Biddulph High School

Biddulph High School

Address: Conway Road, Knypersley, Biddulph, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, ST8 7AR Unique reference number (URN): 137356

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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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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders are committed to ensuring that pupils who face barriers to learning and/or their wellbeing receive appropriate support. There are clear systems in place for identifying pupils' needs, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders have a secure understanding of pupils' needs. They ensure this information is passed on to staff. Leaders provide training to develop staff expertise in adapting teaching and supporting pupils effectively. A regular cycle of review enables leaders to make adjustments in response to pupils' needs. Strategies such as SEND coffee mornings allow parents and carers to play an active role in shaping their children's provision. Such events strengthen parents' engagement with leaders and staff.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders use additional funding to support disadvantaged pupils and provide access to opportunities in line with their peers. Pupils benefit from bespoke approaches to address any barriers to learning. For example, a smaller tutor group provides individualised support for those pupils who need it. Leaders maintain oversight of those pupils who are known to social care. Staff know who these pupils are and what support is in place for them. Leaders work closely with external partners to ensure pupils' academic and pastoral needs are met.

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Post-16 provision Expected standard

Leaders have designed a curriculum that meets students’ needs and supports their future plans. Students can study a range of A-level, vocational and T-level subjects. They receive additional English and mathematics teaching as needed. Leaders regularly monitor students’ achievement in lessons so that support can be put in place if necessary.

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Post-16 provision Expected standard

Teaching is more consistent than in the rest of the school and shows the impact of professional development. Teachers demonstrate secure subject knowledge. Students are engaged in their learning. Teachers ensure that students' knowledge accumulates through their use of questioning and more precise checks on understanding. Achievement in the sixth form is close to national averages and students typically make progress from their starting points.

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Post-16 provision Expected standard

Student learning and wellbeing are supported through targeted teaching and pastoral support. Leaders ensure that any barriers students face are addressed. Students benefit from a range of wider activities. These include charity work, leadership roles, mentoring younger pupils and individual coaching. Initiatives such as 'wellbeing Wednesdays' help to prepare them for their next steps.

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Post-16 provision Expected standard

Careers guidance is effective. Students receive practical support to move on to appropriate education, employment and training. Work experience with local employers is valued. Students with additional needs receive tailored support to access suitable placements.

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Achievement Needs attention

While pupils' achievement in national examinations has improved since 2024, it is inconsistent across subjects. Outcomes in some national examinations are in line with national averages, particularly for disadvantaged pupils. Outcomes in English improved in 2025. However, previously high- or middle-attaining pupils do not make sufficient progress from their starting points; they achieve below the national average in external examinations.

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Achievement Needs attention

This variable achievement is evident for current pupils. While leaders have introduced strategies to support pupils' development of core subject knowledge and skills, the impact is not always evident in lessons or in pupils’ work. Pupils' recall of learning across the curriculum is uneven. Work in books highlights that some pupils are unable to complete tasks due to a lack of knowledge and understanding. Their work is often incomplete or of poor quality. Pupils in older year groups demonstrate more secure achievement. The number of pupils and students progressing on to education, employment or training has increased.

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

Leaders have established effective practices to support pupils to attend school regularly. They have introduced a renewed emphasis on all staff understanding their roles and responsibilities in promoting attendance. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) or those with barriers to attendance benefit from a collaborative approach. Any concerns are followed up appropriately and supportively. Overall, attendance is improving and close to the national average. Specific strategies have resulted in some improvements in persistent absence, including for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND. Leaders are clear that attendance remains a priority.

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

Leaders have focused on changing the culture and improving pupils' behaviour. This work is starting to have an impact. At the time of the inspection, inspectors saw calm lessons that allowed learning to take place. However, this positive behaviour is not embedded across the school. The views of a significant proportion of pupils, parents, carers and staff indicate that further work is needed to ensure that all pupils demonstrate positive behaviours and are fully engaged in learning. Survey responses highlight that, at times, poor behaviour outside the classroom impacts on the learning taking place in lessons. Leaders' actions have resulted in suspensions reducing over time, although the number of these remains above average for some groups of pupils. Most pupils feel that bullying is rare and if it did occur, it would typically be dealt with effectively.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders have refined the teaching and learning framework to support staff with their day-to- day practice and professional development. However, the quality of teaching is variable. Teachers do not consistently model leaders’ expectations for teaching and learning. This impacts on pupils' experiences in lessons. For example, teachers do not check pupils' understanding well in all subjects; when checks are made, they are not used effectively to adapt teaching. This leads to pupils not building on their previous learning or not being challenged sufficiently. Checks do not generally support pupils in addressing misconceptions. As a result, there is variability in pupils' knowledge.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The curriculum is broad and ambitious. It is designed to deepen pupils’ knowledge and understanding. Teachers generally have secure subject knowledge. In some lessons, they use tasks and activities well, and this allows pupils to connect lesson content to what they have learned before. Leaders have introduced programmes to support pupils' reading, writing and mathematics. These are helping pupils to progress. Leaders are developing their approach to supporting pupils' oracy.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Teachers usually adapt learning for pupils with barriers, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. These adaptations allow pupils with additional needs to access the curriculum as well as their peers.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Recently appointed leaders understand the school’s context, strengths and areas for development. They are ambitious for pupils and determined to raise aspirations. Leaders have prioritised key areas for improvement and introduced actions to strengthen provision. However, some of these have not been fully effective in addressing leaders' priorities. For example, variable teaching impacts negatively on pupils' learning and their achievement. That said, there are early signs that these actions are improving pupils’ daily experiences and have resulted in improvements in areas such as attendance.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Staff are generally positive about the direction the school is taking and most feel supported. Most staff are aware that leaders are mindful of their workload and wellbeing. Professional development is beginning to have a positive impact on staff and teachers. Leaders, including trust leaders, ensure that staff training supports improved provision for pupils, especially those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders have developed effective relationships with external organisations that benefit all pupils. However, their engagement with parents and carers has not been as successful. Many parents hold a negative view of the school.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Governors and trust leaders work well together to secure improvements and share a clear vision for the school. They understand their statutory duties, such as overseeing pupils' safety. They provide appropriate support and challenge, particularly around outcomes and pupils' attendance. However, in some areas, leaders’ evaluation of the school's work has been too positive, and actions have not always secured swift or precise improvement.

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Personal development and wellbeing Needs attention

Leaders have recently revised the personal development programme to strengthen provision. However, the newness of the curriculum and inconsistencies in its implementation mean that the programme does not have the intended impact on pupils. Variable teaching results in pupils having a superficial understanding of topics and issues. For example, pupils have not acquired an appropriate level of knowledge of fundamental British values such as democracy and individual freedom, and laws that protect differences such as race and gender. This limits the extent to which they are prepared for life after school. Leaders have ensured that the personal development programme meets all statutory requirements. It is delivered through weekly lessons and supported through form-time activities, assemblies and external speakers. The personal, social, health and economic curriculum supports pupils to develop knowledge of relationships and sex education and

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Personal development and wellbeing Needs attention

health education, mental health and wellbeing, and finance. Pupils’ knowledge of different religions and faiths is further developed through the religious studies curriculum. There is flexibility in the programme to support pupils' understanding of how to keep safe, both online and in a local context. Pupils’ safety is further supported through the effective pastoral team.

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Personal development and wellbeing Needs attention

Careers education is a strength. Leaders have developed the ‘My Futures’ programme, which involves local employers and education providers. This is designed to support the local economy and pupils’ own aspirations. Pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, benefit from work experience and individual guidance to help them make ambitious and informed choices.

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Personal development and wellbeing Needs attention

There is a range of enrichment and extra-curricular activities to support pupils' personal development. These include the 'ballers league', arts activities and book club. Leaders work hard to remove barriers to ensure inclusive participation. Nevertheless, some pupils do not engage with wider opportunities as fully as they could.

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

Pupils are happy at school. They value the positive relationships they have with friends and staff. Most pupils trust staff to help them with any concerns they have. Pupils report that they feel safe. If bullying does occur, pupils know that staff will typically deal with it appropriately.

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

A broad and ambitious curriculum supports pupils' future aspirations. In the most effective lessons, pupils benefit from positive learning experiences. They can recall what they have learned and know how to improve their work. Staff identify needs quickly for those pupils with barriers to their learning and wellbeing, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The support and adaptations staff provide reduce pupils' barriers. However, this is not consistent across the school. Inconsistencies in the delivery of the curriculum mean that some pupils do not engage fully in learning. Consequently, some pupils do not achieve as well as they could in lessons or in national examinations.

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

Pupils understand the importance of regular attendance. Overall, they attend school increasingly often. Pupils who do not attend regularly enough receive appropriate support to improve their attendance. Pupils' behaviour is typically calm in lessons. Pupils usually follow routines and respond to leaders' renewed high expectations. However, not all pupils meet these expectations. The behaviour of a minority of younger pupils impacts on learning across the school. Leaders' strategies to promote positive behaviour are not consistently implemented by all staff. As a result, some pupils experience disruption to school life.

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

Pupils benefit from a range of wider opportunities. They appreciate sports clubs, trips and activities, including The Duke of Edinburgh's award. Pupils benefit from a programme of experiences to support their personal development and future career aspirations. They learn key knowledge to prepare them for later life. However, some aspects of pupils' understanding related to personal development are not secure.

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Next steps

Leaders should improve the quality of education that pupils receive across all subjects so that pupils progress well and achieve more highly in lessons and national examinations. Leaders should ensure consistent, effective use of assessment to check pupils' understanding and address gaps in their knowledge. Leaders should continue to develop a culture where the importance of high behaviour expectations is consistently promoted by staff and understood by pupils, so that instances of poor behaviour continue to reduce. Leaders and governors should ensure that their constructive and positive engagement with all parents and carers supports improvements across the school.

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About this inspection

This school is part of Potteries Educational 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), Heather McLachlan, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Martin Jones.

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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 executive headteacher, the head of school, other school and trust leaders including the CEO, governors, members of staff and several groups of pupils 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 inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

The school does not use alternative provision.

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About this inspection

The head of school took up post in September 2025.

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About this inspection

The inspectors considered correspondence received during the inspection.

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Lead inspector:

Andrew Washbourne, His Majesty's Inspector

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Team inspectors:

Melanie Callaghan-Lewis, Ofsted Inspector Nicola Beech, His Majesty's Inspector Stuart Clarkson, His Majesty's Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This was the data available at the time of the full inspection, taken from different sources . More recent data may have been published since the full inspection took place.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The inspector(s) used this data during the full inspection on 28 April 2026

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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 6 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 needs support 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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national average

2022/23 (final) 45.1% 45.3% 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 (final) 43.3 46.1 Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (final) 46.2 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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national average

2022/23 (final) -0.25 -0.03 Close to average

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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 (final) 28.9% 25.8% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (final) 24.2% 25.2% 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 (final) 33.6 34.9 Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (final) 32.7 34.6 Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (final) 35.3 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) -0.83 -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) 31.31 34.38 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 (final) -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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national average

2024/25 (3 term) 8.7% 8.4% Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 8.8% 8.9% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 9.2% 9.0% Close to average

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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 (3 term) 22.5% 23.4% Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 25.5% 25.6% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 25.7% 26.5% 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.

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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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