Titus Salt School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 14 April 2026

Staff build warm relationships with pupils at Titus Salt School. This is evident from the start of the day, when pupils are welcomed into school by staff. Pupils feel safe and most have a trusted adult that they can go to if they have any worries or concerns. Students in the sixth form are positive role models for younger pupils. Most pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. High-quality pastoral support helps pupils to improve their behaviour if necessary. If bullying happens, most pupils are confident that staff will deal with this effectively. Leaders prioritise pupils' attendance. However, some pupils, including pupils experiencing disadvantage, do not attend school regularly. This limits their achievement and their involvement in school life. Pupils in Years 7 to 11 receive inconsistent teaching. Pupils' pride in their work is mixed and they are often passive in lessons. When teachers adapt the curriculum to support learning, pupils learn effectively. However, barriers to pupils' learning are not identified consistently and action is not taken quickly enough to close gaps in learning. As a result, pupils in Years 7 to 11 do not achieve as well as they should. Over time, pupils' achievement by the end of Year 11 across the curriculum has been significantly below national averages. The quality of students' work in the sixth form is of a high standard. They receive expert teaching and achieve well across the curriculum. Pupils enjoy the wide range of extra curricular activities that the school offers. These include work experience, university visits, poetry workshops, overseas trips and further education taster days. Leaders ensure that all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, have the opportunity to participate in these activities. The school's comprehensive careers programme prepares pupils well to make informed decisions about their next steps in education, employment or training.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should ensure that staff use assessment well to check pupils' understanding. Teachers should use this information to make changes to their teaching to address pupils' misconceptions and adapt the curriculum as necessary.
• Leaders should ensure that gaps in pupils’ foundational knowledge, such as in reading and writing, are quickly identified and closed.
• Leaders should ensure that barriers to pupils' learning, including those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are effectively identified. Leaders should ensure that classroom strategies to address these barriers are routinely implemented by all staff.
• Leaders should continue to refine their attendance strategy to improve pupils’ attendance and reduce persistent absence.
• Leaders should ensure that pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, achieve the outcomes of which they are capable by the end of key stage 4.
• Leaders at all levels should focus their efforts on addressing the school's main priorities for improvement. As part of this, they should review the impact of their actions robustly, and ensure that improvements are sustained.

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