St Oscar Romero Catholic School

Chatsmore Catholic High School Goring Street, Worthing, West Sussex, BN12 5AF

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Overall effectiveness

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

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 The achievement of some students in many subjects has not been good enough over the last three years.  Teaching is not consistently good across all subjects or challenging enough for all students to be making good progress.  Some teachers do not always check that everyone is learning well during lessons and are not always clear about what exactly students need to do to improve.  Not all teachers in all subjects help students develop their literacy and numeracy skills.  Students are not learning the skills they need to be able to work independently.  Senior leaders and governors do not have a clear or regular overview about how all the different groups of students are doing in the school.  The information the school has about students is not sorted well enough to help all staff understand the best way to improve things for particular groups of students.

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The school has the following strengths:

 There is a very good community ethos.  Students behave well.  There is a good range of training and development for teachers.  Since the last inspection, the headteacher and governors have worked successfully to improve teaching, raise standards in some subjects and develop the use of technology in school.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 33 lessons or parts of lessons. Two of these were joint observations with members of the school’s senior leadership team.  Meetings were held with students, with members of the governing body, and with staff including senior and middle leaders.  Questionnaire returns from 35 staff were analysed.  Inspectors took account of 25 responses to the online Parent View questionnaire.  Inspectors looked at documentation, including the school’s self-evaluation and development plans, safeguarding and behaviour policies, reports from the local authority and target-setting and tracking documents.

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Inspection team

Mary Hoather, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Roger Garrett Additional Inspector Stephen Williams Additional Inspector Raye Allison-Smith Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Chatsmore is smaller than the average-sized secondary school.  Most students are from White British backgrounds, although an increasing number of pupils from mixed ethnic backgrounds who speak English as an additional language are joining the school.  The school has a slightly higher-than-average proportion of students of middle ability.  The proportion of disabled students and those with special educational needs on school action is above average. The proportion on school action plus, or with a statement of special educational needs, is also just above average.  Less than half of all students come from Catholic backgrounds.  The proportion of students eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for children in the care of the local authority, pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those from service families, has doubled over the last two years but is still well below the

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Information about this school

national average.  The school has an arts specialism and gained Artsmark Gold in 2012.  Four students in Key Stage 4 do part-time, work-related courses at Brinsbury, Freshbrook or Northbrook local colleges.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  Since the last inspection there has been a whole-school staff restructuring with key changes in leadership posts. Several new middle leaders have been appointed. New key posts, such as the heads of house for the new vertical tutoring system and inclusion manager, have been introduced.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Continue to improve the achievement of all students in all subjects and increase the proportion of good or better teaching, by ensuring that all teachers:  plan lessons that meet the different needs and abilities of all students in their classes  focus on making sure that all students make progress  teach lessons at a good pace, thoroughly checking students’ learning throughout the lesson  challenge all students to secure higher grades  make clear in their feedback what students need to do to get to those higher levels and grades  encourage all students to become more independent learners in all subjects.  Ensure that senior leaders and governors evaluate student data better so that they know about the achievement of all groups of students, particularly more vulnerable students and those eligible for pupil premium funding, have more informed and robust self-evaluation and can focus more effectively their interventions for improvement.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that literacy, numeracy and other skills are taught effectively across the school by all subject teachers.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Students join the school with broadly average levels of attainment. Students’ progress has been variable over the last few years, especially in English and mathematics. The proportion of students gaining five or more GCSE at grades A* to C including English and mathematics improved in 2011, although it was still below national averages. In 2012 results in both subjects fell again to just above the government’s floor standard. No students were entered early for any subjects.  Attainment in many of the foundation subjects has been below national averages over the last three years with history and geography particularly weak. Too many students are still not making the levels of progress expected, especially in English, and boys still perform less well than girls.  Although teachers show awareness of the key words that are required in their subjects, and help students where specific numeracy skills are also needed, students’ general literacy and numeracy

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

are not being promoted or developed consistently across the school.  Standards in science are closer to national averages and there have been good improvements in core and additional science. Higher-ability students achieve well in the separate triple science subjects. English literature, taken by all students, has been consistently in line with national averages, and information and communication technology and design and technology (resistant materials) secured considerable improvements in 2012. Religious education has also sustained outcomes in line with national averages over the years.  The specialist subjects of art, drama and physical education sustain outcomes well above national averages.  The school provides additional support for disabled students and those who have special educational needs and those who are eligible for pupil premium funding. Students respond well to the additional support given, although the average point score for both these groups was

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

below that of their peers in 2012. Students who speak English as an additional language did better than their peers in the same year. Although committed to equality of opportunity, the school has not yet fully evaluated the impact on achievement of the additional support for students.  The students who attend alternative provision generally do as well as their peers.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Many teachers do not enable all students to make progress through a suitable range of activities. Sometimes teachers just expect students to complete tasks rather than set work that will ensure they all can progress rapidly. Some teachers are missing opportunities to engage students in independent learning.  Some teachers do not regularly check with students throughout the lesson where they are in their learning, or what needs to be done to reach the higher levels.  Although all teachers give a degree of feedback in lessons and mark students’ books, good feedback practice is inconsistently applied. When inspectors spoke to students, most knew their overall targets. Some were clear about where they were at the time but few could say precisely what they had to do to improve.  Most teachers set clear learning objectives at the beginning of the lesson, when the different levels of outcomes are explained, and show an awareness of the different groups and abilities in

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

their classes when planning lessons.  Inspectors saw some good examples of teachers ensuring students work to get to their individual targets. In a religious education lesson, students were writing a letter about Hindu pilgrimage, choosing one of four model letter formats appropriate to their current learning level. They could clearly see what the next level looked like.  There were some examples of outstanding teaching in the school’s specialist subjects. In art, students were working independently in groups and individually and it was clear that these students had been trained in all the skills needed. They were in charge of their learning. Also in art, a student was able to articulate the specific skills she was working on and explain fully why she was not yet at the higher grade.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Students are courteous and respectful to one another and to all adults. They behave well and in an orderly manner around the school site.  Students behave well in lessons, even when teaching is less than good, maintaining a positive attitude to learning. They readily help each other and enjoy working together. That they are not yet encouraged to work responsibly and independently means that their behaviour is not outstanding.  There is a strong community ethos and students are proud of their school. They particularly value the vertical tutoring and the strong leadership of the recently established house system.  Students attend school regularly and in line with the national average. The school is working hard to continue to reduce the small number of students who are persistently absent.  Students have a good awareness of different forms of bullying and how to keep themselves safe, including e-safety. They appreciate the support they get in this through the school’s personal

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

development programme. They confirm that bullying is rare and say that they feel safe in school. The few students who attend the alternative provision in neighbouring colleges feel safe there too.  Students, staff and parents are very positive about behaviour and safety in the school.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 Much still needs to be done to raise the ambition and expectations of all staff for all groups of students. The pace of change is not yet fast enough. For example, it has taken too long to tackle weaknesses in the teaching of history and geography.  While the progress of individual students is well tracked, there are weaknesses in the manipulation, analysis and evaluation of data by senior leaders. This is preventing all teams from using data effectively to focus improvement strategies, particularly with specific groups such as those students eligible for the pupil premium and disabled students and those with special educational needs.  Nevertheless, the headteacher and governors have effected some important improvements since the last inspection. Standards in some subjects have risen and the considerable re-structuring of teaching and non-teaching staff over the last three years has successfully addressed budgetary

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The leadership and management require improvement

issues, improved the technologies in school and put in place better leadership at all levels.  Teachers have a good range of development opportunities now, with the regular, in-service sessions, the Good to Outstanding teaching and learning group and the coaching pairs, where stronger teachers work alongside those whose teaching requires improvement.  The headteacher and governors are now aligning the performance management and pay of staff with the new Teachers’ Standards and national appraisal arrangements. The headteacher understands that the underperformance of staff must be dealt with swiftly, rigorously and robustly.  Middle leaders have learnt how to hold all teachers to account for students’ progress, in a consistent, whole-school way.  As students’ behaviour and attitudes reflect, the school’s leaders have provided a range of experiences that have contributed well to their social, moral and spiritual development, including

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The leadership and management require improvement

the promotion of good relationships and tolerance of individual differences. The presence of an assistant head chaplain regularly in school, a joint appointment with the Deanery schools, has been central to developing the Catholicity of the school, promoting and organising charitable events and providing general pastoral support and the personal counselling of individuals.  The local authority offers light-touch support for the school and the school is now engaging in a range of partnership work with other schools in the area.  The governance of the school:  The governing body ensures that the school meets all statutory requirements including safeguarding. Governors know how pupil premium funding is being used to support those eligible. The governing body is well informed and works supportively with the school, although lack of recent training means that governors’ knowledge and understanding of data are not

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The leadership and management require improvement

good enough yet for them to be able to challenge the headteacher to raise the achievement of all students. The newly appointed Vice Chair of the Governing Body is now taking a lead on this.

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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 126096 Local authority West Sussex Inspection number 402380

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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 Secondary School category Community Age range of pupils 11 – 16 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 628 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Nikki Davies Headteacher Mike Madden Date of previous school inspection 3 – 4 March 2010 Telephone number 01983 241368 Fax number 01983 240183 Email address office@chatsmore.w-sussex .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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