Chailey School

Age group 11–16 Inspection date(s) 8–9 February 2012 Inspection number 378895 Chailey School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 114594 Local authority East Sussex Inspection number 378895 Inspection dates 8–9 February 2012 Lead inspector Christine Jones HMI

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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 Comprehensive School category Community Age range of pupils 11–16 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 737 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mr J Paine Headteacher Mrs L Young Date of previous school inspection 10 October 2006 School address Mill Lane South Chailey Lewes BN8 4PU Telephone number 01273 890407 Fax number 01273 890893 Email address office@chaileyschool.org 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 33 teachers teaching 30 lessons, of which three were joint observations with members of the senior team. In addition inspectors made short visits to 15 lessons where students were receiving extra support. Meetings were held with groups of students, the Chair of the Governing Body and other governors as well as school staff, including senior and middle managers. Inspectors took account of the responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) in planning the inspection, observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including the school’s own evaluation of its work, the safeguarding and equality policies and logs and minutes of the governing body meetings. Also, they analysed 289 questionnaires returned by parents and carers and others completed by students and staff.

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Information about the school

This school is smaller than the average-sized secondary school. It is a non-selective school serving the local rural area and most students are brought to school by bus. The proportion of students known to be eligible for free school meals is well below average. Most students are of White British heritage and the proportions of students from minority ethnic groups, or who speak English as an additional language, are very small. The overall proportion of disabled students and those with special educational needs is slightly above the national average including an above-average number with statements of special educational needs. The number of students on roll has dropped since the school was last inspected. The school is a specialist language and humanities college and meets the current floor standard. Chailey is a Leading Edge school and has gained a number of awards including the Eco-Schools Silver award and the International School award. It has National Healthy Schools

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Information about the school

Silver status. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Key findings

 Chailey is a good school which is determined to keep improving and make sure that all students achieve as well as they can. The students, parents and carers have a positive view of the school and would recommend it to others. Students reach standards well above the national average and make good progress overall and outstanding progress in English.  Teaching is usually good and, in some lessons, outstanding. In outstanding lessons students are excited by their learning, know exactly how well they are doing and what they need to do to improve. Students do not make as much progress where teachers do not plan well enough to meet their different learning needs.  The school provides good individual support for disabled students and those with special educational needs and these students make good progress.  Behaviour in lessons and outside them is very good. A few parents and carers expressed concerns that lessons were occasionally disrupted by bad behaviour

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Key findings

but inspection evidence does not support this view as even in lessons where the teaching was not engaging their attention, students listened patiently.  The headteacher and senior staff know the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They use performance management well to support teachers in developing their practice. This is closely monitored and linked to outcomes for students to keep a strong focus on improving achievement. Governors are very supportive of the school and the senior leadership.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Help more students to make outstanding progress in all subjects by:  making all teachers aware of the outstanding teaching and learning strategies already in use in the school, particularly in English, and ensuring these become standard practice in all subjects  planning lessons that more closely match the needs and abilities of all Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure students know how to improve their work by:  disseminating to all staff the outstanding assessment and guidance practice used by some teachers  closely monitoring of the quality of teachers’ assessment and feedback in all subjects.

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Achievement of pupils

Students enter the school with standards that are above those found nationally and they then make good progress to reach above average grades at GCSE. In most lessons seen during the inspection students made good progress. This includes the small number of students who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those from minority ethnic groups. Parents and carers were happy with the progress their children make in the school with very few expressing any concerns. Inspection evidence showed that students make the most progress in lessons that are fast paced and challenging; students have to work hard to keep up with the teacher but they said that they enjoy this. The best learning was seen where teachers gave students every opportunity to think issues through for themselves and engage with a variety of interesting and stimulating activities. Students were clear about what they were going to learn and at the end of the lessons both the teacher and students

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Achievement of pupils

were clear about the levels of success. This process is supported by regular and effective use of assessment information by both teachers and students as part of everyday teaching and learning practices. Progress is slower where the pace of the lesson drops and there are limited opportunities for students to be active and involved in their learning.

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Achievement of pupils

The development of literacy skills is embedded across the curriculum. For example, students use a ‘graffiti wall’ to record key vocabulary in design and technology. The use of numeracy in different subjects is less well established, although it is developing. The English department makes a determined and successful effort to encourage students to improve their reading outside school and to read at home by recommending suitable books. This is appreciated by the students and many make good use of the school library outside lessons. Disabled students and those with special educational needs achieve at least as well as their peers. They made good progress in the lessons observed due to the good quality, targeted support they receive.

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Quality of teaching

Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Quality of teaching

The quality of teaching is good overall and improving. Parents and carers agreed that their children are well taught at this school. Outstanding lessons, some of which were observed during the inspection, are characterised by a fast pace which engages the students, with no opportunities for them to lose interest or drift off task. The planned curriculum in these lessons is sharply focused on learning. All students, including those with special educational needs, are fully involved and participate in the learning activities planned to meet their individual needs. Teachers make regular use of opportunities, such as talking in pairs, for students to discuss and clarify their understanding and to involve them in self-assessment. This makes a good contribution to students’ good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development as they respond positively to the views of their peers. Where the teaching observed by

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Quality of teaching

inspectors was no better than satisfactory, learning was over directed by the teachers who talked too much and gave the students too many instructions with limited opportunities for them to be actively involved in their learning. The pace of these lessons slowed but the students behaved as well as they could and listened politely. Planning in these lessons does not always cover the needs of students in the class with a range of different abilities.

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Quality of teaching

The very experienced learning support assistants work well as a team and have a thorough knowledge of the strengths and weakness of the students they are supporting. In lessons, the learning and progress of less-able students are not always checked frequently enough by the class teacher.

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Quality of teaching

Evidence gathered from students’ exercise books across a range of subjects showed that students’ work is usually, although not always, marked frequently and regularly. The quality of feedback given to the students about what they needed to do to improve was variable. There were some examples of outstanding assessment practice that is embedded in the curriculum and in lesson planning, for example in English, where assessment is seen as integral to learning.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Students are very supportive of their school and enjoy being members of this harmonious school community. They appreciate the small size of the school as ‘everyone knows everyone else’. The school council is a vibrant body which is always seeking to improve its contribution to the life of the school. Students are certain that they feel very safe in school and that any issues they might have are dealt with quickly. The younger students appreciate the way the Year 11 mentors look after them and listen to their problems.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

The inspection found little evidence to support the concerns about behaviour in lessons raised by a few parents and carers, although some boisterous behaviour was observed in corridors during lesson changeovers. The students who were interviewed indicated that poor behaviour and low-level disruption in lessons were not a problem and did not impede their learning. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Students enjoy coming to school as evident by their attendance, which is above average, and their punctual arrival to school and lessons. Exclusions are rare and the school works hard to support those students who move to Chailey from other schools where they may have had problems. Incidents of bullying are unusual and students say it is not a problem in the school. Students are confident that where bullying does occur it is dealt with promptly by staff. Students are very aware of the different forms bullying may take and understand how this may affect them, and they have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe. The school effectively monitors any concerns regarding students’ health and safety and involves parents, carers and external agencies at all levels.

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Leadership and management

The headteacher, senior leadership team and staff have focused very successfully on the areas for development identified at the previous inspection. Information on student performance is now used much more effectively to improve teaching and raise standards. A good approach to monitoring the quality of teaching and learning gives the senior leadership team an accurate view of strengths and weaknesses in different curriculum areas. The performance management of teachers is closely linked to their professional development and this is having a good impact on improving the quality of teaching. Senior leaders are well aware that there is potential for more effective dissemination of the best practice in teachers’ use of assessment, as well as more focused monitoring of this aspect to ensure greater consistency across teaching groups.

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Leadership and management

The school takes very good care of the students and safeguarding arrangements are very secure. Parents and carers are very supportive of the school leadership and say that communications are good, especially the text messaging system for keeping them informed. Robust procedures are in place to ensure students’ safety and all current safeguarding requirements are met. Vulnerable students are well supported and their needs known and understood by the school.

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Leadership and management

Curriculum planning is based on the strong belief that students should be given every opportunity to follow and develop their own interests and talents. A good range of GCSE courses in Key Stage 4 includes work-related options such as business studies. The curriculum also places a strong emphasis on developing students’ awareness and understanding of other cultures. International School status is used to very good effect in this area and links have been established with schools across the world as well as one in London where students come from very different backgrounds. Language college status has also had a significant impact on students’ good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Students enjoy learning other languages and this has had a positive impact on improving their wider literacy skills. Students say they find teachers’ enthusiasm for their subjects very motivating and they appreciate the willingness of staff to run extra sessions outside regular lessons.

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Leadership and management

Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Leadership and management

The governing body has a positive relationship with the school and its input is appreciated, especially by the senior leadership team. Governors are effective in holding the school to account and challenging the senior leadership team about students’ achievement. The close links and good communication between school staff and governors secure a firm commitment to equal opportunities and ensure that any form of discrimination, should it arise, is tackled promptly. The school is determined that all students will achieve their full potential and this drive, together with a strong past record of continuous improvement, shows that the school has good capacity for further improvement.

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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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Inspection of Chailey School, South Chailey BN8 4PU

Thank you for the warm welcome you gave us when we visited your school recently. We enjoyed meeting you and being in your lessons. We were impressed with the pride you take in your school. This letter is to tell you what we found.

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Inspection of Chailey School, South Chailey BN8 4PU

 Chailey is a good and improving school.  Your achievement is good and you reach high standards by the end of Year 11.  Your teachers mostly plan interesting lessons but sometimes they are not tailored closely enough to your needs and you do not always get enough helpful feedback.  You tell us you feel very safe in school and learn a lot in your lessons when they are lively and interesting. You enjoy school and attend regularly and on time.  You told us that bullying is not a problem in your school but that you know what to do if it does occur and are confident that the school would deal with any issues promptly.  You behave well in lessons and around the school.  There are many opportunities to take interesting courses, especially in Key Stage 4.  The headteacher and her staff are committed to making sure you are always well cared for and able to fulfil your potential.

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Inspection of Chailey School, South Chailey BN8 4PU

We have asked the school to help you to make as much progress in all your subjects as you do in English by planning lessons that are suitable for your needs and giving you clear feedback so you always know how well you are doing and what you need to do to improve.

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Inspection of Chailey School, South Chailey BN8 4PU

You can all help in this by listening to your teachers and acting on their advice.

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Inspection of Chailey School, South Chailey BN8 4PU

Christine Jones Her Majesty's 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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