The John Roan School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 10 October 2023

A very high proportion of parents and carers are positive about this school and would recommend it. One comment, which echoed the views of others, was, 'Communication is great, teachers are accessible and my children are happy.' There is a strong sense of community here. The school is inclusive, celebrating its diversity. Pupils are encouraged to treat everyone equally, irrespective of their backgrounds. Pupils are kept safe, many welcoming the 'QR code' that they can use to alert leaders to any safeguarding concerns. Leaders have been successful in creating a school with a culture of high expectations, including for behaviour. Pupils behave well. For example, during lesson changeovers, they walk quietly around the school and do not cause disruption. Pupils achieve well in many different subjects. This reflects the collective work of leaders and staff to encourage pupils to work hard and to be ambitious for themselves. Sixth-form students enjoy their time at school. They are well supported and benefit from excellent facilities at the Maze Hill site. The school's 'PRIDE' values identify the character traits it wants pupils to develop. For example, 'I' represents 'involved'. Leaders' work to get pupils 'involved' can be seen in lots of ways, such as their participation in after-school clubs.

What the school should improve

• Occasionally, the school does not check whether pupils, including those in the sixth form, have understood what they are learning with enough precision. When this happens, staff can move on to new learning too quickly and pupils' knowledge and understanding is not secure. The school should refine the training for staff, particularly focusing on how to precisely check pupils' learning and then adapt teaching accordingly.
• A few pupils, including those with SEND, are not being supported as well as they could in building up their reading fluency. As a result, they are not catching up with their peers as quickly as they should. The school should review the support given to those pupils who are developing their reading fluency, ensuring that a greater number of staff have the expertise needed to deliver the school's reading programmes.

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