William Howard School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: William Howard School Longtown Road, Brampton, Cumbria CA8 1AR

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Outcome

William Howard School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Kathryn Pigdon. This school is part of Cumbria Education 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), Lorrayne Hughes OBE, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by George Beveridge.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils quickly develop a strong feeling of belonging to this school. Despite coming from a wide geographic area and different backgrounds, they are united by their understanding of ‘The William Howard Way’. Pupils enjoy spending time in their year group common rooms. They value the strong friendships that they make.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils delight in contributing to the school community. For instance, students in the sixth form support younger pupils with their reading. Pupils in the ‘open spaces’ group relish their roles caring for the school’s animals. They recognise that these experiences develop their own confidence, while also helping others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of pupils’ achievement. A strengthened curriculum, coupled with the school’s successful work to raise pupils’ aspirations, has helped to rapidly increase the number of pupils who meet these expectations. Pupils understand that education creates opportunities. They take their learning seriously and most behave accordingly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from the school’s commitment to pairing academic rigour with personal development. They eagerly participate in the vast array of opportunities to discover and nurture new talents and interests. For example, pupils can ponder the meaning of life in ‘young philosophers’ or try their hand at unusual sports, such as table cricket. Pupils told inspectors that there is ‘something for everyone’. 24 and 25 June 2025

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

The school provides an ambitious curriculum. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), particularly appreciate the diverse subjects that they encounter through the ‘character curriculum’. These include archaeology, outdoor learning and forensics and genetics. The school’s values of respect, resilience and responsibility are woven through this curriculum, which also broadens pupils’ awareness of the world beyond their local area.

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

Across all subjects, learning is carefully organised. Teachers explain difficult concepts clearly and help pupils to link new information to their prior learning. Pupils, and students in the sixth form, typically produce high-quality work which reflects their understanding of the topics they have learned.

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

Teachers design effective learning activities. They check that pupils know and remember their learning before moving on. This helps pupils to develop deep bodies of knowledge. However, in a few subjects at key stage 3, teachers have less clarity about the most important information that pupils should remember. This hinders teachers in emphasising this knowledge when revisiting and checking pupils’ learning. On occasions, in these subjects, some pupils’ understanding does not build as securely as it could over time.

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

The school has a rigorous process for identifying any special educational needs that pupils may have. Pupils with SEND, including those in the specially resourced provision, benefit from leaders’ determination that they will access the school’s ambitious curriculum as much as possible. With the additional help and adjustments that they need, most pupils with SEND achieve well. Every effort is made to ensure that these pupils experience all that the school has to offer.

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

The school has strengthened its approach to identifying and supporting any pupils who struggle with reading. This has proved effective in key stage 3, where pupils swiftly receive the help that they need. Some pupils continue to access this support as they move into Year 10. However, a small number of pupils in key stage 4 do not receive the support that they need to read well.

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

Leaders have successfully created a school that pupils want to attend. The calm and purposeful learning environment, together with the plethora of extra-curricular opportunities, has helped to achieve this. In addition, the school has taken effective steps to identify and remove any barriers to pupils’ attendance. Consequently, most pupils attend school regularly.

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

The school provides a comprehensive programme of personal development that prepares pupils well for life in modern society. Pupils understand the importance of treating others with respect. They are well equipped to manage the risks associated with social media. In addition, the school prioritises teaching pupils about the careers and opportunities that are available to them when they leave school. This helps pupils to make well-informed decisions about their futures. 24 and 25 June 2025

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Staff appreciate the value that leaders’ place on their time. For instance, changes to the school’s approach to giving pupils’ feedback have helped to reduce staff’s workload. Staff are proud to work at this school.

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Pupils said that staff do not give up on them if they make mistakes. Instead, pupils are supported to make better choices in the future. This approach, which combines high expectations with a culture of care, exemplifies what the school stands for. Trustees and governors use their expertise to support and challenge the school effectively. They share leaders’ drive to continue to refine the high-quality education that the school provides.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, the school has not ensured that staff have clarity about the most important knowledge that pupils should know and remember over time. This makes it difficult for teachers in these subjects to emphasise this information, including during recall activities and assessment. The school should provide clarity around the knowledge that pupils should acquire in each subject so that teachers can better support pupils to build rich bodies of knowledge over time.  The school’s approach to supporting some pupils in key stage 4 who find reading more difficult is underdeveloped. Consequently, a small number of older pupils do not receive effective help in a timely way. The school should ensure that appropriate support is in place for these pupils so that they learn to read well.

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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 24 and 25 June 2025

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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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This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in May 2019.

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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). 24 and 25 June 2025

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1293

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form

Website www.williamhoward.cumbria.sch.uk

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form

Dates of previous inspection 30 April and 1 May 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of Cumbria Education Trust.  The current headteacher has been in post since 2023.  The school has a specially resourced provision for 10 pupils with autism spectrum disorder and severe learning difficulties. The provision currently caters for 11 pupils.  The school makes use of three registered and five 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. 24 and 25 June 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 spoke to the headteacher, other senior leaders, subject leaders and members of staff.  Inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  An inspector met with the CEO of the trust, a representative of the board of trustees and representatives of the governing body.  An inspector spoke with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors spoke with pupils about their experiences of school and their views on behaviour and bullying. They also observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and around the school site.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors considered the responses shared through Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. They also considered the responses to Ofsted’s surveys for staff and for pupils.  Inspectors reviewed a wide range of evidence, including the school’s policies and records relating to pupils’ attendance.  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.

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Inspection team

Sally Rix, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Michael Wright Ofsted Inspector 24 and 25 June 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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