Wadham School

Inspection of Wadham School Yeovil Road, Crewkerne, Somerset TA18 7NT

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 January 2025

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The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Sixth-form provision Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Good 21 and 22 January 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Wadham School has high expectations of its pupils. The school is ambitious for pupils to experience ‘life in all its fullness’. Pupils learn a broad and interesting curriculum. For example, when they join in Year 7, pupils study two modern foreign languages. However, despite an improvement in academic outcomes, some pupils do not achieve as highly as they could.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many pupils describe the positive culture that pervades the school. However, students in the sixth form do not feel the same sense of belonging. They share concerns about the quality of provision that they receive. Most pupils say they feel safe. They have trusted adults they can confide in. A minority of pupils raise concerns about bullying. However, the school takes effective action to resolve any reported incidents.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy a range of activities beyond the academic curriculum. These include the annual activities week, sporting clubs and the chance to write for the pupil led newspaper, ‘The Quill’. There are also many opportunities for pupils to be positive role models and support their peers. For example, as trained well-being ambassadors or members of the school council. Students in the sixth form are reading buddies to younger pupils.

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

The school, with the support of governors, has successfully overseen the conversion of the school to a secondary provision. In recent years, many staffing changes have been unsettling for pupils, and their parents and carers. This has now stabilised. Staff morale is high. The school is committed to ensuring pupils become successful, global citizens.

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

The school has a broad and ambitious programme of study. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported to access the same curriculum as their peers. If pupils arrive at the school with unidentified needs, these are quickly recognised, and appropriate help is put in place. Teachers use the information they have about pupils with SEND to make suitable adaptations in the classroom.

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

Subject leaders receive appropriate training to support them in planning their curriculums. They carefully consider the core knowledge that pupils will learn. There is a thoughtful order to the units of work so that pupils can build on what they already know. In subjects including mathematics and geography, this is embedded. In other areas, such as English, there is more work to do to ensure that the curriculum is ambitious and organised in a logical order.

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

Teachers demonstrate a good knowledge of the subjects they teach. Staff who have joined from a primary setting have been well supported in their transition to teaching secondary. However, across the school there is too much variability in how well the curriculum is taught. For example, teachers create opportunities in lessons for pupils to recall previous learning. However, they do not always use this well to address misconceptions or plan appropriate next steps. This has been compounded by staff 21 and 22 January 2025

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absence. Students in the sixth form have been particularly impacted by this absence, so have gaps in their knowledge.

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The school identifies pupils who find reading difficult. They follow a phonics programme which supports them to catch up. Pupils in key stage 3 use an online platform to develop their reading fluency and comprehension. They are starting to gain the knowledge and skills that they need to become confident, fluent readers. However, this work is in its early stages.

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Leaders have reset the expectations around standards of behaviour. The policy is clear and implemented consistently. Lessons are calm and low-level disruption is rare. If any incidents of unwanted behaviours occur in social times, staff are quick to respond. The school provides education and advice that helps pupils avoid risky behaviours. This includes age-appropriate information around online safety, healthy relationships and an understanding of different beliefs and cultures.

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The school has put in place a range of strategies to improve pupils’ attendance. As a result, pupils’ attendance to school has marginally improved. However, absence, including for students in the sixth form, remains too high. Additionally, a significant number of pupils are persistently missing school. As a result, they have gaps in their learning and are at risk of underachieving.

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Pupils receive a comprehensive programme of careers education. The school forms strong links with local colleges and employers. The annual Wadham careers fair is a popular event attended by many pupils and their parents. Students in the sixth form also benefit from personalised careers advice. They receive helpful support when considering university applications.

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Staff are positive about the changes that leaders have made. However, the impact of new initiatives is not being reviewed and evaluated carefully enough. Staff agree that the school is a happy and positive workplace. Early career teachers receive a thorough induction to the school and are well supported. Senior leaders and governors seek ways to reduce staff workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The effectiveness of teaching across the curriculum, including for students in the sixth form, varies across classes and subjects. As a result, some pupils do not build their knowledge successfully over time and do not achieve as well as they should. The 21 and 22 January 2025

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school should ensure that pupils, and students in the sixth form, receive consistently high-quality teaching across all subject areas.  In this period of significant change, the impact of new initiatives is not evaluated in enough detail. Therefore, the school does not have a clear understanding of what is working well and what is not. The school should ensure that there is a more precise evaluation of the impact of its school improvement strategies.  Attendance, including for students in the sixth form, is too low. A high number of pupils are persistently absent from school. As a result, they miss a significant amount of learning so have gaps in their knowledge of the curriculum. The school should continue to embed the work that has started to ensure that pupils’ attendance to school increases rapidly.

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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). 21 and 22 January 2025

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School details

Type of school Secondary Comprehensive School category Voluntary controlled

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form

Appropriate authority The governing body

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form

Dates of previous inspection 26 and 27 June 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, and following an educational restructure in the local area, the school converted to become a secondary school for pupils aged 11-18.  A new headteacher joined the school in September 2022.  Wadham is a Church of England School. The last section 48 inspection took place in November 2019. The school’s next section 48 inspection will be within eight school years.  The school uses six unregistered providers of alternative provision.  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. 21 and 22 January 2025

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 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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Information about this inspection

 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 any impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held discussions with the headteacher, other members of the senior leadership team, the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator, the chair, vice chair and other members of the governing body, representatives from the local authority, the school’s improvement partner, and the education advisor from the Bath and Wells Diocese.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, geography and modern foreign languages. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils

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Information about this inspection

about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors spoke to pupils about their experiences of school and their views on behaviour and bullying. They also observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and at social times.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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 considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. The inspectors also considered responses to Ofsted’s online staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Kelly Olive, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Louise Davies Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 January 2025

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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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