Titus Salt School

Titus Salt School

Address: Higher Coach Road, Baildon, Shipley, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD17 5RH Unique reference number (URN): 107395

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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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Post 16 provision Strong standard

Leaders ensure that the sixth-form curriculum is taught consistently well in all subjects. The school offers students a broad range of qualifications, including A levels and applied subjects. Teachers have secure knowledge of the subjects that they teach and deliver the curriculum skilfully. They quickly spot any gaps in students' knowledge and provide additional support for students when needed. Teachers adapt the curriculum well to support all students, including students with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and students who may have barriers to learning. Leaders use a highly personalised approach to remove those barriers.

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Post 16 provision Strong standard

Over time, students achieve well across their programmes of study. Students achieve particularly well on applied and technical level courses. Here, students' attainment has been significantly above the national average over time. Students, including those with SEND or other barriers to their learning, are fully prepared for their next steps in learning. Leaders provide highly effective support that includes an extensive careers programme. This ensures that all students are ambitious and reach suitable destinations, when they leave school.

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Post 16 provision Strong standard

Students behave very maturely. Leaders foster warm relationships between staff and students. Students have high levels of respect for one another. Students work hard and attend school well. The work that they produce is impressive and of a high quality. Leaders organise an extensive range of enrichment and leadership opportunities which students relish. Sixth-form students are excellent role models for younger pupils.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Since the previous inspection, leaders have developed a comprehensive personal development and wellbeing programme. This includes relationships and sex education. Additional personal development 'focus weeks' provide pupils with information about topics, including physical health and equalities. Assemblies enable pupils to learn about issues in the wider world. Pupils understand the risks that they may face off and online. Leaders ensure that the curriculum is responsive to any emerging local or national risks that arise. Pupils show a developing understanding of fundamental British values and people's differences and identities. Pupils learn about other faiths and cultures through the curriculum. This helps to prepare them for life in modern Britain.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders ensure that there is a wide range of enrichment opportunities and educational outings that broaden pupils' interests and experiences. Leaders track pupils' participation in these activities. All pupils, including those who face barriers to participation, benefit from this. The school's drama, art and sports clubs are particularly popular with pupils. Sixth-form students frequently lead activities for younger pupils.

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Needs attention

The school provides effective pastoral support to pupils. The pastoral team works closely with the special educational needs team. This enables pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to receive the support that they need at the right time. The school's personal development programme has a positive impact on pupils' behaviour.

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Needs attention

The school's careers programme is comprehensive. It includes work experience and impartial careers advice and guidance for pupils, including those in the sixth form. As a result, they are prepared well to make decisions about the next phase of their education, training or employment. Pupils who attend the school's resourced provision also make use of this guidance.

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Achievement Needs attention

Pupils across Years 7 to 11 do not achieve as well as they should across the curriculum and in national examinations by the end of Year 11. This includes pupils with barriers to their learning. There have been some small improvements in pupils' achievement in a few subjects. However, it is too early to see the impact of leaders' work to improve the achievement of pupils across the curriculum.

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Achievement Needs attention

In some subjects in Years 7 to 11, pupils remember what they have studied. However, in most subjects pupils often have some gaps in their knowledge. This means they are not well prepared to build their knowledge securely over time. The quality of pupils' work is variable across the curriculum. Many pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, have weak handwriting, and make frequent spelling and grammatical errors.

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Achievement Needs attention

In the sixth form, students achieve outcomes that are above national averages. Students remember what they have been taught over time and produce high-quality work.

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

Pupils' attendance has been below the national average for some time. This includes pupils experiencing disadvantage and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders prioritise attendance. However, the school's attendance strategy has not yet had the impact that leaders intend. Leaders and governors know that attendance remains a main priority for the school and they continue to develop their strategy to improve pupils' attendance.

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

Pupils typically behave well in lessons and around the school. Leaders have put in place clear behaviour systems. Pupils understand leaders' high expectations for behaviour. As a result, pupils are calm in school most of the time. Leaders provide individual interventions to support pupils who need to improve their behaviour. This includes work with outside agencies and providers to ensure that pupils receive effective support when needed. Pupils find this support helps them to improve their behaviour. Suspensions are used appropriately and are declining over time. Leaders acknowledge the need to reduce suspensions further. When bullying occurs, pupils report that staff deal with any incidents. When pupils use derogatory or discriminatory language, leaders take appropriate action. Pupils' pride in their work and enthusiasm for learning are variable.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Staff implementation of the curriculum is variable across Years 7 to 11. While leaders are taking action to improve this, much of the work that has taken place is very recent. It is too soon to tell if it has had the impact that leaders intend across subjects. Teachers do not typically use assessment well to check pupils' understanding. Gaps in pupils' knowledge and skills are not identified as quickly as they should be. Too many pupils have gaps in their knowledge and understanding as a result. Teachers do not routinely probe pupils' thinking to deepen their knowledge.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The curriculum is broad and balanced and identifies the most important knowledge that pupils should learn. Teachers demonstrate secure subject knowledge. Some staff adapt learning well to meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). However, this is inconsistent across the curriculum in Years 7 to 11. The school's programme to support pupils who struggle to read and write is underdeveloped. This means that too many pupils are unable to access the curriculum fully. Leaders have plans in place to address this. They are beginning to check the impact of teaching on pupils' learning more effectively.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The sixth-form curriculum is implemented well. Teachers systematically check students' understanding and adapt their teaching appropriately to meet students', including those with SEND, needs.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders typically use appropriate systems to identify pupils' needs, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. However, some pupils' needs have not been identified well enough. Staff do not apply advice that they are given consistently in lessons. As a result, some pupils with barriers to learning do not routinely receive the support that they need. Leaders are aware of this and are taking steps to address this.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders work with a range of outside organisations, and seek specialist advice to support pupils and their families. Leaders ensure that children in care are provided with effective support. Where necessary, they work closely with the local authority to provide bespoke support for these pupils when needed. Pupils with more complex needs are supported by skilful and nurturing staff in the school's resourced provision. These pupils are fully included in the life of the school.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders make decisions about the use of alternative provision in the interests of pupils. They make appropriate welfare checks to ensure that these pupils are safe. However, leaders' checks on the quality of the education that pupils receive while attending alternative provision are inconsistent. Additional funding to support disadvantaged pupils does not have the impact that leaders intend. Leaders know this. They are developing a revised strategy to use additional funding more effectively.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders and governors know the school well. They understand the school's strengths and priorities for improvement. They have appointed new leaders to key roles to support further improvement. The pastoral support that pupils receive has been strengthened. Leaders' work typically focuses on the right priorities. Some actions to improve the school are at the very early stages of implementation or have not taken place. As a result, it is too soon to see their impact and in some cases, actions have not taken place quickly enough.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The actions that leaders take are in the best interests of pupils. For instance, leaders' work to develop provision in school for pupils who find it harder to engage with their learning has resulted in a reduction in the use of alternative provision. Leaders have recently planned a renewed professional learning programme for staff. This is in the very early stages of implementation. This includes plans to work with other schools to support staff to improve their teaching. Staff value the training that has taken place so far.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Governors ensure that the school meets its statutory duties. Governors typically challenge leaders and hold them to account. Leaders ensure that staff wellbeing is considered and that staff workload is managed sensibly. Most staff are proud to work at the school. Teachers at the beginning of their career feel well supported. Leaders and governors are developing more opportunities for parents and carers to engage with the school through events, such as parental engagement meetings.

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

Staff build warm relationships with pupils at Titus Salt School. This is evident from the start of the day, when pupils are welcomed into school by staff. Pupils feel safe and most have a trusted adult that they can go to if they have any worries or concerns. Students in the sixth form are positive role models for younger pupils.

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

Most pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. High-quality pastoral support helps pupils to improve their behaviour if necessary. If bullying happens, most pupils are confident that staff will deal with this effectively. Leaders prioritise pupils' attendance. However, some pupils, including pupils experiencing disadvantage, do not attend school regularly. This limits their achievement and their involvement in school life.

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

Pupils in Years 7 to 11 receive inconsistent teaching. Pupils' pride in their work is mixed and they are often passive in lessons. When teachers adapt the curriculum to support learning, pupils learn effectively. However, barriers to pupils' learning are not identified consistently and action is not taken quickly enough to close gaps in learning. As a result, pupils in Years 7 to 11 do not achieve as well as they should. Over time, pupils' achievement by the end of Year 11 across the curriculum has been significantly below national averages. The quality of students' work in the sixth form is of a high standard. They receive expert teaching and achieve well across the curriculum.

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

Pupils enjoy the wide range of extra curricular activities that the school offers. These include work experience, university visits, poetry workshops, overseas trips and further education taster days. Leaders ensure that all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, have the opportunity to participate in these activities. The school's comprehensive careers programme prepares pupils well to make informed decisions about their next steps in education, employment or training.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure that staff use assessment well to check pupils' understanding. Teachers should use this information to make changes to their teaching to address pupils' misconceptions and adapt the curriculum as necessary. Leaders should ensure that gaps in pupils’ foundational knowledge, such as in reading and writing, are quickly identified and closed. Leaders should ensure that barriers to pupils' learning, including those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are effectively identified. Leaders should ensure that classroom strategies to address these barriers are routinely implemented by all staff. Leaders should continue to refine their attendance strategy to improve pupils’ attendance and reduce persistent absence. Leaders should ensure that pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, achieve the outcomes of which they are capable by the end of key stage 4. Leaders at all levels should focus their efforts on addressing the school's main priorities

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Next steps

for improvement. As part of this, they should review the impact of their actions robustly, and ensure that improvements are sustained.

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About this inspection

The chair of the board of governors is Shirley Craven.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2025.

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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

Inspection activities: Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, senior leaders and several other staff. The lead inspector spoke to members of the school's governing body, including the vice chair of governors and a representative from the local authority.

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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 11 with information and engagement about approved

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Team inspectors:

Peter Cole, Ofsted Inspector Sam Broome, Ofsted Inspector Chris Sergeant, His Majesty's Inspector Paul Greenough, Ofsted Inspector Sarah Chamings, 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. technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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What does this mean?

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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What does this mean?

The school includes provision for 31 pupils with complex needs in a specially resourced provision.

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What does this mean?

The school currently makes use of 3 alternative education providers, all of which are unregistered. Inspectors made contact with each of these providers.

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What does this mean?

Since the last inspection, a new headteacher and 2 new deputy headteachers have been appointed.

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What does this mean?

Headteacher: Philip Temple National average: 1,067

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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. National average: 13.4%

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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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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

2022/23 (final) 41.8 46.3 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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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

2022/23 (final) -0.59 -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

2023/24 (final) 35.58 34.38 Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (final) 35.34 34.16 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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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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national average

2024/25 (2 term) 25.6% 21.9% Close to average

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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. 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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