Welcombe Hills School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 14 November 2023

Staff are dedicated and want the very best for their pupils. They know their pupils well. Staff work closely with families to understand the needs of the pupils who attend the school. As a result, Welcombe Hills is a happy school where everyone gets along with each other well. Pupils behave well in class and staff give them the support they need when they need it. Consequently, pupils try their best in lessons and enjoy learning new things. Pupils with the most complex needs have a curriculum that meets their needs well. However, those pupils following subject-specific learning do not benefit from a well- planned or well-sequenced curriculum. As a result, they do not achieve as well as they should. The school makes sure that pupils are supported to learn to become increasingly independent. Sixth-form students make visits to colleges and workplaces in their community. Older pupils go on work experience and taster days to explore their talents and interests. All pupils enjoy a range of exciting opportunities in and out of school such as forest school lessons, attending sporting competitions, and other local places of interest. The school has developed strong links to the Royal Shakespeare Company and pupils visit frequently.

What the school should improve

• The formal pathway does not identify ambitious endpoints for all pupils, and the school has not clearly identified the important knowledge that pupils need to know and when they need to learn it. This means that pupils do not benefit from a well- sequenced curriculum that allows them to build their learning over time. Leaders should review the curriculum for the formal pathway and make sure that they have identified what pupils should learn and in which order.
• Communication strategies are not systematically taught and promoted across the school from early years and across the school. This limits pupils' ability to communicate well. Leaders should have a clear communication strategy and ensure that all staff are trained to implement this well.
• The phonics curriculum is not consistently well implemented. This means that pupils are not learning how to sound, segment and blend words well enough. This is stopping some pupils from learning to read fluently quickly enough. Leaders should make sure that all staff have the necessary expertise to deliver the phonics curriculum well.
• Leaders at all levels do not have sufficient oversight of all the work of the school. This means that improvements are not being made quickly enough. The trust should make sure that all leaders have the necessary skills and time to be able to monitor and improve the areas of the school for which they are responsible.
• The school does not make sure that all pre-recruitment checks are conducted and recorded well enough. This means that leaders cannot easily assure themselves that all pre-recruitment checks are in place. Leaders should make sure that all pre- recruitment checks are in place and recorded diligently.

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