New Mills School

Inspection of New Mills School Church Lane, New Mills, High Peak, Derbyshire SK22 4NR

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 11 and 12 March 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and feel safe at New Mills School. They are well supported by staff and value the positive relationships they have with trusted adults. Pupils know that staff take their concerns seriously and respond promptly to any issues that arise. Pastoral staff are highly visible, and pupils describe them as caring and approachable.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s values of ‘think big,’ ‘do the right thing,’ and ‘team spirit’ are reflected in the way pupils conduct themselves. Staff promote these values well, and pupils understand what they mean in practice. Pupils are respectful towards each other and demonstrate positive attitudes to learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of all pupils. These expectations are reflected in the ambitious curriculum. Pupils achieve well across the curriculum, particularly in practical subjects such as media studies, engineering and art, where their work is consistently of a high standard.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school identifies pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) quickly and provides appropriate support to help them succeed.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most parents hold positive views about the school. This reflects the school’s improving reputation. The school has a positive environment where pupils feel valued and achieve well.

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

The school’s curriculum is rooted in the aims of the national curriculum, ensuring that pupils gain secure knowledge across a broad range of subjects. The school has made some improvements to the curriculum so that, in some subjects, pupils now have more opportunities to apply their skills. For example, pupils have more opportunities to take part in fieldwork in geography. At key stage 3, pupils study both Spanish and German. This is helping pupils develop their confidence and increasing uptake of languages at key stage 4. More pupils are now studying the English Baccalaureate as a result.

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

Teachers have secure subject knowledge. Teaching focuses on important knowledge, and resources are well matched to the aims of the curriculum. Pupils engage well in lessons, and questioning is used appropriately to deepen thinking. This helps pupils to achieve well. However, there is some variability in how well the school checks that pupils are learning the intended curriculum. Sometimes pupils are unable to access what comes next, or do not benefit from opportunities to consolidate their learning.

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

Staff use ‘pupil passports’ to adapt teaching. This helps support pupils with SEND learn the curriculum. The ‘360 provision’ offers tailored support, helping pupils with additional needs to re-engage successfully in learning. Pupils who struggle with reading receive targeted interventions that build their confidence and fluency. 11 and 12 March 2025

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Pupils produce high quality work across many subjects. For example, in science, pupils present their ideas clearly. In English, pupils demonstrate strong understanding of key texts through writing. In some subjects, written work is less well developed and does not always reflect the same high standards seen elsewhere.

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Pupils behave well and enjoy learning. They arrive on time to lessons. Staff build strong relationships with pupils, which helps maintain positive attitudes in classrooms. Pupils understand the school’s behaviour policy. The vast majority follow routines and meet expectations. ‘R points’, awarded for demonstrating the school’s values, motivate pupils to engage positively in school life. Initiatives such as ‘star of the week’ are awarded to celebrate pupils’ efforts and achievements.

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Pupils develop socially by taking on leadership roles, such as supporting younger pupils during sports events. They develop their talents and interests through attending clubs such as the gym club and leather craft club. Careers provision is well planned. Tutor time sessions help pupils explore future pathways. However, some aspects of the personal development provision are not as well embedded. For example, pupils’ understanding of different faiths does not always help them recognise common values and beliefs.

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Governors are committed and understand their statutory responsibilities. Staff are proud to work at the school. Leaders carefully consider staff’s workload and well-being. Leaders evaluate the school’s strengths and areas for development with accuracy, focusing on the right improvements at the right time to secure positive change.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 There is some variability in how well the school checks that pupils are learning the intended curriculum. This means that pupils do not always learn as well as they could. Sometimes pupils are unable to access what comes next, or do not benefit from opportunities to consolidate their learning. The school must ensure that teaching consistently checks pupils’ understanding and is then adapted to support all pupils to achieve well.  In a few subjects, the school’s expectations of the quality of pupils' written work are not as consistently high as they are in other areas. As a result, some pupils do not present their written work as clearly or accurately as they could. The school should ensure that teachers encourage pupils to take pride in producing high quality written work.  A few elements of the personal development provision are not as high quality as others. For example, while pupils demonstrate respect and understand the equalities

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act, some pupils struggle to explain the similarities between people of different faiths. The school should ensure that all aspects of the personal development offer are equal high quality.

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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). 11 and 12 March 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 13 and 14 September 2022, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the last inspection the senior leadership team at this school has been restructured.  The school uses three unregistered 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 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. 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. 11 and 12 March 2025

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school's education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and other senior leaders.  The lead inspector met representatives of the local governing body, including the chair.  The lead inspectors met with representatives of the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: mathematics, English, geography and history. 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 lessons and spoke to pupils about their work in some other subjects including science, art, religious education, engineering and media studies.

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 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 held meetings with leaders and reviewed records relating to attendance, behaviour and personal development.  Inspectors considered the views of staff, pupils, and parents and carers through discussions and using Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Rakesh Patel, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Stephen Ruddy Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 March 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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