Brockhill Park Performing Arts College

Age group 11–19 Inspection date(s) 12–13 January 2012 Inspection number 386081 Brockhill Park Performing Arts College Inspection report

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Unique reference number 137458 Local authority Not applicable Inspection number 386081 Inspection dates 12–13 January 2012 Lead inspector Helen Hutchings

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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 Academy converter School category Modern (non-selective) Age range of pupils 11–19 Gender of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 1,249 Of which, number on roll in the sixth form 207 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair David Hill Principal Sonette Schwartz Date of previous school inspection 12–13 November 2008 School address Sandling Road Saltwood Hythe CT21 4HL Telephone number 01303 265521 Fax number 01303 262708 Email address office@brockhill.kent.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

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other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked 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. The inspectors observed different aspects of the school’s work including 46 lessons involving 44 teachers and an assembly. Inspectors took account of the responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) in planning the inspection, and looked at planning documents including those relating to safeguarding, students’ assessment information and work. They held discussions with members of the governing body, staff and groups of students, and analysed questionnaires from 133 parents and carers, and looked at others from staff and students.

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Information about the school

The roll in this larger-than-average school has risen steadily since the previous inspection. The school is set in parkland, houses a working farm and theatre and holds specialist status for the rural dimension and for performing arts. It operates within a selective area where approximately a quarter of pupils attend grammar schools for their secondary education. Most students are of White British heritage, with an increasing number from other ethnic backgrounds, including a few who speak English as an additional language. The proportion of students who have special educational needs and students with a disability is well above that found nationally. The proportion of students who join or leave the school at times other than the usual time is higher than in most schools. The school holds a number of national awards, including International School, Healthy Schools status and National School of Creativity recognition, in addition to awards for sport and the performing

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Information about the school

arts. The school has met the government’s current floor targets for academic performance. 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

 This is a good school with a positive learning ethos which is raising students’ aspirations. They develop well academically and personally, and are prepared well for the next stage of their lives. The school’s specialist status has a significant impact on students’ experiences. They achieve particularly well in performing arts subjects, and the farm is a popular aspect of school life and provides access to additional vocational qualifications.  Students’ attainment in GCSE, AS and A-level is in line with national averages and has increased year on year since the previous inspection. This represents good progress from students’ below-average starting points. Recent developments to enable students to improve their literacy and numeracy skills are having a positive impact but are not yet promoted sufficiently in all subjects.  The sixth form is good, shown in rapidly increasing numbers as the curriculum

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Key findings

is extended to meet a wider range of students’ interests and abilities.  Teaching is good. Occasionally, the matching of work to students’ prior attainment and abilities and marking are not as strong as in the majority of lessons.  Good behaviour is the norm. Students comment on improved attitudes in the last few years so that they are proud of their school, want to do well and appreciate that adults take an interest in them. They do not always present their work with care because teachers have not made their expectations sufficiently clear.  Leadership and management are good. The school is very effectively led by the Principal, and senior and middle leaders have an accurate understanding of the most important areas for development. The school has improved well since the previous inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise attainment further by accelerating the steps being taken to promote students’ literacy and numeracy skills in other subjects. 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?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching by identifying and sharing the most effective practice and ensuring that all teachers:  mark students’ work regularly and give them precise guidance about how their work could be improved, including presentation, and further opportunities to follow up on the guidance given  set work at a level which closely matches students’ needs and abilities.

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Achievement of pupils

Students’ attainment on entry is below average because most higher-attaining pupils attend grammar schools in the area. By the time students leave school, either at the end of Year 11 or in the sixth form, attainment is in line with national averages, showing the good progress they make through the school. As a result, the proportion of students who enter further education, training or employment on leaving school is well above the national rate. Although there are variations in individual lessons, observations during the inspection confirmed that good learning takes place across the school. Students respond well to the clear focus on improving their academic achievement, and this is reflected in the positive responses in the student and parental questionnaires. This is seen in students’ readiness for learning when they enter the classroom. A relative weakness relates to students’ presentation of their

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Achievement of pupils

work. In some books, although students record the learning objective routinely, untidy and disorganised written work makes it difficult for them to use it to reflect on what they have learned. The most effective learning takes place when students are actively involved in group work, broadening their perspectives as they articulate and share their thinking with others. In a few lessons, including in the sixth form, students have to listen to the teacher for too long or gain information from handouts rather than consolidate their thinking through discussion.

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Achievement of pupils

Students’ prior achievement has been stronger in English than in mathematics and science, but recent changes in teaching and the curriculum are addressing this well and performance across the subjects is closing rapidly. Students’ progress is closely tracked so that any loss of momentum is identified quickly and action taken, such as one-to-one tuition. Because each student is treated as an individual and interventions are carefully focused, groups of students, such as girls and boys, different attainment groups, those with disabilities and those who have special educational needs, all make good progress and there is good evidence to show that progress between different groups is similar across the school. Students have positive attitudes to learning and gain a momentum in their learning as they move through the school. Progress is faster in Key Stage 4 than in Key Stage 3 (Years 7 and 8 in this school).

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Achievement of pupils

However, teachers have raised their aspirations of students’ achievement in Year 7 through recent initiatives with local primary schools. In the sixth form, the improved curriculum with a wider range of vocational courses has led to more students staying on or joining from other schools. Their achievement has improved rapidly over the last three years and the school’s data show this pattern is set to continue. Performance is particularly strong in the school’s specialist performing arts subjects. 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 inspection findings of good teaching match the school’s own assessments and are supported by positive parental and student views. The warm relationships and rapport between teachers and students, often sharing humour, support learning well. Teachers use their subject knowledge well to plan lessons which engage students, and in-depth questioning strengthens students’ understanding effectively. The initiative this academic year to improve the use of group work has been very successful, and students gain greatly from the opportunities to talk through their ideas and to present and share their views with others in the class. Students are effectively encouraged to be reflective, to think things through for themselves and to take responsibility for their own learning, such as when they are given some choice about the level of work to be attempted. For example, this is a common feature of mathematics lessons and is contributing successfully to improved progress and

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Quality of teaching

attainment in the subject. Students make realistic choices because teachers give regular guidance about subject and examination criteria so that students have a good understanding of the level of their work. There is some good practice in marking, for example in English, which guides students’ improvement but this is inconsistent so that some marking merely acknowledges that work has been completed. Students are rarely required to follow up quickly on the suggestions made for improvement to check their understanding. In a few lessons, most often in mixed-ability classes, work is not always sufficiently well matched to students’ abilities and prior attainment, which occasionally limits the progress made by the most-able students. Teaching assistants are deployed well and are proactive and effective in giving extra support to students who need it.

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Quality of teaching

Students find the curriculum with early GCSE entry and options being taken from Year 9 motivating, particularly in their study of vocational subjects. Until this academic year, the most-able students in Key Stage 4 and in the sixth form have had limited opportunities to follow challenging academic pathways, for example to choose GCSE subjects meeting the English Baccalaureate requirements. This weakness is being effectively addressed through the systematic introduction of further courses as staff develop the relevant expertise. Recent developments to screen students’ reading abilities and whole-school events promoting the application of numeracy are providing a valuable foundation for further development. Currently, although many teachers promote literacy and numeracy skills within their subjects, the school’s approach has not been brought together into a coherent and well-understood approach. Teaching promotes students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural

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Quality of teaching

development well, for example improving their own and other’s performance in dance and drama, reflecting on inequalities in the world in history and geography, civil rights in citizenship or in developing a first-hand understanding of food production in the school farm. Consequently, students are aware, and tolerant, of difference.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

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

Behaviour, both in lessons and around the school, is invariably good and often better. Adults instil high expectations for courtesy, for example when listening to the teacher or fellow students, so that an ethos of consideration for others pervades the school and contributes well to the good learning in lessons. Sixth-form students are positive role models for younger students. Consequently, students feel safe and understand issues about their own safety. This was seen in a lesson, for example, when students reflected maturely on their understanding of surveillance cameras around the school as a means of protection, and issues of cyber-bullying are addressed robustly in assemblies. A few parents raised concerns about some less considerate behaviour in Key Stage 3. The school is aware that there has been minor disruption to learning in a few lessons, and is rigorously addressing the issue. The school has considerable success in integrating a number of students who have

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

behavioural difficulties and have not been successful in their earlier educational careers. Students are usually punctual to lessons, showing a sense of urgency to learning which is challenging given the widespread nature of the school site. Incidents of bullying and racism are rare. A sustained emphasis on improving attendance, identified as a weakness in the last inspection, has brought about considerable improvement and reduced persistent absence.

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Leadership and management

The Principal, leadership team and governing body have an ambitious vision for the school and there is a unity of purpose across the school as a whole. The Principal is well regarded by staff, students and parents and carers and they feel involved in what the school is trying to achieve. Issues of underperformance have been addressed robustly and teachers are enthused by the programme of professional development because they see improvements in students’ achievement. The rate of change and improvements, particularly in students’ attainment in English and mathematics, show the school’s ongoing capacity to improve further. The curriculum is good, as is the school’s promotion of spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The school promotes a broad curriculum to meet the differing needs and abilities of students and to place it within its local context. For example, the Key Stage 3 ‘great outdoors’ programme includes rural and arable geography, while the

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Leadership and management

Key Stage 4 curriculum includes aspects of farm management on the school’s farm and gardens. The school effectively uses its links with two other local schools to broaden provision for students requiring alternative vocational courses. Enrichment education is strong, with many students participating in clubs and events such as Young Farmers and performances in school and within the community. Governance is a clear strength, with the governing body supporting and challenging the school in equal measure. It ensures effective systems for students’ safety and security, including those relating to child protection. The school’s ethos, range of facilities and the match of the curriculum to students’ needs ensure good equality of opportunity so that any differences in the performance of groups are minimal.

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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 Brockhill Park Performing Arts College, Hythe CT21 4HL

I am writing to let you know the outcome of the recent inspection. Thank you for the welcome you gave us. We have judged that yours is a good school. We share your views that improvements are ongoing and are making the school increasingly effective. The school farm and performing arts specialism make the school a special place and everyone in the school is given the opportunity to succeed. The GCSE and sixth form results have improved well and are in line with those found nationally, which means that you are making good progress. Your progress in mathematics and science is still a little slower than in English but you are closing the gap rapidly. The Principal and staff do a good job in ensuring that your progress is checked regularly and that you are helped to understand the quality of your work. Your good behaviour and readiness to learn make an important contribution to good learning in lessons.

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Inspection of Brockhill Park Performing Arts College, Hythe CT21 4HL

Most importantly, you enjoy school, are proud of all that it offers and feel exceptionally safe. Your attendance has improved but it is still too low for a few students, particularly in Years 10 and 11.

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Inspection of Brockhill Park Performing Arts College, Hythe CT21 4HL

The Principal, senior team and staff are united in knowing how to make the school even better. This gives the inspection team every confidence that the school will continue to improve. We have asked the Principal and the staff to address some areas that should help to improve your attainment and progress, by:

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Inspection of Brockhill Park Performing Arts College, Hythe CT21 4HL

 finding more ways to develop your literacy and numeracy skills in other subjects  making sure that more of your work is marked regularly and that you are always given precise guidance about how your work and presentation could be improved, and that you have to follow up quickly on the guidance given  setting work at a level which closely matches your needs and abilities so that you do not lose any momentum in your learning.

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Inspection of Brockhill Park Performing Arts College, Hythe CT21 4HL

Thank you again for your help during the inspection. We are confident that you will all continue to give of your best, and wish you well in your future studies. If you are one of the few who are often absent, please do try to attend more regularly as this will help you to do better.

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Inspection of Brockhill Park Performing Arts College, Hythe CT21 4HL

Helen Hutchings 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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