Corfe Hills School

Corfe Hills School

Address: Higher Blandford Road, Broadstone, Dorset, BH18 9BG Unique reference number (URN): 136574

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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 Expected standard

Achievement in key stage 4 is similar to the national averages overall. The school’s focus on ensuring that pupils gain at least a basic GCSE pass in both English and mathematics was very successful in 2025 and above the national average. Disadvantaged pupils have achieved well in mathematics and science over time. In many subjects, these pupils achieve more in this school than they do in similar schools.

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Achievement Expected standard

Achievement in the sixth form has declined in recent years. However, in the past twelve months, leaders have taken effective steps to bring about necessary improvements. More time is needed for the impact of this work to be seen in students’ achievement at the end of Year 13.

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Achievement Expected standard

Pupils, including those with barriers to their learning, gain and build knowledge well in most subjects. This is most apparent in the sixth form, where students readily engage with their subjects at a high level and produce quality work. Pupils and students gain the qualifications they need to support ambitious next steps into higher education, employment and apprenticeships.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders have brought about improvements in pupils’ attendance over the past two years. Overall attendance is now in line with the national average. The attendance of disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities has risen too. The rate of persistent absence has dropped markedly, including among disadvantaged pupils, for whom this has proven a real barrier. There is more to do to further refine the school’s strategy to further improve the attendance of these pupils. However, leaders are having a consistently positive impact with those they have focused on and continue to strive to better understand and reach more pupils and families.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Over the same two-year period, the trust has supported the school to dramatically reduce the number of suspensions, while maintaining a high standard of behaviour. Pupils rarely experience low-level disruption. Those who previously experienced repeat suspensions now miss less school and are learning how to meet the school’s expectations. The needs of pupils who struggle with this due to the additional barriers they face are considered. Leaders and those responsible for governance recognise the need to continue to support these pupils to keep them in school. When bullying does happen, staff take it seriously and take fair and appropriate action. Leaders keep detailed records of examples of bullying which they use to address any themes with the whole school.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have ensured that teaching approaches are informed by research evidence and applied consistently, including in the sixth form. Learning is generally presented in an accessible way, helping pupils with barriers such as special educational needs and/or disabilities to be successful. The school’s ongoing programme of professional development helps teachers to check understanding systematically and adapt teaching where needed. Where teaching does not support pupils’ achievement well enough, leaders take steps to correct this, reassure parents, and provide the conditions for teaching to improve.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Regular opportunities for reading shared texts are built into the school day. Pupils who need to develop greater fluency receive support from trained sixth form students. Those who need to catch up follow a targeted programme with trained staff. Teachers are aware of the writing skills that pupils need to develop for success in their subject. These form part of the subject curriculums each year and are kept under review. Leaders recognise that some aspects of the teaching of reading and writing could be developed further, for example, through handwriting support and phonics teaching if appropriate.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The school identifies and address any gaps in pupils’ knowledge of reading and mathematics, so that these do not persist over time. Curriculum time is organised so that pupils who need to catch up have the opportunity to do so. Although pupils join the school in Year 9, leaders are alert to any special educational needs that may present at this time. As pupils’ needs change over time, the school adapts its approach until their needs are met again.

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Inclusion Expected standard

There remains work to do to improve the attendance of disadvantaged pupils. Nonetheless, these pupils generally achieve well compared to their national peers with above average attainment in some subjects. The school’s strategy for raising attainment is well focused on activities that will make a difference, although leaders’ approach to monitoring the impact of their provision sometimes lacks rigour.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The school supports pupils who are known to social care well, working closely with the virtual school. Young carers receive enhanced pastoral support as well as any adaptations that they need to be successful.

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Inclusion Expected standard

A small number of pupils access learning through one or more alternative providers. The trust helps to ensure that regular checks are carried out to check the safety and suitability of the provision.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders, including trust leaders and local governors, have worked together over two years to bring about necessary improvements to aspects of the school’s work that were not working well. The trust has supported the school to prioritise the right things, such as raising attendance and reducing the number of suspensions. These improvements have been secured while maintaining standards in behaviour and achievement in key stage 4. Leaders in the sixth form have created the conditions for achievement to improve. Although there is more to do to ensure that pupils gain the range of knowledge they need through the personal development programme, leaders have acted to strengthen teaching and ensure the stable delivery of the essential curriculum content over time.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Following a series of changes to the leadership and staffing arrangements, staff recognise that improvements are becoming embedded. The professional development programme for

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Needs attention

staff identifies relevant areas to support continued improvement. Leaders engage well with both staff and parent communities and respond appropriately to their views and experiences.

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Needs attention

The local school committee adds considerable value to the governance of the school. Its members provide rigorous challenge and welcome support to the school’s leaders, staff and pupils.

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Personal development and wellbeing Needs attention

Over time, the taught elements of the school’s personal development programme have not had enough impact. While some pupils know and can reflect upon our fundamental British values, many are unfamiliar with these ideas, or they have misconceptions. Although pupils' behaviour is typically sensible and safe, they cannot easily recall details of their learning about healthy relationships and online safety. Pupils’ knowledge of different cultures and faiths is inconsistent and few are familiar with the provisions in law to protect people with different characteristics. Leaders have re-written the curriculum to address this. Pupils have begun to follow a well-designed programme which covers all statutory elements and more. Staff have appropriate training to support the teaching of new and sensitive topics. However, it is too soon for the improved curriculum to have had the impact that leaders intend. More

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Personal development and wellbeing Needs attention

time is needed for pupils to build up their knowledge.

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Personal development and wellbeing Needs attention

Leaders want every pupil to enjoy a club that is right for them and to access trips and visits. Disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities participate well in the wider life of the school. The school creates opportunities for young carers to meet up. There is a growing array of leadership opportunities, especially in the sixth form. Through their leadership roles, pupils and students are increasingly able to point to aspects of school life that they have helped to enhance or improve.

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Personal development and wellbeing Needs attention

Pupils and students in the sixth form benefit from a well-planned careers programme. This includes opportunities to learn through work experience and encounters with employers and education providers. In the sixth form, students are encouraged to interview for and consider offers of apprenticeships as well as higher education. For pupils with additional barriers, advice is more targeted and the school works in partnership with the virtual school and the local authority to identify suitable opportunities and placements.

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Post-16 provision Needs attention

Achievement in the sixth form has been below the national averages in recent years. In response to this, leaders have taken effective steps to raise expectations, reset the learning culture and improve the quality of teaching. Students’ attendance is now regular. Students value their learning as well as the school’s facilities and the support provided with study skills. They benefit from consistent teaching which helps them to build knowledge over time and produce work of the quality required for success in their courses. These changes need to be sustained over time for the impact to be demonstrated in students’ achievements in national examinations.

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Post-16 provision Needs attention

Students benefit from an aspirational sixth-form culture. Leaders and staff get to know each student very well. They identify any barriers that may limit their achievement and reduce these. For example, students who have struggled to attend regularly in the past are supported to establish a pattern of regular attendance in the sixth form. Across the sixth form, students are very keen to get involved in leadership opportunities. There are many routes through which they positively influence school life, while developing their confidence as speakers and in social situations.

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

Pupils, including those who are disadvantaged and those with other barriers to their learning, achieve well in key stage 4. They reliably gain important qualifications in English and mathematics. In the sixth form, students have not achieved well in recent years but the conditions are now in place for this to improve. For example, students now attend well and make the most of the facilities and study support opportunities on offer. Sixth-form students give their time generously to support wider school life by leading clubs and activities for younger pupils.

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

Across the school, well-established and efficient routines help to ensure that everyone is ready for learning each day. There are high expectations of behaviour. Pupils listen to staff and cooperate well in lessons, creating an atmosphere which supports learning. Pupils are encouraged to play a more active part in their learning by working in pairs to develop their confidence and communication skills. They are expected to spend time applying their knowledge independently.

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

The school values pupils’ views. Regular surveys help to inform improvements to their day- to-day experiences. For example, pupils told staff that they were not sure how to raise concerns about bullying. The school responded by training over thirty pupils as anti-bullying ambassadors. This helped the school to build a fuller picture of pupils’ experiences and tackle unkind behaviours proactively.

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

The curriculum includes some powerful opportunities for pupils to think about the impact of social problems such as misogyny and knife crime. However, in the past, despite presentations in lessons and assemblies, pupils have not learned and remembered what they need to know to be responsible adults who reflect fundamental British values. They do not know enough about the diverse people that make up modern Britain or how the law helps to ensure equal rights for people with different characteristics.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure that the programme to support pupils’ personal development fully prepares pupils for the experiences of adulthood. They should check that the curriculum effectively increases pupils’ knowledge of different people’s faiths and values, including our fundamental British values, and develops their understanding of how the law protects the rights of people with different characteristics. Leaders should improve student achievement in the sixth form, by maintaining and embedding further the culture of high expectations and aspiration that they have begun to establish. Leaders should reduce the rate of persistent absence among disadvantaged pupils further by addressing any remaining barriers to regular school attendance for these pupils. Leaders should increase the rigour with which they monitor and evaluate the impact of their work in inclusion, so that this is more systematic and provides consistent assurances

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Next steps

of the difference the provision is making to pupils.

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About this inspection

This school is part of Initio Learning 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), Brian Boyes (interim), and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Deborah Fleming.

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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 (HMI) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMI.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, members of the senior leadership team, the interim CEO of the multi-academy trust, one trustee and three members of the local school committee, including the chair and vice chair, during the inspection.

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About this inspection

The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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About this inspection

The school currently makes use of seven alternative provisions, including five that are unregistered.

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About this inspection

The school joined the Initio Learning Trust in October 2024. A new headteacher was appointed in April 2026.

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Team inspectors:

Mike Foley, Ofsted Inspector Jonty Archibald, Ofsted Inspector Helen Kerr, Ofsted Inspector Anna Mills, Ofsted 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 15 September 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

2024/25 (final) 46.2% 45.4% Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (final) 40.8% 45.9% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (final) 45.4% 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) 46.7 46.1 Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (final) 43.9 45.9 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

2023/24 (final) 0.01 -0.03 Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (final) 0.18 -0.03 Close to average

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national average

2021/22 (final) 0.19 -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) 31.7% 25.8% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' Attainment 8

A measure of disadvantaged pupils' point scores across 8 subjects including maths (double weighted), English (double weighted if both language and literature are taken), 3 EBacc measures and 3 GCSE or technical measures.

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national average

2024/25 (final) 35.7 34.9 Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (final) 38.5 34.6 Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (final) 37.2 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

2023/24 (final) -0.43 -0.57 Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (final) -0.56 -0.57 Close to average

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national average

2021/22 (final) -0.45 -0.55 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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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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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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