I knew this would be a welcoming school from the quality of the paperwork I received. I was not disappointed. The quality of the paperwork and the explanation of all the work the school was doing made me very excited about my visit. There was a definite air of confidence about the school; they know they are good.
After travelling up the A5 for an hour, I was relieved to find parking was easy. The main entrance to the school was signposted and offered a friendly, welcoming space and easy sign-in. The school is a sprawling sight. A traditional 1970’s building with acres and acres of open space in the heart of an industrial area. The building has been added to and updated as the years have gone by, but none of the land has been sold off, unlike many other schools in the country.
There are tennis courts and football pitches, shaded areas for pupils to sit and relax, and wild areas for geography and science lessons. The sprawling sight does not come without its issues. There is a very long boundary fence to maintain, and there are lots of places for students to avoid being seen if they so choose.
There are currently 1550 pupils on role, including a sixth form of 170. Of the 1550 pupils, 22% are on the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) register (compared to 15% nationally). Three percent (48) of pupils have an Education, Health, and Care Plan (EHCP). Most of these pupils have a diagnosis of Social, Emotional, and Mental Health (SEMH). The school has responded to this by becoming a trauma-informed school. Currently, the school has 13 children in care.
In response to the increasing number of SEND pupils and the growing number of pupils with English as an Additional Language (EAL) at 6%, the school commissioned a SEND review and has been busy implementing the recommended changes.
The school has benefited from steady leadership. The current Headteacher has been there for the last thirteen years. He will retire at the end of the summer term. There has been a successful recruitment process to replace him.
I had two full, busy days at the school, was introduced to a large proportion of the staff team and got to speak to a lot of pupils, either in a planned meeting or around the school.
When you speak to staff at The Whitby High School, they all say what a great place it is to work. Staff who have worked at many different schools comment that Whitby is the best by far. Staff tend to not leave. They comment on how the school goes above and beyond to make them feel welcome and to ensure they know all the procedures. They feel part of a family at Whitby and want to stay. For some staff, there is a strong allegiance as they were pupils at the school. ‘The Whitby Way’ is an entrenched culture of the school. The senior leadership talks about everyone having a sense of belonging.
One member of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) commented that, “the core values of the school hit you in the face as soon as you walk into the building; they permeate everything.”.
When asked what inclusion meant to them, members of the senior leadership were all quick to come up with quotes:
“Knowing every member of our community and knowing what will make them successful, including families, students, and staff”.
“High-quality inclusive practice, important for everyone, crucial for some”.
“Relentlessly remove all barriers so that all students thrive and feel a sense of belonging”.
There is a very strong middle leadership team presence in the school.
The school has a policy of allowing staff to work flexibly. There are job shares and senior leaders who work only four days a week. The wellbeing of the team is important to leaders. Many staff socialise after school hours. The Headteacher is approachable and open to suggestions. Staff are consulted on all major changes.
Parts of the school are old and not well designed; however, the school has worked with the space to maximise efficiency. Staff and pupils can walk many steps in a day. There are a lot of stairs and no lifts. The school realises this is an issue and has made timetable changes to accommodate less physically able pupils. The corridors were clean, and I saw only a small amount of litter around the site. All displays were clear and well maintained. All rooms had the Whitby Way and Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity, and Empathy (PACE) pledges displayed. All teachers had access to a visualiser to aid outstanding, scaffolded learning.
The pastoral hub is a safe place for students and a space for pastoral leads to be based. Prior to the hub, pastoral leads would have been working all around the school. Now they can share best practices and work collaboratively. All pastoral leads act as Heads of Year and are unique in that they are non-teaching staff. Apart from the Year 7 Lead, who ensures a smooth transition into the school, they stay with their pupils throughout their school journey; they are the pupils’ key adult and advocate. All pastoral leads have had extensive training to enable them to fulfil the role, including training on how to lead assemblies.
All pupils wear the school uniform; however, they are not clones, and individuality is encouraged by staff. The pupils understand the need to respect staff. Behaviour in lessons was outstanding. All classrooms have a seating plan. Pupils know what to expect when the lesson begins with ‘Do Now’ activities that start every lesson. There is a high level of consistency in teaching and lesson format between teachers and subjects. Only maths is taught slightly differently, with shorter units and repetition to ensure mastery.
The pupils were delightful to chat with. They all said they felt safe in school and that if they had any issues, they were confident that the school would deal with them. They felt that they were offered a wealth of opportunities, including numerous trips and clubs. For example, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Plus (LGBTQ+), sports clubs (rounders, tennis, athletics, girls’ and boys’ football and tag rugby), art clubs and board games. They are offered exchange programmes to France and Germany, ski trips, and geography field trips. For less fortunate families, the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) offers funding support to ensure all pupils can take part. Pupils know who to go to if they have any concerns.
Pupils on the SEND register have access to the Learning Support Centre, the SCC. The school has an onsite Alternative Provision. Nurture groups are used for those pupils who struggle to cope with large class sizes. Students are supported by trained TAs.
All students use the class chart. This gives them their timetable, details of any homework, attendance, and messages from teachers. All parents also have access to this.
The school attaches a lot of importance to transition. In Years 4 and 5, pupils are invited to have a look around the school and have lessons with subject teachers. In Year 6, pupils can join ‘Junior High’, where they get to know the teachers who will be teaching them in Year 7 and can take part in Programme for Accelerated College Enrolment (PACE) pledges.
The Governing body is strong and understands its role in the school. The personal development offer is very strong, including work experience in Year 10.
There were lots of lovely stories from this school. It was also lovely to hear how the PTA had organised a day when families had the chance to buy nearly new prom dresses.
One member of staff, a Teaching Assistant at the school, told me how she had coached the girls’ netball team, getting them to the national finals at Loughborough. They were seen as the complete underdogs, as only private schools normally make it to the national finals. Whitby looked very different from all the other schools with their kit and coaches. However, Whitby went on to win the competition. The whole school got behind them, making it a massive community event through social media and assemblies. She described it as feeling like they had won the World Cup and were local celebrities.
