Devizes School

Inspection of Devizes School The Green, Devizes, Wiltshire SN10 3AG

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

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The executive headteacher of this school is David Cooper. This school is part of The White Horse Federation, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Dan Nicholls, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Ninna Gibson. 1 and 2 October 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Devizes School are polite, considerate and respectful. They are familiar with the school’s values of courage, pride and resilience. Relationships between pupils and staff are warm. Pupils are happy and feel safe at school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has developed an ambitious curriculum for pupils. Staff have high expectations, and pupils respond well to these. Pupils are successful in public examinations. Sixth-form students are positive about their experience. They feel well prepared for their next steps.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils respect those from different backgrounds. They are actively encouraged at the school to treat everyone equally. Bullying rarely happens, and staff address it if it occurs. The school is calm and orderly. Lessons are free of disruption. Pupils appreciate the wide range of awards available to them. They understand and value the consistent approach to behaviour.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are beginning to feel a stronger sense of identity within their house teams. They enjoy participating in house competitions, such as sports and environmental competitions. Pupils are offered a broad range of opportunities beyond the classroom. The school makes sure these are accessible to all. These include extra-curricular clubs such as debating, netball and gardening. Sixth-form students run some of these clubs. The school’s recent production included pupils from all key stages working together.

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

The curriculum is thoughtfully sequenced so that knowledge and skills build over time. It is ambitious for all pupils. Subject areas have carefully considered what pupils should know and remember. They have also considered the coherent order in which to teach the content. The school knows that not all curriculum areas are as well developed as others. Where this is the case, there are plans to improve them.

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

Teaching staff have strong subject knowledge. They inspire pupils and sixth-form students with their passion for the subject. They present and model information precisely. Lessons include activities that help pupils recall and apply their learning. The school’s checks on pupils’ learning are generally effective. This helps pupils identify gaps in their understanding. As a result, pupils learn more and remember more of what they are taught. Pupils produce high-quality work. This is reflected in published outcomes which are above the national average.

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

Those pupils who need help with their reading are provided with additional support. Consequently, they become increasingly fluent and confident readers. The school recognises that it needs to check the impact of these interventions more closely to ensure pupils are benefiting as intended.

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

Effective systems are in place to accurately identify the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They follow the same curriculum as their peers. Staff receive detailed information and strategies to help meet pupils’ needs. They 1 and 2 October 2024

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take this into account when arranging their classroom seating plans. However, teaching and the curriculum are not always well adapted to meet the needs of some pupils. Where this is the case, pupils with SEND do not learn the full curriculum as well as they might.

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The school has made improvements to pupils’ behaviour. The atmosphere in lessons and around the school is calm and purposeful. All staff apply the school’s behaviour and rewards system consistently. However, some pupils have struggled to adapt to the school’s increased expectations. This has led to a high number of suspensions. As a result, these pupils miss important learning. This impacts the school’s most vulnerable pupils.

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Most pupils understand the importance of attending school each day. Pupils typically enjoy coming to school and would recommend it. The school and the trust know that attendance needs to increase. Staff identify and support pupils whose attendance is lower than it should be. Despite this, a minority of pupils do not attend school often enough. The number of disadvantaged pupils or those with SEND who are persistently absent from school is too high. As a result, this leads to gaps in their learning.

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The school’s personal development programme is thorough. Pupils learn about pertinent themes such as healthy relationships and online safety. They also learn about tolerance and respecting those who are different from themselves. In the sixth form, students benefit from a strong pastoral programme. It includes careers guidance, support and advice. Pupils value the range of educational trips and visits. These enrich the curriculum and help to raise pupils’ aspirations. Staff ensure that these opportunities are accessible to all pupils.

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A new local governance committee is in place. This provides support and challenge to the school. The trust works proactively with the school, offering guidance and expertise. The school has made efforts to keep parents informed about the changes it is making. Not all parents are aware of the positive impact these actions are having. Staff, including early career teachers, are proud to be part of the school. They value the support of leaders.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, miss out on valuable learning because they are either suspended or do not attend school often enough. This means that they have gaps in their learning. The school needs to work closely with these pupils and their families to improve pupils’ attendance and to help them reduce suspensions.  Teaching and the curriculum are not always consistently well adapted to meet the needs of some pupils with SEND. Consequently, these pupils do not learn the curriculum as well as they might. The school needs to ensure that the information 1 and 2 October 2024

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available to staff is used fully and with greater impact to meet the needs of all pupils with SEND.

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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 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). 1 and 2 October 2024

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form

Date of previous inspection 12 March 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 The school is part of The White Horse Federation.  The school uses four registered alternative provisions and two unregistered provisions.  David Cooper is the executive headteacher of the school. Ben Cave is the associate headteacher.  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 1 and 2 October 2024

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2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation 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.  An inspector met with the chief executive officer of the trust, a trustee and members of the local governing committee.  Inspectors met with senior leaders, the special educational needs coordinator, curriculum leaders, teachers and pupils.  An inspector spoke to some of the alternative provisions used by the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: design and technology, English, geography, modern foreign languages 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 looked at samples of pupils’ work.

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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.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons, around school and at social times. They considered pupils’ views about behaviour and bullying in school. They also spoke with staff about their workload, well-being and pupils’ behaviour.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey and Ofsted’s staff survey. They also considered responses to the parent survey, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text messages.

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Inspection team

Frances Bywater, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Matthew Collins Ofsted Inspector 1 and 2 October 2024

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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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