Marsden Heights Community College

Overview

Pupils feel “happy and safe” at this “friendly and welcoming” school, where they “champion the diversity” of the community. The school delivers an “ambitious curriculum” with “high expectations” for learning and behaviour, resulting in pupils who “achieve well in many subjects” and engage enthusiastically with wider opportunities.

Strengths

• Teachers possess “secure knowledge” of their subjects and explain concepts clearly, using “effective routines” that ensure “learning time is used efficiently.”
• The school “prioritises reading for all pupils,” with staff providing “timely and appropriate support” to help those who find reading difficult to “catch up with their peers.”
• Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are identified “swiftly and accurately,” and teachers receive the necessary training to support them well.
• Behaviour is exemplary; pupils are “courteous,” treat each other with respect, and disruption to learning is “rare.”
• Parents appreciate the “strong communication” with the school and feel “fully informed” about their children’s progress.

Areas to improve

• In a few subjects where curriculum thinking is at an “earlier stage,” assessment approaches are “underdeveloped,” meaning teachers are not always clear about knowledge gaps.
• Some aspects of careers education are “less well thought out,” with some pupils receiving insufficient information about post-16 choices until late in key stage 4.
• In a small number of subjects, teachers do not always adapt curriculum delivery effectively to meet the additional needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Safeguarding

The report states that “the arrangements for safeguarding are effective.”