Kirk Hallam Community Academy

Age group 11–18 Inspection date(s) 13–14 June 2012 Inspection number 395497 Kirk Hallam Community Technology and Sports College Inspection report

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Unique reference number 136485 Local authority Derbyshire Inspection number 395497 Inspection dates 13–14 June 2012 Lead inspector Davinder Dosanjh 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 Academy School category Non-maintained 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 1168 Of which, number on roll in the sixth form 122 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Janet Mallett Headteacher Peter Hamer Date of previous school inspection 17 September 2008 School address Godfrey Drive Kirk Hallam Ilkeston DE7 4HH Telephone number 0115 9301522 Fax number 0115 9445884 Email address admin@kirkhallam.derbyshire.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

Davinder Dosanjh Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days’ notice. They observed 41 lessons taught by 41 teachers, including eight joint observations with members of the school’s senior team. They made short visits to other lessons and an assembly. Inspectors met with senior leaders, staff, groups of students and two members of the governing body. They observed the school’s work, looked at the tracking of students’ progress, and scrutinised students’ work, whole-school and subject monitoring and evaluation documents, and records of students’ attendance and exclusions. Inspectors took account of the responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) in planning the inspection. They reviewed responses to questionnaires from 314 parents and carers, 150 students, and 106 staff.

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Information about the school

The school is larger than the average-sized secondary school. The majority of students are from a White British background. The proportion of students known to be eligible for free school meals is lower than the national average. The proportion of students with a statement of special educational needs or supported at school action plus is smaller than the national figure. The school is a specialist technology and sports college, with an additional specialism in applied learning. It also has a rural dimension and leading edge status. The school is regularly oversubscribed. The school meets the government’s current floor targets, which set the minimum expectations for attainment and progress. 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 and highly inclusive school that provides well for its students. Standards are consistently high. Students respond well to the outstanding curriculum, which captivates their interest. The horticultural and agricultural aspects are very impressive, with livestock and extensive gardens for practical work. The school is not yet outstanding because some teaching is satisfactory and achievement in mathematics and in the sixth form is satisfactory.

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Key findings

 Achievement is good overall. Achievement in English is outstanding. The great majority of students achieve well in most subjects, but a small number of students known to be eligible for free school meals and some who have special educational needs make slower progress than their peers, although gaps are reducing.

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Key findings

 The quality of teaching is good and some teaching is outstanding. There are very good relationships between staff and students. When teaching is of the highest quality, students are highly engaged and learning is exciting and accelerates progress. When teaching is satisfactory, not all students are fully engaged, there is too much teacher talk and insufficient independent work.

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Key findings

 Behaviour and safety are good. Students are polite and courteous and display generally positive attitudes in the class. The school is a calm, safe and enjoyable place to be.

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Key findings

 The sixth form is satisfactory. Given their starting points, students make satisfactory progress overall. Pockets of underachievement have not been tackled effectively. The curriculum that is offered is continually being enhanced through the partnerships with another school. Sixth-form students find the experience in the sixth form ‘liberating’.

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Key findings

 Leadership and management are good. The headteacher provides a clear vision for improving the school further. He enjoys the full support of staff and the 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

governing body. Senior and middle leaders work collaboratively and share an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Actions to improve teaching and manage performance are well established and are leading to improvements in provision and outcomes, but steps to embed good and outstanding teaching have not been shared widely enough throughout the school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise achievement from good to outstanding by:  ensuring teachers learn from the outstanding practice in the school  providing more opportunities for students to develop their skills in learning independently  improving achievement in mathematics to the level of English.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve achievement in the sixth form by:  implementing rigorous systems to monitor and evaluate the work of the sixth form  ensuring aspects of sixth-form performance are evaluated in sufficient detail in the reports of middle leaders.

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Achievement of pupils

Students join the school with levels of attainment that are below average. They make good progress overall and, by the end of Key Stage 4, reach levels of attainment that are above the national average. For example, many students excel in English and most also make good progress in science, religious studies, art and design, and vocational courses. Students achieve well also in those subjects linked to the school’s specialism. The great majority of parents and carers who returned questionnaires say that their children make good progress at the school. That is supported by inspection evidence, although achievement is lower in some subjects, such as in mathematics. A significant factor in the outstanding progress made by students in English is the high-quality learning observed. In an English lesson in Year 10, students had an excellent grasp of how to develop descriptive writing and editing skills. They were engaged highly by using descriptions from other students to draw

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Achievement of pupils

paintings and applied the descriptions used to improve writing skills. The school has started to make a good impact on raising literacy skills by ensuring a common approach to support writing throughout the curriculum. Good lessons identify key words and ensure students understand and can use them, but subject specific vocabulary is not used consistently throughout the school. In lessons where progress was satisfactory, students were not challenged.

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Achievement of pupils

The progress made by students known to be eligible for free school meals, disabled students and those who have special educational needs is similar to that of their peers, although a small number make slower progress overall. Although assessment 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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Achievement of pupils

information is used to identify underachievement and to target support, not all teachers use this information effectively to ensure that the differences in achievement are reduced more rapidly. For example, teaching assistants are not always utilised fully to aid the learning of students who are struggling with work.

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Achievement of pupils

Students enter the sixth form with broadly average attainment. They make good progress on vocational courses, but, on A and AS level courses, achievement is satisfactory and fluctuates.

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Quality of teaching

The quality of teaching is good overall. Some outstanding teaching was observed, most notably in English. The great majority of parents, carers and students say teaching is good. In the best lessons, teachers ensure that all students are challenged to produce their best work. Expectations are high. Independent learning and group and paired work are used well. Teachers have excellent subject knowledge, which is used well to promote skills such as analysis. Questioning is often probing and extends students’ knowledge. Good learning is frequently characterised by students’ active involvement in the lesson, with an appropriate balance between the teacher’s input and students’ contributions. For example, in an English lesson in Year 9, the students made outstanding progress because the teacher expected them to work collaboratively, share their ideas and develop their thinking. The teacher used a wide range of resources, including an audio recording of speech, video and

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Quality of teaching

worksheets. There was a strong focus on analysis and students remained engaged throughout. The teacher provided excellent teaching to individual students. When teaching is satisfactory, too little account is taken of students’ prior learning and capabilities. Progress in some lessons slows because teachers talk for too long before students become actively engaged in their work. Disabled students and those who have special educational needs are helped to make good progress when teaching provides support and challenge in equal measure, but this practice is not consistent throughout the school. Teaching in the sixth form is satisfactory, but there is insufficient focus on independent learning on A and AS level courses.

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Quality of teaching

The quality of written feedback to students varies. In the best examples, students are provided with detailed guidance from the teacher that helps them to improve their work. In English, students make rapid progress because of the quality of the feedback they receive. However, not all marking provides feedback of that quality. In a few instances, the comments provided are not useful in supporting students to improve. The marking in mathematics is minimal.

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Quality of teaching

Teaching allows students to be reflective on spiritual matters; for example, in science, students contemplate aspects of the natural world and creation of life. Moral and social development is encouraged through discussions, for example, on the Holocaust and on mass genocide in Darfur and Rwanda. Students raise money for a wide range of charities. There are excellent relationships between adults and students and among students themselves. Students gain an excellent insight into different cultures through enrichment, visits to religious places of worship, and 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

While parents and carers express some concerns about behaviour, most students are positive. Strategies to deal with students experiencing behavioural difficulties are effective and students report positive improvements in the way they take responsibility for their behaviour. During the inspection, students’ behaviour was good around the school. The vast majority of students behave well in lessons. They are punctual to school and, because of lateness detentions, fewer students now arrive late at school. Students demonstrated positive attitudes to their learning. There were some outstanding examples of independent learning and group work, especially in English, drama, and art and design. Students showed good levels of engagement in the majority of their lessons and this means that they make good progress. The few incidents of poor behaviour are managed through consistent application of an effective and systematic behaviour policy, which students and staff

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

are clear about. Good behaviour is also encouraged by a variety of rewards, such as trips to theme parks, and form trophies awarded in assembly. For those who struggle with more-challenging behaviour, the school had developed a variety of interventions. The interventions include the on-site multi-agency team, which works well with particularly challenging students and has had considerable success in supporting students within the school. The school keeps comprehensive records of behaviour incidents and is able to show how interventions have been successful in reducing incidents of poor behaviour by particular groups and individuals. A number of sports-based interventions have been developed for specific groups in the school, which have had considerable success in reducing incidents of poor behaviour and increasing attendance.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Students have a good awareness of different types of bullying, such as cyber, racist and homophobic bullying. Personal, social, health, and economic education lessons, assemblies and special days reinforce key messages on being safe and tackle issues like domestic violence. Students say they are clear about what to do if they are bullied and have strategies to deal with it themselves. They said also they feel confident that the school will deal effectively with bullying issues. A number of students with special educational needs spoke about the excellent support they were given if they suffered from bullying. Attendance has improved steadily over the last four years and is just above the national average.

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Leadership and management

The headteacher and senior leaders and managers are providing a strong drive for improvement across many aspects of the school’s work. The detailed monitoring and tracking of students’ progress in all areas of the curriculum is enabling prompt and effective action to be taken to address any underachievement. As a result, levels of attainment are rising and differences in achievement between groups of students are narrowing. Middle leaders contribute strongly to improvement in their subject areas, but the focus on the sixth form is less robust. The governing body is effective in 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

holding the school to account and provides sufficient challenge and support to the school. Actions to improve teaching and manage performance are well established, including through the provision of an appropriate range of professional development opportunities for staff. Judgements made on teaching by the school are generous and those of middle leaders are not moderated by senior leaders. Consequently, the school is overly generous in its evaluation of teaching. Other aspects of its self- evaluation do not take fully into account achievement in the sixth form. Nevertheless, improvements in the overall quality of provision, an increasing trend of attainment, and the positive impact of actions to improve outcomes for different groups of students all demonstrate clearly the school’s good capacity for improvement.

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Leadership and management

The curriculum is outstanding because of the mix of vocational and GCSE courses which capture students’ interest. The plethora of excellent extra-curricular activities includes a wide range of sporting activities and the school teams have been very successful in regional competitions. Many students enjoy them. The curriculum makes an outstanding contribution to students’ spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development. The post-16 curriculum enables most students to choose courses that suit their needs, interests and abilities and students following the growing range of vocational and applied GCE options achieve well. Students receive clear advice and guidance at appropriate stages. At the time of the inspection, arrangements for safeguarding were robust and regularly reviewed. The school community is one where inequality and discrimination will not be tolerated.

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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 54 42 2 2 Primary schools 14 49 32 6 Secondary schools 20 39 34 7 Special schools 33 45 20 3 Pupil referral units 9 55 28 8 All schools 16 47 31 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 to 31 December 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 outstandi ng 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

Floor standards: the national minimum expectation of attainment and progression measures.

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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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Ilkeston, DE7 4HH

Thank you for the warm welcome you gave us during the inspection. We found it very helpful to talk to you, look at your work and visit your lessons.

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Ilkeston, DE7 4HH

We judged that your school is providing you with a good standard of education. We were particularly impressed by the quality of your work in English. Staff work hard to support you in your work. Relationships between adults and students are positive and a significant strength. The school provides an inclusive environment for all students, regardless of their circumstances. Overall, teaching is good and it is outstanding in some areas. Conversations with you indicate that you feel safe and well cared for. The curriculum is outstanding. The horticulture and agriculture aspects are very impressive. You have many opportunities for sport, leadership, and visits. The sixth form is satisfactory. Your school is led effectively by your headteacher and the team of leaders and managers, who are determined to ensure that it provides the best for every one of you.

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Ilkeston, DE7 4HH

To improve some areas of its work, we have asked the school to:  ensure more teaching is outstanding  improve achievement in mathematics to the level of English  improve achievement in the sixth form.

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Ilkeston, DE7 4HH

You have a part to play and you can help your school by ensuring that you attend regularly and take an active part in lessons and in your learning. We wish you all success in the future.

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Ilkeston, DE7 4HH

Davinder Dosanjh Her Majesty's Inspector (on behalf of the inspection team) 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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