Selby High School Specialist School for the Arts and Science

Inspection of a good school: Selby High School Specialist School for the Arts and Science Leeds Road, Selby, North Yorkshire YO8 4HT

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Outcome

Selby High School Specialist School for the Arts and Science continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s vision of ‘embracing diversity, unlocking potential and inspiring learning’ is one that is embraced by all members of the school community. There is a focus from all adults in the school to make this vision part of pupils’ experience.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave very well and this helps them to fulfil their potential. They are keen to learn and are responsive to the Selby standards. Pupils are polite, courteous and extremely welcoming to visitors to the school. The school has introduced a new behaviour policy that is focused on positive relationships. The school’s focus on celebrating good behaviour encourages pupils to behave well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and safe. They know that they have a trusted adult in the school to turn to if they need help. They report that bullying rarely happens. If it does, then they are confident that it is taken seriously and addressed by adults.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has embedded enrichment opportunities to broaden pupils’ experience. This gives all pupils the chance to extend their learning beyond the curriculum. All pupils learn British Sign Language, how to restart a heart and first aid. This gives pupils a sense of responsibility and confidence in helping and communicating with others. Pupils enjoy the varied enrichment opportunities that they have.

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

The school is developing effective curriculum plans. Pupils access a deep range of knowledge and skills. Opportunities to revisit previous learning are built into the curriculum. Pupils demonstrate that they can remember what they have learned in previous lessons regularly. In many subject areas, the school has clear sequences of 4 and 5 October 2023

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intended learning in place. These identify what pupils should know at set points. The school identifies that there is further work to do to ensure there is similar clarity across all subjects.

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The broad range of subjects on offer allows pupils the opportunity to experience a diverse and ambitious curriculum. This is further reflected in the increasing numbers of pupils studying the English Baccalaureate suite of qualifications.

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Lessons are taught by knowledgeable teachers. New information is presented clearly. Teachers check pupils’ understanding and address any misconceptions well. They have developed systems to enable pupils to address these. The school is supporting pupils to develop their vocabulary. There is a consistent focus across lessons to ensure that pupils understand subject-specific vocabulary. This helps all pupils to access the curriculum. This is enabling all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to understand what is being taught.

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Developing pupils’ love of reading is a priority for the school. For those improving their reading, there is personalised support. Staff put help in place for pupils who require phonics support and for those pupils developing their reading fluency.

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The school identifies non negotiables that are expected in all lessons to support pupils with SEND. These include checking pupils’ work, breaking down information into chunks and clear verbal and written instructions. This creates a consistently strong experience for those pupils. The school has high aspirations for all pupils. It ensures that the needs of pupils with SEND are met.

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The school is committed to taking views of parents into account. If concerns arise, there is a proactive approach taken by the school to meet with parents to discuss these.

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Pupils’ social, emotional and mental health needs are met well. During special learning days, pupils learn about internet safety, healthy relationships, and mental and physical well-being to complement the planned weekly curriculum. The school supports pupils to develop their knowledge of the opportunities available to them when they progress to further education and employment. Pupils can identify a range of careers that are open to them. They speak positively about their work experience in Year 10 and have clear ideas of where they would like to continue their studies.

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Adults in Selby High School are proud to work there. They are committed to keeping pupils safe. Leaders carefully consider the workload of staff. This is reflected in the staff survey, where it is reported that staff well-being is a clear consideration of leaders.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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 In some areas of the curriculum, the school has not mapped out the end points that pupils must reach in their learning clearly enough. This makes it difficult for some staff to check that pupils have learned the most important knowledge. The school needs to ensure that the curriculum maps out the most important knowledge that pupils need to learn consistently well across all subjects.

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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 November 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.

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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’ is used to mean pupils with SEND; pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 4 and 5 October 2023

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School details

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,163

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School details

Date of previous inspection 12 June 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 A small number of pupils attend alternative provision. The school takes appropriate action to check the suitability of these provisions and also ensure pupils are safe.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.

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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 the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, science, geography and design and technology. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. 4 and 5 October 2023

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 Inspectors met with the headteacher and other senior leaders over the course of the inspection. An inspector met with the members of the governing body.  An inspector spoke with the local authority senior education adviser.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  A range of school documents were reviewed, including the school’s self-evaluation and the school improvement plan.  Inspectors considered the views of parents through the responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for parents, Ofsted Parent View. Inspectors considered the views of pupils through their responses to Ofsted’s online survey for pupils and through meetings held with pupils.

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 Inspectors considered the view of staff through meetings and through their responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff.

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Inspection team

Andrew Gibbins, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Richard Jones His Majesty’s Inspector 4 and 5 October 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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