Rawlins

Rawlins Community College Loughborough Road, Quorn, Loughborough, LE12 8DY

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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 Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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

 Students’ achievement requires improvement. It varies widely across different subjects in Key Stage 4.  Teaching in Key Stage 4 requires improvement. Teachers do not always plan work in lessons at exactly the right level of difficulty to ensure that all students make good progress.  Teachers’ marking in Key Stage 4 does not check students’ progress and understanding thoroughly enough, or give them clear directions on how to improve their work.  The progress made by some groups, including less-able students who do not have special educational needs and students who are known to be eligible for the pupil premium, requires particular improvement.  Improvements in leadership and management have not yet raised the quality of teaching or students’ progress in Key Stage 4 to consistently good levels.  Leaders assess students’ progress regularly to identify any falling behind, but do not always focus extra support for them sharply enough.

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The school has the following strengths

 The sixth form is good. Students’ achievement is good and improving as a result of good teaching.  Key Stage 4 results have risen in recent years, particularly in English, and in 2012 they were above national averages.  Disabled students and those who have special educational needs do well when taught in groups that cater specifically for their needs.  The wide range of courses for students to choose from is well suited to their interests and abilities.  Students’ attitudes to learning are good. They behave well in lessons and around the college site, and feel safe.  The clear leadership of the headteacher, supported by the other senior leaders and governors, has led to recent improvements in the quality of teaching and achievement, particularly in the sixth form.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection team observed 52 part lessons, seven of which were jointly observed with senior leaders. Inspectors made a number of visits with college leaders to observe specific aspects of the work of the college. Inspectors also attended an assembly and observed coaching time.  Inspectors held meetings with members of staff including senior leaders, subject leaders and other teachers with positions of responsibility. They held meetings with five groups of students, and spoke informally to students at break and lunch times. The lead inspector also held a meeting with governors.  Inspectors took account of the 100 responses to Ofsted’s online Parent View questionnaire, and looked at the results of a survey of the views of parents and carers carried out by the college. They also considered the 63 staff questionnaires they received in making their judgements.  Inspectors looked at students’ work and at teachers’ planning.

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Information about this inspection

 They examined a range of documents including information on students’ performance, the college’s own checks on how well it is doing, and information about students’ behaviour and attendance and how the college keeps its students safe.

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Inspection team

Michael Phipps, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Elizabeth Needham Additional Inspector Sa'ad Khaldi Additional Inspector Jalil Shaikh Additional Inspector Alan Brewerton Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Rawlins Community College is larger than the average secondary school. It converted to academy status on 1 November 2011. When the predecessor school of the same name was last inspected by Ofsted it was judged to be satisfactory.  The very large majority of students come from White British backgrounds. The proportion of students who do not speak English as their first language is very low.  Around one sixth of the students are eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for students in local authority care, known to be eligible for free school meals or from service families. This is below average.  The proportion of disabled students and those who have special educational needs supported at school action is lower than average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is slightly above average.  The college has specially resourced provision for pupils with special educational needs. This

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Information about this school

currently caters for 27 students aged 16 to 19 who have moderate learning difficulties.  A day nursery operates on the school site. This is run by a private company, and was not included in this inspection.  The college has specialist status in media arts.  A relatively small number of students in Years 10 and 11 have access to alternative provision or work-related courses at Loughborough College and Brooksby Melton College.  The college meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for students’ attainment and progress.  The college is planning to extend its age range to include Key Stage 3 students from September 2013, and will become an 11–19 college.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Make the quality of teaching in Key Stage 4 consistently good or better by:  planning work that takes full account of students’ differing abilities, so it is demanding but achievable for all ability groups  making sure that teachers’ marking more regularly checks students’ progress, and shows them clearly how to improve their work  making consistently good use of time in lessons, so that learning moves at a brisk pace.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the achievement of less-able students in Key Stage 4, and those known to be eligible for the pupil premium, by:  providing extra support in school and help in lessons precisely where they are needed  closely monitoring the impact of this support on their progress  making sure they attend regularly.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Despite recent improvements, students’ achievement is not good because their progress in Key Stage 4 varies too much, particularly in mathematics and English.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Students enter the college with above-average standards. Results at the end of Key Stage 4 have risen in recent years and in 2012 were above average. However, results show that students’ progress in English in 2011, and in mathematics in 2012 required improvement. College data indicate that current Year 11 students are on track to achieve higher results.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Students who are known to be eligible for the pupil premium achieve less well at GCSE than similar students nationally. Although some achieve results in English and mathematics that are in line with other students in the college, a minority make slower progress. This means that overall the attainment of this group of students is lower than that of others in the college.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 There are inconsistencies in achievement across different subjects, both in Key Stage 4 and in the sixth form. In Key Stage 4, achievement in statistics is very low. In the sixth form, it is particularly high in work-related subjects, but lower in English. Achievement is not as high at AS level as it is at A2 level.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Many students are entered early for GCSE mathematics. In the past this reduced the number of higher grades achieved, because students did not retake the examination to try for the higher grades. The school has now changed this policy to give students the opportunity to achieve higher grades which better reflect their capabilities.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Achievement in the college’s specialist subject areas is generally good. Standards are high in art and design at GCSE, and in drama, film studies and a range of arts courses in the sixth form.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Students in the sixth form achieve well because teaching is typically good and courses are well matched to their needs and interests. Most students stay on into Year 13, and move on to further or higher education, or employment.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The less-able students in Key Stage 4 who do not have special educational needs do not do as well as other groups, because their needs are not always fully catered for in lessons. However, most disabled students and those who have special educational needs achieve well because they often work together as a group on well-considered activities with good help and guidance from support staff.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Sixth-form students who have moderate learning difficulties follow an adapted curriculum that better suits their needs, so they achieve well and are successfully prepared for life after college.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Some students in Years 10 and 11 are educated on other sites. They make good progress in developing their literacy and numeracy skills, and achieve well in a number of work-related courses.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Although there is some good practice, teaching in Key Stage 4 is not consistently good enough to promote good progress. Work is not always at the right level of difficulty for all students. In a Year 10 English lesson observed, for example, the work set was too easy for some students, so they lost focus and did not make the progress they were capable of.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 In Key Stage 4 many teachers do not routinely mark the work in students’ exercise books so they do not check students’ understanding or the progress they have made, or give them clear directions on how to improve their work. Errors and misconceptions, for example about technical terms in science, are not corrected early enough. As a result students in Key Stage 4 do not always know the grade they should be aiming for in their subjects, and few can explain in any detail what they should do to improve.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The pace of lessons is not always brisk enough. In a Year 11 mathematics lesson, for instance, students made little progress because the teacher did not check that students knew what to do next, so the pace of their learning was too slow.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Disabled students and those who have special educational needs are usually taught well. For example, during the inspection a small number of Year 10 students made good progress in developing their communications skills because the lesson was well planned to meet their needs. However, teachers do not use information on students’ progress consistently well across the school to plan work for all ability groups at precisely the right level of difficulty.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Students in the sixth form who have moderate learning difficulties are taught and supported well. They are known well as individuals, and lessons are well matched to their needs and interests.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching in the sixth form is good. For example, in a history lesson Year 13 students made very good progress in evaluating the Soviet Union’s preparedness for war in 1941. This was because the teacher had carefully planned the learning activities, students had the chance to work without the teacher and discuss the topic among themselves and the most able students were given a suitably demanding role in the lesson.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Students’ attitudes to their learning are positive. They behave sensibly in lessons, concentrate well on their work and are keen to do well.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Students behave well around the college site. They feel proud of their college, like the house system, and enjoy good relationships with their form tutors.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Students have a good understanding of different types of bullying, particularly cyber-bullying. They told inspectors that bullying is rare, and is dealt with quickly and effectively by school staff. They feel safe and understand issues around their own safety.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Parents are confident that their children will be well looked after. They have few concerns about behaviour.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Attendance is closely monitored, and is broadly average. The attendance of students known to be eligible for the pupil premium is lower than that of similar students nationally. The welfare officer is tackling absence among this group of students robustly. As a result, their attendance is improving.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Students have a good understanding of the college’s systems for managing behaviour, and they are generally effective. Exclusions are rare, and used only as a last resort.  Students’ behaviour is not outstanding because in lessons where teaching is not good, some students occasionally lose concentration.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher, well supported by governors and a recently restructured management team, provides the college with clear leadership. This has led to considerable improvements in English and the sixth form. Leaders have made some difficult decisions to eradicate inadequate teaching and improve the overall quality of teaching. This is gradually raising standards, but has not yet had a full impact in Key Stage 4.

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The leadership and management are good

 Students’ progress is checked regularly through marking their tests and essays, particularly in the sixth form. If students fall behind extra help is available to help them to catch up, although this has not always been focused precisely enough to be fully effective.

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The leadership and management are good

 The wide range of courses in Key Stage 4 and the sixth form is matched well to students’ interests and abilities. The college’s media arts specialism is used well to provide students with well-taught specialist courses and interesting cultural experiences, including high-quality art displays, theatre productions and music concerts.

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The leadership and management are good

 The college promotes students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. Students work well together, and take on positions of responsibility such as membership of the house council. The college is linked to a school in China, and students celebrate festivals from a variety of cultures. Students raise funds for charities, and there are good links with the local church.

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The leadership and management are good

 Equality of opportunity is promoted well and discrimination of any kind is not tolerated. As a result, gaps in achievement between different groups are closing as the quality of teaching and support for individual students improves.

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The leadership and management are good

 The provision for sixth form students with moderate learning difficulties is led and managed well. Leaders cooperate well with local schools to make sure that students’ needs are well understood. Good teaching and support are provided to help these students make good progress.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school has used pupil premium funding to pay for additional adult support for students in English and mathematics lessons, and a welfare officer to improve the attendance of vulnerable groups. This is continuing to raise the attainment and the attendance of eligible students.

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The leadership and management are good

 The arrangements for managing the performance of teachers are appropriate, and are effective in raising the quality of teaching. Senior leaders have an accurate view of the quality of teaching. Through training and support for staff they have increased the proportion of good teaching.

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The leadership and management are good

 College plans for improvement concentrate on the right areas, particularly on raising the quality of teaching and students’ achievement in Key Stage 4, and on improving the achievement of students eligible for the pupil premium. Senior leaders are aware that recent improvements have had most impact on the sixth form, and are now rightly focusing on Key Stage 4.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The governors ask probing questions of senior leaders, and expect them to raise the quality of teaching and students’ achievement. They are closely involved in the college’s system of faculty reviews. This gives them a good understanding of the quality of teaching. They are aware of information on students’ performance, but until recently they relied too much on the headteacher to analyse this information in order to compare the college’s performance with that of schools nationally. Governors know how teachers’ targets for improvement are set and how these are related to pay rises. They have a good grasp of the college’s finances. They know how the pupil premium is spent, why it is spent this way, and the impact it is having on the achievement of supported students. They are also aware that this remains a priority for the college. Governors make sure that the college’s arrangements to keep students safe meet

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The leadership and management are good

legal requirements. They are keen to develop their skills, and have had additional training so they can carry out their roles effectively.

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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 137640 Local authority N/A Inspection number 406679

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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 converter School category Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 14–18 Gender of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 1438 Of which, number on roll in sixth form 470 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair David Lathbury Headteacher Callum Orr Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 01509 412406 Fax number 01509 416668 Email address enquiries@rawlinscollege.org.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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