The Telford Langley School

Inspection of The Telford Langley School Duce Drive, Dawley, Telford, Shropshire TF4 3JS

p.1

Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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

p.1

Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The headteacher of this school is Emma Blount. This school is part of Communities Academies Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Philip Hamilton, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Simon Atkins. 2 and 3 July 2024

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe and enjoy attending this caring, community-focused school. The school is doing a great amount to support pupils pastorally to help them to engage positively with education. Pupils are understood and listened to. They know that staff are there to help them and deal with any issues if they arise.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Across the school, pupils generally behave well in lessons and during social times. Pupils’ attendance is improving. The school works effectively to support pupils and families to overcome any barriers with this. However, a significant number of pupils do miss out on time in lessons. This can be due to a variety of reasons and slows their progress through the ambitious curriculum that is in place. Overall, the quality of outcomes for pupils and their wider work are not as high as they should be.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from the personal development curriculum in place. There has been recent growth in pupil leadership opportunities. For example, through the reading and sports ambassadors. The school is committed to developing pupils’ wider interests with clubs and extra-curricular activities available. Pupils have a strong embrace of diversity and fundamental British values. Careers education for older pupils is supporting them to make their next step.

p.2

better?

Leaders are working with determination to improve all aspects of the school. They have made significant progress since the recent changes in senior leadership. Pupils, parents and staff reflect this improved experience over the course of this academic year. The ‘you matter, we care’ drive by leaders is appreciated by all. Staff feel part of a strong team and want the very best for the pupils in their care.

p.2

better?

The school has strengthened the curriculum in recent years. It is suitably ambitious and well understood by teachers. The curriculum builds well, with carefully considered sequencing of topics. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), experience the same curriculum. There are clear processes to help identify those who may need additional support. Staff adapt learning appropriately to support pupils with SEND. Teachers demonstrate strong subject knowledge. However, pupils can be moved on to new learning before their current understanding has been checked sufficiently well. The activities selected are then not always well matched to enable pupils to progress in their learning.

p.2

better?

The school values reading highly. Staff understand that pupils need to be able to read to successfully access the rest of the curriculum. There is effective support for those who are in the earlier stages of learning to read. The school is reflective about its practices with reading and looking to secure the best improvements it can. Pupils are supported well to catch up with their peers.

p.2

better?

Pupils’ behaviour has improved rapidly during the last year. Leaders have taken robust actions, which mean the school is calm and pupils conduct is compliant. 2 and 3 July 2024

p.2

3

Pupils are growing in their understanding of the expectations that the school has for them, but this work is taking time. Suspensions are high, as is the time that pupils spend in the pastoral bases. So due to time missed in lessons, pupils’ progress, including disadvantaged pupils, is not what it could be.

p.3

3

The school has devised a high quality personal, social, health and economic education curriculum that is delivered by a specialist team. Consequently, pupils develop an age-appropriate understanding of a variety of topics. These include how to keep physically and mentally healthy. Pupils in key stage 4 receive effective careers education information, advice and guidance. However, those in key stage 3 are not currently receiving the encounters they should under the provider access legislation. This means younger pupils are not always able to develop a sufficiently wide understanding of the choices available to them.

p.3

3

Leaders at all levels are supportive of staff’s workload and well-being. Trust staff and trustees are experienced, reflective, and highly committed to the school. They ensure statutory requirements are fulfilled. The school’s understanding of the impact of the spending for disadvantaged pupils is not as strong as it could be. While there is impact on disadvantaged pupils reading, other areas do not yet show the desired improvement that the school wants.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Pupils’ understanding is not always checked well enough before moving on to the next part of the curriculum. As a result, pupils have gaps in their knowledge and the work given is not always well matched to their needs. The school should ensure that teachers check pupils’ understanding consistently well to enable pupils, especially disadvantaged pupils, to build knowledge more effectively over time.  A significant proportion of pupils do not arrive to lessons on time and are out of lessons because of sanctions. This poor attendance in lessons results in missed opportunities to learn and hinders their progress. The school should ensure that it is doing all it can to secure the improvements in pupils’ punctuality and behaviour.  The school does not currently meet the requirements of the provider access legislation for careers education. As a result, pupils in key stage 3 are not exposed to a wide enough range of opportunities to develop an understanding of

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

all the routes available to them. The school needs to ensure that the requirements of the legislation are fulfilled, aiming to ensure that pupils gain a better understanding of how they can make a successful start to their careers. 2 and 3 July 2024

p.3

4

 Strategic use of pupil premium funding is not as well developed as it could be. As a result, disadvantaged pupils are not being supported effectively enough to improve their behaviour, attendance and progress in learning. The school should ensure that the funding is used effectively to support pupils and has a demonstrable impact over time.

p.4

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.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.4

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). 2 and 3 July 2024

p.4

School details

Number of pupils on the school roll 1106

p.5

School details

Dates of previous inspection 29 and 30 January 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 The school is part of the Communities Academies Trust  The school uses seven alternative providers for pupils. One of them is registered and six of them are unregistered.  The school does not meet the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 7 to 11 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

p.5

Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. 2 and 3 July 2024

p.5

6

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

p.6

6

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, inspectors held discussions with the trust leaders, headteacher, other senior and middle leaders, the special educational needs coordinator and those responsible for alternative provision.  Inspectors held discussions with a member of the board of trustees and a governor.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in English, mathematics, geography and art. For each of these subjects, inspectors met with subject leaders, carried out visits to lessons, spoke to pupils and looked at some of their work.  Inspectors also visited other lessons, along with some reading interventions.  Inspectors visited tutor time and reviewed the extra-curricular activities with leaders.

p.6

6

 Inspectors met with members of staff and spoke to pupils formally and informally at various points in the inspection.  An inspector visited and spent time in the pastoral bases used to support pupils during the school day.  Inspectors looked at records and spoke to staff in relation to behaviour, bullying, attendance and safeguarding.  Inspectors reviewed safeguarding arrangements by checking the school’s approach to staff recruitment, scrutinising policy documents and meeting with the designated safeguarding lead.

p.6

Inspection team

Richard Wakefield, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Mark Howes His Majesty’s Inspector 2 and 3 July 2024

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