Felpham Community College

Age group 11–18 Inspection date(s) 7 – 8 December 2011 Inspection number 381184 Felpham Community College Inspection report

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Unique Reference Number 126080 Local Authority West Sussex Inspection number 381184 Inspection dates 7–8 December 2011 Reporting inspector Lesley Farmer

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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 11–18 Gender of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 1294 Of which, number on roll in the sixth form 228 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Ken Lloyd Headteacher Mark Anstiss Date of previous school inspection 4–5 March 2009 School address Felpham Way Felpham Bognor Regis PO22 8EL Telephone number 01243 826511 Fax number 01243 841021 Email address Fcc@felpham.org.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

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors and four additional inspectors. They observed 48 lessons taught by 44 teachers. In addition, meetings were held with groups of students, staff and the Chair of the Governing Body. A wide range of documentation was scrutinised, including the school’s development plans, its self-review, analyses of students’ attainment and progress, lesson observation records, policies and local authority reports. Inspectors took into account 207 questionnaires received from parents and carers and other questionnaire responses from staff and students.

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Introduction

The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school’s work. It looked in detail at a number of key areas.

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Introduction

 Whether subject leaders focus consistently on raising achievement for students of all abilities and especially the high attainers, by focusing rigorously on the quality of teaching in their areas.  Whether teachers are able to use assessment data to plan their lessons effectively, so that students of all abilities make or exceed the expected progress in all subjects.  How well student behaviour supports the climate for learning within the school.

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Information about the school

Felpham Community College is larger than the average secondary school and has specialist status in mathematics and computing. The large majority of its students are of White British heritage. The proportion of students with special educational needs and/or disabilities, including those with a statement of special educational needs, is above the national average. The proportion of students known to be eligible for free school meals is lower than average. A growing number of students are from minority ethnic heritages and speak English as an additional language, but very few are in the early stages of learning English. The school has the International School award. The headteacher joined the school in April 2010.

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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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Main findings

Felpham Community College provides a satisfactory quality of education. It is an improving school. In the last eighteen months, there has been a change in direction. A new uniform is worn with pride; there are higher expectations of behaviour and a clear focus on progress. Achievement is satisfactory and improving in the main school and is good in the sixth form. Students with special educational needs and/or disabilities make better progress than other students and their progress is good overall because of the good quality of support they receive. Attainment overall is average. It has improved significantly since 2009, when it was below average and targets set were only moderately challenging. A key factor is the quality of teaching, which is now good and is securing more rapid progress, enabling students in all year groups to catch up on previous underachievement. Behaviour, too, is improving. Students conduct themselves well around the college and come to lessons ready to

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Main findings

learn. They make good progress when lessons are well prepared to meet their varied needs and when teachers give students regular opportunities to take a lead in their own learning. However, this does not yet happen in all lessons and progress is slower in these circumstances and leads to inconsistencies between subjects.

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Main findings

Students feel safe at Felpham and are well supported by their teachers. Attendance, although average, has improved significantly this term. Students make a valuable contribution to the life and community of the school. They understand well how to lead healthy lives, enjoy positive relationships with each other and take advantage of opportunities for cultural development.

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Main findings

The curriculum is satisfactory, with good partnerships with other schools and a local college of further education. However, the curriculum does not systematically develop the students’ numeracy, literacy and information and communication technology skills across all subjects.

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Main findings

Well led by the headteacher, leaders and managers are making a positive impact on improving provision and the quality of teaching and learning. Together with the governors, they are well aware of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and, in the last year, have set challenging targets for it to achieve. Priorities are tightly focused on improving students’ attainment. Leaders are succeeding in raising teachers’ and students’ expectations of what can be done, and the school’s capacity to improve is good.

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Main findings

Up to 40% of the schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory may

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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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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching further by:  ensuring teachers make consistently effective use of assessment information to plan lessons so they meet the varying needs of all students, including the most able, and ensure they all make rapid progress towards reaching challenging targets  increasing teachers’ use of strategies which develop students’ confidence in learning independently.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the impact of the curriculum on students’ progress, by ensuring students’ basic skills in literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology are systematically developed and monitored in all subjects

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 3

From average attainment on entry, students’ achievement and enjoyment are satisfactory, and improving because of good teaching. Progress in lessons is now good and beginning to have a positive impact on their long-term gains in most subjects, and in preparing them for the future. Despite this, however, students are only slowly catching up on their past underachievement and as a result, progress over time remains satisfactory. The good progress in lessons is characterised by students’ abilities to reflect and challenge themselves, for example in response to effective questioning by teachers and activities where they work in groups. Where progress is slower, this is a result of planning lessons that are too teacher-led, with insufficient variety in the tasks or activities provided. The progress made by different groups of students, such as boys or girls or those known to be eligible for free school meals, is satisfactory, as is their achievement. The significant minority of students

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 3

with special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress because their needs are met well in lessons. However, more-able students, and those less-able but not identified as having special educational needs and/or disabilities, do not always make as much progress as they might in lessons because the work they are given does not always meet their needs sufficiently.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 3

Students enjoy their time at Felpham and treat each other with respect and consideration. They say they feel safe and the little bullying which occurs is addressed effectively by staff. Students understand the important factors enabling them to lead healthy lives. They participate well in sport-related activities and understand about eating well, although do not always find this easy to adhere to outside school. They show a good level of interest in other cultures and a range of religions when given the opportunity. They welcome learning about life in a multicultural society within the United Kingdom but have relatively few opportunities to develop a deep understanding. Students take full advantage of opportunities to support the school and its local community, including, for example, work with the

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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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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

local youth council, helping with ICT activities in primary schools, running the school’s student council and older students hearing younger ones read.

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

These are the grades for pupils’ outcomes

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Pupils’ achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning

Taking into account: Pupils’ attainment 1 The quality of pupils’ learning and their progress The quality of learning for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their progress

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contribute to their future economic well-being

Taking into account: Pupils’ attendance 1

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How effective is the provision?

Teaching is good overall and sometimes outstanding. In the best lessons, good teaching ensures that students are motivated, challenged and engaged. This is achieved by skilful use of questioning, careful checking of students’ understanding of ideas and orchestration of a range of stimulating activities. An impressive feature is teachers’ good subject knowledge which enables them to plan learning securely and lead discussions with confidence. Teaching assistants make a good impact by providing guidance for students rather than completing work for them. In the small number of lessons that are less effective, assessment information is not used fully by teachers to tailor activities precisely around students’ varying needs and targets. Marking is largely effective; the best provides detailed feedback on what is required for students to improve, but this is not consistent.

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How effective is the provision?

The curriculum is broad and balanced. Good partnership work, designed to develop the college’s specialisms, benefits students. For example, Felpham students support primary school students with their mathematics and ICT, and links with a local college of further education enable students to do vocational BTEC courses in Years 10 and 11. Opportunities, such as mini-enterprise activities, are well planned for students to develop their economic and business understanding. Here too, local businesses support students’ learning. However, although the gap in meeting targets

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How effective is the provision?

1 The grades for attainment and attendance are: 1 is high; 2 is above average; 3 is broadly average; and 4 is low

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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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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

relating to the specialisms has narrowed, opportunities have been missed for these to impact more on students’ outcomes. Curriculum planning is improving the range of opportunities available to students, although the impact of initiatives is not always evaluated well enough. For example, the curriculum is underdeveloped in supporting students’ literacy, numeracy and ICT skills and opportunities are missed to develop these in different subjects. Discussions do not always clarify key vocabulary and mathematical concepts are not always addressed when encountered in varied contexts. A satisfactory range of enrichment activities linked to different areas of the curriculum, with strengths in sport, supports students’ personal development and widens their experiences.

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

Good care and guidance support students well and motivate them to attend and achieve. Students are well known to staff. Good communications with primary schools ensure the move into the school in Year 7 is smooth. There are good systems to identify and support students with additional needs, which contribute to the good progress made by those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Work to improve attendance is having a good impact, notably in reducing the number of students regularly missing school. Staff work effectively with external agencies, such as educational welfare and social services personnel, to support students. Advice and guidance for making career choices and selecting sixth form options are good.

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

These are the grades for the quality of provision

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The quality of teaching

Taking into account: The use of assessment to support learning

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How effective are leadership and management?

Leaders and managers at all levels are determined to raise the aspirations of the school community. They echo the headteacher’s strong ambitions and are making a good impact. Expectations of teachers and students have been raised. The school actively monitors the outcomes for different groups of students to ensure equality of opportunity and to take action where deficiencies are identified. This has led to potentially vulnerable groups such as those with special educational needs and/or disabilities making good progress. Students are set challenging targets. Teachers are supported well by the monitoring and training programme which leads to individual support packages to develop their teaching skills. Improving students’ behaviour is a high priority for leaders and their success is evident in the positive atmosphere for learning in lessons. However, students are not yet taking enough responsibility for

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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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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

Governors have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They have developed strategies to hold leaders to account for the outcomes for students. They contribute well to the good safeguarding practices in the school, for example by actively shadowing the risk assessment of trips. Parental survey responses show that although communication is generally informative, some parents and carers feel insufficiently informed about how to contribute to school development or their children’s progress. The school has recognised this and has good plans, for example by communicating with parents and carers ahead of and during their children’s transition into school. The school has a satisfactory understanding of its religious, ethnic and socio-economic context and actively promotes community cohesion within its community. However, students’ understanding of cultural diversity within the wider United Kingdom is limited.

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

These are the grades for leadership and management

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driving improvement

Taking into account: The leadership and management of teaching and learning

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Sixth form

Outcomes for students in the sixth form are good. The sixth form is growing in popularity, with a significant increase in numbers this year. Students’ attainment on entry is below average overall, but by the end of Year 13, they have made good progress and their attainment is broadly average. Sixth formers have positive attitudes to their learning, attend well and make good contributions to school life. For example, they organise charity events and support younger students by working with them to help them to improve their reading and their mathematics. Teaching in the sixth form is good and teachers’ strong subject knowledge engages students and enables them to make good progress. However, some students have weak study skills on entry and not all of them develop these quickly enough in Year 12, as support for them to do so is not always planned well enough. The sixth form is led well, with a clear focus on improving teaching and learning further. Curricular

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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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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

provision is monitored, reviewed and adjusted effectively in line with students’ needs and aptitudes. The quality of guidance offered to students is carefully tailored to their individual needs. They feel well supported and have confidence in staff to help them if they have any difficulties.

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Overall effectiveness of the sixth form

Taking into account: Outcomes for students in the sixth form The quality of provision in the sixth form Leadership and management of the sixth form

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Views of parents and carers

The response rate to the questionnaire by parents and carers was broadly in line with the national average. The very large majority indicated that they were happy with their children’s experiences at the school. Positive responses were given to the questions that explored their children’s enjoyment of school and the extent to which parents and carers felt that the school ensured their safety. Some concerns about the school’s response to dealing with poor behaviour were identified. However, the inspection team found evidence of good care, guidance and support. A significant minority of parents and carers wished to have opportunities to work collaboratively with the school and to have their views heard. These comments are in line with the team’s judgement of the quality of engagement with parents and carers, which is satisfactory. Although some parents and carers expressed concerns about their children leading a healthy lifestyle, discussions with students confirmed their

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Views of parents and carers

awareness of these matters and the school’s reinforcement of this. Comments indicated that the work of the headteacher and other staff and the emphasis on higher expectations are very welcome.

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at Felpham Community College to complete a questionnaire about their views of the school. In the questionnaire, parents and carers were asked to record how strongly they agreed with 13 statements about the school. The inspection team received 207 completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In total, there are 1298 pupils registered at the school.

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

My child enjoys school 59 29 131 63 13 6 1 0 The school keeps my child safe 58 28 138 67 9 4 1 0 The school informs me about my child’s progress 64 31 126 61 13 6 2 1 My child is making enough progress at this school 63 30 123 59 10 5 1 0 The teaching is good at this school 43 21 140 68 8 4 1 0 The school helps me to support my child’s learning 38 18 124 60 32 15 0 0 The school helps my child to have a healthy lifestyle 18 9 142 69 29 14 5 2 The school makes sure that my child is well prepared for the future (for example changing year group, changing school, and for children who are finishing school, entering further or higher education, or entering employment) 48 23 131 63 10 5 2 1

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school meets my child’s particular needs 49 24 123 59 16 8 3 1 The school deals effectively with unacceptable behaviour 43 21 115 56 23 11 8 4 The school takes account of my suggestions and concerns 30 14 120 58 21 10 5 2

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school is led and managed effectively 61 29 121 58 9 4 3 1 Overall, I am happy with my child’s experience at this school 75 36 114 55 8 4 4 2

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The table above summarises the responses that parents and carers made to each statement. The percentages indicate the proportion of parents and carers giving that response out of the total number of completed questionnaires. Where one or more parents and carers chose not to answer a particular question, the percentages will not add up to 100%.

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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 43 47 10 0 Primary schools 6 46 42 6 Secondary schools 14 36 41 9

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Sixth forms 15 42 41 3 Special schools 30 48 19 3 Pupil referral units 14 50 31 5

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements were introduced on 1 September 2009. This means that inspectors now make some additional judgements that were not made previously. The data in the table above are for the period 1 September 2010 to 08 April 2011 and 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. Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100. Sixth form figures reflect the judgements made for the overall effectiveness of the sixth form in secondary schools, special schools and pupil referral units.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning, development or training.

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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

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving. Inspectors base this judgement on 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 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. The following judgements, in particular, influence what the overall effectiveness judgement will be.  The school’s capacity for sustained improvement.  Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils.  The quality of teaching.  The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils’ needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships.  The effectiveness of care, guidance and support.

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

main findings from the inspection of their school.

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Inspection of Felpham Community College, Bognor Regis P022 8EL

Thank you for giving the inspection team such a warm welcome when we visited your school. We enjoyed meeting and speaking with many of you and seeing your work in lessons. We judge your school to be providing you with a satisfactory, but improving, standard of education. We saw improvements taking place in many aspects, particularly in the teaching and in your progress in lessons.

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Inspection of Felpham Community College, Bognor Regis P022 8EL

We noticed how smart you are, the pride you take in your school and the keenness of many of you to take on responsibilities. You told us the school is improving and that the headteacher and staff are doing a good job. Teaching is good and helping most of you to make faster progress. Members of staff are ambitious for you to achieve your best and ensure that your targets now challenge you fully. I have asked them to plan lessons that take account of your individual needs, and help you to work more independently in lessons so as to reach these goals, because, at the moment, you are not always asked to think for yourselves enough.

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Inspection of Felpham Community College, Bognor Regis P022 8EL

You told us you are happy at school and that most students treat one another with respect. Your attendance has improved a lot this term and we would like to see this continue to increase. You told us you feel well supported by staff and that you can turn to them if you need help. You are offered a satisfactory curriculum, with good features such as clubs in sport and support for business and enterprise. However, we have asked staff to improve the support provided in all subjects to develop your skills in the key areas of literacy, numeracy and ICT.

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Inspection of Felpham Community College, Bognor Regis P022 8EL

This letter gives you a brief summary of our findings and I know that many of you will want to read the full report. This will enable you to continue to make a strong contribution to your school and to play an active role in the changes currently underway and those planned for the future.

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Inspection of Felpham Community College, Bognor Regis P022 8EL

I extend to you my very best wishes for your future success and happiness at Felpham and beyond.

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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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