Whickham School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 14 January 2025

The school has high ambitions for all its pupils. The broad curriculum prepares pupils well for life beyond school. Pupils achieve well at Whickham School. Staff have high expectations of pupils' conduct. Pupils are polite and friendly. Through their actions, they embody the school's values of aspiration, respect, resilience and empathy. The school environment is calm and respectful. Pupils behave very well. Pupils appreciate the help that they receive from staff. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are fully included in the life of the school. The pupils who are part of the specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND (specially resourced provision) access their education in the mainstream school. They receive highly effective bespoke support to develop their communication skills and prepare them for adult life. Pupils benefit from a wide range of activities that help them to develop their talents and interests. These include sports, art club and the school's musical productions. Trips to places of interest help to develop pupils' understanding of the subjects that they study. For example, pupils visit museums and places of worship and they enjoy trips abroad. Pupils learn to make a positive contribution to their community. For example, they run charity events and the school, including the sixth-form students, supports local food banks. These help pupils to become confident and resilient young people.

What the school should improve

• The school's reading programme is less well developed beyond Years 7 and 8. This means that too few pupils in other year groups benefit from the promotion of reading across the school and do not read as often and widely as they could. The school should ensure that pupils in all year groups are encouraged to read more widely and often.

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