North Walsham High School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 13 December 2023

Pupils are proud to be members of this flourishing school community. They routinely demonstrate the core values of 'trust, resilience, excellence and kindness', which define the school's character. Across the school, pupils benefit from the warm and welcoming environment. Pupils know that the staff care about them. They are very well looked after, and there is always someone to talk to if needed. At North Walsham High, pupils thrive. They are confident to share what they know and how well they achieve. Pupils are well supported to succeed in what they do. Pupils know that adults also have high standards for how they should behave. They work well in lessons because routines and expectations are clearly understood and followed. There is very rarely any disruption either in class or at social times. Pupils care for each other. They demonstrate high levels of respect towards their peers. Pupils take advantage of the wide range of clubs available to them. They love that there are lots of opportunities to develop their interests and get involved in competitions. Basketball, football and preparation for the school production of 'Sister Act' are all very popular.

What the school should improve

• In key stage 3, sometimes teachers are not sufficiently precise in identifying what pupils know or can do. This means some teachers move on before all pupils have understood what is being taught. At other times, pupils are given activities that do not provide them with sufficient opportunities to deepen and extend their understanding. The school needs to ensure that all staff consistently provide pupils with activities that are matched precisely to their starting points.

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