Sir Harry Smith Community College, Whittlesey, has been handed a stinging assessment by Ofsted inspectors, who found that the school “requires improvement” in every key area, including the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and sixth-form provision.
The inspection, conducted on 30 September, 1 October, and 6 October 2025, paints a picture of a school struggling to deliver consistently high standards for its pupils.
“Pupils do not always learn the important knowledge that they need”
The report opens with a stark warning: “The school provides pupils with a broad and often ambitious curriculum. However, important knowledge, including in some topics relating to pupils’ personal development, is not always taught well enough.
“Pupils do not always learn the important knowledge that they need. Consequently, they do not achieve as well as they should.”
While “pupils say that lessons are calmer than they were” and “are usually able to focus on their work,” the report highlights that “when teaching is less effective, the behaviour of a minority of pupils disrupts the learning of others.
“Some pupils make unkind comments towards their peers. This affects some pupils’ enjoyment of school. Pupils, like some staff, parents and carers, are frustrated when the school does not always deal with these issues well enough.”
“Inconsistencies in the quality of education over time”
Inspectors found that “the school has thought about the important knowledge that pupils need to know and the order in which they should learn it. Lessons usually follow a consistent structure.
“For example, teachers recap important content at the start of the lesson before moving on to new learning. When teachers implement the curriculum most effectively, they carefully check pupils’ knowledge and identify any gaps. They make appropriate adaptations so that pupils can access the curriculum and learn well.”
However, the report is clear that “because of inconsistencies in the quality of education over time, pupils do not benefit from consistently high-quality lessons. Staff do not check pupils’ learning well enough and some pupils still have too many gaps in their knowledge.
“Staff lack the expertise and, at times, the information they need, to precisely adapt the curriculum for pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This means that some pupils struggle to access the curriculum and to engage with learning. Some pupils are not progressing as well as they should.”
“Attendance is below national averages”
Ofsted inspectors found persistent problems with attendance at Sir Harry Smith Community College.
The report states: “The school has improved its work with families on attendance with some impact, but attendance is below national averages.”
The consequences of poor attendance are clear and far-reaching:
“Some groups of pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, do not attend well enough. As a result, there are gaps in their knowledge. They miss out on other activities and opportunities.”
The report calls for urgent action from school leaders:
“The school should ensure that it fully identifies the barriers to high attendance and successfully addresses these, so that more pupils come to school more often.”
Furthermore, the lack of detailed information about attendance is highlighted as a leadership failure:
“The school does not always collect the detailed information it needs about pupils’ behaviour, progress and attendance. This means it does not effectively target support for those pupils and staff who need it most.”
The report notes that “the school does not always collect the detailed information it needs about pupils’ behaviour, progress and attendance. This means it does not effectively target support for those pupils and staff who need it most. This includes for those students in the sixth form. The school has improved its work with families on attendance with some impact, but attendance is below national averages.”
“Inconsistency in how well [personal development] is delivered”
The school’s personal, social and health education curriculum “covers appropriate topics, such as healthy lifestyles and consent. However, there is an inconsistency in how well it is delivered. This means that pupils struggle to learn and recall important knowledge. Pupils are not always fully aware of the appropriateness of the words they use. For example, some pupils make unkind comments about the appearance of their peers.”
“Changes in policies have not always been well thought out or well implemented”
The report is critical of leadership, stating: “The school’s systems do not provide leaders with the detailed information that they need to make the right decisions and to accurately gauge the impact of their actions.
“Changes in policies have not always been well thought out or well implemented. The school does not always communicate why changes take place. Consequently, some staff and parents feel frustrated.
“Trustees have taken important steps to address these issues, including appointing new staff and bringing in external support. However, there is further work to do, as they acknowledge, to improve the school’s provision.”
“Pupils with SEND sometimes find it hard to enjoy school”
The report lists several urgent areas for improvement: “The school does not have detailed, timely information about how well pupils achieve, attend and behave, and about how well the curriculum is being taught. The school should ensure that systems are in place to make sure that it has an accurate picture of its provision so that it can identify priorities, provide support where it is needed and check that its actions are having the desired impact.”
It continues: “The school has not ensured that staff check how well pupils learn the intended curriculum. Consequently, they do not always identify and close gaps in pupils’ knowledge accurately or promptly enough. The school should ensure that staff have the knowledge they need to assess pupils’ learning and successfully adjust the curriculum to meet pupils’ needs.”
“Pupils with SEND sometimes find it hard to enjoy school and to achieve as well as they should. This is because the school has not ensured that staff know how to make effective lesson adaptations for all pupils. Consequently, at times, pupils with SEND can struggle to access the curriculum. The school should provide staff with the knowledge and support they need to consistently provide pupils with appropriate help.”
“Safeguarding arrangements are effective”
Despite the criticisms, Ofsted found that “the arrangements for safeguarding are effective.”
All quotes in this article are taken directly from the Ofsted inspection report for Sir Harry Smith Community College, published following the inspection on 30 September, 1 October, and 6 October 2025.
Dawn White, Principal of Sir Harry Smith Community College, said: “While this outcome may feel disappointing, the report reflects our own assessment of where improvements are needed, and where improvements are being made in these key areas.
“We have already made several significant changes to strengthen our whole-school approach and have seen noticeable improvements, creating a foundation that will allow high-quality teaching and learning to take place in every classroom. We recognise that these improvements will need more time to be embedded, and that there is further work now to be done.”
She said that inspectors acknowledged that improvements are being made and highlighted many positive features of the school, including:
- ‘Pupils say that lessons are calmer than they were. They are usually able to focus on their work. Most pupils treat each other with respect and want to do well.’
- ‘The school has successfully strengthened its expectations of how pupils should behave and wear their uniform.’
- ‘The school has improved its work with families on attendance with some impact, but attendance is below national averages.’
- ‘The school has thought about the important knowledge that pupils need to know and the order in which they should learn it.’
- ‘When teachers implement the curriculum most effectively, they carefully check pupils’ knowledge and identify any gaps. They make appropriate adaptations so that pupils can access the curriculum and learn well.’
- ‘The school supports pupils who find reading hard. This helps them access the curriculum.’
- ‘Students in the sixth form enjoy school. They are well supported with applications for higher education and other routes.’
- ‘Pastoral staff positively support pupils to improve their behaviour and with their well-being. The specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND and the ‘yellow corridor’ are both welcoming havens for pupils when they are worried.’
- ‘Trustees have taken important steps to address these issues, including appointing new staff and bringing in external support. However, there is further work to do, as they acknowledge, to improve the school’s provision.’
Inspectors also told the school that it should now focus on improving the following areas:
- Improve systems for monitoring student achievement, attendance, and behaviour.
- Ensure all teaching staff consistently check pupils’ understanding to adapt and tailor approaches for all students.
- Provide staff with further training to support pupils with SEND.
- Identify and address the specific barriers to good attendance.
- Strengthen the delivery and oversight of the personal development programme.
Matthew Laban, Chief Executive of Aspire Learning Trust, who joined the Trust during the summer term, added: “Trustees have taken important steps to address these issues, including appointing new staff and bringing in external support. However, there is further work to do, as we acknowledge, to improve the school’s provision.”
Ofsted report can be viewed here:
https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/23/138053?utm_source&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=report
