Prudhoe Community High School

Inspection of a good school: Prudhoe Community High School Moor Road, Prudhoe, Northumberland NE42 5LJ

p.1

Outcome

Prudhoe Community High School continues to be a good school.

p.1

Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Annmarie Moore. This school is part of Cheviot Learning Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the co-chief executive officers, Simon Taylor and Alice Witherow, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Paul Stephen Carvin.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

This is an inclusive community school. The school welcomes all pupils and builds strong relationships with parents and carers. Staff do all that they can to help pupils succeed. Pupils contribute to the school’s positive culture. They show kindness and respect for each other.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for what pupils can achieve. It values all subjects and has developed an ambitious curriculum that reflects this. The school offers key stage 4 and 5 courses that meet pupils’ needs and interests. Pupils have positive attitudes to their learning. They achieve well.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a calm and orderly school. Pupils behave well. They socialise happily with each other at breaktimes and lunchtimes. In lessons, they are attentive and follow teachers’ instructions. Sixth-form students are positive role models for younger pupils. They take an active part in the life of the school.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have opportunities to develop their talents and gain new experiences. They take part in clubs and activities, including sports, music and drama. They enjoy educational visits that enrich their learning. Pupils contribute to the development of the school environment through the school council. They are also active in their support of the local community.

p.1

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

The school has established a broad and ambitious curriculum. It is well ordered. Pupils build their knowledge and subject-specific skills in a logical and progressive manner. The school develops its Year 9 curriculum in collaboration with local middle schools. This 5 and 6 December 2023

p.1

2

ensures that pupils build on what they have learned before. At key stages 4 and 5, pupils study a wide range of both academic and vocational courses. The curriculum provides pupils with clear routes into higher education and apprenticeships.

p.2

2

The school meets pupils’ differing needs well. It ensures that teaching enables all pupils to succeed. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) access the same curriculum as their peers. The school identifies the needs of pupils with SEND with appropriate pace and precision. It ensures that pupils with SEND receive the specific support that they require. This additional support has a positive impact on pupils’ achievement.

p.2

2

The school also identifies pupils who need extra help with reading fluency and comprehension. It has introduced reading programmes that help these pupils to make rapid progress with their reading. Sixth-form students also read with younger pupils. Indeed, reading is a high priority for the school. Pupils develop their vocabulary across the curriculum. They read texts from diverse authors that give them an insight into other people’s worlds.

p.2

2

Teachers have secure subject knowledge. They present with clarity new information to pupils and revisit what pupils have learned before. This helps pupils to know and remember more. However, at key stages 3 and 4, at times, teachers do not check pupils’ understanding with enough rigour. In addition, sometimes, they do not give pupils sufficient opportunity to deepen and extend their learning.

p.2

2

In the sixth form, students show a clear understanding of what they have learned. Teachers provide them with the depth of knowledge that they need. Teachers structure learning well. Students understand the purpose of their work and how it relates to course assessment criteria. At both key stages 4 and 5, pupils achieve well.

p.2

2

The school does not tolerate low-level disruption in lessons. Teachers use the school’s behaviour policy to good effect. The school addresses any behaviour that does not meet its high expectations. This creates an environment in which pupils can remain focused on their work in lessons.

p.2

2

The school shows a strong commitment to pupils’ personal development. It has developed a comprehensive personal development programme. From Year 9 to Year 13, pupils gain knowledge and understanding of important issues in an age-appropriate way. They learn about relationships, equality and diversity and physical and mental health. They are taught how to keep themselves safe both online and in the local community. Careers provision is a strength of the programme. Pupils get the information and guidance that they need to make well-informed choices about their futures.

p.2

2

The school is providing pupils with a good education. It prepares pupils well for their next steps in education, training and employment. Trustees and local governors perform their responsibilities with appropriate rigour. They provide strategic direction and hold the school to account. Staff enjoy working at the school. The school gives high priority to staff’s well-being. It has created an open and positive staff culture. The school listens to staff’s views and ensures that staff’s workload remains manageable. 5 and 6 December 2023

p.2

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 At key stages 3 and 4, in some lessons, teachers do not check pupils’ understanding with enough rigour. In addition, sometimes, teachers do not provide pupils with sufficient opportunity to deepen and extend their learning. This means that some pupils move on to the next stage of learning without having secured essential knowledge. It also means that some pupils do not develop a rich and deep body of subject knowledge. The school should ensure that it provides teachers with training and development in pedagogy and subject-specific pedagogy that is designed specifically to strengthen teachers’ practice in securing and deepening pupils’ knowledge and understanding.

p.3

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.

p.3

Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school to be good in September 2016.

p.3

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.

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school. 5 and 6 December 2023

p.3

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (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). 5 and 6 December 2023

p.4

form

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

p.5

Information about this school

 The school opened on 1 September 2019.  The school is part of Cheviot Learning Trust.  The school uses four registered alternative providers.  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. 5 and 6 December 2023

p.5

Information about this inspection

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

p.6

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.  The inspectors met with the headteacher, other senior staff, one of the co-chief executive officers of the trust, trustees and members of the local governing body and a representative from the local authority.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, history and science. For each deep dive, the 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.  Inspectors also discussed provision for pupils with SEND and the school’s reading curriculum. They discussed the curriculum in art and design and design and technology. They also visited sixth-form lessons in art, ethics, physical education,

p.6

Information about this inspection

sociology and business.  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.  The inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey and staff survey, and to the online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View.

p.6

Inspection team

Ian Rawstorne, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Chris Sergeant His Majesty’s Inspector 5 and 6 December 2023

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7