Ellesmere Park High School

Inspection of Ellesmere Park High School Wentworth Road, Eccles, Manchester M30 9BP

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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 Good 11 and 12 July 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending this vibrant and inclusive school. They are happy and they enjoy learning. The pride that pupils have in their school community is tangible, for example, through the work that they do to raise money for charities.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations for pupils’ learning and behaviour. They have ensured that the positivity of the school’s ethos is woven into school life. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) benefit from the same ambitious curriculum as their peers. This helps them to achieve well. Pupils in the specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND also achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe at school. Pupils, including pupils with SEND, told inspectors that they feel protected from bullying. If discrimination or derogatory language occurs, leaders deal with it swiftly. Most pupils treat each other respectfully and with kindness. They develop positive relationships with each other and with staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders encourage pupils to participate in a wide range of extra-curricular activities. Many pupils enjoy and benefit from these. For example, pupils prepare excitedly for the annual Ellesmere Parklife music festival where they perform on stage for their friends and families.

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better?

Leaders have fostered an aspirational culture where all pupils, including pupils with SEND, benefit from a good quality of education. An increasing number of pupils choose the English Baccalaureate suite of subjects in key stage 4. Many pupils achieve well. They are successful in their applications to an ambitious range of post- 16 destinations.

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better?

The COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on the published examination results for some pupils at the end of Year 11 in 2022. However, current pupils have overcome gaps in their learning. They are making the progress that they should through the curriculum.

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better?

Leaders have recently enhanced the curriculum, particularly in key stage 3. In most subjects, leaders have carefully organised the knowledge that they want pupils to learn. However, in a few subjects, these improvements are at an earlier stage. Leaders in these subjects have not defined exactly what pupils need to remember in the long term. This hinders teachers in designing effective learning.

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better?

Nevertheless, many teachers use effective strategies to ensure that pupils remember what they have learned. They successfully identify and address any gaps in pupils’ learning. In the small number of subjects where the curriculum is less well defined, these strategies are not as successful. At times, there is a disconnection between what is taught and what learning is assessed. Therefore, teachers are sometimes 11 and 12 July 2023

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unaware of pupils’ misconceptions. This makes subsequent learning more difficult for pupils in these subjects.

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Leaders quickly and accurately identify any additional needs that pupils have. This ensures that pupils with SEND receive the help that they need. Leaders ensure that teachers understand the best ways to support these pupils to access the same curriculum as their peers. As a result, pupils with SEND, including those in the specially resourced provision, learn well alongside their peers.

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Leaders have identified those pupils who are not reading as well as they should. These pupils are beginning to catch up because of the appropriate support that leaders provide.

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Pupils conduct themselves sensibly around school. They typically treat each other with respect. Leaders deal with any disruption to learning effectively. Most pupils attend well. Leaders are working successfully with a group of disadvantaged pupils to help them to improve their attendance.

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Leaders have designed a comprehensive programme of personal development. Most pupils recognise the importance of this learning. They are well informed about life in modern society. Pupils also benefit from a thorough careers programme. This supports pupils to aspire highly and make informed choices about their future.

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Trustees understand the school well. They work closely with leaders to provide both challenge and support. Staff told inspectors that leaders support them well and have appropriate expectations of their workload. Teachers value the development opportunities that the trust provides. Staff are overwhelmingly proud to work at this school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders, teachers and staff follow clear and appropriate procedures to keep pupils safe. Leaders ensure that staff are well trained. They are alert to any signs that pupils may be at risk of harm.

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Safeguarding

When staff report any concerns, leaders act swiftly. They work closely with external agencies to ensure that pupils and their families get the right kind of help. Leaders follow this up tenaciously until they are sure that the help is effective.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are taught about how to keep themselves safe, including when they are online. For example, they learn about the potential risks linked to misusing social media. 11 and 12 July 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, leaders have not fully defined the most important knowledge that they want pupils to know and remember. This means that teachers in these subjects sometimes lack clarity about the knowledge that they should emphasise when they deliver the curriculum. This hinders pupils in building up their knowledge in these subjects. Leaders should ensure that they are precise about what they want pupils to know, and provide appropriate support for teachers to help them to deliver this curriculum faithfully.  In some subjects, teachers do not have a secure enough understanding of how well pupils are learning the curriculum. Some pupils develop gaps in their knowledge of these subjects that teachers are unaware of. Leaders should ensure that assessment strategies are well matched to the knowledge in the curriculum, so that teachers can accurately identify any learning that pupils have missed.

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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. 11 and 12 July 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10255975 Type of school Secondary comprehensive

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School details

Date of previous inspection 3 March 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This school is part of the Consilium Academies multi-academy trust.  There have been a significant number of changes to the senior leadership team since the previous inspection.  The school hosts a specially resourced provision for up to 29 pupils on behalf of the local authority. These pupils all have education, health and care plans and a diagnosis of autism. At the time of the inspection, 31 pupils were attending the provision.  Leaders make use of three registered alternative providers for a small number of pupils. In addition, leaders make use of three unregistered providers for a small number of pupils on short-term placements.  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. 11 and 12 July 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 that the school has 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 spoke with the headteacher, other senior leaders, subject leaders and members of staff. The lead inspector also met with members of the local academy board and the board of trustees and with officers of the trust, including the chief executive officer.  Inspectors completed deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, art and design, computing and physical 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 also spoke to leaders about the curriculum in other subjects.  At the time of the inspection, only pupils in Years 7 to 9 were present in school.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors spoke to groups of pupils about their experience of school and their views on behaviour and bullying. Inspectors also observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and at breaktimes, and met with the pupil council.  An inspector visited the school’s specially resourced provision and spoke with pupils and staff there.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation, including the school’s self- evaluation document, leaders’ improvement plans, minutes of trust board meetings and records of pupils’ behaviour and attendance.  The lead inspector held meetings with the staff responsible for safeguarding and scrutinised the single central record. Inspectors considered leaders’ safeguarding processes and procedures. Inspectors discussed matters relating to safeguarding with pupils and staff.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free- text comments. They also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for

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Information about this inspection

staff. There were no responses to Ofsted’s online survey for pupils.

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Inspection team

Ben Hill, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Phill Walmsley Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 July 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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