Hebburn Comprehensive School

Hebburn Comprehensive Campbell Park Road, Hebburn, Tyne and Wear, NE31 2QU

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  It has improved since the last inspection because governors, leaders and managers have had a firm and successful focus on improving teaching and achievement. Consequently, standards have risen and students’ progress has speeded up.  Students come into Year 7 with standards which are often significantly below average. They achieve well as they move through the school. GCSE results at the end of Year 11 have been broadly average for the last three years.  Students typically behave well in class and around the school. They say they feel very safe. Most are keen to succeed, arrive punctually and attend regularly.  Systems for tracking students’ progress at regular intervals during Key Stage 4 have been improved and are now very clear and effective. Consequently, all groups of students, including those supported by extra funds (the pupil premium) make good progress.  Teaching is usually good and in some lessons it

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

is outstanding. Most lessons are briskly paced, teachers are knowledgeable and enthusiastic about their subjects, and they make good use of interesting resources to help their students enjoy learning.  There has been a seamless transition during the recent change of headteacher. Good leadership and management have ensured that staff continue to feel valued and morale is high. Consequently, the school is capable of improving further.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The good and outstanding teaching skills of staff are not fully shared across the school.  Recent improvements to the curriculum and the systems for tracking students' progress at Key Stage 3 are already beginning to raise achievement. However, both aspects have still to be fully evaluated by the school.  In some lessons students do not have sufficient opportunities to find out things for themselves, think deeply and solve problems.  In a small minority of lessons teachers do not always check their students’ learning regularly enough to give them exactly the right extra help as soon as they need it.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 39 lessons and part-lessons of which three were joint observations with senior staff. They also listened to students read.  Discussions were held with students, staff, governors and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at students’ books, progress data, safeguarding information and other documentation.  Thirty-two responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) were considered as well as those from the school’s own parental survey and from school staff.

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Inspection team

Ann Ashdown, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Christine Cottam Additional Inspector Peter Evea Additional Inspector Anne Smedley Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This school is smaller than the average sized secondary school.  The proportion of students known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for children in the care of the local authority and for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, is above average.  A well below average proportion of students is from minority ethnic backgrounds, and a similar proportion speaks English as an additional language.  The proportion of disabled students and those with special educational needs who are supported at school action is below average as is the proportion supported at school action plus and with a statement of special educational needs.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set out the minimum expectations for attainment and progress.  A small number of Year 11 students attend vocational courses at South Tyneside College.  The school has specialist status in mathematics and computing.

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Information about this school

 The acting headteacher has been in post for one term.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise standards and help students make even faster progress by:  checking how well recent improvements to the curriculum and to the systems for tracking students' progress at regular intervals during Key Stage 3 are working and amending these where necessary  improving the way in which teachers check on students’ learning during each lesson so they are able to give them exactly the right help and support as soon as this is needed.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further improve the quality of teaching so that all lessons are consistently good and more are outstanding by:  sharing teachers’ good and outstanding teaching skills more widely across the school  giving students more opportunities to learn on their own, think deeply and solve problems for themselves.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Students achieve well in lessons because they are keen to succeed, answer questions readily and concentrate on the task in hand. In a science lesson, Year 8 students made good progress as they confidently identified the different forms of energy being produced in a range of everyday situations.  Students’ starting points when they come into the school are often significantly below average, but by the time they reach the end of Year 11 they attain standards in GCSE examinations which are in line with the national average. Standards in English and mathematics continue to improve steadily and the proportion of students who make the progress expected of them compares favourably with national figures.  The school’s detailed progress data shows that current students in Year 11 are on track to reach their targets in examinations this year. The clear and detailed system for assessing and tracking students’ progress at Key Stage 4 has more recently been used at Key Stage 3. Although its

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The achievement of pupils is good

effectiveness has yet to be fully checked, it is already having an impact on speeding up the progress of younger students and making sure they get extra help if this is needed.  Students who are entered in Year 10 for examinations in mathematics achieve well. Careful thought is given to when students should be entered for examinations depending on the needs of each student.  Students who are supported by extra funding (the pupil premium) make good progress because this money is spent wisely on extra staffing to allow them to be taught in small groups and have one-to-one tuition when necessary. Consequently, the points scores gained in examinations by students eligible for free school meals show that the gap between the standards they reach and that of other students has reduced markedly in recent years.  Disabled students, those with special educational needs , students from minority ethnic groups

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The achievement of pupils is good

and those who speak English as an additional language al so make the same good progress as their classmates, particularly in their reading. They receive skilled extra help from both teachers and teaching assistants and have access to specialist resources and information and communication technology (ICT) which add to their enjoyment of learning.  The small number of students who are educated off-site attend regularly, are kept safe and achieve well.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is rarely less than good and in some lessons it is outstanding. Since the last inspection leaders and managers have concentrated on improving the quality of teaching and this work has paid off.  Most lessons are briskly paced and involve varied tasks and interesting resources. Teachers have high expectations of what the students can achieve and they use their knowledge and enthusiasm to make lessons enjoyable.  Students’ work is marked and assessed regularly and they receive good guidance on how well they are doing and how to improve.  In an English lesson, students developed their literacy skills well and gained a deeper understanding of how texts can be persuasive. Through a carefully guided study of the text, the teacher helped them to empathise with people who are homeless and better understand their needs. Good teaching is enabling attainment in mathematics to rise.  Teachers know their students well and most lessons are conducted in an atmosphere of respect

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The quality of teaching is good

and trust. Older students were keen to tell inspectors how they felt valued and supported by their teachers. Several students commented that, ‘They will do anything to help us.’  Some lessons are outstanding. Examples of these were seen in English, French, mathematics and music where students made rapid progress and teaching was inspirational.  However, this good and outstanding teaching is not yet fully shared across the school. In a minority of lessons students do not have enough opportunities to find things out for themselves, think more deeply about what are were doing and solve problems.  In most lessons, learning is checked regularly as the lesson progresses but this is not always the case. Consequently, the teacher does not always know when to give exactly the right additional help and support so that students can make even faster progress.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Students typically behave well around the school and in classrooms. During the inspection examples of exemplary behaviour were seen. They are polite and respectful to each other, to staff and to visitors. Records show that rare incidents of challenging behaviour are dealt with appropriately.  Students say they feel very safe in school. The school makes sure students understand that there are different types of bullying and that these will not be tolerated. Students are confident that any concerns they have will be quickly resolved.  Parents who responded to the online questionnaire strongly agreed that their children felt safe, are encouraged to behave well and are well looked after at school.  Through assemblies, tutor time and lessons in different subjects, students are taught how to keep themselves safe, for example, when using the internet. Students spoke knowledgeably about the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse and also showed a good awareness of their own

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

rights and responsibilities and of the needs of others.  The school has successfully reduced the number of students who are persistently absent from school. Attendance is rising and is broadly average.  A clear system of sanctions and rewards is understood by all students. A well managed area for a very small number of students who display challenging behaviour ensures they continue learning and are quickly returned to their regular classes.  The school provides good support for students whose circumstances make them vulnerable. Teachers and mentors work closely with outside agencies to ensure students get the specialist help they need.

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The leadership and management are good

 Since the last inspection leaders and managers have been unwavering in their focus on raising standards and helping students to make even faster progress. A seamless and well managed change of headteacher has also helped to ensure that the school's upward trend of improvement in teaching and achievement continues.  The acting headteacher has a very clear view of the further improvement needed which is based on an accurate understanding of the school's performance and its strengths and weaknesses. Good arrangements for managing the performance of staff coupled with well targeted training to improve their skills ensures staff feel valued.  Teaching is well led. Lessons are observed regularly and staff are given constructive help to improve their work. However, good and outstanding teaching skills are not yet fully shared across the school.  Governors are appreciative of the support provided by the local authority when they appointed

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The leadership and management are good

the acting headteacher. The local authority has also provided the support that is usual for a new headteacher during his first term in post.  The school uses its resources well. Extra money provided through the pupil premium has been used well to ensure all students have equal opportunities to succeed and any gaps between their attainment and progress are narrowing.  The curriculum is well matched to the needs of students and successfully promotes their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. There are good opportunities for students to study a range of both vocational and academic courses. Students were seen making good progress in acquiring skills in the adult environment of the well equipped hairdressing salon.  The curriculum is reviewed regularly and recent changes to the way in which subjects at Key Stage 3 are organised is already helping teachers to keep a closer check on students’ progress.

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The leadership and management are good

The school’s specialist status in mathematics and computing has had clear benefits on enriching the curriculum and providing staff and students with additional skills and resources in ICT.  All safeguarding requirements are fully met. Staff are appropriately trained and aware of child- protection and risk-assessment procedures.  The governance of the school:  governors are knowledgeable about the work of the school and provide support and challenge in equal measure  they are well informed about how pupil premium money is spent, about how the performance of staff is managed, how staff are rewarded and how weaknesses in the quality of teaching are tackled  they have a good understanding of data on the school’s performance.

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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 108731 Local authority South Tyneside Inspection number 401004

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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 Comprehensive School category Community Age range of pupils 11–16 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 740 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Robert Pinder Headteacher David Thompson Date of previous school inspection 30 June 2010 Telephone number 0191 483 3199 Fax number 0191 483 2160 Email address office@hebburn.s-tyneside.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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