Valley Bridge School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 20 May 2025

Pupils have often missed considerable parts of their education before joining the school. As a result, they have significant gaps in their knowledge on arrival. However, until recently the school has not ensured that these gaps are closed effectively. Consequently, pupils do not build their knowledge and skills on strong foundations. Pupils have positive attitudes to learning when work is matched well to their starting points. However, staff do not always have the expertise they need to implement the curriculum or adapt it to meet pupils' needs. Some pupils' learning is hampered by their poor attendance. The school has raised its expectations of pupils' behaviour. It has started to develop pupils' understanding of diversity and of challenging stereotypes, for example. However, the 'Valley Bridge values' are not well understood by pupils. On some occasions, pupils do not respond to staff with appropriate respect. The school has started to provide pupils with wider opportunities beyond their academic programme. For example, pupils take part in 'Valley Meets' at lunchtimes. They participate in sports, such as basketball and football, play board games, or enjoy arts and crafts.

What the school should improve

• In some subjects, the school has not defined clearly what pupils should learn and when. This affects how well the curriculum is implemented. As a result, pupils do not build their knowledge cumulatively over time. The proprietor must ensure that the curriculum sets out exactly what pupils will learn so they can deepen their knowledge and understanding in each subject.
• There are inconsistencies in how well the curriculum is adapted to meet pupils' needs. This hinders pupils' progress through the curriculum from their different starting points. The proprietor must ensure that the curriculum and teaching are well matched to pupils' needs and that pupils build their knowledge and skills securely over time.
• Rates of absence, including persistent absence, are too high. The school's approaches to improve pupils' attendance are not as effective as they need to be. The proprietor must ensure that the school takes effective action to raise pupils' attendance.
• There is variability in staff subject knowledge across the curriculum. This leads to inconsistencies in how well the curriculum is implemented, including how well staff check pupils' learning. The proprietor must ensure that staff have the subject expertise needed to implement the curriculum effectively and check pupils' learning.

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