Belvidere School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 1 April 2025

One pupil, typical of many, says 'being at Belvidere now is to belong to a community and to believe that we can succeed.' This is because pupils recognise the many improvements which have been put in place in this school, as well as the new building they benefit from. Pupils understand the school's high expectations are helping most of them to make better choices. They speak highly of the support and care that they receive, and so they feel safe. They are also benefiting from an improved and more consistent curriculum. This means they are generally learning more consistently. However, there remains some variability, which means that sometimes pupils are not achieving as well as they could. The school has high expectations for behaviour, which are now more commonly understood. This means that behaviour in the school is typically calm and orderly. However, some pupils still find it difficult to meet these expectations and, as a result, are more often removed from lessons or receive sanctions. The school's 'Belvidere Baccalaureate' offers pupils a range of experiences to prepare them for the life beyond school. These include a variety of extracurricular and leadership activities, including chess, boxing and drama productions. Pupils appreciate these many opportunities, which enrich their experience.

What the school should improve

• The school has not ensured that assessment is used precisely enough to identify when pupils have fully understood their learning. As a result, some pupils do not develop the secure knowledge they need to apply to more complex tasks. The school should ensure that assessment is used effectively to check pupils' understanding, so they are ready to build on their learning and make sustained progress.
• A minority of pupils, often those who are more vulnerable, continue to find it difficult to meet the school's revised high expectations for behaviour. As a result, they are more likely to receive sanctions, including suspensions, which leads to missed learning and personal development opportunities. The school should ensure that these pupils receive ongoing support, so they are better able to meet the school's expectations for conduct.
• On occasions, some teaching strategies used do not align with the school's agreed approach to teaching and learning. This can result in pupils building a less secure body of knowledge over time. The school should ensure that staff are consistently supported to enable pupils to build and apply secure knowledge over time.
• There remain some pupils, including the more vulnerable, who miss too much school. As a result, they miss valuable learning and wider opportunities that support their academic and personal development. The school should continue to prioritise improving attendance to ensure that all pupils can benefit fully from the education and experiences it provides.

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