Cranbourne

Age group 11  16 Inspection date(s) 1  2 February 2012 Inspection number 379258 Cranbourne Business and Enterprise College Inspection report

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Unique reference number 116432 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 379258 Inspection dates 1  2 February 2012 Lead inspector Ken Bush

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Type of school Secondary School category Community Age range of pupils 11  16 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 665 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mr P Clasper Headteacher Mrs B Elkins Date of previous school inspection 6  7 November 2008 School address Wessex Close Basingstoke Hampshire RG21 3NP Telephone number 01256 868600 Fax number 01256 868601 Email address admin@cranbourne.hants.sch.uk achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked

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after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when.

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You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days’ notice. Inspectors observed 42 lessons or learning sessions taught by 33 teachers. Inspectors observed the school’s work and held meetings with senior leaders, including the headteacher, curriculum and pastoral middle leaders and members of the governing body, including the Chair. Inspectors looked at planning documentation, assessment information, examples of students’ work and a number of policy documents. Inspectors took account of the responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) in planning the inspection and looked at 159 questionnaires from parents and carers, together with a sample from students and 52 from school staff.

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Information about the school

Cranbourne is smaller than most secondary schools. Most pupils are of White British heritage with small proportions from a range of other ethnic backgrounds. A small but growing number of pupils speak English as an additional language. The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is close to the national average; these pupils’ needs are related mainly to behavioural, social and emotional and moderate learning difficulties. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is close to the national average but rising. The school has had specialist status in business and enterprise since 2004. The school works in partnership with other local providers to offer vocational courses off site to some 14–16-year-old students. The school meets the current floor standard. Since the previous inspection, there have been extensive staffing changes, notably in the mathematics and science departments.

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Key findings

 Cranbourne is a good school. As a result of strong and improving leadership at all levels, student outcomes and the quality of teaching have improved significantly since the previous inspection when overall effectiveness was judged to be satisfactory.  The ethos of Cranbourne has undergone a sea-change in recent years. In this highly inclusive school, staff have consistently high expectations for all students. They, in turn, now routinely demonstrate a greater pride in their school and a determination to do well. This is reflected in above average and improving rates of attendance, better behaviour and greater engagement in their learning.  Students achieve consistently well and rates of progress for all groups are accelerating both in Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4. They develop and apply basic skills successfully, although literacy and numeracy are not yet planned for strategically across all areas of the curriculum. Nevertheless, when they leave

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Key findings

in Year 11, students are well prepared for the next phase of their education.  The improvement in achievement is mainly a consequence of there being more consistently good teaching. Few examples of outstanding teaching were seen during the inspection, however. Moreover, a small minority of lessons are less successful because not all students are always fully challenged by the work they are asked to complete.  Assessment is a strength of provision; teachers mark work regularly and generally provide detailed written feedback. Students are not always given enough time or explicit encouragement, however, to reflect upon and respond to comments in order to improve their work and this is not routinely checked by staff.  Leaders, together with an increasingly effective and proactive governing body, have addressed the issues highlighted in the previous inspection successfully and have clear, realistic and ambitious plans for further improvement.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching by July 2013, by:  ensuring that assessment information is used consistently by teachers in all subjects in their planning to maximise the degree of challenge for all students  providing more planned opportunities for students to reflect upon, and respond to, feedback about their work, and ensuring that teachers regularly check that they have done so  ensuring that the development of students’ literacy and numeracy skills is planned for coherently across all subjects, where relevant.

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Achievement of pupils

Students at Cranbourne are typically successful and effective learners who enjoy their work in most subjects. They are keen to develop and practise skills in literacy and numeracy, recognising their value as key learning tools. Students of all abilities demonstrate rising levels of proficiency in these skills, although strategic planning for their development is not yet well embedded across all subjects, especially with regard to numeracy. Students’ confidence and facility in using information and communication technology (ICT) is well developed, reflecting how well this is promoted across the curriculum. Characteristically, students maintain positive attitudes to learning throughout their time in school, and are confident and enthusiastic about working collaboratively and on their own. These features were seen during the inspection in a Year 7 art lesson in which students took high levels of responsibility for their progress and were prepared to take risks as they

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Achievement of pupils

experimented with their drawing techniques. In a Year 9 mathematics lesson, lower attaining students made good progress in their understanding of the concept of probability and in developing their speaking and listening skills when having to explain their developing understanding. The impact of the school’s specialism can be seen in students’ facility in developing enterprise-related skills, for example communication and teamwork. Older students are gaining a useful understanding of how to manage their own finances.

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Achievement of pupils

Students who left Cranbourne over the past three years and current Year 11 students began at the school with below average starting points; it is broadly average in cohorts which have joined the school more recently. Attainment, including in English and mathematics, is broadly average but rising rapidly. GCSE results in most subjects are at least comparable with national pass rates at A* to C grades and are on an improving trend. Results in art and core science in 2011 were well above average. In those few subjects where progress is slower, school leaders are intervening vigorously. Given their starting points and their attainment at the end of Year 11, progress over time for all groups of students, including disabled pupils, those with special educational needs and those from minority ethnic groups, is good. The progress of students who speak English as an additional language is exceptional. Notwithstanding minor variations in different subjects, boys and girls progress at

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Achievement of pupils

broadly similar rates. Parents and carers who responded to the questionnaire affirm strongly that their children make good progress. This view is shared by students, the very large majority of whom indicated in their questionnaire that they learn a lot in lessons.

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Quality of teaching

Almost all parents and carers who expressed their views believe that their children are well taught at Cranbourne. This is strongly endorsed by inspection evidence which shows that over time teaching is good and improving. Relationships between staff and students and between students and their peers are generally cordial and constructive, creating a positive learning environment. Planning is typically thorough and, in most cases, builds securely on students’ prior knowledge and understanding. In the small minority of cases where teaching is less effective, planning does not make enough use of the comprehensive assessment information available to provide sufficient challenge for students of different abilities. Occasionally, teachers also spend too long on the introductions to lessons, which reduces pace and students’ level of active engagement. Teaching assistants support the work of teachers effectively and make a strong contribution to ensuring that those students who

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Quality of teaching

require additional help progress at a comparable rate to other students.

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Quality of teaching

Although examples of outstanding or inspiring teaching were rarely seen during the inspection, there were numerous instances where highly proficient teaching led to good quality learning. In a Year 8 English lesson, the teacher’s skilful use of probing questions enabled students to respond with depth and emotional maturity to an extract from a challenging modern novel, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night. This exemplifies, too, how teaching through the planned curriculum promotes students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well; as through this programme of study, students deepened their awareness of autism. Some of the school’s most creative teaching occurs through the ‘Day 10’ programme, when on every second Friday, the normal timetable is suspended to enable all year groups to explore different topics in more depth or with a cross-curricular approach. A recent example which students responded to particularly well was a whole-school focus on

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Quality of teaching

life in Cameroon, which, again, successfully promoted spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Students’ attitudes to learning are very positive as reflected in above average and improving rates of attendance and consistent punctuality to lessons. They are typically courteous, welcoming to, and appreciative of visitors, and show maturity in their acceptance of people from different ethnic, religious and social backgrounds within their community.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Since the previous inspection, behaviour, both in lessons and around the school, has improved markedly and is now good. Exclusions from school, which in the past had been high, together with other reported incidents of poor behaviour, have decreased significantly. A small minority of parents and carers expressed the view that their child’s lessons are disrupted by bad behaviour, especially in subjects which have had major changes in staff. Inspection evidence indicates clearly, however, that the school has a track record of responding quickly and effectively to behavioural issues with robust systems for ensuring learning is not adversely affected. Consequently, the school is a calm, learning environment which supports the good and improving achievement of all groups. On the rare occasions when low-level disruption occurs, it is, in almost all cases, a response to less engaging teaching rather than disengagement with school life. Students with identified behavioural difficulties

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

respond exceptionally well to the school’s strategies, which are regularly reviewed, consistently, but sensitively applied and carefully monitored. Specialist pastoral support staff (College Parent Partners: CPPs) make an excellent contribution to improving behaviour and attendance, notably for those students whose circumstances have made them vulnerable. One parent or carer commented, ‘There has been good communication between the college, my son and home. The CPP has been extremely approachable; the college has been very supportive.’

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Most students report that behaviour is good and that the school deals very well with all types of bullying, including cyber-bullying and that related to specific prejudices. A number of older students are actively involved in the ‘Anti-Bullying Crew’, work as peer mediators and deliver assemblies on the topic generally and, more specifically, on cyber-bullying, to younger students both in Cranbourne and in its partner primary schools. Almost all students who responded to the questionnaire reported that they feel safe in school and all spoken to indicated that they have a high degree of personal safety-awareness.

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Leadership and management

Senior leaders and the governing body provide a very clear sense of direction to inform the school’s future development. The comprehensive and well-focused improvement plan is underpinned by accurate self-evaluation procedures. Systems to track students’ progress are securely in place and the resultant data are used well by leaders at all levels to highlight potential underperformance and inform intervention, when required. Monitoring and evaluation are undertaken by senior and middle leaders with equal facility. The quality of middle leadership, including both curriculum and pastoral leaders, is consistently good, reflecting the headteacher’s strong commitment to developing leadership capacity through coaching and extensive professional learning. Staff affirm that continuing professional development, including through performance management, has a high priority and is beneficial to them.

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Leadership and management

The governing body plays an active part in the life of the school. It also has an increasing role in strategic planning and monitoring and evaluating the work of the school. Alongside school leaders, it has ensured that inclusive practice and equal opportunities are clearly promoted and discrimination is tackled robustly. Achievement and other outcomes for different groups of pupils are routinely monitored. Safeguarding arrangements, including those relating to staff and governor training, meet statutory requirements and are regularly reviewed.

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Leadership and management

The school’s track record since the previous inspection is impressive, especially given the turbulence in staffing in two key departments; its capacity for further improvement is strong. One parent or carer remarked, ‘The school has made significant improvements over the last few years and this shows in their delivery of teaching and learning. My daughter is very happy here.’ Teaching is now consistently good and the determination to improve it further is securely embedded in the school’s culture. The curriculum has also undergone significant modification and includes a good range of pathways to suit the differing needs and aspirations of students. Opportunities for students to undertake vocational opportunities, through, for example, diplomas, and the provision of separate sciences, have made a significant contribution to improved achievement over time for all groups and promote spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils. Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 46 46 8 0 Primary schools 8 47 40 5 Secondary schools 14 38 40 8 Special schools 28 48 20 4 Pupil referral units 15 50 29 5 All schools 11 46 38 6

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements have been introduced from 1 January 2012. This means that inspectors make judgements that were not made previously. The data in the table above are for the period 1 September 2010 to 31 August 2011 and represent judgements that were made under the school inspection arrangements that were introduced on 1 September 2009. These data are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk). The sample of schools inspected during 2010/11 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools. Primary schools include primary academy converters. Secondary schools include secondary academy converters, sponsor-led academies and city technology colleges. Special schools include special academy converters and non-maintained special schools.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning and development taking account of their attainment.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the pupils’ work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attendance: the regular attendance of pupils at school and in lessons, taking into account the school’s efforts to encourage good attendance.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Behaviour: how well pupils behave in lessons, with emphasis on their attitude to learning. Pupils’ punctuality to lessons and their conduct around the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving based on its self-evaluation and what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the governors and headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Learning: how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Overall effectiveness: inspectors form a judgement on a school’s overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils’ attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Safety: how safe pupils are in school, including in lessons; and their understanding of risks. Pupils’ freedom from bullying and harassment. How well the school promotes safety, for example e-learning.

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carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s

main findings from the inspection of their school.

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RG21 3NP

Thank you for the very warm welcome you gave to the inspection team when we visited your school recently. We enjoyed being in your lessons and talking to a good number of you, and we were impressed with the pride you have in your school. These are the main findings of the inspection.

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RG21 3NP

 Cranbourne is a good school which has improved since the previous inspection in 2008.  All groups of students make good progress and achieve well.  Teaching, behaviour and safety are all good and the school promotes your spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well.  Your school is well led and managed, with good plans for how it can get even better. The school’s specialist business and enterprise status makes a positive contribution to your education.

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RG21 3NP

The headteacher agrees with the inspection team that there are areas which could be better still and we have asked that the following improvements be implemented.

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RG21 3NP

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching by July 2013, by:  making sure that lessons in all subjects are planned to provide the right level of challenge for all students  providing more planned opportunities for students to reflect upon, and respond to, feedback about their work  making sure that the development of students’ literacy and numeracy skills is carefully planned for across all subjects.

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RG21 3NP

Ken Bush Lead inspector procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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