East Bergholt High School

Overview

East Bergholt High School continues to be a good school, with high expectations for pupils’ achievement and behaviour that are largely realised. Pupils benefit from a well-planned curriculum and effective teaching approaches, resulting in strong learning outcomes, including for those with special educational needs. While behaviour has improved markedly since the pandemic, some inconsistencies in management and clarity around reporting concerns remain.

Strengths

• Curriculum leaders have established a common planning approach, ensuring pupils learn key information in a timely fashion and that content becomes increasingly complex over time.
• Staff use effective teaching methods, such as considered questioning and checking understanding, to embed knowledge in pupils’ memories.
• Teachers support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well, using provided information to aid their learning.
• Leaders promote respect for others particularly well, fostering an environment where pupils feel it is “fine to be yourself.”
• Staff are highly appreciative of leaders’ support and workload considerations, with all surveyed staff expressing pride in working at the school.

Areas to improve

• Leaders need to ensure all teachers consistently use the established approach to managing behaviour, as some pupils still misbehave and disrupt learning.
• Leaders must clarify for pupils when and how to pass on concerns, ensuring they understand who to talk to and what actions might follow.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with leaders carrying out appropriate checks, ensuring staff are trained, and dealing with concerns well in collaboration with external agencies.