Barnhill Community High School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Positive and respectful relationships underpin the Barnhill community. This results in a calm, purposeful and orderly environment. Pupils feel safe and know they have adults to speak with if they have concerns.

This, along with well-established pastoral support, ensures that pupils are kept safe.

Leaders have high expectations. Pupils rise to these.

The ambitious curriculum is well designed and implemented. Pupils achieve well and are exceptionally well prepared for their next steps.

All pupils benefit from carefully planned provision that extends beyond the academic curriculum.

Older pupils and students in the sixth form value responsibilit...y and play an active role in helping to run the school. For example, prefects are on duty and offer help at lunchtime. They volunteer to support younger pupils in lessons, raise money for charity, such as the recent Valentine's charity event, and help younger pupils to read.

Pupils have access to 'deep learning days' which provide enrichment opportunities such as listening to motivational speakers. Pupils are confident to debate and discuss complex ideas such as exploring climate change. Students in the sixth form are encouraged to request additional lectures to help with their studies and to find out more about current affairs.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders are determined for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to succeed. Pupils consistently meet these ambitions because of the well-crafted, broad and ambitious curriculum. Subject leaders have identified the knowledge that pupils need to learn over time.

This is well sequenced so that pupils embed important concepts before applying them to more complex ideas. For example, in science, younger pupils learn about how particles are arranged in solids, liquids and gases. Older pupils use this knowledge when learning about models of bonding in chemistry.

Leaders provide high-quality professional development to ensure that teachers have the relevant subject knowledge to deliver the curriculum effectively. Assessment is used well to check pupils' learning and to identify and address any gaps in their knowledge. This means that pupils, and students in the sixth form, develop a deep understanding in the subjects they learn.

Pupils with SEND are identified swiftly. Information is shared with staff. This helps teachers to ensure that appropriate and effective adaptations are put in place.

As a result, these pupils successfully access the same ambitious curriculum as their peers, wherever possible.

Reading is prioritised. Leaders identify any gaps in pupils' knowledge and ensure that effective targeted intervention is provided for those who need help to catch up.

Staff receive appropriate training. This helps to ensure that pupils develop as accurate, fluent and confident readers who are better placed to access the planned curriculum.

Students in the sixth form benefit from an equally broad and ambitious curriculum.

A carefully planned enrichment offer supports them to achieve well. Pupils across the school benefit from an effective careers programme. This includes work experience and repeated opportunities to engage with different employers.

This means that pupils, and students in the sixth form, are very well prepared for the next stage of their education, employment or training.

The curriculum in personal, social and health education is designed to help pupils understand important ideas. This includes what constitutes healthy and respectful relationships and how to keep safe, including when online.

Every opportunity is taken to support pupils' character development. For example, assemblies are used to reinforce key messages about the dangers of retaliation by drawing on proverbs and teachings from different religions.

Trustees have an accurate understanding of the school's many strengths and strategic priorities.

They have established effective routines to ensure that they challenge leaders' work. Leaders at all levels are reflective and systematic in securing further improvements for the school. For example, leaders have refined the approach to managing behaviour.

This has resulted in a calm and orderly atmosphere in classrooms and around the school. Pupils typically display high levels of self-control, and, over time, records show that behaviour is improving. Similarly strong systems ensure that pupils attend well, and that support is rightly focused on families for whom this remains a priority.

Staff are rightly proud to work at this school. They appreciate and value the careful consideration that leaders have given to their professional development, workload and well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.