A Herefordshire secondary school has been rated as ‘good’ following a recent visit by Ofsted.
Ofsted visited Weobley High School on 24th and 25th January 2023.
The report said:
“Happiness is central to daily life at Weobley High School.
“Almost every pupil enjoys school. They know they belong to an inclusive community where people respect and care for each other.
“Pupils talk to each other, staff and visitors with respect and good humour. They are open when sharing their views and opinions because school leaders have created opportunities for them to be heard. Pupils feel safe in school. If bullying happens, leaders deal with it promptly.
“Pupils enjoy learning a wide range of subjects. They appreciate the way teachers help them to learn and are confident that they will be successful. The curriculum is carefully thought out in most subjects, but there are a few subjects where the curriculum is not as strong. Pupils are well-prepared for their next steps in education and beyond.
“Most pupils take advantage of the clubs and activities the school provides beyond the curriculum. From rugby to drama to cooking, there is usually an extra-curricular opportunity that will appeal.
“Younger pupils enjoy the variety of the workshops they have on ‘Enrichment Tuesdays’, including animation and philosophy. Older pupils value contributing to the school community through being prefects and buddy readers.
“Leaders believe that a happy pupil will enjoy their learning and be more successful. They have shaped a curriculum that is not only broad, but is also flexible from one year to the next.
“There is a lengthy process of consultation with Year 9 pupils and their parents and carers to ensure that the offer for key stage 4 is well-matched to the pupils’ needs and interests wherever possible.
“For example, the school employs a part-time dance teacher to provide GCSE Dance for a small number of pupils.
“There is clear ambition behind the curriculum.
“This extends from ensuring that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have full access to the same curriculum as their peers, to the academic depth of learning that takes place in the ‘express groups’ lessons.
“The curriculum in each subject has been logically planned to build pupils’ knowledge from the start of Year 7 to the end of Year 11. Sometimes, the structure of the curriculum weaves together the important content and the subject-specific skills required for success very well.
“For example, pupils understand how they are becoming more sophisticated writers in English from one year to the next, regardless of the topic they are currently learning about. This skilful curriculum planning is not as secure in a few subjects.”
Full report – https://weobleyhigh.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/10256996-Weobley-High-School-116952-final-002.pdf
