Ofsted Report April 2016

School report

Montgomery High School All Hallows Road, Blackpool FY2 0AZ Inspection dates

12–13 April 2016

Overall effectiveness

Requires improvement

Effectiveness of leadership and management

Good

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment

Requires improvement

Personal development, behaviour and welfare

Requires improvement

Outcomes for pupils

Requires improvement

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection

Inadequate

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils This is a school that requires improvement  Pupils attain broadly average standards by the time they leave. Given their starting points these standards should be higher. Disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have special educational needs or disability make similar progress to their peers in school. However, interventions used are not yet closing the gaps between these pupils and their peers.  Teaching requires improvement. Some teachers do not consistently use the accurate information they hold about pupils’ achievement to plan learning that takes account of the learning of different groups of pupils. Consequently, not all pupils make good progress.

 As acknowledged by school leaders, learning in lessons is sometimes disrupted by pupils calling out or not being attentive. The school’s behaviour policy – the ‘consequence system’ – is not always applied consistently.  Leaders have shown great determination to improve the behaviour of pupils. However, in introducing new methods of recording incidents, not all records follow leaders’ intentions to highlight clearly enough the concern raised, actions taken and the difference those actions made.

The school has the following strengths  Senior leaders provide strong, clear direction. A  Leaders have ensured that assessments of what ‘no excuses’ culture permeates the school. Staff pupils can do are accurate. appreciate the strong lead provided by the  Strong links with a number of feeder primary principal and associate principal. schools has ensured that teachers are not  Senior leaders, the trust, and the academy council repeating work covered already. have an accurate view of the school’s strengths  The personal development and welfare of pupils is and areas to improve. good. The attendance and punctuality of pupils is  The quality of teaching has improved so that, improving. Those pupils attending the ‘reflection while requiring improvement, there is more that is class’ now have improved attitudes to learning. good, including in English and expressive arts. Inspection report: Montgomery High School, Montgomery High School

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