Cumberland School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 15 July 2025

The school has high expectations of all pupils. Staff have a good understanding of each pupil and their individual social and emotional needs. This means that pupils feel ready to have a go and begin their learning journey. However, the quality of education that pupils receive is variable across the school. This is because the school has not finalised its curriculum thinking in some subjects. Coupled with this, the school does not have a consistent system in place to check the quality of the delivery of the curriculum. This limits the academic success of some pupils. Pupils benefit from highly positive relationships with staff, consistent routines and praise. They understand what the school expects from them. This helps them to feel safe, secure and to thrive. The atmosphere around the school is calm. Pupils are routinely supported to understand their emotions. They demonstrate positive behaviour in class and around the school. In terms of developing pupils' confidence, attending this school is life changing. Pupils take part in activities such as sports day, the colour run and animal take-over day. Many pupils said they had never been trusted to do simple and common events in a school setting before arriving at Cumberland School. For many pupils, the school gives them the self-belief to try again, to re-engage in learning and to aspire to college or employment beyond the school.

What the school should improve

• The school has not ensured that the curriculum is sufficiently broad for some pupils. As a result, some pupils' learning across the breadth of the curriculum is not as secure and wide ranging as it could be. The school should ensure that the curriculum equips pupils with the knowledge and skills they need for their future.
• In some subjects, the curriculum lacks sufficient detail about the essential knowledge that pupils should acquire and the sequence in which it should be taught. As a result, some pupils are unable to build their understanding in a coherent and progressive way. The school should ensure that key knowledge is clearly identified and logically sequenced to support pupils in developing their learning over time in all subjects.
• In some subjects, the school does not check to make sure that the intended curriculum is being delivered consistently well. This means that it does not identify when the curriculum content is not covered or if the knowledge that is being delivered builds well over time. The school should ensure that it has a greater oversight into the delivery of the curriculum and supports teachers to be able to deliver the content well.
• The school does not identify the cognition and learning needs of pupils with SEND quickly enough. This delays staff from providing effective support and slows pupils' progress through the curriculum. The school should ensure that staff are fully equipped to identify and support pupils' additional needs in a timely manner.

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