The Garibaldi School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 6 June 2023

From Year 7 to the sixth form, pupils at The Garibaldi School treat each other with care and respect. They work hard to live up to the school's values of pride, respect and achieve. Pupils are polite and friendly, and they engage with staff well. Leaders work hard to develop pupils' character. They make sure that pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education. Pupils feel safe and have adults who they know will help them. The curriculum is ambitious for all pupils, including in the sixth form. Leaders' high expectations help pupils achieve well, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This is a calm and purposeful school. Pupils know that staff expect them to behave well, and most do. Any low-level disruption in lessons is resolved promptly so that pupils' learning is not affected. When bullying occurs, pupils are confident that staff deal with it quickly. Pupils enjoy being at school. They make the most of a wide range of extra-curricular clubs. Pupils can enjoy many sports and arts clubs, as well as board games and enterprise and marketing groups.

What the school should improve

• In some subjects, teachers do not check pupils' understanding and knowledge thoroughly enough before moving on to more complex concepts. When this happens, some pupils struggle to make links in their learning. This leaves them with gaps in their knowledge. Leaders need to ensure that all teachers check pupils' prior knowledge consistently so that they know what to teach next.
• Some pupils do not attend school often enough. These pupils miss out on essential learning and wider opportunities. Leaders should ensure that strategies to improve attendance are implemented consistently so that pupils' attendance increases and persistent absence reduces.

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