Other · Ofsted report

Danesfield Church of England Voluntary Controlled Community Middle School

Inspected — · URN 140631

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Summary

No overall grade in this framework

Kelly Olive

What we read, and from where

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Inspectors verified
Kelly Olive
Postcode verified
TA4 4SW
Name on report verified
Danesfield Church of England Voluntary Controlled Community Middle School Monitoring inspection: 23 June 2026
URN verified
140631

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Tone of the report

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−27Mixedmore positive than 12% of reports of this type

Reads more critically than most reports of this type.

Praisepositivestrengthseffectivelyimprovingimprovedhigh expectationsconsistentlyaccurate

Criticismweaknessespoorgapsnot consistentlyconcernsstrugglelacknot well prepared

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FindingsSafeguardingAbout the inspectionWhat needs to improveLeadership positive critical

Findings475w−17
Leadership224w+28
Safeguarding51w−11
What needs to improve1242w−34

Strengths

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No standout praise found.

Concerns

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Next steps

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Anatomy of the report

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Pages: 16
Words of findings: 1,992; longer than usual (typical 1049)
Reading level: Hard; Flesch 46, typical 45
Average sentence: 15 words
Next steps: 8; typical 5
Hedged sentences: 11%; “some”, “not always”, “most”…

Where the words go

Findings 16%Leadership 8%Safeguarding 2%What needs to improve 42%About the inspection 33%

Full report text

Controlled Community Middle School

Address: North Road, Williton, Taunton, Somerset, TA4 4SW Unique reference number (URN): 140631

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Monitoring inspection: 23 June 2026

Urgent improvement This school had a full inspection on 9 December 2025 . We graded some areas as 'urgent improvement' and 'needs attention' from the full inspection. We carried out a monitoring inspection on 23 June 2026. Inspectors only considered the areas marked as updated.

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Monitoring inspection: 23 June 2026

Inspectors focused on the following areas: Attendance and behaviour, Curriculum and teaching.

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Monitoring inspection: 23 June 2026

To find out more read our monitoring inspection guidance.

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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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This school requires significant improvement

His Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement because it is performing significantly less well than it might in all the circumstances reasonably be expected to perform.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders have yet to fully embed an inclusive school culture. Leaders have not ensured that staff have the knowledge and expertise to best support pupils to overcome their individual barriers to learning or personal development.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Recently introduced systems have improved the accurate identification of the needs of individual pupils. This information has begun to be communicated with staff to help them support pupils to overcome their challenges. This has increased the levels of learning pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) complete, which is now more similar to their peers. Similarly, disadvantaged pupils and pupils at risk of permanent exclusion are now benefiting from this work.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Recent work around inclusion has focused on building trust and confidence in the school’s offer with families. Leaders acknowledge the need to increase staff expertise and knowledge to help ensure that appropriate adjustments and adaptations are made to pupils’ learning and development. Currently, the quality of this support is variable. The expectations of pupils who have increased vulnerabilities, particularly those with SEND, are not high enough. This is hampered further by the widespread weaknesses in the curriculum more generally.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

A prolonged period of instability within the school and the multi academy trust has hampered efforts to bring about the necessary improvement.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Despite this, recently appointed school leaders have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. In the short amount of time since starting leaders have identified and prioritised the initial areas to improve. Leaders have begun to develop a more positive culture, including around behaviour, and by starting to strengthen relationships with families. They have achieved some early successes, such as improving the support in place for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders have begun to support staff to deliver the curriculum well. This work is at an early stage. Leaders recognise that improving the school may have a negative impact on staff wellbeing and workload. They have tried to reduce this impact. For instance, staff have additional time allocated for professional learning.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Governors have started to improve their systems and expertise so that they can better support and challenge the school. They are now clear on their core functions and the responsibilities they have for statutory areas. They are at an early stage of improving their engagement with parents and the community.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Parents have significant concerns about all aspects of the school. However, they are typically more positive about how leaders act in the best interests of pupils.

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Personal development and wellbeing Needs attention

Leaders have recently revised the personal, social and health education curriculum to make sure that it is suitable for the age and phase of pupils. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe, including online, and about healthy relationships. However, the current classroom experience for pupils means that they are not developing the knowledge and skills linked to these important topics as effectively as they should.

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Personal development and wellbeing Needs attention

The pastoral support of pupils is a high priority at this school. Leaders have ensured that pupils have access to wellbeing support.

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Personal development and wellbeing Needs attention

Pupils are inquisitive about their own beliefs. Spirituality is explored through shared moments of reflection. Class reading books help pupils to discuss different views about topics such as organ transplantations. The school engages with wider community events such as the ‘Christmas Tree Festival’ and charity fundraising. Through these experiences, pupils learn about their role as active citizens. This is increasingly helping pupils to celebrate diversity and difference.

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Personal development and wellbeing Needs attention

The opportunities for pupils to develop their talents and interests are increasing. School productions and talent shows are particular highlights. Pupils talk enthusiastically about what they have learned on recent school visits. Pupils are proud to represent their school in sporting competitions. Leadership roles such as school chaplains are helping older pupils act as role models.

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Urgent improvement

The careers curriculum provides pupils with experiences of the world of work. Guest speakers and workshops help pupils learn valuable skills such as personal finance. Leaders work closely with the local upper school to support pupils in making choices about future qualifications that align with their ambitions.

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Achievement Urgent improvement

Pupils do not achieve as well as they should. Many pupils do not read or write well and have gaps in their mathematics knowledge. They are not well prepared for their next stages in learning.

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Achievement Urgent improvement

Many pupils, particularly those who are disadvantaged, are poorly supported to learn well. Pupils struggle to remember what they have studied before. As a result, they are unable to build on their learning to deepen their understanding.

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Achievement Urgent improvement

Pupils do not achieve well in national tests taken at the end of Year 6.

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Achievement Urgent improvement

Pupils’ classwork is not of a high standard. The quality of written work for pupils of all ages is generally poor. It shows a lack of understanding of the curriculum they have been taught. Pupils’ work often lacks basic skills, such as high-quality handwriting and the correct use of punctuation.

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Attendance and behaviour Updated Urgent improvement

Since the previous full inspection, leaders have put in place an appropriate attendance strategy that identifies some of the barriers pupils face. They are now more closely monitoring pupils' attendance over time and considering any patterns or trends. Leaders have started to take positive action to reduce pupils' absence such as working collaboratively with families and other agencies. However, attendance remains stubbornly low. This is most notable for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged pupils, many of whom are regularly absent from school.

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Attendance and behaviour Updated Urgent improvement

Pupils' attitudes to learning and their behaviour around the school is improving. Pupils have a growing confidence that leaders will listen to their views and that sanctions will be issued fairly. The number of serious behaviour incidents, and the number of pupils being referred to the school's re-set room, are reducing. However, with the continued turbulence in staffing, the behaviour policy is not yet implemented consistently. It is too dependent on leaders being highly visible around the school to role model their high expectations to pupils and to staff. Some poor behaviour in lessons and at social times persists, especially where pupils' relationships with staff are less well established.

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Curriculum and teaching Updated Urgent improvement

Leaders have introduced a coherent, evidence-based set of teaching and learning principles. This provides clear expectations for teachers about how they should deliver the curriculum to pupils. Some teachers are beginning to use these within their daily practice. However, leaders know there is much more to do. Due to continued staffing changes, and the lack of expertise of some staff, pupils' experiences in lessons often do not help them to learn the curriculum effectively.

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Curriculum and teaching Updated Urgent improvement

Staff have a developing understanding of the needs and barriers that pupils experience, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are disadvantaged. However, teaching is not adapted well enough to meet the needs of these groups of pupils.

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Curriculum and teaching Updated Urgent improvement

Too many pupils with gaps in their foundational knowledge of reading, writing and mathematics do not get the support they need. Leaders have started to identify which pupils have fallen behind, but this is in its early stages. Consequently, staff have not consistently been helping pupils to close these gaps. Therefore, for many pupils, these gaps persist.

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Curriculum and teaching Updated Urgent improvement

Leaders have ensured that there is a broad and balanced curriculum. The curriculum makes clear what pupils should learn and it is designed to help pupils build their knowledge over time. Leaders know which aspects of the curriculum need to improve further.

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Monitoring inspection : 23 June 2026

The leadership of the school has now stabilised and has been further strengthened by new appointments. Leaders continue to show a secure understanding of the school's current strengths and weaknesses. Leaders have welcomed support and challenge from the trust and beyond. They have identified the right priorities to move the school forwards, and have taken positive first steps on this improvement journey. Consequently, pupils are feeling more confident about their future at Danesfield. They are starting to enjoy their learning, particularly those in Year 5 who have experienced less disruption over time.

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Monitoring inspection : 23 June 2026

However, the high rate of absence continues, which means that some pupils have significant gaps in their knowledge. Pupils do not receive consistently high-quality teaching across the curriculum. Therefore, pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, underachieve. They are not well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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Monitoring inspection : 23 June 2026

Pupils have a growing confidence that leaders will take action if they report concerns about bullying. Records show that incidents of this nature are reducing. They have trusted adults they can talk to about any worries. Pupils are welcoming and courteous to visitors. However, where relationships with staff are less secure, some poor behaviour continues.

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Monitoring inspection : 23 June 2026

Pupils continue to be positive about the many clubs and trips the school offers. For example, the recent Year 5 residential provided pupils with the opportunity to try new adventurous activities and develop their teamwork and resilience. The school council has a positive impact on improving school life, such as with their campaign to increase the number of picnic benches. Pupils appreciate the school's end-of-year events which are a reward for those who have shown consistent effort and positive behaviour.

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