Smithills School Ofsted Report

Full report

In accordance with section 44(1) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school.

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve outcomes for pupils by:
  • reviewing the targets set for pupils in all year groups and all subjects to ensure that they offer sufficient challenge to raise achievement significantly
  • taking urgent action to identify and remedy underachievement in key groups of pupils, especially the most able, the most able disadvantaged and pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities
  • taking urgent action to improve pupils’ progress in English and mathematics.
• Improve the quality of teaching by:
  • ensuring that teachers use assessment information accurately and effectively to better meet the needs of all pupils and groups of pupils in their classes
  • ensuring that all teachers have high expectations of what pupils can and should achieve
  • ensuring that where weaknesses are identified in teaching these are addressed promptly and rigorously through additional support and challenge.
• Improve pupils’ personal development, behaviour and welfare by:
  • improving the attendance of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities
  • ensuring that teachers use agreed behaviour systems consistently to manage any poor behaviour in their lessons
  • taking action to improve the commitment of the minority of pupils whose attitudes to learning hinder their progress.
• Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management by:
  • ensuring that improvement planning and school self-evaluation focus on the impact of actions and priorities to improve the school. An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved. An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

Governance of the school

Safeguarding

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

Personal development and welfare

Behaviour

Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 140500 Bolton 10019767 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Secondary comprehensive School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Academy converter 11 to 16 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 968 Appropriate authority The Bolton Multi Academy Trust Chair of governors Principal Ian Carter Alec Cottrill Telephone number 01204 842 382 Website Email address www.smithillsschool.net/ office@smithillsschool.net Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

Information about this inspection

Inspection team

Clive Hurren, lead inspector Alison Stott Rochelle Conefrey Jan Rowney

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector