A high school has been ordered to improve after an inspection found that “pupils do not achieve as well as they should”. Education watchdog Ofsted rated Tottington High School as "requires improvement" in its second inspection since converting to academy status in November 2018. Inspectors attended the school, which is part of the Shaw Education Trust, on May 14 and 15.
The report raised concerns around staff meeting the needs of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) pupils. Ofsted scored its quality of education, behaviour and attitudes and personal development as "requires improvement" and leadership and management as "good". Published on July 5, it said: “Some staff do not use the information that they receive about pupils with SEND to adapt learning effectively to meet the needs of these pupils.
“This means that, at times, pupils with SEND do not learn as well as they should. “The school should ensure that it provides appropriate training for staff to enable them to help these pupils to learn successfully.” The report also raised concerns around the effective use of agreed learning strategies and assessment processes.
It added: “Some staff do not use the school’s assessment processes effectively to ensure that pupils’ prior knowledge is secure before moving on to new learning. “As a result, some pupils develop misconceptions and gaps in their knowledge that are not addressed. "The school should ensure that staff have the expertise to use as.