The Valley School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 5 November 2024

Pupils at this school are happy and positive. They are kept safe. Strong routines make life predictable for pupils, and they are very clear about what is expected of them. This is because pupils understand, and can explain, the school rules around being ready to learn, being respectful and being safe. Pupils appreciate that they are trusted to behave appropriately, and they take this responsibility very seriously. They learn to regulate their emotions successfully. When they struggle with this, they are helped by trusted staff. This means that pupils are keen to contribute to their learning. They help each other and sustain warm and positive relationships with peers and adults. Pupils are expected to work hard and achieve well, which they typically do. They are well prepared for their next steps through securing the right accreditation and learning to be as independent as possible. They are supported to secure the skills they need to be ready for life beyond school. For example, they practise road safety, learn to travel independently and learn how to manage lunch off site. Pupils in Year 7 are well supported before and when they arrive at the school, enabling them to feel ready for learning and be successful at it.

What the school should improve

• In a small number of subjects, the curriculum is not as precisely sequenced as it needs to be. This leads to gaps in pupils' knowledge and makes remembering learning more difficult for pupils. The school must ensure that it carefully considers and clearly sets out key pieces of knowledge and when they should be learned for all subjects so that pupils learn with greater success.
• The school does not always check pupils' prior learning with enough precision. This means that teachers occasionally move learning on when some pupils have not securely embedded what is being taught. This leads to gaps in pupils' knowledge. The school must ensure that teachers have the required knowledge and expertise to consistently check what all pupils have learned and understood before moving them on to new learning. How can I feedback my views? You can use Ofsted Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child's school, or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection. The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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