Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 26 November 2024

Pupils, including students in the sixth form, receive an outstanding education at 'The Langton'. Several pupils praised how adults 'work with us' to ensure that pupils develop a deep knowledge across the curriculum. Pupils, including those who speak English as an additional language and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve extremely highly. Behaviour is excellent. Pupils know that adults want them to be successful and happy in life. There are warm positive relationships between pupils and staff, and between pupils themselves. Girls who join in the sixth form quickly settle in. Adults make sure that vulnerable pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, are fully included in the life of the school. A wide range of trips and visits augment pupils' academic education. Several clubs and societies, often started by pupils themselves, ensure that pupils can follow their talents and interests. Pupils are rightly proud of their own achievements, but most impressively pupils delight in the successes of others too. While many parents and carers praised how well the school communicates with them, some reported more negative experiences. Overall, however, the vast majority are full of praise for the school and how it helps pupils to grow into extremely well-rounded young adults. This includes several parents whose children attend the school's specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND ('specially resourced provision') who have a diagnosis of autism.

What the school should improve

• Sometimes, communications from the school are not well considered and the school occasionally comes across as not being receptive or reflective enough when facing challenge. This can lead to parents being unsure about how well their child is doing and can concern some parents. The school needs to ensure that it shares relevant information with parents in a timely, constructive and clear way, including when dealing with formal complaints.
• The school is improving its oversight and monitoring of how well its policies work in practice. This is providing leaders with more information than in the past around attendance, behaviour and safeguarding. The school should ensure that the information it now has available is used to identify any trends and patterns, and apply this learning to further improve aspects of the school, including in safeguarding.

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