Challney High School for Girls

Inspection of a school judged outstanding for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Challney High School for Girls Addington Way, Luton, Bedfordshire LU4 9FJ

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Outcome

Challney High School for Girls has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Sheba George. This school is a member of the Chiltern Learning 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), Adrian Rogers, and is overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Graham Pryor.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive at this school. The school is determined, in all it does, that its girls will become ‘influential women of the future’. It does exemplary work to ensure that pupils can achieve this ambition. The school provides exceptional opportunities for pupils to develop their self-confidence and raise their aspirations.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils develop their leadership skills through a vast range of positions, such as eco- leaders and sports ambassadors. Through the exemplary careers programme, pupils meet a range of employers and learn about the world of work. They are inspired by former students who have been successful in their fields.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school broadens pupils’ interests through a wide range of well-attended clubs, from chess to drama and many sports. Pupils can deepen their learning through the ‘super- curriculum’. Pupils enjoy showing their additional learning to the leadership team on ‘proud Thursdays’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is a calm and welcoming environment. Interruptions to learning are rare. Pupils are engaged by an ambitious curriculum and high-quality teaching. They are ambitious to learn as well as they can. Consequently, pupils achieve very highly here. 25 and 26 March 2025

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Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe and healthy. If they need additional support with their well-being, the school provides it. Pupils are happy here, so their attendance is exceptionally high.

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

The school is relentlessly ambitious for every pupil to succeed. Staff precisely identify the important knowledge that pupils need. Pupils secure this before moving confidently on to new content. Teachers teach key vocabulary before pupils use it in their work. Staff frequently review learning so that it sticks in pupils’ memories. The school thinks carefully about how pupils learn best. For instance, in Year 7 a small ‘nurture’ group provides precise support tailored to the needs of pupils. This helps them to gain the knowledge they require to access the curriculum successfully.

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

Staff use their secure subject knowledge to introduce new knowledge clearly and check this rigorously. If any gaps or misunderstandings emerge, teachers close them. Staff feedback to pupils on how well they are doing. Pupils use this advice to improve their work. The school identifies pupils’ special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) precisely. Staff use this information skilfully to adapt the curriculum. Pupils consequently gain a real breadth and depth of knowledge, achieving impressive academic outcomes. This means they can succeed in their next steps.

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

The school gives great value to building pupils’ oracy and literacy. The school understands that pupils need to express themselves clearly and confidently. In lessons, ‘talk tactics’ help pupils to have purposeful discussions about their work. Pupils have frequent opportunities to present what they have learned. Well-trained staff and pupil ‘reading ambassadors’ provide weaker readers with very effective support and practice. This helps them to rapidly become fluent and accurate readers.

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

The school has clear, well-understood expectations of how pupils should conduct themselves. Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. If pupils need help to meet these high expectations, the school provides it. Unkind comments and unpleasant behaviour are very rare and are not tolerated by staff or peers.

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

Pupils here welcome and celebrate each other’s differences. They also recognise how people have much in common, such as the key features of different faiths. Pupils contribute enthusiastically to the school and wider community. They learn about social issues and engage passionately in social action, raising money for both national and international causes.

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

The school provides many memorable experiences in its twice-yearly enrichment days. These broaden pupils’ range of interests. Opportunities such as work experience and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme develop pupils’ resilience and independence. The school ensures that all pupils access the full range of opportunities offered.

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

Staff at all levels embrace the ambition of the school to improve the life chances of every pupil. Trustees, governors and leaders challenge themselves to further develop the 25 and 26 March 2025

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school’s offer. Staff are very well supported to develop their skills and knowledge. They receive high-quality professional development. The school has engaged very successfully with the community to build close links with parents, carers and local employers.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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 outstanding 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.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding for overall effectiveness in January 2020.

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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 25 and 26 March 2025

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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 March 2025

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School details

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,045

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 14 and 15 January 2020, under section 5 of the Education Act

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Information about this school

 The headteacher took up her post in September 2024. Before becoming the headteacher, she was a deputy headteacher at this school.  The school currently uses two registered 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

 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. 25 and 26 March 2025

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 Inspectors met with the headteacher and other senior staff, including the special educational needs and/or disabilities coordinator.  The lead inspector met with the chief executive officer and senior leaders from the Chiltern Learning Trust, and members of the local governing body.  Inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also looked at the work of the school to raise pupils’ aspirations as part of their preparation for adulthood, and the work of the school to improve pupils’ attendance.  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 spoke with several groups of pupils and observed their behaviour at

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breaktime and lunchtime.  Inspectors considered the responses and free-text comments received during the inspection to Ofsted Parent View. They took account of responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Steve Woodley, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Paul Lawrence Ofsted Inspector 25 and 26 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 looked-after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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