Windlehurst School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 1 March 2022

Pupils benefit from a calm and welcoming environment. They learn to take responsibility for their own actions. Pupils are keen to meet the high expectations that staff set for both their learning and behaviour. Pupils are supervised well and they benefit from particularly strong relationships with staff. Pupils are happy in school and behave respectfully. They value the small class sizes. Pupils said that they are given the attention that they need. Pupils settle quickly at the start of lessons due to well-planned and regularly rehearsed routines. Teachers use the information in pupils' education, health and care (EHC) plans well to support pupils to access the curriculum. Pupils achieve well. They gain a range of qualifications, including English and mathematics, by the end of Year 11. Those pupils attending alternative providers develop sufficient confidence to move on to further education or a work placement. Parents and carers are highly positive about the quality of education that their children receive. Pupils feel safe in school. They understand how to keep themselves safe online and feel that they can speak to a trusted adult if they have a concern. Pupils said that there are some instances of bullying but that staff are quick to deal with these incidents effectively.

What the school should improve

• Leaders do not use assessment information consistently well to shape the additional support for a small number of pupils when they fall behind with their reading. This means that these pupils do not progress through the reading curriculum as quickly as they should. Leaders should ensure that they use the information about the gaps in pupils' reading knowledge effectively so that this small number of pupils receive the support they need to quickly become fluent and confident readers.
• Leaders do not use the information they hold about some pupils' behaviour and attendance to inform the support that this group of pupils receive. This prevents leaders from being able to provide the best possible help for these pupils and their families. Leaders should ensure that they use the information they hold relating to pupils' attendance and behaviour consistently well to more fully understand barriers to improvement. This will allow leaders to help pupils to overcome these barriers, attend school more regularly and regulate their own behaviour.

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