The Ecclesbourne School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 19 September 2023

This school has high academic ambitions for all pupils. Pupils value the education they receive. They benefit from the high-quality education that the school is providing. Many pupils are proud to achieve merits. They know that 130 merits will earn them an all-burgundy tie. Pupils who have these wear them with pride. Pupils now feel safe at this school. Many enjoy attending school. Pupils acknowledge that behaviour has improved. Many say the school is now much better. The school promotes inclusivity and develops pupils to be upstanders and not bystanders. However, there are still pupils who are not confident that staff will deal with derogatory language well and, as a result, they do not report it. Pupils talk enthusiastically about the 'houses' they represent. They look forward to the different house competitions that enable them to compete against their peers. Many pupils take part in school productions and shows, the most recent being 'Little shop of Horrors'. Pupils have opportunities to develop their talents and interests here. Students in the sixth form benefit from teachers who are experts in their field. This allows students to gain detailed knowledge across the subjects they study.

What the school should improve

• Some pupils lack the confidence to report derogatory homophobic language when they hear it. They do not believe the school will take appropriate action. This language sometimes goes unchallenged. The school must ensure that it engages more effectively with pupils to help them understand that the school does and will take appropriate action when pupils report derogatory language.
• The new behaviour policy is not yet consistently and fairly applied by all staff. As a result, some pupils do not engage with learning as well as they should. The school must ensure that all staff know how to implement the new behaviour policy.
• On occasion, teachers do not break down the curriculum content they want pupils to learn. Pupils at the early stages of studying the subject and some pupils with additional needs are sometimes given too much information at once. When this happens, pupils do not achieve as well as they could. The school must ensure that teachers break down curriculum content more precisely to support all pupils to achieve well.
• Leaders do not always precisely monitor and evaluate their actions to improve the school. This means they do not always have an accurate understanding of the impact of the actions they take. The school should develop strategies to evaluate the impact of its actions more accurately.

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