Lymm High School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 5 March 2024

Pupils, including students in the sixth form, do well academically in this school. They live up to the high expectations that the school sets for their achievement. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), benefit from an ambitious and well-structured curriculum. Pupils enjoy coming to school. They value the care and support that they receive from their teachers. This helps them to feel safe. Pupils forge strong relationships with each other. They are polite and well mannered. Students in the sixth form have an exceptional attitude towards their learning. The school's 'leadership ladder' incentive encourages pupils to take part in a wide range of extra-curricular activities. For instance, the charity leaders relish the opportunities to motivate their peers to raise money for the local community. This helps them to build their confidence and also develops their social skills. Pupils benefit from a vast range of trips and visits that enrich their knowledge beyond the curriculum. Students in the sixth form cherished the opportunity to deepen their geographical knowledge on their visit to Iceland. They also enjoyed their visits to universities, theatres and cities to further expand their knowledge and experiences of the world.

What the school should improve

• Some teachers do not use assessment strategies effectively to remedy pupils' misconceptions in their learning. As a result, some pupils' misunderstandings and gaps in their knowledge go unrectified. At times, this hinders how well some pupils, especially those in key stage 3, learn new subject content. The school should ensure that teachers check pupils have a secure understanding of what has been taught before moving onto new subject content.
• Older pupils who find reading difficult do not get the targeted support that they need to overcome gaps in their reading knowledge. This limits how well these pupils develop reading fluency and confidence. The school should ensure that gaps in reading knowledge are addressed effectively so that the support that these pupils receive helps them to become competent readers.
• Opportunities for some key stage 4 pupils to expand their knowledge of different cultures and faiths is limited. This means that some pupils do not develop a secure understanding of the differences between people in society. The school should ensure that it develops pupils' understanding and respect of different beliefs so that they are better prepared for life in modern Britain.

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