The Urswick School - A Church of England Secondary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 5 December 2023

Pupils are happy and safe at this school. They join from a range of cultural backgrounds and with varying starting points. Pupils recognise these differences and show respect towards each other's views and experiences. The school aims to equip pupils to contribute fully to society. They also encourage pupils to be ambitious when planning their next steps in education or employment. Leaders help pupils to achieve these aims, and pupils respond well to these high expectations. The school's vision is underpinned by its Christian ethos, and leaders act with care to meet pupils' needs. For example, all pupils receive free school meals. Pupils are proud of the opportunities they have to contribute to the wider community, such as sixth form students who volunteer to act as mentors to younger pupils. In the classroom, pupils behave well and with a positive attitude towards their learning. The school has a clear system in place that is understood by pupils and teachers about what acceptable behaviour looks like. Most of the time, pupils follow these rules well. If a more serious incident occurs, the school acts swiftly to resolve the issue and learning is not disrupted. These same high standards of behaviour apply outside of the classroom.

What the school should improve

• At times, the school does not routinely check pupils' understanding of what they have been taught. This means that gaps can emerge in pupils' knowledge. The school should embed consistent practices to ensure that pupils' knowledge and understanding are checked before moving on to new learning.

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