Sherburn High School

Inspection of a good school: Sherburn High School Garden Lane, Sherburn-in-Elmet, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS25 6AS

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Inspection dates: 18 and 19 October 2023

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Outcome

Sherburn High School continues to be a good school.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Miriam Oakley. This school is part of The Star Multi Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Ian Yapp and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Nick Sheppard.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This school has a strong ethos of ‘achievement for all’. Pupils study a curriculum that is fully inclusive and prepares them for their future well. Pupils can choose to study a wide range of courses that meet their needs. Most pupils make progress with their learning. However, some pupils do not attend regularly enough. This limits the progress they make.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils have good relationships with teachers and have positive attitudes towards their learning. Pupils behave well in lessons and move around the school calmly. Pupils are polite and welcome visitors to the school. Staff deal with any bullying effectively when it occurs.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils receive a comprehensive programme of personal development. They learn how to keep themselves safe and how to keep mentally and physically healthy. They are taught about current news affairs and develop a well-rounded view of the world. The school is continuing to develop the careers education and guidance that pupils receive.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Sixth-form students play an active part in the school, leading and supporting clubs and activities. The school listens and acts on what pupils say. For example, pupil leaders have successfully brought about changes to school dinners and to the school uniform.

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

The school provides a comprehensive curriculum. Topics within the curriculum are logically sequenced, increasing in depth each time they are revisited. This helps pupils to build more complex knowledge as they progress through the curriculum. Pupils learn the knowledge and skills needed for their next steps in education, employment or training. 18 and 19 October 2023

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Teachers are knowledgeable and use a range of methods to deliver the curriculum. They skilfully address any misconceptions in learning. For example, pupils are presented with questions and problems that challenge their current understanding. Pupils are then asked to explain and justify their thinking as they formulate answers. This helps to develop their understanding and build links between different concepts and ideas.

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The school assesses pupils’ work frequently and constructively. Pupils complete ‘directed improvement and reflection time’ tasks which enable them to revisit areas in which they need further practice. The school is working to develop pupil resilience through independent learning tasks in lessons. In most lessons, teachers structure these tasks well to help pupils develop their confidence.

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Most pupils make progress and attain good outcomes. However, the number of pupils studying EBacc subjects is low. The school has a clear strategy to increase the recruitment of middle leaders for some EBacc subjects. This will increase the options available to pupils.

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The school ensures that disadvantaged pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), are fully included in lessons. Leaders provide teachers with comprehensive information to help them plan accordingly to meet the needs of all pupils. However, some disadvantaged pupils do not attend school regularly enough. This limits the progress that they make.

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The school has a clear strategy to ensure that every pupil can read. Teachers identify quickly any pupils who are struggling. They provide a range of interventions that help pupils to develop their phonics knowledge. The school promotes a love of reading through the use of a well-resourced library and participation in events such as the Carnegie Reading Challenge and World Book Day.

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The school prioritises pupils’ personal development. Pupils receive daily lessons that cover a wide range of topics from body image and personal hygiene to healthy relationships and mental health. Sixth-form students learn about managing their own finances and how to revise effectively. Leaders constantly reflect and seek to improve the personal development offer. For example, sixth-form students have established an equality and diversity group. Leaders have consulted this group to ensure that they teach key topics at an appropriate age. The school has also consulted with pupils to increase the range of extra-curricular activities available, including establishing new clubs such as musical theatre and chess.

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The school recognises that they could improve the support for careers education and guidance. Systems for tracking and addressing pupils’ engagement with employers are not robust. Leaders have not fully embedded links to careers across the curriculum. The school is addressing these areas. For example, it has formed new links with local employer groups and has planned a day for Year 11 to learn about job applications and interviews. 18 and 19 October 2023

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The school teaches pupils about expectations for good behaviour. The school has very recently introduced a new behaviour policy. Some pupils do not understand the changes or feel confident that staff follow the policy consistently.

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Staff feel that leaders support them well. They say that their workload is manageable and that the school considers their well-being when making decisions. Staff feel appreciated. In the words of one staff member, ‘There is always a thank you from the top.’ Trustees and governors provide effective strategic direction for the school. They understand the needs of the school well and provide regular challenge to school leaders.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some disadvantaged pupils do not attend school regularly enough. This means they do not make the progress that they could. The school should continue to work with families and the wider community to improve the attendance of these disadvantaged pupils.  The school is introducing a new behaviour policy across the school. Currently, some pupils do not understand the new policy or feel confident that actions lead to consequences or rewards. The school should continue to embed the policy, ensuring that all staff apply it consistently well and that pupils understand fully any changes.  Pupils do not have consistent, contextual exposure to careers in lessons in order to help them see the relevance and opportunities afforded by what they are learning. The school should continue to develop the careers offer, ensuring that they embed careers information and guidance fully across all aspects of the curriculum.

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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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Sherburn High School, to be good in April 2017. 18 and 19 October 2023

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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). 18 and 19 October 2023

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form

Dates of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Sherburn High School converted to become an academy school in October 2019. When its predecessor school, Sherburn High School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.  The school has been part of The Star Multi Academy Trust since 2019.  The school uses one registered and three unregistered alternative providers of education.  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. 18 and 19 October 2023

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this ungraded inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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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 met with the headteacher, other leaders, staff and pupils. They met with leaders from The Star Multi Academy Trust.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: art and design, English and mathematics. 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 visited lessons and considered how the needs of disadvantaged and SEND pupils were addressed. They observed pupils at various times of the school day.  Inspectors spoke to representatives of the alternative provisions used by the school.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single

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Information about this inspection

central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; considered the views of parents; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.

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Inspection team

Chris Carr, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Barry Found Ofsted Inspector 18 and 19 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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