King Edward VI High School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 4 February 2025

Many pupils are happy at this school. This is because the school places significant emphasis on support and care. Pupils know that they have someone who they can talk to if they have concerns, and that these will be dealt with. Pupils also appreciate the additional pastoral staff who have recently started. However, some pupils are frustrated by the inconsistencies in the school. These include how well they learn, and the poor behaviour of some pupils, both in lessons and in social times. While the school has high expectations for how well pupils achieve, how these expectations are realised is inconsistent. This leads to variability in pupils' achievement across the school. This is because pupils' learning in some lessons or some subjects is less secure. Students in the sixth form have a more consistently positive experience. Pupils enjoy the opportunities that the school organises for them, including sports clubs, trips to battlefields and a musical production. The pupils who have positions of responsibility speak positively about their role in improving provision. Pupils appreciate what they learn in the 'Life Matters' lessons as this helps them be prepared for when they leave school. Some pupils, however, do not take advantage of the wider opportunities that the school organises for them.

What the school should improve

• Some teachers do not check pupils' understanding of key knowledge carefully enough. This means that gaps in pupils' learning are either not identified or not closed. As a result, some pupils do not progress through the curriculum as securely as they should. The school should ensure that teachers check pupils' understanding effectively and systematically close gaps in knowledge.
• The school's agreed approach to managing behaviour is not consistently applied or understood. This means that there are inconsistent approaches to behaviour management, and poor behaviour can disrupt learning. The school must ensure that all staff implement agreed behaviour strategies effectively, and that there is a consistent approach to the management of behaviour in lessons and across the school.
• The school's evaluation of its work has not been sufficiently focused on measurement of impact. This means that the school is sometimes unclear on the effectiveness of its work, resulting in inconsistencies in pupils' experiences. The school should ensure that leaders evaluate the impact of their work to plan for the next steps in the development of provision for all.
• The school's work to support pupils who struggle to read is in its early stages. Consequently, some pupils do not read as well as they should. This undermines their ability to access the full curriculum. The school should ensure that it accurately identifies the precise gaps in pupils' reading knowledge and provides focused support so that pupils read fluently and with confidence.
• Sometimes, the school does not ensure that learning activities for pupils with SEND are consistently adapted to meet their needs. This means that some pupils with SEND do not make the progress that they should in their learning. The school should ensure that staff use the information provided to them for pupils with SEND, and adapt the learning activities accordingly to match the ambition of the school's curriculum.

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