Tottington High School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 14 May 2024

Pupils are beginning to benefit from the actions that the school and the trust are taking to strengthen the quality of education that they provide. Most pupils welcome these changes. They recognise that many aspects of their school experience are improving. This is helping pupils to feel happier in school. Pupils appreciate that they have an increasingly strong voice in the school. For instance, breaktimes have been extended in consultation with pupils. Pupil leaders feel reinvigorated. They wear their golden ties with pride. Some pupil leaders eagerly described the central role that they are about to take in the school's new approach to anti-bullying. Most pupils are polite and well mannered. Pupils' behaviour in lessons is improving. However, weaknesses that have existed in the curriculum, together with some disruption to lessons in the past, have led to some feeling disheartened about their studies. Some pupils lack the motivation needed to be successful in their learning. The trust has helped the school to raise its expectations of pupils' achievement, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school has strengthened the curriculum so that pupils learn increasingly well. However, inconsistencies in the delivery of the curriculum remain. This means that pupils do not achieve as well as they should.

What the school should improve

• Some staff lack an understanding of how to use agreed learning strategies effectively. Consequently, on occasions, pupils, including those with SEND, do not learn curriculum content well enough. The school should ensure that staff develop their pedagogical understanding to enable them to deliver subject curriculums consistently well.
• Some staff do not use the school's assessment processes effectively to ensure that pupils' prior knowledge is secure before moving on to new learning. As a result, some pupils develop misconceptions and gaps in their knowledge that are not addressed. The school should ensure that staff have the expertise to use assessment strategies consistently well.
• Some staff do not use the information that they receive about pupils with SEND to adapt learning effectively to meet the needs of these pupils. This means that, at times, pupils with SEND do not learn as well as they should. The school should ensure that it provides appropriate training for staff to enable them to help these pupils to learn successfully.
• Some aspects of the school's provision for pupils' personal development are limited, including pupils' engagement in a broad range of enrichment activities. This means that some pupils, particularly the most vulnerable, do not benefit from opportunities to develop their unique talents and interests. The school should take effective action to increase pupils' participation in enrichment activities and it should strengthen its approach to monitoring engagement to ensure that those pupils who will benefit the most are included.

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