Setting

Mrs Geraldine Halley-Gordon Hamble Community Sports College Satchell Lane Hamble-le-Rice Southampton Hampshire SO31 4NE

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Education Act 2005 to Hamble Community Sports College

Following my visit to your college on 6 February 2013, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report on the findings of my visit. Thank you for the help you gave me and for the time you made available to discuss the actions you are taking to improve the college since the most recent section 5 inspection.

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Education Act 2005 to Hamble Community Sports College

The visit was the first monitoring inspection since the college was judged to require improvement following the section 5 inspection in December 2012. It was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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Evidence

During the visit, meetings were held with the headteacher, other senior leaders, a representative of the local authority and four governors including the Chair of the Governing Body. The college improvement plan and other documentation relating to the plan were evaluated. Governors’ minutes and local authority notes of visit were also evaluated. The HMI carried out a tour of the college with the headteacher.

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Context

The college has appointed a Vice Principal and an Assistant Principal who started in January. A new parent governor has been elected to the governing body. Tribal 1-4 Portland Square Bristol BS2 8RR T 0300 123 1231 Text Phone: 0161 6188524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Direct T 0117 311 5307 Direct F 0117 315 0430 Direct email : Emma.Thomson @tribalgroup.com

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Main findings

Senior leaders, governors and staff are responding positively to the recent section 5 inspection judgements. Senior leaders know the college well, were expecting the inspection judgements and had already put in place a development plan to move the college to good. Development plans are detailed and have measurable success criteria and set timescales for actions. The plans focus on improving all areas of the college’s work that require improvement including teaching and learning. The college has also developed a new strategic plan for mathematics and English at Key Stage 4 to raise attainment. Senior leaders and governors are clear about the significant amount of improvement required to move the college to good and have set a sensible timescale to achieve it. They recognise the challenges the college faces. These include recent staffing difficulties resulting in an increased frequency of supply teaching and a longer term legacy of weak teaching across the subjects the college

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Main findings

offers. However, close monitoring of teachers and subsequent professional development for those whose teaching requires improvement has increased the proportion of good teaching in the college.

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Main findings

The governing body recognised the need to improve their performance and have undergone training for their role. They work closely with the senior team and are well informed about the work the college is undertaking. Governors are increasingly confident in challenging senior leaders about the college’s performance. Due to the detail of the development plans and the volume of actions the college is undertaking the governors find it more difficult to understand the rate of progress the college is making to be good. Governors would welcome a simplified overview of the journey to good with clear milestones at regular intervals to help them chart the college’s progress and make their monitoring more incisive.

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Main findings

Senior leaders and governors have begun to take effective action to tackle the areas requiring improvement identified at the recent section 5 inspection.

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Main findings

Following the visit to the college, HMI recommend that further action is taken to:

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Main findings

 sharpen governors' monitoring of the college's progress to good by developing an overview of the journey with clear measurable milestones set at regular intervals

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Main findings

 work with the local authority to secure improved continuity of teaching for students.

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Main findings

Ofsted will continue to monitor the college until its next section 5 inspection.

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External support

The college has been strongly supported by the local authority. The headteacher has worked closely with the local authority to focus support on areas of the college’s work requiring greatest improvement. For example, local authority consultants have worked with the college to improve teaching and learning in business studies, information and communication technology and more recently mathematics.

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External support

I am copying this letter to the Chair of the Governing Body and the Director of Children’s Services for Hampshire.

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