Carlton Keighley

University Academy Keighley Green Head Lane, Utley, Keighley, BD20 6EB

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected This inspection: Requires Improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires Improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires Improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Requires Improvement 3 Leadership and management Requires Improvement 3

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This is an academy that requires improvement. It is not good because

 Teachers do not always take account of students’ different abilities in each class. They are given the same work to do which stops individual students making the progress they should do.  Not enough lessons provide opportunities for students to be engaged, involved appropriately in learning and to share their findings with others.  Marking and feedback to students are not consistently good and students do not always know how to improve.  Teachers are not helped to provide additional support for students because the information they are given is muddled.  The system to manage inappropriate behaviour and to reward good work is applied inconsistently in many lessons.  The sixth form requires improvement to ensure that more students reach the highest levels in their examinations.

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The academy has the following strengths

 The academy’s leadership has a clear and determined approach to rectifying previous difficulties and underachievement. Improved results and better teaching are now evident.  Governors have a secure understanding of the academy and are taking appropriate actions to overcome the challenges still to be faced.  Students from different backgrounds get on well together and this creates a friendly and harmonious community.  Attendance in the sixth form has improved and more students throughout the academy are attending regularly compared to last year.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors spent the majority of their time observing 33 part-lessons, four of which were observed jointly with either senior or middle leaders. Lessons were observed in a range of subjects and in all key stages.  Meetings were held with the Executive Principal and the Associate Principal, members of the senior team, middle leaders and the Chair and another member of the Governing Body. Groups of students were spoken to formally in meetings, during lessons and at social times.  Inspectors scrutinised students’ work, read documents presented to them, including those relating to student progress, self-evaluation, improvement planning, the curriculum and safeguarding.  The lead inspector looked at the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) prior to the inspection. There were no responses and none were received either via this system or any other method from parents during the inspection. Inspectors took account of the paper-based questionnaires

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Inspection team

Marianne Young, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Christine Kennedy Additional Inspector Mary Liptrot Additional Inspector Gary Kirkley Additional Inspector

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Information about this academy

 University Academy Keighley opened in September 2010 and moved to the current site in April 2011. It is smaller than the average size school and has a sixth form. The academy is co- sponsored by the University of Bradford and Bradford Council.  Half of the students, an increase from the previous year, are known to be eligible for pupil premium which provides additional funding for students known to be eligible for free school meals.  The proportion of students supported at school action, at school action plus, who are disabled and those with a statement of special educational needs is above average.  Three quarters of the students are of Pakistani heritage.  The academy met the government’s current floor standard, which sets out the minimum expectations for students’ attainment and progress.  Thirteen students in Year 11 receive part of their education off-site. The majority attends courses at Keighley Campus which is part of Leeds City College. Others go to JAMES (Joint

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Information about this academy

Activity in Motor Engineering Studies) for the Youth Train qualification and a few go to Woodville Farm to study horticulture.  The academy is part of the Bradford Partnership group of schools in the local area.  The Associate Principal is seconded from Beckfoot School. Her secondment began in January 2012 on a part-time basis. Since June 2012 her post has become full-time. She is supported one day a week by the Executive Principal from Bradford Academy who holds the post of Executive Principal.

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What does the academy need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching and learning throughout the academy to a level that is consistently good or better so as to raise standards in all subjects by: - eradicating any inadequate teaching - making certain that teachers use information about students’ capabilities precisely so that students are given appropriate challenging work that interests and engages them in lessons - ensuring that teachers’ expectations of the amount of progress students should make is appropriate - making sure that the marking of students’ work, in all subjects, provides clear feedback about how well they have done and what is required to improve.

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What does the academy need to do to improve further?

 Leaders must move the academy forward to become good, including the sixth form, by ensuring that: - the information provided to staff about how well students are doing is always of the highest quality and easily understandable - those leaders who require help in order to fulfil their roles effectively have the necessary skills to check regularly staff’s ability to teach lessons successfully - performance management is used rigorously to secure high quality teaching - all systems and procedures introduced, relating to behaviour particularly, are fully embedded, used regularly and properly by all staff.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Students’ progress in English and mathematics, in all year groups, requires improvement. The main reason for this is that in both subjects a significant number of students from different ability groups have underachieved. Low levels of literacy and numeracy when students join the academy, combined with variable quality of teaching, are key reasons why they have made patchy progress.  The need to improve results in English and mathematics for students at the end of Year 11 was really important when senior leaders were appointed. Resources, including weekend and holiday classes, which were well attended, were organised. Teaching groups were re-organised. In 2012 results improved significantly compared to the previous year although the standards reached by students at the end of Year 11 remained below average. Nearly two thirds of students made the expected progress in English and just over half made expected progress in mathematics, both

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

below the national picture, but an improvement. Students who need extra help, because they are disabled, have special educational needs or are helped by the pupil premium funding all made progress similar to that of those students who receive no additional help.  Some students, in other year groups, suffered as a result of this focus on Year 11 students and did not make the expected progress because of weaknesses in teaching or lack of interventions to help. Students studying mathematics were affected particularly and the gap between students with different abilities did not close rapidly, for example, for some less-able students in Year 7.  Students are entered early for GCSE in mathematics, often at the end of Year 10. During the inspection, leaders were able to demonstrate convincingly that this strategy does not have a detrimental effect on them and allows students to attempt more examinations in mathematics, if

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

appropriate, to give them the opportunity to get a higher grade.  The amount of progress students make in lessons often depends on the teachers' use of information provided about individual students’ abilities when they prepare lessons. The quality of this information is sometimes poor and does not present a clear picture. Despite these difficulties and because some subject areas are now tracking progress in their subjects more accurately, some staff use this information well so that activities are matched closely to students’ needs. This practice is not commonplace. Where teachers provide the same work for all students, progress falters.  Students who receive part of their education off site follow courses that lead to a qualification. The pass rate for these students is high.  Pupil premium funding has been used to fund additional members of staff. It has also funded staff whose job is to ensure that students attend regularly. Money is being used to develop the

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

accelerated reader programme (ARP) for all students in Key Stage 3. These are all having a clear impact on students’ progress and the standards they reach in their GCSE examinations.  The pass rate for students in the sixth form improved in 2012 and more students made the progress expected. New arrangements to track sixth form students’ progress are in place. Combined with students following courses that motivate, engage and interest them, better progress is evident.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching is not consistently good throughout the academy. Inspectors confirmed leaders’ views that too many lessons require improvement because teaching fails to take account of students’ different abilities in each class. A lack of challenge is evident in some lessons. This situation is apparent especially where students do the same work, whether it is suitable for them or not.  Teachers plan lessons using the academy’s agreed planning format, but few use the available information about different students well enough so that all students can make rapid progress. Tasks can go on for too long, with limited checking during the lesson to make sure all students understand what to do. Passivity sets in, lessons fail to excite and students become bored with off-task chatter and inappropriate behaviour occurring.  There are examples of good and outstanding teaching, but these are not frequent enough.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

These lessons are exciting, challenging, allow students to work co-operatively, think for themselves, discover answers and know how to improve. For example, in an exceptional lesson in the sixth form, students shared different methods of solving a mathematical problem following expert modelling by the teacher.  Teachers’ marking and feedback is not consistently good. Some books, in different subjects, are marked regularly and have helpful comments so students know how to improve. Other books, sometimes within the same subject area, have not been marked regularly or contain very little detail other than a tick. Where this happens students do not know how to make their work better and get higher grades.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Attendance is above average, due to the relentless work done by leaders. The number of students who are persistently absent has reduced significantly during the last year. Regular text messages to parents plus the numerous posters around the building are designed to jog the memory of any student who chooses not to attend regularly. A similar picture of regular attendance is recorded for those students who receive part of their education out of the academy.  Inspectors saw very little unacceptable behaviour and students were keen to tell inspectors that behaviour has improved. Students criticised some of their peers for being rather too boisterous at times and this can cause some anxiety. Overall, students mix well and get on with each other. Any incidence, however slight, of behaviour that is not acceptable, is recorded. Academy records show that there are fewer occurrences than previously. Inspectors saw, and students agreed,

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

that some teachers do not use the agreed behaviour policy consistently in lessons. A small number of staff who responded to their questionnaire identified students’ behaviour, and how it is to be improved, as a concern. All inspection evidence confirms an improving picture.  Students are aware of how to keep themselves safe and understand the perils of bullying, including homophobic bullying and racist behaviour. Key staff are said to be effective in resolving and defusing potential problems.  Students are proud of their academy, like the bright colours and the opportunity to mix with and get to know students in other year groups during tutor time. Sixth form students are regarded as young adults and enabled to support younger students, for example, through the reading programme. Sixth form students are ambitious to do well and more are choosing to study at University Academy than formally.  Students were keen to share their views about different lessons with inspectors. They are

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

particularly critical of lessons that, in their words, are boring and repeat what they have already learnt. In such lessons students carry out instructions but with little enthusiasm or enjoyment. They enjoy participation in lessons and could identify clearly where they make the most progress.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The Associate Principal, strongly supported by the Executive Principal, has taken decisive actions designed to improve students’ results and the progress they make. In a short time rapid improvements have been made. The most notable is the number of students who gained qualifications in English and mathematics at the end of Year 11. Both leaders are in no doubt however, that considerably more must be done. They have ambitious plans in place which have been shared with students, staff, parents and governors.  Leaders check the quality of teaching regularly. They understand and can identify clearly when students are not making progress and how this should be remedied. Training and supporting teachers is done regularly and effective links are made with schools in the local area. Teachers are encouraged to reflect on their own practice. This approach gives individual teachers ‘ownership’ and makes them consider how best to make improvements. Despite support and

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The leadership and management requires improvement

guidance, a few staff find it difficult to improve the lessons they teach.  Leaders have introduced a significantly more robust method for managing the performance of teachers. Previously staff moved through the system with little or no regard for the quality of their work and its impact on students’ outcomes.  Middle leaders are generally clear about their accountability and their greater responsibility for holding staff to account. Some are more able to do this than others and their ability is often reflected in the improvements made by students.  The curriculum has been designed to meet the needs, interests and aspirations of the students. It has an equal focus on ensuring employability for some and pointing a way forward to higher and further education for others. The curriculum is reviewed regularly as students’ needs change. Links with other schools are used successfully to provide sixth form subjects that are

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The leadership and management requires improvement

not taught at the academy. Recognising students’ weakness in reading, more time is being devoted during the week to this area. It is too early to judge the impact of this programme. Nevertheless students report a developing interest in books.  Links with external agencies are well-considered. Using organisations within the Bradford Partnership enables staff to tap into resources for training and advice in particular. Staff from several different agencies are regular visitors to the academy. They liaise well with staff responsible for students’ welfare and provide support and guidance appropriately.  The governance of the academy:  Governors contribute well to improving the performance of the academy. During the inspection, governors, who are well informed, demonstrated a keen awareness of the academy’s priorities. They know the challenges still faced and about their own shortcomings. Governors support senior leaders’ decisions in managing the performance of staff and hold the

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The leadership and management requires improvement

leaders to account. They know about the quality of teaching within the academy and talk knowledgably about how well the pupil premium funding is being used. Governors ensure that safeguarding arrangements are secure and that discrimination is not tolerated.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 136198 Local authority Not applicable Inspection number 399769

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School details

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

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School details

Type of school Academy School category Non-Maintained Age range of pupils 11–18 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 664 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Ms Nadira Mirza Principal Ms Linda Wallsgrove Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 01535 210333 Fax number 01535 210182 Email address uaklwa@uak.bradford.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', 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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School details

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 and as part of the inspection.

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School details

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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School details

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 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

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School details

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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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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