SET Beccles School, in Castle Hill, downgraded from good to requires improvement in all areas after recent Ofsted inspection

A school in East Suffolk has been downgraded from good to requires improvement in all areas with concerns over low attendance and high suspensions.

Having been rated as good in its previous two inspections, SET Beccles School, in Castle Hill, Beccles, has dropped its Ofsted rating following an inspection on February 7 and 8.

In a report published last Wednesday, the quality of education, pupils’ behaviour, personal development as well as leadership and management have all been labelled as requires improvement.

Jonathan Taylor, the CEO of Seckford Education Trust, said: “The recent Ofsted report at SET Beccles School rightfully recognises that the school has been through a period of significant change in recent years and that improvements are well under way.

“The school is now linked with one of the region’s most successful trusts, drawing on proven expertise and we look forward to a highly positive future.”

In the report, the watchdog recognised there had been a lot of change at the school over the past two years.

The new trust leadership secured the support the school needs to address weakness, it said.

The school and trust now have a shared ambition for what they want to achieve but this has not always been the case, so the quality of provision has declined

The watchdog said not all pupils attend school regularly, with some having long periods of absence.

Although, it highlighted the school has appropriate systems in place to ensure these pupils are safe, the opportunity to catch up when they return is not always there.

Further, not all students are respectful towards their peers or teachers.

It said: “Some pupils are not always respectful of one another or of adults in the school, a small number of pupils repeatedly so.

“This is because the school does not yet implement its behaviour policy effectively.

“As a result, the number of pupils being suspended is high. This includes a number of vulnerable pupils.”

The report said some pupils have gaps in their understanding and the school should ensure teachers have appropriate skills to identify these gaps.

It said: “In most subjects, the curriculum is planned and taught to provide pupils with the knowledge they need to take the next steps in their learning.

“Much of the curriculum is new. As it is not yet well established, it has yet to address some of the gaps pupils have in their learning.

“Assessment is not used consistently to identify what pupils know and can do. As a result, some pupils do not achieve what they are capable of because the curriculum is not tailored to their needs.”

The report recognised the support for pupils with SEND is typically effective.