Swallow Hill Community College improving, says Ofsted

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Swallow Hill Community College is making progress, Ofsted inspectors have said.

The Armley Road school was deemed inadequate in March last year after inspectors raised concerns about some teaching and some pupils’ progress in key areas.

In the latest report, inspectors praised leadership at the school and the progress the school is making.

Inspector Phil Smith says in the report:

“Leaders and managers are taking effective actions towards the removal of the serious weaknesses designation.”

There was praise for principal Saira Luffman, who has now left the school. The report says:

“The principal, along with other leaders, has redoubled their efforts to tackle the school’s weaknesses. Through a blend of resolute determination and sustained effort, there are signs that improvements are quickening. The principal is successfully empowering other leaders, including subject leaders, to take greater ownership and responsibility for improving the school.”

The report also says leaders at Swallow Hill are successfully improving how they manage pupils’ behaviour. It adds:

“There are now clearer, consistent and more effective ways of dealing with low-level disruption. Consequently, pupils and teachers report an improving climate for learning and pupils having better attitudes to learning.”

The report adds that attendance is improving and exclusions, the use of internal isolation and detentions have all reduced significantly.

However, the inspector says some areas are still in need of improvement:

“Some teachers’ expectations are not high enough and are not challenged quickly by leaders. In these classes, the school’s marking and feedback policy is not consistently adhered to, work is poorly presented and it is not sufficiently challenging.

“Governors do not have regular opportunities to discuss and challenge subject leaders directly. Governors are too reliant on senior leaders to update them on the impact subject leaders are having.

“The attendance of some groups of pupils is not improving quickly enough. This includes pupils with a statement of special educational needs and disadvantaged pupils.”

The school remains classed ‘inadequate’ and will be re-inspected at a future date. The report can be read in full here.



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