Reigate School

Inspection of Reigate School Pendleton Road, Reigate, Surrey RH2 7NT

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Matthew Alexander. This school is part of Greensand 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, Susan Wardlow, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Nigel Gout. 6 and 7 December 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a welcoming and inclusive school. The school’s values of ‘respect, curiosity, resilience, friendship and kindness’ are being realised. Staff want the best for pupils. They have very warm relationships with pupils and know them well. Pupils enjoy coming to school and they are very proud of it. They get on very well with each other and with staff. Leaders prioritise ensuring that Year 7 pupils settle in quickly when they join the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ conduct is excellent in lessons and around the school. Pupils are very clear about the school’s expectations for behaviour. They settle to their work quickly and are eager to learn. Parents and carers and pupils praise the school’s very high quality of pastoral care. Pupils are well cared for. There is always somebody in the school they can talk to if they have a problem.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many pupils take advantage of the extensive range of clubs and activities provided outside their regular lessons. These cater for a wide range of pupils’ talents and interests, including sports and the arts. The house system provides numerous opportunities to develop leadership. For example, many pupils are sports leaders and well-being ambassadors.

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better?

The school promotes a holistic approach to education. Pupils’ academic success and personal development are equally valued. The provision for pupils’ personal development is outstanding. The personal, social, health and economic education programme is meticulously planned and effectively delivered. The ‘life skills’ lessons are impressive. These enable pupils to gain a very confident understanding of issues such as healthy relationships, including consent. The school’s work to develop pupils’ character is a significant strength. Pupils are respectful towards those from different backgrounds. They are eager to contribute to school life. The careers programme provides a wide range of experiences for pupils to learn from employers. Leaders ensure that disadvantaged pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), receive extra help when they need it. This helps prepare

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better?

Leaders have ensured that the curriculum is broad and ambitious for all pupils. Leaders are determined that the great majority of pupils continue to study modern foreign languages until the end of key stage 4. English and mathematics are particular strengths. Pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, achieve very well in these subjects. Results in public examinations are above the national average. However, in a few subjects, including modern foreign languages, current pupils achieve less well.

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better?

Overall, the curriculum is well planned and delivered. Staff know their subjects well and teach with enthusiasm that engages pupils. They mostly plan activities that build on what pupils have been taught before and check carefully that important 6 and 7 December 2023

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knowledge has been learned. Pupils’ positive attitudes towards learning ensure a purposeful atmosphere in lessons. As a result, teachers can get on with teaching with very few disruptions. Staff understand the needs of pupils, including those who are disadvantaged. These pupils are well supported in lessons by ‘progress and achievement coaches’ and teaching assistants. However, teachers do not always adapt lessons successfully to meet these pupils’ needs. As a result, gaps in learning emerge.

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The school has prioritised improving pupils’ literacy skills. There is a sharp focus on identifying pupils who struggle to read confidently and competently. They are provided with the rapid support that they need to improve. The school has recently introduced new strategies that aim to strengthen pupils’ reading skills across the curriculum. It is too soon to see the impact of this work.

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The school is well led and managed. Staff are committed and work together in the best interests of pupils. Staff appreciate the training they receive. They also value the steps leaders take to consider their workload and well-being. Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the school. One parent’s comment reflected those of many when they wrote via Ofsted Parent View, ‘Reigate School epitomises what a good local comprehensive school should be, where all are welcomed equally and are encouraged to achieve their best.’

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Lessons are not always adapted successfully to meet the needs of all pupils. This means that not all pupils achieve highly, particularly the most disadvantaged. The school should ensure that it keeps careful oversight of how well the curriculum is being implemented and provides support so that it is of a consistently high standard in all subjects.  Plans to improve reading across the whole school have only recently been put in place. As a result, many pupils who read below the expected level for their chronological reading age are not able to read well enough to access the full curriculum. The school needs to ensure that the new approaches to reading are securely and consistently embedded and have the planned impact.

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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. 6 and 7 December 2023

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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 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). 6 and 7 December 2023

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School details

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,261

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School details

Website www.reigate-school.surrey.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school became a member of Greensand Trust in November 2017.  The predecessor school was last inspected in July 2012. The headteacher at the time of the predecessor school’s last inspection is the current CEO of the trust. The current headteacher took up post in September 2021.  The school currently uses three registered alternative provisions.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, 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.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision. 6 and 7 December 2023

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 This was the first routine inspection the school had 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 held meetings with a range of leaders, including the headteacher and senior leaders. They also met with the CEO and representatives from the trust and the local governing body.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in: English, geography, modern foreign languages, mathematics, physical education and science. 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 look at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also spoke to leaders and visited lessons in some other subjects.  Inspectors met with the special educational needs coordinator and reviewed plans to support pupils with SEND.

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 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.  In addition, inspectors considered a range of information, including the school’s plans for improvement and behaviour records.  Inspectors considered the views of members of staff who had responded to Ofsted’s online survey for staff. The views of parents were taken into account from the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments. Inspectors met with groups of pupils formally and informally to discuss their views of the school and considered their responses to the Ofsted survey for pupils.

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Inspection team

Mark Bagust, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Stuart Edwards Ofsted Inspector 6 and 7 December 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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