Howden School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 18 March 2025

The school has been on a transformational journey in recent years. This is most evident in the culture of the school. The school has woven its values of Aspiration, Courtesy and Excellence through the curriculum. Pupils display these on a daily basis. They understand them and can explain why they are important to their daily life. As a result, there is a respectful and aspirational culture at Howden School. The school has high expectations for the academic achievement of all pupils. These high expectations were not reflected in published outcomes last year. Work in pupils' books and pupils' recall of learning show that they are now achieving better than they were. Pupils conduct themselves well around school. Classrooms are calm and purposeful. Pupils enthusiastically participate in their learning. At social times, pupils maturely access a range of activities, such as football and DJing. There has been a significant reduction in the use of sexualised language since the previous inspection. Pupils know why this is not acceptable and will report it to staff if they hear it. They are confident that staff will respond to this appropriately. Pupils feel safe at school.

What the school should improve

• In some subjects, particularly at key stage 3, the school is not rigorous in its approach to checking what pupils know at different points in their learning. As a result, when some pupils have gaps in their knowledge, teachers do not identify them, and they can persist. The school should ensure that teachers use effective strategies to check what pupils know and adapt their teaching to address any knowledge gaps as they arise.

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