The Sandon School

Inspection of The Sandon School Molrams Lane, Sandon, Chelmsford, Essex CM2 7AQ

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Sixth-form provision Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Good

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The headteacher of this school is Andrew Weaver. This school is part of The Sandon School Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Christine Fitzsimmons. 19 and 20 March 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are enthusiastic about their role in improving the world we live in. Head students are exemplary role models. They take responsibility for improving the culture across the school. They are proud of being in a leadership position and know they have a real voice in how the school is led.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are comfortable being themselves. They embrace the uniqueness of others. Pupils benefit from a range of opportunities to understand, and contribute to, wider society. For instance, the school arranges for external speakers to come in. Pupils are keen to participate in school life beyond the academic curriculum. They like to earn house points and get awarded shields for different activities, such as charity work.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a calm and safe school, where pupils typically behave well. However, the school does not adapt what is taught well enough to meet the needs of different pupils. Consequently, too often, these pupils are not given the support they need to succeed.

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better?

The school has largely set out what pupils, including students in the sixth form, should learn and when. The order in which teachers teach builds on what pupils have been taught before. Over time, teachers revisit concepts to help pupils deepen their understanding. Teachers have secure knowledge of the subjects they teach. They usually present material clearly and follow the curriculum as the school intends.

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better?

However, some teachers do not check effectively that pupils, including students in the sixth form, have learned what they are taught. If pupils do not know the answer to a question, it is too easy for them to mask this. The school has not ensured all teachers understand well enough how to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Too often, teachers do not adapt their teaching to meet pupils’ needs. They do not do enough to help pupils with SEND learn the curriculum. As a result, pupils do not achieve as well as they should.

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better?

The school recognised the need to provide pupils with more help in learning to read. The work they did to address this is having a positive impact on how often and well pupils read.

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better?

Pupils’ behaviour is sensible and positive. The school has adopted new approaches to managing behaviour and reduced its use of suspensions. While behaviour is good, the school does not monitor trends and patterns in behaviour well enough. For instance, the school does not know if the reduction in suspensions has been brought about by better behaviour or by the use of different sanctions for the same behaviours. This lessens their ability to improve behaviour further. 19 and 20 March 2024

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The school has taken effective action to secure high levels of attendance for the pupils they expect to be in school. They have clear systems in place to check on individuals’ absences and patterns of non-attendance. They follow up on absences and celebrate good attendance.

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There are, however, some pupils who the school does not expect to attend all the time. The school’s use of these part-time timetables is not kept under close review, meaning some pupils spend too long with reduced educational provision.

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The school’s approach to pupils’ personal development is a strength. They ensure pupils learn about the range of choices of career available to them and what qualifications they would need to secure them. Pupils learn the importance of respecting others and about how to stay safe. They learn these things at a time they find useful. Pupils experience democracy through the elections to the student and year group councils.

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Leadership opportunities for students in the sixth form abound and students’ views are taken seriously. They have instigated positive change, such as the introduction of the silent study space and an increase in the range of sports clubs for girls.

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The school has successfully ensured staff are motivated to work at the school. Staff feel supported by leaders in a range of ways, including with their workload and with behaviour. Governors understand the school well and have begun to seek information in a form they would find more helpful.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Pupils with SEND do not learn as well as they should. This is because teachers do not adapt the way they teach to ensure these pupils can access the same curriculum as their peers. The school should ensure that teachers know how to meet the needs of the different pupils in their classes.  Misconceptions and misunderstandings are overlooked or remain unnoticed for too long by staff. This is because teachers do not check well enough whether pupils understand what they have been taught. The school should ensure teachers have routines in place to help them check that all pupils are learning.  The school does not have a clear understanding of the impact of their work. This is because they do not review the information they have well. The school should 19 and 20 March 2024

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make sure that the systems and processes in place provide helpful and timely analysis of the impact of the school’s work to leaders and governors.

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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’ 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). 19 and 20 March 2024

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School details

Type of school Secondary Comprehensive School category Academy converter

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1273

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sixth form

Date of previous inspection 22 March 2018 under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school makes use of two registered and two unregistered 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.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. 19 and 20 March 2024

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 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  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 spoke with the headteacher and other leaders in the school. The lead inspector spoke with trustees, including the chair.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: science, English, modern foreign languages, computing, history and art. 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.  Inspectors also visited a range of lessons in different subjects to look at pedagogical approaches. Inspectors discussed the school’s approach to teaching

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reading and saw pupils being supported in developing their reading skills.  Inspectors spoke to three of the alternative providers used by the school.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record of recruitment checks; 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.  Inspectors spoke with pupils, students in the sixth form and staff, as well as reviewing the responses to Ofsted’s surveys of the views of pupils and staff.  Inspectors considered the responses, including free-text responses, of parents to Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Andrew Hemmings, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Ruth Brock Ofsted Inspector 19 and 20 March 2024

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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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