Sir Frederick Gibberd College

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 3 December 2024

Pupils are highly resilient at this school. They have weathered the storm of learning in marquees and other schools. They are now settled learning together on one site in prefabricated buildings. Pupils appreciate staff's efforts to make such adjustments bearable. They know that staff have their well-being at heart. For a range of reasons, including school closure, the delivery of the curriculum over time has not worked as well as it should. Sometimes pupils have had to learn the content of some subjects in the wrong order or omit certain topics due to the limitations of the physical environment. While the sequencing of the curriculum is back on track, some staff are not paying sufficient attention to what pupils already know and can do. This has led to some low expectations with pupils struggling to learn and manage their behaviour. The sixth form has restarted with vigour. Even though student numbers are small, there is a broad and ambitious curriculum in place. Students enjoy supporting the younger pupils through their student leadership and mentoring roles. The school council enthusiastically supports the student leadership team to make their school a better place to be. Pupils benefit from an extensive extra-curricular offer and trips to enhance the curriculum.

What the school should improve

• At times, teachers do not use the information they have to adapt the curriculum effectively for the differing needs of the pupils. This means that some pupils do not progress through the curriculum as well as they should. The school should ensure staff consistently support the range of needs in their classes so that pupils achieve well.
• The school has been slow to implement suitable support for pupils who struggle to read. This means that some pupils do not have the reading expertise they need to access the curriculum. The school should quickly address this gap in its provision so those pupils who find reading difficult are given the support they need.
• The school is not taking effective action to reduce the number of suspensions. Pupils are not getting the support they need to alter their behaviour. As a result, some pupils receive repeat suspensions, and some escalate too quickly through the consequences system. The school should review its use of the behaviour policy and strengthen support so that pupils make the right decisions about their behaviour.
• Insufficiencies in record-keeping and the use of information are hampering the school's ability to see clearly where improvements are required. This is affecting its decision- making and subsequent actions. As a result, certain key areas have not improved. The trust should provide further training so leaders at all levels record, analyse, evaluate and use the information available to them effectively for school improvement.
• During the disruption to the school site, the local governing body lost focus on its monitoring role in other areas of the school's provision, such as the curriculum. This reduced how well it contributed to the trust's work to hold the school to account. The trust should revisit with governors their core responsibilities so they help the trust board hold the school to account effectively.

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