School report
Inspection of Thornden School
Winchester Road, Chandler’s Ford, Eastleigh, Hampshire SO53 2DW
Inspection dates:
21 and 22 June 2022
Overall effectiveness
Good
The quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Previous inspection grade
Outstanding
Inspection report: Thornden School
21 to 22 June 2022
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What is it like to attend this school?
There is a welcoming and harmonious atmosphere at Thornden. Pupils are proud to
attend this popular school, and they feel safe. They demonstrate the school’s values
of ‘aspire, respect, participation, enjoy’. Pupils can express their views, for example
through the school council. This helps them to grow their leadership skills and
develop their understanding of community.
Staff know pupils well and have high expectations of them. Pupils rise to this
challenge, work hard and achieve very well. Pupils are ambitious for their futures.
They value the guidance they receive to help them consider their next steps after
school.
Across the school, relationships are strong. Pupils mix together very positively and
are polite, respectful and articulate with adults. In lessons, most pupils show a very
positive attitude to learning. Pupils say that sometimes, bullying happens. Some
pupils feel it is not taken seriously or dealt with quickly enough. Leaders know this
and are addressing the issue.
There is a wealth of clubs and activities in sports, the arts and many more, such as
the LGBTQ+ club. During the inspection, pupils were enthusiastically rehearsing for
their upcoming performance of ‘Alice in Wonderland’, and the choir was practising a
song in perfect harmony. There is an active Duke of Edinburgh’s Award programme
and frequent opportunities to go on trips, both locally and abroad.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do
better?
The curriculum is broad, well planned and ambitious. In key stage 3, the curriculum
provides pupils with a strong foundation on which to build. Pupils have a wide range
of interesting options to choose from at key stage 4. The proportion of pupils
studying GCSEs in the suite of subjects known as the English Baccalaureate is high.
The vast majority of pupils study a modern foreign language, and many study two.
All pupils study a humanities subject at key stage 4.
Leaders have carefully sequenced learning so that pupils can build on their
knowledge successfully over time. Teachers use their strong subject knowledge to
help pupils develop their skills and understanding. For example, in a Year 9 English
lesson on ‘An Inspector Calls’, the teacher guided pupils to use their knowledge of
etymology to work out the meaning of the word ‘hysterical’. However, some teachers
do not check carefully enough that pupils have grasped key knowledge and concepts
before moving on so that learning is not always securely embedded.
Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) achieve well. Their
needs are carefully identified, and staff make sure they adapt their teaching
accordingly. Pupils with SEND are well supported, both academically and
emotionally.
Inspection report: Thornden School
21 to 22 June 2022
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Leaders recognise the importance of reading. Year 7 pupils follow a ‘read, know,
grow’ programme which helps them develop a love of reading. All pupils read during
tutor time, and the library is a welcoming space. Leaders rightly acknowledge that
there is more work to be done to support the needs of the very weakest readers.
Leaders have a strong commitment to produce well-rounded citizens who can assess
risk in the world around them. The personal, social, health and economic curriculum
is carefully designed to do this. Pupils learn topics such as online safety and consent.
Leaders swiftly make changes to the programme to respond to emerging issues in
the local area.
Pupils benefit from a well-thought-out careers programme which includes work
experience for Year 11 pupils, enterprise day and trips to local colleges. Pupils,
especially older ones, feel very well prepared for their next steps in education and
employment.
Staff are loyal and committed to the school. They appreciate the consideration that
leaders give to their workload and well-being. Parents greatly value the efforts staff
go to, to support their children. One parent said: ‘The teaching staff are very
supportive, helpful and kind.’
Governors and trustees have high expectations of school leaders. They work closely
together, know the school well and are focusing on the right things to make the
school even better. However, leaders sometimes take too long to implement their
plans for improvement, and they do not always check sufficiently well that the
actions they have taken are working as intended.
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
Designated safeguarding leads are well trained and knowledgeable. Leaders ensure
that staff, including governors, receive regular training. Updates are often given
during the weekly ‘teaching and learning Tuesday’. Pupils and staff know how to
report concerns and do so promptly. Leaders make appropriate referrals to external
agencies when required. Recording systems would benefit from being more
streamlined.
Pupils know how to keep themselves safe, for example when using social media.
They learn about healthy relationships in an age-appropriate context. Pupils who
feel anxious value the strong support they receive from pastoral staff.
What does the school need to do to improve?
(Information for the school and appropriate authority)
There is some variance in the way the curriculum is implemented across the
school. Leaders know what they want pupils to learn, and in what order, but
Inspection report: Thornden School
21 to 22 June 2022
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sometimes, teachers do not check carefully enough that pupils have grasped key
knowledge and skills before moving on. This means that pupils’ learning is not
always secure. Leaders should ensure that strategies to assess learning are
clearly understood by all teachers and embedded consistently across the school.
Some pupils expressed concern about how bullying is dealt with. They are not
always confident that incidents are taken seriously or that leaders’ actions are
effective. Leaders should evaluate their current approaches and take appropriate
action to increase pupils’ confidence in raising concerns.
Leaders are ambitious for the school and have identified the key areas for
improvement such as reading, assessment and attention to detail around
safeguarding records. However, leaders do not always put their plans into action
quickly enough or check the impact of the changes they have made on a routine
basis. Leaders should ensure that they drive improvements forward with greater
pace and carefully evaluate their actions.
How can I feed back my views?
You can use Ofsted Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school,
or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted
Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as
part of their inspection.
The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a
school.
If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you
can complain to Ofsted.
Further information
You can search for published performance information about the school.
In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government
pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six
years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route.
Inspection report: Thornden School
21 to 22 June 2022
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School details
Unique reference number
136715
Local authority
Hampshire
Inspection number
10199437
Type of school
Secondary comprehensive
School category
Academy sponsor-led
Age range of pupils
11 to 16
Gender of pupils
Mixed
Number of pupils on the school roll
1,493
Appropriate authority
Board of trustees
Chair of trust
Andrew Parr
Head of school
Steven Hicks
Website
www.thornden.hants.sch.uk
Date of previous inspection
6 and 7 June 2007
Information about this school
Thornden is larger than the average-size 11 to 16 mixed school.
The school was previously a stand-alone academy. In 2020, along with two
primary schools, the school formed the HISP multi-academy trust.
The school supports alternative provision for three pupils at two registered
education providers.
The school meets the requirements of the Baker Clause, which requires schools to
provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information about approved technical
educational qualifications and apprenticeships.
Information about this inspection
The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.
This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19
pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders
and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.
At the time of the inspection, Year 11 pupils were only attending school for their
GCSE examinations.
Inspection report: Thornden School
21 to 22 June 2022
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Meetings were held with the head of school, the acting executive headteacher,
senior leaders, staff, pupils and a trustee. An inspector had a telephone call with a
governor. An inspector had a telephone call with a member of staff at two
alternative provisions.
Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics,
science, history, modern foreign languages and physical education. For each deep
dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a
sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at
samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also visited lessons in some other subjects.
Through discussions with leaders, a governor, a trustee, pupils and staff,
inspectors considered how effectively pupils are safeguarded. They also viewed
the school’s website and policies. They looked at records related to safeguarding,
including checks on adults working at the school.
Inspectors spoke to staff, including early career teachers, about behaviour and
their workload in school.
Inspectors considered the views of pupils and staff through the responses to
Ofsted’s confidential surveys. The views of parents were considered through the
312 responses to Ofsted Parent View.
Inspection team
Paula Sargent, lead inspector
Ofsted Inspector
Mark Roessler
Ofsted Inspector
Taj Bhambra
Ofsted Inspector
John Burridge
Ofsted Inspector
David Cousins
Ofsted Inspector
Inspection report: Thornden School
21 to 22 June 2022
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