Priestlands School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 21 February 2023

The school has a welcoming and inclusive ethos. Staff take time to get to know pupils as individuals. Leaders are rightly proud of the positive relationships between staff and pupils. Indeed, parents use the word 'nurturing' about the school. Behaviour in lessons is calm and purposeful. Most pupils also behave well at social times. Bullying is rare. Pupils and staff are vigilant about discrimination and derogatory language. Pupils feel safe in school, and they are confident that staff will deal with issues effectively. The school's ethos is at the heart of leaders' high aspirations for pupils, both academically and personally. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), follow a broad and relevant curriculum which gives them varied choices for when they leave the school. Most pupils are very successful. They achieve well. To support pupils' wider development, leaders organise a wide range of clubs and activities so that pupils can flourish personally by discovering and pursuing talents and interests outside the classroom. These opportunities are enjoyed by pupils. Staff and pupils celebrate both participation and achievements in extra-curricular activities through the house system.

What the school should improve

• Some teaching is not always as effective as it could be for every pupil. As a result, the achievement of some pupils, including some with SEND and some disadvantaged pupils is not as high as it could be. Leaders should continue to develop teachers' teaching knowledge so that all teachers can support all pupils to achieve well.
• The recently introduced behaviour systems are not always implemented consistently, particularly outside lessons. Currently, the conduct of a minority of pupils does not meet leaders' high expectations. The new approaches to respond to these behaviours are not yet embedded and so the behaviour of these pupils is not managed as effectively as it could be. Leaders should ensure that all staff, pupils and parents understand the school's new behaviour systems and why they are in place. They should also ensure that all staff implement them as consistently outside lessons as they do during them.

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