Codsall Community High School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 2 March 2023

Pupils are proud to be a part of this vibrant school. Leaders have high expectations for all pupils, and pupils live up to these expectations. Staff have developed positive relationships with their pupils and know them well. As a result, most pupils achieve well. Pupils feel safe at school. Bullying is rare, and when it does happen, pupils report it because they know that staff will deal with it. Pupils are well mannered and respectful and they engage well in lessons. They behave well and know that the staff have their best interests at heart. If pupils get distracted in lessons, staff support them to focus again. Pupils and sixth-form students are very prepared for their next stages of education, employment and training. This is because they receive relevant careers education and have opportunities to visit education and training providers. Many are successful in gaining university or college places to study their chosen courses. Pupils enhance their wider development through extracurricular activities. There is a wide range of clubs on offer and there is something for everyone. These include LGBTQ+ club, debate club and eco-club. These are attended well by all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

What the school should improve

• The number of pupils who choose to study a language at key stage 4 is low. This means that pupils are not studying a range of EBacc subjects. Leaders should do more to encourage pupils to continue to study these subjects after key stage 3.
• In some subjects, the curriculum model is not sequenced and planned well. This means that in these subjects, pupils cannot make links between prior learning and new learning as well as they might. Leaders should ensure that all subjects have a coherent and progressive curriculum model, so that pupils learn equally well across all their subjects.
• Teachers do not consistently check pupils' understanding before moving on to new learning. This means that, at times, misconceptions and gaps in knowledge persist for too long. As a result, pupils are not fully secure in their learning. Leaders should ensure that teachers use assessment effectively to check pupils' understanding and adapt their teaching to meet the needs of all pupils.

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