Lostock High School

Lostock High School

Address: Selby Road, Stretford, Manchester, M32 9PL Unique reference number (URN): 106365

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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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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders have taken careful account of pupils’ wide-ranging social and emotional needs, as well as their diverse backgrounds, in designing the school’s personal development programme. Pupils benefit from many opportunities to learn about the cultures, languages and religions that are represented in the school and its local community. This reinforces the ethos of tolerance and mutual understanding that leaders have developed. Some of these opportunities are pupil-led, such as assemblies and cultural celebrations. This helps to build pupils’ confidence and sense of self-worth.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

The school’s approach to supporting pupils’ welfare and pastoral needs is an area of strength. When pupils are facing emotional difficulties, well-trained staff are on hand to support them. This support is typically successful. Staff equip pupils with the resilience that helps them to get back on track.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils benefit from a comprehensive programme of careers guidance, along with opportunities to engage in sports, outdoor pursuits and the arts. They learn how to contribute positively as a citizen of modern Britain, including volunteering to help others or by raising money for charities.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

The personal development programme is underpinned by curriculums for personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education and relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education. These curriculums are thoughtfully designed and set out all that is required by law. Most pupils build their knowledge about healthy lifestyles, equality and discrimination well. They learn appropriately about topics that will keep them safe in their later lives, such as how to recognise the signs of coercion. However, as with the teaching of some other subjects in the curriculum, some pupils do not learn important content in the PSHE and RSE curriculums as well as they should. Leaders have recognised this and adapted the curriculum so that pupils have multiple opportunities to engage with this crucial learning. Pupils in the specially resourced provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities benefit from additional lessons that are designed around their needs. This

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Achievement Needs attention

Different groups of pupils achieve unevenly at this school. Recently, the impact of intensive support for pupils newly arrived to the country, alongside the impressive gains in attainment made by pupils in the specially resourced provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, have been reflected in the school’s improved examination results. Leaders are right to celebrate these successes. However, other groups of pupils in the school have gaps in their knowledge that hinder their achievement overall. Some pupils have difficulties in reading and handwriting that limit their access to the curriculum. Although leaders have identified these difficulties, some of the ways in which staff address them have not been as effective as they could. This means that, by the time they reach Year 11, some pupils have not caught up well enough to be successful in their future education. Some pupils’ irregular attendance has led to their knowledge gaps

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Achievement Needs attention

widening over time, which go unaddressed. They do not have a firm foundation on which to build their subsequent learning.

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

Overall rates of attendance have been consistently below national averages for some time. The proportions of disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities who are persistently absent are higher than those for similar pupils nationally. In recent times, leaders’ work to prioritise attendance has been hampered by changes in staffing. Nevertheless, leaders have begun to focus on sensible actions to bring about improvements. There are early signs that this work is beginning to have a positive impact. For example, pupils newer to the school typically attend more regularly.

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

At times, the poor conduct of a minority of pupils during social times undermines the improvements leaders have made to the culture of behaviour across the school. Some staff are taking longer than others to implement leaders’ new behaviour policy consistently. When pupils report bullying or discriminatory language, staff deal with these concerns. However, some pupils perceive that this does not happen quickly enough. Despite this, pupils’ behaviour and their attitudes to learning are generally positive. Typically, pupils follow staff instructions willingly, engage in their learning and take pride in their work. They value the improvements that leaders have made, such as making the school environment a calmer and more orderly place to learn. Staff provide effective support for pupils to manage their emotions. In turn, this has led to the number of suspensions for serious misbehaviour reducing.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Most teachers have appropriate subject knowledge. They use this, aided by well-designed and ambitious subject curriculums, to emphasise the most important content for pupils to learn. Despite this, however, teaching is not consistently effective. Pupils experience variations from lesson to lesson. Leaders know this. They have started work to develop some subjects to bring about improvements. Where this has been in place for some time, teaching is becoming more effective. However, inconsistencies in teaching across subjects remain.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Too many pupils do not build secure knowledge over time. Leaders have equipped teachers with useful ways to check whether pupils have understood their learning. However, teachers do not follow up these checks well enough to address what is missing or forgotten in pupils’ knowledge. Similarly, teachers often do not make the best use of information about specific pupils’ needs. For example, they sometimes do not break down tasks to support pupils who may struggle, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who have been absent. Improvements to the way the school supports pupils who struggle with reading is starting to have a positive impact. This is especially the case for pupils who arrive with little or no English. These pupils benefit from immersive support in spoken and written language. Leaders’ support for pupils who have gaps in their writing or number knowledge has begun

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

more recently. It has not had time to be fully effective.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Staff care deeply for pupils’ wellbeing. Leaders and staff understand the complex range of difficulties that many of their pupils face. However, variations in how different groups of pupils are supported mean that, overall, some pupils’ academic needs are not met effectively. Leaders have developed training for staff that equips them with suitable strategies to help reduce pupils’ varied barriers to learning. For instance, staff draw on detailed information about pupils’ special educational needs and/or disabilities. However, this information is not used well enough. Some teachers are only just beginning to adapt their classroom practice to meet pupils’ needs. This contributes to an inconsistent approach to the support that pupils receive. On the whole, some pupils’ barriers to learning are not routinely addressed well.

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Inclusion Needs attention

That said, some aspects of the school’s inclusive practice stand out. For instance, expert staff in the specially resourced provision ensure that pupils who attend this provision achieve well. The carefully structured support that they receive helps these pupils to make positive progress through the curriculum. They thrive socially, emotionally and academically. Similarly, the school’s support for pupils in the care of the local authority, and those new to learning English, is impressive. Leaders work closely with outside experts and make appropriate use of additional funding to ensure that disadvantaged pupils get the support that they need.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders and governors understand that there is work to do to improve pupils’ experience at school. They have prioritised sensible areas to focus their attention. This has led to some successful improvements. For example, a more inclusive approach to addressing misbehaviour has led to a sharp fall in the use of suspensions, especially for vulnerable and disadvantaged pupils. By contrast, some other aspects of leaders’ improvement work have stalled. For instance, leaders’ efforts to improve attendance have not been consistently effective. There are also notable inconsistencies in the quality of teaching. In each of these cases, leaders have identified suitable improvement strategies. However, these strategies have not been reviewed carefully enough, nor adapted when they have not been as effective as intended. For example, even though teachers value the school’s professional learning programme, leaders do not evaluate its impact carefully enough. As a result,

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

improvements to teaching have not been sufficient to consistently improve pupils’ typical experiences in lessons.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Governance has recently been strengthened. Governors provide suitable challenge and support to leaders. They ensure that the school’s resources are used in ways that maximise impact for the most vulnerable groups of pupils, for example through investing in enhanced pastoral support. Governors share leaders’ moral purpose to serve pupils’ best interests. Leaders acknowledge that turbulent staffing has hindered the school’s recent journey of improvement. Some posts are very recently filled, while some others remain vacant. Governors have helped leaders to consider staff wellbeing, for instance by protecting time to collaborate in subject teams. However, some staff reflect that leaders could do more to create a positive professional culture in the school.

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

Different groups of pupils have widely different educational experiences at this school. Pupils facing the greatest challenges, for example the large proportion of pupils who arrive at this school from other countries, typically have their needs well understood and consistently met. They quickly build up their knowledge of English and learn about what it means to live in modern Britain. In addition, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) who attend the specially resourced provision benefit from support provided by skilled staff. Leaders strive to ensure that the most vulnerable pupils receive effective support for their wellbeing. Typically, this support is effective. Overall, these groups of pupils achieve well and thrive at school.

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

Some other groups of pupils do not learn as well as they should. This is largely due to the inconsistent quality of teaching that they receive. Added to this, some pupils with SEND who do not attend the specially resourced provision benefit less because the support that they receive does not always meet their needs.

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

Across the school, pupils are kept safe. They benefit from warm, affirming relationships with staff who care deeply for their welfare. This helps pupils to feel secure and happy. Often, and for a variety of reasons, this school is pupils’ first positive experience of education. Leaders have borne this in mind when adapting the school’s approach to behaviour. The school is usually a calm place where everyone is welcome and pupils treat each other kindly despite any differences. Occasional incidents of discrimination or bullying are dealt with effectively. These are becoming rarer, reinforcing pupils’ faith that staff will take their worries seriously.

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

Pupils benefit from a well-considered range of opportunities beyond their academic learning, including a comprehensive programme of careers guidance. Although this provision benefits everyone, variability in pupils' achievement means that some are better prepared than others to take their next steps in life.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure that the rigour with which pupils at the highest levels of need are supported is replicated for pupils across the school. Leaders should ensure that approaches to teachers’ professional learning bring about consistently effective practice across subjects and year groups. Leaders should maximise their efforts to encourage pupils to attend school regularly, and in particular those vulnerable and disadvantaged pupils who are most frequently absent.

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Team inspectors:

Craig Yates, Ofsted Inspector Alison Stott, Ofsted Inspector Marc Heron, Ofsted Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

Leaders should enhance their mechanisms to evaluate the success of school improvement strategies, in order to ensure that the greatest emphasis is given to the things that make the most difference.

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About this inspection

The chair of the board of governors in this school is Carolyn Olson.

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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, other leaders and staff during the inspection. They also spoke with a group of governors, including the chair, and with representatives from the local authority.

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About this inspection

Inspectors gathered the views of parents and carers, pupils and staff through Ofsted’s questionnaires for these groups. They also spoke with groups of pupils and staff during the inspection.

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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 hosts a specially resourced provision on behalf of the local authority. This provision supports 26 pupils with autism, all of whom have education, health and care plans.

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About this inspection

The school makes use of 7 alternative provisions, including 5 that are unregistered.

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About this inspection

The school has undergone a significant change: the number of pupils on roll at the school has almost doubled since its last inspection.

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About this inspection

Headteacher: Lindsay Brindley 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.

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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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What does this mean?

The type of Special Educational Needs provision provided at the school (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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national average

2024/25 (revised) 39.8% 45.4% Close to average

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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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national average

2024/25 (revised) 43.7 46.0 Close to average

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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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national average

2024/25 (revised) 30.0% 25.8% Close to average

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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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national average

2024/25 (revised) 35.5 34.9 Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (final) 33.8 35.0 Close to average

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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

2022/23 (final) -0.63 -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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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

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

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