Colne Valley High School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 21 January 2025

Staff care about the pupils at the school. Many staff form positive relationships with pupils. Most pupils enjoy attending school. They feel safe here. They trust the staff in the building to respond if they report any concerns. The school has high expectations for pupils' achievement. However, pupils' achievement does not match these high expectations. Published outcomes show that pupils' achievement is below national averages and has declined over time. Disadvantaged pupils achieve significantly lower outcomes than their peers. Despite the school's high expectations for behaviour and conduct, some pupils do not behave well enough during unstructured times. Some of these pupils use derogatory language, including the use of homophobic language. Pupils conduct themselves well in lessons, which are usually calm. Pupils value the careers advice that they receive, with some describing it as 'excellent'. The school helps pupils to make informed decisions about their futures. A range of approaches are in place, including work experience opportunities in Year 10, which give pupils an insight into possible future careers.

What the school should improve

• The implementation of the curriculum is inconsistent across the school. Staff use a range of strategies with varying degrees of success. As a result, some pupils do not gain the depth of knowledge that they should. The school should ensure that the curriculum is implemented consistently so that pupils learn well across all subjects.
• There are inconsistencies in how well staff check pupils' learning in lessons. Sometimes, this leads to pupils moving on to new content before they have the necessary prior knowledge to do so. The school should ensure that approaches to checking pupils' knowledge and skills are firmly embedded and that staff check pupils' understanding before moving on to new content.
• Despite the school's high expectations for behaviour and conduct, some pupils do not behave well enough during unstructured times. Some of these pupils use derogatory language, which includes homophobic language. As a result, some pupils feel uncomfortable around their peers during unstructured times. The school should continue its work to improve behaviour during these times. In addition, the school should work to address pupils' use of derogatory language.
• Some parents do not feel well informed about the school, including some of the changes that have been made to the school's expectations. This has led to some parents feeling disconnected with the school and unsure about how to best support their children to meet the school's expectations. The school should review its arrangements for communicating and engaging with parents, including when changes are introduced.

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