Debenham High School rated good by inspectors

A high school where students make excellent progress has been graded good overall with outstanding features in its first full inspection for 15 years.

Debenham High School’s previous full inspection by Ofsted was in January 2008, when it was judged outstanding, before the school became an academy.

A team of four inspectors assessed the school on March 2 and 3 and praised pupils’ “exemplary behaviour,” adding that they worked exceptionally hard in lessons.

The inspection report said: “Pupils leave Debenham High School having made excellent progress.

“Leaders have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and academic effort, and pupils rise to meet these.

“Pupils receive highly focused, good-quality teaching, which enables them to make progress.”

It also said students had access to an exceptionally wide range of trips and clubs, they had excellent relationships with their tutors and pupils were highly respectful of each other.

It continued: “There is very little bullying. Where there is unkind behaviour or language used, pupils are confident that staff will resolve it quickly. Pupils are very happy and safe attending this school.”

Students have many opportunities to develop leadership skills and there is a wide range of support services in place, inspectors said.

To improve, Ofsted said the support for those who join the school with weak reading and maths needed to be more rigorous, and that the leadership team should look to implement strategies to encourage older pupils to read beyond the core curriculum.