The Oldershaw School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 1 April 2025

Pupils' behaviour on the corridors is often boisterous and chaotic. Many pupils struggle to conduct themselves in an appropriate and respectful manner. Too often, this poor behaviour goes unchallenged by adults. When it is challenged, pupils are often confrontational, defiant and, at times, rude. This unacceptable behaviour regularly transfers into classrooms. Lessons are frequently disturbed and pupils' learning is often interrupted. In addition, profanities, including highly offensive and derogatory language linked to misogyny, are regularly heard. This typifies the disrespectful culture in the school. Many pupils are not happy in the school. A very high proportion of them do not attend school regularly. Once in school, many pupils truant and wander around the school instead of going to lessons. The school's expectations of pupils' achievement are too low. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are not supported well enough. Weaknesses in the delivery of the curriculum mean that pupils do not achieve well. For too long, pupils' academic outcomes in both the main school and sixth form have been poor. The school has begun to offer some pupil leadership opportunities. However, pupils are reluctant to volunteer for such roles. Some pupils enjoy experiencing the wider world through the school's trips to France or to coastal resorts.

What the school should improve

• The school and trust do not have an accurate understanding of the deficiencies in the school's provision. As a result, they have not prioritised the right actions and have made little progress in improving key aspects of the school, such as pupils' behaviour and the quality of education. The school and trust must take decisive action to understand the root causes of the school's weaknesses and take the necessary action to address them at the pace required.
• The school's expectations of pupils' behaviour are too low. Many lessons are interrupted because of poor pupil conduct and wilfully disruptive behaviour. This hinders pupils from learning what they should and contributed to many feeling unhappy in school. The school must raise its expectations of pupils' behaviour and ensure that staff are supported to use the behaviour management system consistently and fairly.
• For too many pupils, the use of offensive and derogatory language, including misogynistic terms, is commonplace. This makes many members of the school community, including pupils and staff, feel uncomfortable. The school must challenge such language and address pupils' lack of respect for others.
• The delivery of the curriculum is weak, including in key stage 5. As a result, pupils, including those with SEND, do not achieve well. The school must ensure that staff develop the knowledge and expertise to design ambitious learning activities that match the aims of the curriculum. This will help to ensure that pupils are supported to apply their knowledge and consolidate their learning over time.
• Staff do not make effective checks on what pupils know and can do. Misconceptions are not addressed. This deepens the gaps in pupils' learning. In addition, staff do not use assessment information well enough to inform future learning. This means that some pupils move on too quickly to new content while others repeat learning that they have already secured. The school must ensure that staff have the guidance and support that they need to use assessment strategies to inform and adapt future learning.
• Staff do not make the adaptations needed to enable pupils with SEND in the main school to access the curriculum successfully. As a result, these pupils do not learn as well as they should. The school must ensure that staff raise their expectations of what pupils with SEND can achieve and that staff are suitably equipped with the knowledge and expertise to support these pupils to learn.
• The school does not have rigorous systems in place to identify accurately the gaps in pupils' reading knowledge. This means that pupils who struggle with reading do not receive support to help them to read fluently and confidently. These pupils struggle to access learning across the curriculum. The school must identify pupils' deficits in reading and put in place an appropriate programme of support, including phonics teaching where necessary, for those who need it.
• The school does not monitor or analyse pupils' patterns of attendance effectively. Too many pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, do not attend school frequently. As such, nearly half of pupils are persistently absent from school and miss out on learning. The school must analyse attendance data rigorously and use it to strategically inform appropriate actions to support pupils to attend school more frequently.
• We strongly recommend that the school does not seek to appoint early career teachers.

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