Icknield Community College

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 3 December 2024

Pupils are proud to be members of this ambitious and friendly school. They learn about the school's values of 'integrity, care and commitment'. Pupils understand why these matter and demonstrate them widely in their considerate and affable conduct across the school. Across lessons, the majority of pupils work with focus and purpose. They contribute ideas willingly in discussions and complete learning activities keenly. The school's high expectations and positive learning ethos support the majority of pupils to achieve well. Pupils value the warm and respectful relationships they have with staff. They feel well known and talk about how this helps them to feel they belong in the school. Pupils value the strong pastoral support provided by staff. This helps them to develop self-confidence and to learn how to navigate challenges. Pupils value the recognition of their individual and collective successes. They appreciate how the school shares these with parents and carers. Pupils are overwhelmingly positive about the wider opportunities provided by the school. They enthusiastically share the memorable experiences gained through the broad range of clubs, competitions and trips. They talk about how these broaden their horizons. One parent, reflecting the views of many, said, 'The school offers great learning opportunities.'

What the school should improve

• A few disadvantaged pupils do not develop their understanding of the important knowledge being taught in some core subject lessons. As a result, they struggle to start or complete learning activities and lose engagement. The school needs to ensure that teaching approaches across core subjects identify and address when disadvantaged pupils have insecure understanding, so that they know and remember more over time.

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