Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys

Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys

Address: St John's Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 9XB Unique reference number (URN): 118790

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Achievement Strong standard

Pupils achieve consistently well across all areas of the curriculum. They achieve outcomes in public examinations which are significantly above the national average. From above- average starting points, pupils gain the knowledge they need to progress to their ambitious next steps in education or employment. The overwhelming majority do so, with a significant proportion of Year 11 pupils joining the sixth form to study A levels. Disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities achieve equally well. In particular, disadvantaged pupils achieve examination outcomes significantly above those of their peers nationally.

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Achievement Strong standard

Pupils recall their past learning clearly and demonstrate knowledge confidently. Pupils show an impressive passion for learning. Their assured skills in writing enable them to build secure records of learning and this supports pupils well in subsequent stages. Pupils' strongly developed speaking skills enable them to discuss and justify their ideas very articulately.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Leaders’ work to ensure regular attendance is resoundingly successful. Attendance is well above national averages for all pupils. Staff have very high expectations that pupils attend school and learn. Leaders monitor attendance closely and take prompt action to tackle any issues. Of particular merit is leaders' work to support the attendance of pupils who face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Leaders have similarly high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to learning, as set out in the school's policies. Staff are consistent in applying these and managing pupils’ behaviour. Staff are courteous but firm with pupils, consistent with boundaries and respected by the pupils. Relationships between pupils and staff are very positive. Lessons are characterised by pupils’ keenness to learn. Disruption to lessons is rare. Leaders ensure effective support for the very few pupils who need it to behave well. Bullying, discrimination or harassment are rare. Pupils say they not tolerated and sorted out quickly once reported to adults.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Leaders' high expectations of pupils’ behaviour extend to social times. Staff are vigilant in their care, but pupils need relatively little guidance to mix respectfully with each other. As a result, pupils have pleasant breaks as a counterpoint to the attention and focus expected of them during lessons.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders ensure there is a highly effective approach to supporting pupils’ development and readiness for the future. A very well-developed programme for personal, social, health and economic education supports pupils securely. Leaders are assiduous in ensuring that pupils who face barriers benefit from the same programme as others. Pupils are taught skilfully how to keep themselves safe online, and in their lives generally. Pupils have excellent opportunities to learn about fundamental British values such as democracy and the rule of law. They participate keenly in discussions and show an impressive understanding of right and wrong. Leaders ensure pupils are provided with carefully planned opportunities to learn about people from diverse backgrounds and the importance of respecting difference. Pupils learn well to work alongside and support each other. They take pride in representing their school, and in holding leadership roles such as

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders ensure pupils follow a comprehensive programme for relationships, sex and health education. It includes contributions from external partners on themes such as misogyny and domestic abuse. Pupils demonstrate balanced and fair views on these issues. This work supports the many boys who join the school’s post-16 provision in mixing respectfully with girls joining at that age.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders place a firm emphasis on the quality of pastoral support. Pupils are confident in the way they are cared for. They have trusted adults to talk to if they have any worries. Counselling support is available for pupils with particular concerns.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Pupils really enjoy the many enrichment activities. Clubs, visits and visitors bolster the curriculum further, which develops pupils’ sporting, creative and cultural abilities. Here too the leaders ensure all pupils benefit.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders provide pupils with comprehensive guidance about future options and careers. Pupils speak highly of this. The very great majority, including those who face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing, go on to secure ambitious destinations.

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Post 16 provision Strong standard

The sixth form offers a very wide range of A-level subjects. These meet students’ needs closely and enable the great majority to fulfil their next step goals. Leaders monitor the quality and range of the curriculum carefully. They put suitable resource into keeping the subject range broad, in order to meet students’ aspirations. They take prompt action where needed on curriculum breadth or quality, for example improving teaching in a few subjects where the proportion of high grades declined last year.

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Post 16 provision Strong standard

Staff ensure subject curriculums are taught in a logical sequence. Teachers work with skill and expertise to build students’ knowledge. They assess students’ progress carefully over time and in lessons, giving precise guidance for improvement. This means students learn with confidence.

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Post 16 provision Strong standard

Leaders' work to ensure a highly appropriate curriculum, coupled with effective teaching, pays dividends. Students achieve outcomes in examinations which are significantly about the national average. Leaders check carefully that disadvantaged students, and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities benefit alongside others through focused support. Leaders ensure students get the right advice and guidance about the options available to them when they leave school. Students make full use of additional activities, such as sport. Sixth-form students are excellent role models for younger pupils in how they behave.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have developed an ambitious curriculum which is well planned, logically sequenced and builds pupils’ knowledge securely over time. Leaders monitor its impact carefully. They take appropriate action to bring about improvements where they are needed. Pupils enjoy the breadth of opportunities.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders focus closely on opportunities for teachers' professional learning to ensure teaching is effective and that teachers know what to teach and how. Teachers are typically skilled at explaining new learning in ways that engage pupils. They design effective tasks which help pupils to embed their understanding. On most occasions, teachers check how well pupils have learned and understood the curriculum. Occasionally, pupils’ understanding is not fully checked to ensure their knowledge is secure. As a result, at times, gaps in pupils' learning are not addressed as quickly as they could be.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Teachers are ambitious to support all pupils. Teachers' work with pupils who are disadvantaged is highly effective. Pupils who need extra support, for example in reading, receive the help they need and catch up quickly. Their support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is often skilful as they make use of what they know about pupils’ needs to provide appropriate support. There are times when guidance for staff is not clear enough to enable them to fully support these pupils.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders see to it that pupils who face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), disadvantaged pupils and any known to children’s social care, have their needs identified accurately. Leaders work effectively with other professionals. For example, they communicate closely with feeder primary schools so they can quickly identify pupils and their needs.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders ensure they use additional funding, such as the pupil premium grant, to support disadvantaged pupils who need it. For example, disadvantaged pupils benefit from additional teaching and tailored support. Leaders ensure they benefit from the full breadth of the curriculum, including extra-curricular activities. As a result, disadvantaged pupils achieve as highly as their peers.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Teachers make appropriate adjustments to the curriculum in order to support pupils with SEND. However, occasionally, the information teachers receive about pupils, their needs and the strategies to support them, lacks precision. This means that, sometimes, teachers are unclear about the best ways to support pupils.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils regardless of the barriers they may face. They monitor the quality of teaching, pupils’ outcomes and progress closely. High levels of achievement for disadvantaged pupils testify to the impact of leaders' work. Leaders are taking action to sharpen the school’s graduated support for pupils with SEND, including through staff training and engagement with parents and carers.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders and governors know their school well. They act with integrity in the best interests of all pupils. Leaders have responded with energy to the significant expansion of the school over recent years, linked to the opening of a second site. Leaders’ effective work with staff ensures consistency in the quality of what is provided across the 2 sites.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders ensure statutory duties are carried out, notably linked to safeguarding. They prioritise areas for school improvement based on a wide range of evidence about what is working well and any areas for improvement. The significant aspects of strong practice in school testify to their impact. Leaders are well focused and tackle the priorities they identify successfully. Leaders engage effectively with parents and carers. The great majority say the school supports their children well. Leaders are working to improve communication with parents of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, who are less positive about this aspect.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Staff are very positive about working at the school. They are very well supported by the opportunities for professional learning. Staff new to teaching get off to a great start here. Staff say that their workload is fully taken into account by leaders. They are motivated to work hard but leaders ensure they strike a balance.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Governors are committed and highly motivated in their support and challenge of the school. They ensure statutory duties are fulfilled. They monitor leaders' work assiduously, for example by making effective use of visits and through a wide range of information they receive about the school to check the school's progress.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils enjoy their learning and thrive at this school. Attendance is well above the national average and pupils are keen to take advantage of every day. Pupils approach learning with enthusiasm, as do students in the sixth form. Pupils rise to leaders' high expectations and ambitious curriculum. They take full advantage of what the school offers for their academic studies and in their extra-curricular activities. They achieve high standards in important areas such as literacy and numeracy, alongside a wide range of subjects. Outcomes in public examinations are well above the national average by the end of Year 11 and in the sixth form. Pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those with other barriers to learning achieve as well as their peers.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils and students in the sixth form benefit from knowledgeable teachers, who build their knowledge securely over time. Teachers are usually skilled at teaching new material. They check how well pupils learn and put appropriate support in place for those who need more help. As a result, pupils make secure and consistent progress. Leaders are ambitious for pupils' next steps beyond school. Pupils receive very helpful advice and guidance so that their high levels of achievement are used to best effect. They go on to well-chosen next steps.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils feel safe and very well looked after. They welcome the school’s high expectations for behaviour, working hard in lessons and following expected routines. Teachers quickly sort out the very rare cases of poor behaviour or bullying. Pupils develop great strength in the skills needed for life in modern Britain. They are respectful of each other and enthusiastic in taking on leadership roles and work in the community. Girls are welcomed in the sixth form and are treated with respect by the school community. They experience the same sense of belonging as others.

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Next steps

Leaders should strengthen further the support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities by ensuring teachers have a detailed understanding of pupils' needs and the strategies to use to remove barriers, that they apply consistently and review regularly. Leaders should ensure the best practice in how teachers check pupils’ understanding of new learning and tackle any misconceptions is consistent across the school.

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About this inspection

The chair of the board of governors in this school is Philip Drew.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the headteacher and staff in senior positions, governors, including the chair of governors, and other groups of staff.

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About this inspection

Inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

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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About this inspection

The school makes use of one alternative provision.

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About this inspection

The school has expanded significantly in size since the last inspection as pupil numbers have grown on its second site in Sevenoaks.

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Team inspectors:

Tom Neave, Ofsted Inspector Owen McColgan, Ofsted Inspector Jo Hygate, Ofsted Inspector Michelle Lawson, Ofsted Inspector Helen Middleton, Ofsted Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England. National average: 1,153

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational support needs at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English Indices of Deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced Provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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English and maths GCSE

Percentage of pupils who achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSE.

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Attainment 8

A measure of pupils' point scores across 8 subjects including maths (double weighted), English (double weighted if both language and literature are taken), 3 EBacc measures and 3 GCSE or technical measures.

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Progress 8

How much progress pupils made between the end of primary school (key stage 2) and the end of secondary school (key stage 4), compared to pupils across England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

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Disadvantaged pupils' English and maths GCSE grade 5 or above

Percentage of disadvantaged pupils achieving grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSE.

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Disadvantaged pupils' Attainment 8

A measure of disadvantaged pupils' point scores across 8 subjects including maths (double weighted), English (double weighted if both language and literature are taken), 3 EBacc measures and 3 GCSE or technical measures.

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Disadvantaged pupils' Progress 8

How much progress disadvantaged pupils made between the end of primary school (key stage 2) and the end of secondary school (key stage 4), compared to pupils across England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2.

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national average

2023/24 (final) -0.32 -0.57 Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (final) -0.43 -0.57 Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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Disadvantaged pupils' English and maths GCSE grade 5 or above

Percentage of disadvantaged pupils who achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSE.

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Disadvantaged pupils' Attainment 8

A measure of disadvantaged pupils' point scores across 8 subjects including maths (double weighted), English (double weighted if both language and literature are taken), 3 EBacc measures and 3 GCSE or technical measures.

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Disadvantaged pupils' Progress 8

How much progress disadvantaged pupils made between the end of primary school (key stage 2) and the end of secondary school (key stage 4), compared to pupils across England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2.

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Destinations after 16

Percentage of pupils staying in education or employment for at least 2 terms after the end of secondary school (key stage 4).

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A-level average point score

The average points that students achieved per A-level entry.

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national average

2024/25 (revised) 38.22 34.99 Close to average

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A-level value added

A score showing students’ progress between the end of key stage 4 and the end of their academic qualification studies.

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national average

2024/25 (revised) 0.2 0.0 Close to average

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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