Marden High School

Marden High School

Address: Hartington Road, Cullercoats, North Shields, Tyne and Wear, NE30 3RZ Unique reference number (URN): 108627

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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

Leaders create a highly positive culture for learning. Pupils achieve very highly. Outcomes in published examinations at the end of Year 11 are consistently high across all subjects over time. This includes for disadvantaged pupils. Pupils are very well prepared for the next stage of their education, employment or training.

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Achievement Strong standard

Leaders ensure that pupils develop important skills in reading, handwriting and mathematics. If pupils have gaps in their basic knowledge and skills, staff provide support so that these close quickly. Pupils’ work shows that they have secure knowledge across all subjects. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those known or previously known to social care, demonstrate detailed knowledge and skills. The work they produce is high quality. They make secure progress through the curriculum from their individual starting points.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Leaders have established a culture that means pupils enjoy school and want to attend. Attendance levels are high. Leaders check attendance thoroughly so that they can act as soon as issues emerge. This early intervention often prevents attendance issues from escalating. Tailored strategies to improve individual attendance are in place. Leaders work closely with families to remove barriers to attendance. They provide bespoke support for those with the lowest attendance. This has a positive impact.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Leaders have high expectations for behaviour. They establish a school culture that is based on respect and focused on learning. Leaders ensure that pupils behave well in class and around the school. Clearly embedded systems and routines mean that pupils show self- discipline and care for others. Pupils say that bullying or unacceptable behaviour rarely happen. Staff deal with it effectively if it occurs. Different spaces in school provide a range of places for pupils to socialise happily with their friends at breaktimes and lunchtimes. Staff support pupils to improve their behaviour when it is needed. This includes working closely with families. Leaders keep check on pupils’ behaviour to enable them to spot patterns and trends. This helps staff to intervene early. Suspension levels are low, and leaders use permanent exclusion as a last resort.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders create a welcoming environment where all pupils feel well supported. Leaders identify pupils’ needs accurately and use clear systems to share appropriate information with staff. As a result of training, staff consistently use highly effective strategies to meet pupils’ needs.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The school has high expectations of all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders work very well with external agencies and parents and carers to share expertise and knowledge of pupils. Leaders respond swiftly to pupils’

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Expected standard

emerging or changing needs. They think carefully about how to integrate pupils who are new to the school so that they settle quickly.

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Expected standard

Leaders use additional funding effectively to support pupils and close gaps in their knowledge and skills. Leaders use research evidence to choose the right approaches. This ensures that all pupils attend more, achieve well and are ready for their next steps.

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Expected standard

Leaders and staff support pupils with additional barriers to participate in the wider life of the school. Effective support is in place for pupils who are looked after or known to social care. Leaders use alternative provision when this is in pupils’ best interests. They make regular checks on pupils’ academic progress, attendance and wellbeing to ensure the provision meets pupils' needs.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders ensure that the curriculum is carefully designed and sequenced so that pupils’ knowledge builds over time. Leaders understand the strengths of the curriculum and areas to develop further. They take action to check the quality of teaching.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Generally, staff teach the curriculum well. Teachers have secure subject knowledge and explain learning clearly to pupils. In the most effective lessons, staff use well-chosen activities to help pupils to learn and make progress through the curriculum. Teachers check understanding and deal with misconceptions quickly. Pupils can explain their learning in depth. For example, they explain their understanding of tectonics in geography and important aspects of Mary I’s reign in history. Leaders’ focus on teaching speaking skills is evident in pupils’ articulation of their learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders know that some pupils have gaps in important knowledge and skills in reading, handwriting and mathematics. They take effective action to ensure that staff support pupils to close these gaps quickly so that they catch up with their peers.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders prioritise ensuring that staff adapt their teaching to meet the needs of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff adapt lessons effectively to help all pupils learn and achieve well.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders demonstrate the school’s ethos of ‘hope, agency and leadership’. They have a clear understanding of the school’s context, strengths and areas for development. They focus on appropriate improvement priorities. They identify where action is needed and act quickly and effectively to make improvements. Evidence of leaders’ success can be seen, for example, in the achievement outcomes for pupils at the end of key stage 4 and attendance over time. Leaders have carefully managed the increase in pupil numbers in recent years so that pupils joining the school feel part of its community. Leaders work constructively with other schools and the local authority. Staff are overwhelmingly positive about the way leaders support their wellbeing and help them to manage their workload. They benefit from training time within departments to focus on developing the curriculum and their teaching expertise. Currently, leaders do not

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

consistently check to ensure that this training time always focuses sharply on whole-school priorities and has positive impact.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders develop constructive relationships with parents and carers. Parents praise the school for its community feel, helpful staff, support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and other barriers and the kind and nurturing environment.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Governors use clear systems to scrutinise leaders’ work. Governors understand the school’s context and its challenges. They meet their statutory duties effectively. For example, they check that leaders use additional funding for disadvantaged pupils appropriately. Governors have a clear sense of the strategic direction of the school and feel valued and supported.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders have designed a coherent personal development and wellbeing programme. Leaders respond to contextual risks as they arise and adapt the programme to meet pupils’ needs. They seek the views of pupils to help shape the curriculum.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils can recall important learning about topics such as risky behaviour, financial understanding and global citizenship. Through learning about fundamental British values, pupils develop their understanding of the importance of fairness and equality. Pupils learn about different world faiths, but some pupils in key stage 4 are not secure in their understanding of these.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders carefully consider the way in which staff teach the personal development and wellbeing offer. Much of this is in form tutor time, where close relationships enable pupils to discuss ideas confidently. Staff know pupils well, so they can adapt the curriculum and provide any extra support to suit different pupils’ needs. This includes meeting the needs of more vulnerable pupils.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

There is a rich offer of enrichment activities, competitions and challenges that support the development of pupils’ skills, talents and interests. This includes house challenges, sporting competitions, school productions and quizzes. Many activities run at lunchtime, enabling pupils to participate in clubs and activities within the school day. Leaders identify and remove barriers so that vulnerable pupils can participate in wider opportunities.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders ensure that pupils receive effective careers education. Staff teach this across different subjects so that pupils can link their learning to future careers. Leaders check pupils’ participation in careers activities. All pupils benefit from a careers interview. Staff provide additional support for those who need it, including some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Pupils have contact with local post-16 education providers. Most pupils progress to an appropriate destination after Year 11.

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

Pupils are proud to be part of Marden’s school community. They understand and value the school’s ethos of ‘hope, agency, leadership’.

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

Pupils feel part of a safe, welcoming and supportive community. They say bullying or unkind language rarely happens, and records support this. Pupils are confident that staff would deal with it quickly if it did happen. Staff know pupils well. More vulnerable pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), receive effective support. Pupils with SEND make secure progress through the curriculum from their starting points because staff remove barriers to their learning or wellbeing. They feel part of their community and valued. Pupils attend well and value learning. Their achievements at the end of key stage 4 are impressive over time. Pupils are ready and able to move on to their next steps.

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

Pupils take responsibility for their behaviour and learning. They show care towards each other and towards their school. Pupils benefit from a wide range of enrichment activities. Examples of extra-curricular clubs include robotics, astronomy and model railway. The annual school production enables pupils to develop their creativity and confidence. Pupils, including more vulnerable pupils, understand how to keep themselves safe and build positive relationships. They feel supported by the caring staff.

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

Pupils benefit from carefully planned personal development activities. Leadership opportunities develop students’ confidence and resilience. Pupils become student leaders in sporting, form and house captain roles. They also join the school cabinet and influence changes in school. Pupils participate in a wide range of activities that help to develop their character. They make a positive difference to their community. For example, pupils created a storybook for primary school pupils to help them explore feelings about starting secondary school. All pupils have a voice at Marden, and their voice is heard.

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Next steps

Leaders should further develop their systems and processes for checking different aspects of the school’s work, such as training time, to ensure that their actions always have the intended impact. Leaders should continue to embed their improvements to curriculum and teaching so that all staff teach the curriculum consistently well. Leaders should ensure that pupils develop detailed knowledge and skills in personal, social and health education and religious education, particularly in key stage 4.

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About this inspection

The chair of the board of governors in this school is Margaret Stewart.

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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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Lead inspector:

Karen Blackburn, His Majesty's Inspector

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Team inspectors:

Christine Durand, Ofsted Inspector Melanie Kane, Ofsted Inspector Kate Morris, Ofsted Inspector Chris Carr, 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 7 July 2026

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Total pupils

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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Total pupils

Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, school leaders and governors during the inspection. They spoke with staff and pupils. They visited lessons and looked at samples of pupils' work.

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Total pupils

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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Total pupils

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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Total pupils

The school currently makes use of 4 alternative provisions, including 2 that are unregistered.

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Total pupils

The school has undergone a significant change since the last inspection. The headteacher now has responsibility for another local school in addition to this one.

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Total pupils

The school has had a significant increase in the number of pupils on roll as a result of proposed local school closures. These pupils joined the school partway through their education.

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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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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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national average

2023/24 (final) 32.1% 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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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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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

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Urgent improvement

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