Arden

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 14 June 2022

Senior leaders' exceptionally high aspirations permeate school life. They expect high standards of all staff, pupils and themselves. On the whole, these standards are met. Pupils enjoy attending. All staff want pupils to thrive and achieve strong academic outcomes. Pupils frequently do and they flourish. Leaders have carefully planned a wide-ranging enrichment programme to further pupils' interests and talents. This includes more than 70 activities that pupils can choose from during the school week. For example, an LGBTQ+ club, chess club and numerous music and drama activities. Many pupils attend regularly. Pupils value these opportunities and say that there is something for everyone to do. Pupils are safe and happy. They know who to turn to if they are worried about something. Pupils are friendly, courteous and welcoming. They behave well in lessons and around school. When bullying happens, staff deal with it swiftly and effectively. Pupils and staff speak about the 'Arden family' - where no one is left out. The positive relationships between staff and pupils are a joy to observe. Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the school. They value the pastoral support and the many opportunities provided for their children both academically and to further their personal development.

What the school should improve

• Some teachers do not match learning activities to pupils' needs carefully enough, especially for pupils with SEND. When this is the case, pupils' work can be of low quality, left unfinished or not completed. In some cases, pupils can lose focus from their learning. Leaders should ensure that all staff consider consistently the needs of all pupils when deciding on learning activities.
• Teachers do not use assessment effectively enough on some occasions to check what pupils have learned and can remember. This means that gaps in pupils' knowledge are not always addressed swiftly enough. Leaders should make sure that all staff use assessment consistently well to check pupils' understanding before moving learning on.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)