’ personal development is exceptionally strong. Large numbers of pupils take part in ‘Session 3’ after school in sports, performing arts and academic clubs. Pupils talk enthusiastically about the wealth of different activities they can select from and how they are actively encouraged to pursue their talents and interests. Leaders have carefully considered how pupils learn about relationships and sex education. Pupils learn about topics such as consent, healthy relationships and physical health and mental well-being in an age-appropriate way. In personal tutorials, pupils listen to weekly broadcasts where staff share what is happening across the school, including sporting successes and ‘star student’ of the week.

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The school’s careers programme is rich and extensive. Pupils in all year groups have opportunities to engage with the world of work and increase their range and depth of experiences over time. Leaders ensure that pupils are fully aware of the pathways available to them when they leave school, including routes into apprenticeships and further education. Sixth-form students are active role models for younger pupils and play a key role in school life. Students greatly value the support they receive in helping to complete university applications. Many students achieve highly in the sixth form and successfully move on to Russell Group universities.

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Governors are highly committed to the school and are rightly proud of its reputation in the local community. They have a strong understanding of the school’s many strengths. However, the school’s variation from standard practice in the application of attendance codes means that governors do not have a clear oversight of pupils’ attendance and behaviour. Therefore, they are hampered in their ability to hold leaders to account for aspects of the school’s performance. In addition, the school’s behaviour policy does not include all steps that leaders take to help support pupils. Leaders are aware of this and are already starting to make changes. 6 and 7 December 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that all appropriate safeguarding checks are carried out on staff before they begin work at the school. All staff receive annual and ongoing safeguarding training to ensure that their knowledge of key topics is kept up to date. Staff are aware of the systems to follow should they have a concern about a pupil. Records kept by leaders show that pupils who need help and support get this in a timely way. Leaders are aware that some processes could be further improved to help strengthen this aspect of the school’s work.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn to keep themselves safe through assemblies, and personal tutor sessions on topics such as grooming and the sharing of inappropriate images.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

◼ Leaders have not ensured that staff use attendance codes consistently to record when pupils are sent home due to poor behaviour. This means that governors do not have a clear oversight of pupils’ behaviour and attendance. Leaders should ensure that, when pupils are sent home due to poor behaviour, this is recorded in the register in such a way that enables governors to have a better understanding of attendance, especially when pupils are sent home as a disciplinary measure. Leaders should also review their behaviour policy so that it accurately reflects the interventions that are put in place to support pupils with their behaviour.

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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. 6 and 7 December 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10242477 Type of school City technology college

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1567

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sixth form

Appropriate authority The governing body

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sixth form

Date of previous inspection 21 and 22 January 2009

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Information about this school

◼ The school is a city technology college that is funded directly by central government. The school is sponsored by The Mercers’ Company and Tarmac Holdings Limited. ◼ The school does not use alternative provision. ◼ 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

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. 6 and 7 December 2022

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◼ 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 focused on the following subjects: English, mathematics, science, geography, PE, and art and design. Inspectors examined leaders’ curriculum plans, visited lessons, looked at pupils’ work and talked with pupils about the way these subjects are taught. They also looked at other subjects to check how they are planned and taught. ◼ Inspectors reviewed a range of school documents. These included information about pupils’ behaviour and attendance, the school curriculum and improvement planning. The school website was also checked. ◼ Inspectors talked to staff and leaders about safeguarding arrangements. They examined how leaders make employment checks on staff and scrutinised further

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safeguarding records. They also asked how incidents reported by pupils are recorded and analysed. ◼ Inspectors observed informal times of the day to evaluate safeguarding and pupils’ behaviour. ◼ Inspectors held meetings with governors, assistant executive advisors, the headteacher, senior leaders, subject leaders, teachers and pupils. They also talked informally to pupils and staff to gather general information about school life. ◼ Inspectors considered responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and free-text comments. Inspectors also considered responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.

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Inspection team

Mark Howes, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jane Epton Ofsted Inspector 6 and 7 December 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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