Sir Graham Balfour High School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 8 October 2024

This is a warm and welcoming school. Pupils enjoy coming here and most attend often. Staff know their pupils and their families well. They use this knowledge to cultivate strong, nurturing relationships with pupils. Pupils value this. The schools' values of kindness, respect and compassion are increasingly clear to see in pupils' interactions with their peers. Leaders have high expectations. They are ambitious for pupils and care deeply about their well-being. There is a growing culture of mutual respect between staff, pupils and parents. In the main, pupils behave well in lessons and around the school site. If pupils struggle to meet the school's expectations, they get the help they need. Leaders have worked hard to nurture this culture following the COVID-19 pandemic. If pupils have any concerns, they know who to talk to, and are confident that these will be resolved. Pupils benefit from a broad range of experiences to develop their wider cultural capital. These opportunities have been carefully designed to ensure that all pupils, including those who are eligible for free school meals (FSM), benefit greatly from them. Trips to sites of cultural significance are used smartly. They enhance pupils' understanding of life in modern Britain.

What the school should improve

• The information that the school shares with teachers about pupils' SEND is not precise enough. This means that staff are unclear about how best to meet pupils' individual needs. Consequently, some pupils' needs are not being sufficiently met, and they struggle to access the learning. The school should ensure that the information they share with staff accurately reflects pupils' individual needs, and that all staff routinely implement effective strategies to better meet pupils' needs within lessons.
• The school's work to support pupils who struggle to read is in its early stages, and not always well matched to their reading need. Consequently, some pupils are unable to read as well as they should. This undermines their ability to access the curriculum. The school should ensure that they accurately identify the precise gaps in pupils' reading knowledge and provide focused support so that all pupils are able to read fluently and with confidence.

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