Archbishop Tenison's CofE High School

Overview

The report describes a school where pupils are "well prepared overall for the next stage of their education, employment or training" and feel a strong sense of belonging in a "close knit community." While achievement and teaching generally meet the expected standard, the report highlights that attendance is not improving rapidly enough and that some aspects of leadership monitoring and personal development require sharper focus.

Strengths

• Pupils, including disadvantaged students and those with special educational needs, "typically achieve well" and are supported effectively to catch up in core subjects.
• The curriculum is "broad and ambitious," allowing pupils to study options beyond the national curriculum, with teaching that is "generally effective" and places emphasis on subject-specific vocabulary.
• Staff know pupils well, creating a "welcoming and inclusive approach" where pupils express a "sense of safety and belonging" and describe the school as "like a family."
• Safeguarding standards are met, with an "open culture" where concerns are actively identified and managed, ensuring pupils "feel safe."

Areas to improve

• Leaders must "raise pupils' attendance more rapidly," particularly for those persistently absent, by tackling barriers swiftly.
• Leaders should "sharpen the monitoring and evaluation of their actions" to ensure improvement plans have maximum impact, including further developing teaching quality.
• The school should "extend the school's programme of personal development" and increase opportunities for enrichment and leadership for older pupils.

Safeguarding

The safeguarding standards are met, meaning leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon, and managed.