Ludlow Church of England School

Inspection of Ludlow Church of England School Bromfield Road, Burway, Ludlow, Shropshire SY8 1GJ

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

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The interim headteacher of this school is Michael Stoppard. This school is part of the Diocese of Hereford Multi Academy 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), Canon Andrew Teale, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Rob Pizii. 7 and 8 May 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils at Ludlow Church of England School behave well in lessons. They are friendly and courteous and move around the site sensibly. Pupils feel safe and there is always an adult to talk to. However, low-level misbehaviour disrupts some lessons, particularly those taught by temporary staff. Some pupils have become disenchanted with school life.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a broad and ambitious curriculum for pupils and, in general, staff follow it. However, some work does not build on what pupils already know, and they typically do not learn as much as they should. Reading receives insufficient attention. Staff adapt the curriculum to meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Nevertheless, support for these pupils in lessons sometimes lacks precision, so they too do not achieve as well as they should.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The leadership has set the right priorities. These include helping pupils to meet the high expectations for their behaviour and revamping how pupils learn about personal, social, economic and health education (PSHE) and careers.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn to respect different cultures and traditions. They take advantage of after- school clubs and activities, largely in sport and performing arts. The physical education (PE) department also offers good opportunities for pupils to take on leadership roles.

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

The trust has recently taken decisive action to address the decline in standards in the school. Pupils, staff and parents and carers understand and appreciate the new direction and organisation of the school. This has quickly led to improved relationships and fewer incidents of poor behaviour. However, much remains to be done, not least to ensure that staff at all levels, including teachers new to the profession, receive the necessary training and guidance they need to improve all aspects of the school’s work.

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

The curriculum in key stage 3 and 4 is wide ranging. Teachers know their subjects. They generally explain information clearly and use resources well. Teachers recap previous learning to help pupils to remember the key knowledge in the longer term. There are pockets of strong practice and pupils sometimes learn well.

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

Nevertheless, the aims of the curriculum are not fully met. Published outcomes at key stage 4 remain low. Staff check on what pupils know, both in class and through more formal tests. However, these checks do not identify gaps and misunderstandings consistently and accurately. Furthermore, the information from these checks is not used effectively to adapt pupils’ learning. As a result, some misconceptions remain. Sometimes teachers set learning activities that are not well considered as some pupils find them too easy or too hard. This hinders pupils’ progression through the curriculum.

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

Pupils with SEND follow the full curriculum. The school accurately identifies their additional needs and provides clear guidance for staff on how best to meet them. Support is often effective, enabling these pupils to learn in line with their peers. 7 and 8 May 2025

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Teachers across the school ensure that pupils learn the important vocabulary for each unit of work. However, weaker readers do not receive effective support to help them become confident and fluent readers. This is a barrier to successful access to the broader curriculum.

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The school has clear expectations for pupils’ behaviour, which most pupils are happy to meet. Most relationships between staff and pupils are strong. However, the school’s expectations are not implemented consistently, and this contributes to misbehaviour in lessons. Too many pupils are uninterested in their work and take little pride in it. Recently, the school has introduced help for pupils who struggle with their behaviour to manage it better. Consequently, the frequency of suspensions is starting to fall.

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The school delivers a comprehensive programme of PSHE and careers, although this has lacked coherence. Teaching sometimes does not add to pupils’ existing knowledge. Pupils currently do not benefit from work experience. As a result, pupils’ confidence in these programmes varies. The school has recently bolstered the wider opportunities it offers pupils, for example by reintroducing the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The school keeps complete and accurate safeguarding records. All staff are confident to log their concerns. However, leaders have not taken the opportunity to develop the system so that they have immediate access to patterns and trends.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school does not have immediate access to an analysis of the school’s safeguarding records. This means that it has not looked for patterns and trends in safeguarding information, and so may miss opportunities to take additional steps to protect pupils. The school should ensure that the relevant staff have easy and current access to the analysis of safeguarding trends so that they can react sharply to any emerging patterns.  Assessment, both in lessons and more broadly, does not consistently provide teachers with the information that they need to provide pupils with work that is appropriately matched to their needs. As a result, pupils sometimes do not benefit from teaching that builds on what they already know, which hinders their progress. The school should ensure that assessment is used effectively to inform the planning of learning, and in particular to make sure that those who require additional support, for example with

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

their reading, receive it.  Some staff do not implement the school’s behaviour policy with the consistency and sound judgement that leaders seek. As a result, pupils sometimes feel unsure about what sanctions they can expect. They think that they may have been treated unfairly 7 and 8 May 2025

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and continue to misbehave. Leaders should ensure that all staff address pupils’ behaviour consistently and in line with the school’s policy and agreed procedures.  Some plans and decisions have not promoted pupils’ best interests. As a result, pupils have been without the culture, the learning and the help that they need in order to thrive. The school should ensure that all leaders have the expertise and opportunities they require in order to plan for, and carry out, the improvement of the school.

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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). 7 and 8 May 2025

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School details

Headteacher Mr Michael Stoppard (Interim Headteacher)

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 11 and 12 February 2020, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is a Church of England Christian school. It is part of the Diocese of Hereford. The last section 48 inspection took place in March 2025.  The interim headteacher took up his post in March 2025.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation. This means that pupils in Years 8 to 13 receive information about the full range of education and training options open to them. This includes opportunities for a range of education and training providers to speak to pupils about technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.  The school does not make use of alternative provision.

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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 7 and 8 May 2025

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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.  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. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the interim headteacher and other senior school and trust leaders, including the special educational needs coordinator. They also spoke with staff about their experience of the school.  The CEO of the trust, their deputy and another member of the local strategic task group met with the lead inspector.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics,

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humanities and PE. For each deep dive, the inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited lessons, spoke to staff, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of their work. Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  The inspectors spoke with pupils at social times and with groups of pupils more formally to gather their views about the school.  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.  The inspectors reviewed a range of documents. These included the school’s self- evaluation and school improvement plan, information about pupils’ behaviour and attendance and the school’s curriculum.  The inspectors took account of responses to Ofsted Parent View and the free-text

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comments. The inspectors also considered responses to surveys for pupils and for staff.

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Inspection team

Martin Spoor, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Huw Bishop Ofsted Inspector 7 and 8 May 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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