Ofsted praises progress at Brighton school

The official education watchdog, Ofsted, has praised the progress that has been made at a Brighton school since it was graded as “requires improvement” in March last year.

Three inspectors visited Longhill High School, in Falmer Road, Rottingdean, a month ago – on Wednesday 17 September.

The lead inspector Michelle Payne wrote to head teacher Rachelle Otulakowski, saying: “Leaders have made progress to improve the school but some aspects of the school need further improvement.”

In the letter published by Ofsted this week, she said: “The school has made notable improvements in the quality of education since the previous inspection.

“A curriculum review has been completed to ensure that pupils study a broad range of subjects. Subjects are taught by teachers with appropriate expertise.”

The inspection team discussed the continuing effects of the covid-19 pandemic. The Ofsted letter said: “Behaviour across the school is improving.

“The behaviour policy has been revised to promote a culture of high expectations. Staff have received helpful guidance on implementing the policy and are increasingly consistent in enforcing the school’s rules.

“Classrooms are generally calm and orderly, reducing disruptions and allowing pupils to focus on their work. Pupils spoke positively to inspectors about the rapid improvements in behaviour around the school.

“Although the number of suspensions and exclusions remains high, the number of pupils who are suspended repeatedly is decreasing.

“More pupils at risk of repeat suspension are receiving targeted support to help them manage their behaviour effectively.

“Overall attendance remains significantly below the national average. Too many pupils continue to miss substantial portions of their education.

“The school’s policy and procedures are not precise enough about when and how the school will respond when pupils’ attendance becomes a concern.

“The strategies the school uses to try to improve attendance are often not tailored well enough to remove the barriers that individual pupils face.

“However, where a more individualised approach is used, for example, for the most severely absent pupils, their attendance is starting to improve.

“In addition, prompt arrival to lessons has improved considerably, allowing pupils to make better use of learning time and enhance their achievement.

“Pupils continue to benefit from a wide range of enrichment opportunities that support their interests and aspirations.

“The school has worked with external advisers to review and enhance the personal, social and health education (PSHE) programme. A focus on staff training has ensured that the programme is delivered with greater consistency.”

Mrs Otulakowski said: “We were pleased that our monitoring visit went well. Ofsted were particularly pleased with the improvements that they noted in behaviour.

“The culture of the school has shifted significantly and we look forward to our full two-day graded inspection.”

The Ofsted letter said: “The school should take further action to improve the knowledge and expertise of those responsible for maintaining the single central record.”

All schools are required to have a single central record of all pre-employment checks conducted on staff, including teachers, support staff and volunteers, to ensure they are suitable for working with children.

The letter added: “The school maintains a strong safeguarding culture. However, minor weaknesses in safeguarding arrangements need to be addressed.

“Administrative errors and gaps in the single central record (SCR) had not been spotted or addressed. These were corrected during the monitoring visit.

“The SCR now accurately reflects that all required recruitment checks are completed before adults begin working with pupils.

“The school is in the process of implementing additional training and clearer processes to prevent future errors.”

The letter said: “Since the last inspection, there have been significant changes in the school’s staffing and leadership including a structural reorganisation. As a result, clearer lines of responsibility and accountability have been established.

“Guidance from school improvement partners, brokered by the local authority, has helped ensure that the actions taken to improve the school are designed to be sustainable.

“Staff now benefit from a well-structured support programme that enables them to meet the school’s expectations.

“Inconsistencies remain in how teachers support pupils’ learning effectively. At times, learning is not well matched to pupils’ needs. Sometimes, checks on understanding do not assess effectively how well all pupils are progressing through the curriculum.

“Consequently, sometimes lessons move on before pupils have grasped new concepts. This limits the depth and breadth of knowledge they learn. Leaders are aware of these issues and are providing targeted support to improve teaching consistency.

“Teachers receive clear guidance on strategies for supporting pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff can articulate these expectations confidently. However, some staff do not apply this knowledge effectively in the classroom.

“Consequently, some pupils with SEND do not receive the support they need to access learning successfully.

“The revised curriculum is still in its early stages. Many pupils have yet to benefit fully. Consequently, some remain less well informed about topics that prepare them for life in modern Britain.

“Governors are committed to ensuring that the school delivers high-quality education. The local authority has established a school improvement strategy board to regularly review the work of governors and school leaders.

“There is a shared understanding of the school’s improvement priorities and leaders have engaged openly with external support to evaluate progress.

“However, the school recognises the need to adopt a more rigorous approach to planning, monitoring and evaluating school improvement.”

To read the letter, click here. To read previous Ofsted reports, click here.

With the deadline approaching to apply for a year 7 secondary school place, on Friday 31 October, Longhill held an open day two weeks ago.

The school website said: “We offer private tours of the school throughout the year during term times. These tours are available for those applying for entry into any year group, not just year 7.

“Please call 01273 304086 or email admin@longhill.org.uk to book a place.”