Benfield School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a warm and welcoming school, which emphasises the value of community. Pupils are happy and feel safe. They have positive relationships with staff and trust adults.

There have been several improvements to the behavioural culture of the school since the previous inspection. Most pupils now behave well in lessons and move around the school sensibly. However, some pupils continue to not fully engage with the school's behavioural expectations.

Some pupils feel uncomfortable due to the behaviour of their peers. Most pupils attend school frequently, but some pupils miss too many lessons.

The school has high expectations of pupils' achievement.

Howev...er, there remains more to do to ensure that pupils' academic experiences consistently match these expectations. Over time, outcomes in external examinations and assessments are well below national averages.

Pupils enjoy a range of extra-curricular opportunities, including badminton, cookery and chess as well as trips to universities and overseas visits to Spain and Holland.

Pupils learn about different cultures through language festivals and culture days. Pupils are supported to build resilience and aspiration, for example, through transition programmes with the Newcastle United Foundation.

Pupils contribute to the leadership of the school.

For example, pupil leaders have negotiated changes to the food offer available at lunchtime. They support local charities, such as food banks. This helps them to develop a sense of social responsibility.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school has introduced an improved and more aspirational curriculum. These changes have been designed to improve the skills and knowledge that pupils need to progress to their next stage of education, training or employment. The school is working to further refine and embed these improvements.

Many lessons are structured to help pupils remember important knowledge. In these lessons, pupils learn new techniques, which are carefully modelled by teachers. For instance, in mathematics, pupils learn how to construct triangles by observing clear demonstrations.

However, teaching techniques are not consistently well used. When teaching is less effective, pupils make less progress through the curriculum.

Pupils' outcomes in published examinations and assessments have been poor over time.

However, the new curriculum is starting to show some impact. Where teaching is stronger, pupils are increasingly able to demonstrate their recall and understanding. Although this has resulted in some improvements to pupils' achievement, outcomes remain well below national averages.

The school is committed to further improving pupils' outcomes as a matter of urgency.

Leaders have high ambition for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Their needs are accurately identified.

Teachers have a clear understanding of pupils' needs. They make necessary adaptations in lessons to support pupils' ability to learn effectively. Pupils from the school's SEND resourced provisions are well integrated into all aspects of school life.

They receive the support they need to access the curriculum. However, pupils with SEND experience the same variable teaching quality as their peers.

Reading is prioritised by the school.

Pupils are encouraged to read and are provided with many opportunities to do so. Pupils who are weaker at reading are quickly identified. They receive effective intervention, which helps them to improve their reading skills.

The school's relational approach to behaviour has had a notable impact on pupil attitudes and the overall culture at the school. However, some pupils do not display the positive attitudes and behaviours of their peers. This includes some pupils who are frequently suspended and miss lessons as a result.

The school has substantially improved the attendance of pupils. However, the proportion of pupils that are persistently absent is still significantly high. This continues to have impact on the outcomes that these pupils achieve in examinations and assessments.

Pupils receive an effective programme of personal development. Pupils learn how to keep themselves healthy, about relationships and the dangers of drugs and knife crime. Pupils can discuss the importance of fundamental British values.

The school has improved the proportion of pupils moving on to positive destinations in education, employment or training.

The school has experienced some turbulence in staffing and leadership. This has delayed some aspects of curriculum improvement.

The school is providing training and development opportunities to help staff, including those who lead aspects of the curriculum, to further secure necessary improvements. Most staff feel that leaders take their workload into account. Governors and trustees have a clear understanding of the school.

They challenge and support leaders effectively.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The quality of curriculum implementation is inconsistent.

Teachers are trained to use appropriate pedagogical strategies, but these are not consistently used in an effective manner. This slows the rate of progress that pupils make through the curriculum and hence the outcomes pupils achieve in exams and assessments. The school should ensure that teaching strategies are consistently implemented across the curriculum and that outcomes for pupils in examinations and assessments significantly improve.

• Although overall attendance has improved, a high number of pupils, including some who are disadvantaged, remain persistently absent and miss a significant amount of their learning. This impacts negatively on their achievements, including in national examinations and assessments. The school continues to work with the community to ensure the rates of persistent absence, including for disadvantaged pupils, further improves.

• Despite a much-improved behavioural culture at the school, a number of pupils do not engage fully with the school's high behavioural expectations. This means that they do not routinely develop the behaviours they need to be successful and are at risk of repeated sanctions. The school should further refine the support and adaptations that these pupils receive so that behaviour continues to improve.

• Leadership of several curriculum areas is still developing. As such, some of the planned improvements to the quality of education are not benefitting pupils as rapidly as the school intends. The school should ensure that curriculum leaders are well trained and further supported to confidently deliver and monitor improvements to the quality of the curriculum in their subject areas.

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