Woldgate School and Sixth Form College

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Woldgate School and Sixth Form College 92 Kilnwick Road, Pocklington, York, North Yorkshire YO42 2LL

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Inspection dates: 25 and 26 February 2025

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Outcome

Woldgate School and Sixth Form College has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Luke Sloman. This school is part of the Wonder Learning Partnership which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Jonathan Britton, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Adam Marham.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff are ambitious for what pupils can achieve at Woldgate School and Sixth Form College. They have developed an ambitious curriculum that ensures all pupils study a broad range of subjects. Pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, achieve highly in external examinations.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including those with additional needs, feel safe and well cared for. They know who to turn to if they have any problems and are confident that adults will try to resolve any issues they have.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff and pupils have coped admirably with the challenges caused by the building of the new school on site. Building works have restricted access to some outdoor spaces and increased the number of pupils using some corridors at lesson changeovers. Behaviour in lessons, and around school, is largely calm and positive. Pupils, on the whole, do the right thing because it is the right thing, not because they want to avoid the consequences of poor behaviour.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, particularly in Years 7 to 9, enjoy getting involved with extra-curricular clubs and groups. Many pupils spoke about the recent ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ musical production being a highlight of the last school year. 25 and 26 February 2025

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The school places a strong emphasis on pupils’ learning about equality. Pupils understand how the law helps to protect people from discrimination. They learn about the historical reasons why such laws are necessary.

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

Leaders, including from the Wonder Learning Partnership, know the school well. They are clear about the aspects of school they want to improve. Plans ensure that improvements have a long-term impact. The school and trust monitor the impact of changes carefully so that they can make adjustments where needed.

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

The curriculum clearly identifies the most important knowledge and skills that pupils need to learn. For example, in art, the curriculum sets out the artistic techniques that pupils need to know and a range of artistic movements that pupils should be able to talk about. Teachers ensure that pupils get the chance to practise using and applying this most important knowledge. Assessments are carefully designed to check whether pupils are securely learning what is intended. Where this is not the case, teachers work effectively with pupils to address gaps.

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

Some parents of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities have concerns about how well their child’s needs have been met by the school. Leaders are aware of these concerns and introduced some new processes at the start of the year. Teachers now get specifically allocated time to review the support plans for pupils in their classes and consider how to best support pupils with their individual needs. Pupils are now being supported effectively in most lessons. Parents recognised these recent improvements.

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

Reading is a strength within the school. Pupils who need help with reading are quickly identified. They receive support that precisely matches their needs. Their reading quickly improves. All pupils read in form time. Teachers ensure that pupils are reading books that are appropriately challenging and reflect a range of genres. Careful checks are made that pupils are understanding the texts they read.

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

Pupils attend school regularly. The school responded to the nationwide challenges around school attendance by increasing the number of staff in the attendance team. Systems are now more rigorous. Families who need support are identified more quickly. They receive effective support.

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

Bullying sometimes happens in school. The school is helping pupils see the potential impact of their words. Most pupils feel that bullying is dealt with seriously but that they do not always get to find out what happens after they report bullying. Pupils would like adults to keep them better informed and to ‘check in’ with them a few weeks later to check that the issue has been resolved.

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

Students highly value the sixth-form personal development provision because it matches the reality of young people’s lives. It includes looking at issues such as consent within a relationship and drink spiking. Students value the careers advice they receive in the sixth form, which builds upon strong, impartial advice in the main school. Students have a 25 and 26 February 2025

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strong understanding of the different opportunities open to them when they finish Year 13.

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A significant number of parents have concerns about communication with school. They feel their concerns are not acknowledged promptly or taken seriously by school. The school and trust are aware of these concerns and the need to strengthen relationships. They have introduced parent working groups to explore key issues and have introduced a new system for tracking and responding to parental communication with school. They know there is more to do.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school’s systems for communicating with parents do not work as well as they could. Some parents feel that concerns they raise with school are not considered carefully or responded to promptly. Others feel they are not kept informed about how important pastoral issues relating to their child in school will be resolved. This means that some parents do not feel the school is working effectively with them for the benefit of their child. Leaders should ensure that appropriate school systems are in place to ensure that communication with parents is timely and purposeful.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour, or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately. 25 and 26 February 2025

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This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in May 2015.

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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). 25 and 26 February 2025

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School details

Local authority East Riding of Yorkshire

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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 1267

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form

Dates of previous inspection 1 and 2 October 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Wonder Learning Partnership.  The school is currently undergoing significant building development. A new school building is being built upon the existing school grounds. The new building will open in September 2025 when the majority of the existing school buildings will be demolished.  The school uses five alternative provisions. One of these is registered.  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. 25 and 26 February 2025

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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 the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with a range of leaders including the headteacher, the designated safeguarding lead and leaders in charge of curriculum, attendance, behaviour/bullying and reading.  An inspector met with the CEO and chair of trustees from the Wonder Learning Partnership.  Inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  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

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Information about this inspection

safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors spoke with groups of pupils, and staff, formally and informally and considered responses to the pupil and staff surveys.  Inspectors considered views from the Ofsted Parent View survey, including written comments from parents.  Inspectors reviewed a wide range of documentation available on the school website or provided by the school.

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Inspection team

Steve Wren, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Janet Sheriff Ofsted Inspector 25 and 26 February 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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