Doncaster UTC

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 21 September 2022

Throughout Years 9 to 11, pupils follow one of two pathways: engineering or creative and digital media. In the sixth form, four different pathways are followed: engineering, computing, health science and creative and digital media. Throughout the school, pupils' lessons in these courses are taught by specialist teachers. Additional input to these courses is provided by industry experts, such as engineers, who are heavily involved in the school's curriculum offer. Pupils in key stage 4 also study a range of other academic subjects, including more traditional GCSEs such as English, mathematics, science and geography. Pupils' academic experiences throughout school are generally positive. There is an embedded culture of reading throughout school. However, a small number of pupils who need additional support to read fluently do not routinely get the help they need. In addition to preparing pupils for their next steps in education, leaders provide extensive opportunities for pupils to encounter the world of work. The school's offer in this regard is noteworthy. Pupils are happy to attend Doncaster UTC. Throughout the school, pupils behave well. Bullying is very rare. Standards of pupils' behaviour have improved over time. The school's personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education curriculum continues to be refined. This is important, as some pupils are unclear about what they have been taught about growing up in modern Britain.

What the school should improve

• There is variation in the quality of the school's personal development offer. While pupils' preparation for the world of work is exceptional, the opportunities available to develop their other interests are less advanced. Additionally, pupils' awareness of the risks they face in life are not fully secure. Leaders should review the school's wider personal development offer to ensure it supports their vision of excellence.
• The targets leaders set for pupils with SEND are not consistently precise enough to help them achieve as well as they could across the curriculum. This makes it difficult for leaders to monitor successes and identify where further support is needed. Leaders should ensure that pupils' targets and support are carefully matched to the areas of the curriculum they find most difficult, ensuring staff understand their roles in helping pupils achieve these goals.
• Some pupils are unable to read with fluency and accuracy. The difficulty these pupils have in decoding text inhibits their ability to digest and understand what they have read. Leaders should ensure their assessment procedures identify exactly what aspects of reading pupils find difficult. They should ensure these pupils have plenty of opportunities to practise, remember and apply what they have learned.

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