Brine Leas School in Nantwich has maintained its “good” rating after the latest Ofsted inspection.
Inspectors visited the Audlem Road school in May.
In its report, Ofsted highlighted positive elements including an “ambitious curriculum”, “needs of SEND pupils” and “mostly good pupil behaviour”.
But it also highlighted areas for improvement, including teachers not always “choosing most appropriate activities” and “older pupils not reading as widely as they should”.
The report said: “Teachers use their secure subject knowledge to help pupils and students broaden their understanding of key concepts.
“That said, some teachers in some subjects do not choose the most appropriate activities to deliver the knowledge that they want pupils to learn.
“Consequently, some pupils do not remember what they have learned previously.
“Leaders have recently improved the systems to help pupils who are in the early stages of learning to read. Weaker readers are supported well by staff trained in delivering phonics.
“This helps these pupils to become more confident and fluent in their reading.
“Teachers place a strong emphasis on developing pupils’ and students’ subject-specific vocabulary.”
Ofsted said pupils in key stage 3 benefited from a structured programme of “reading for pleasure”.
“However, some older pupils do not read regularly or widely as often as they should,” it adds.
“This stops them from deepening their learning across the curriculum.
“Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have their needs identified swiftly.
“They have access to the same curriculum as other pupils in the school.
“Pupils with SEND receive appropriate support in class. Most pupils with SEND achieve well.”
Inspectors said a “small number of pupils” struggled to adjust back into the routines after the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions eased.
And it said some staff who responded to Ofsted’s survey felt that “leaders do not support them well enough in managing pupils’ behaviour”.
Inspectors praised the way the “personal development curriculum” is designed and delivered.
BL6 was also praised for its “visits to universities and information about apprenticeships”.
“Almost all pupils in Year 11 and students in Year 13 move on to education, employment or training,” says the report.
“Most staff feel that leaders are considerate of their workload. Leaders are taking steps to reduce staff’s workload further.
“Trustees and governors are highly committed to the school community.
“They have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and priorities for improvement. Trustees and governors challenge and support leaders in equal measure.”
You can read the Ofsted report here
(image under creative commons licence by jaggery)
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