Christ The King Catholic High School

School report Christ The King Catholic Maths and Computing College Lawrence Avenue, Frenchwood, Preston, Lancashire, PR1 4LX

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 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.  The proportion of students gaining five or more A* to C passes at GCSE, including English and mathematics is improving but remains below the national average.  Students make good progress from low starting points during their time at school because of the good and sometimes outstanding teaching they receive. The good teaching is bringing about good and improving progress across subjects.  Students behave well in lessons and are keen to do well. There exists a strong culture of learning and achievement together with a distinctive pastoral care approach. Students from Eastern Europe are made most welcome and settle in very well.  Attendance has improved and incidents of permanent and fixed-term exclusions reduced markedly.  The promotion of literacy and particularly oracy at every opportunity is strong.  Leaders, managers and governors have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

know what to do to make further improvements.  The governing body has been strengthened since the previous inspection. It fulfils its duties well and ensures resources are targeted at the point of most need.  The school’s continual focus on students’ achievement is admirable, particularly in light of its small size and the need to respond quickly to changing circumstances, for example staff changes and budgetary restraints.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Not enough of the teaching is outstanding. The setting of work for students that is suitably matched to all ability levels and its marking is inconsistent.  Middle leaders are developing their roles and are not yet fully effective. However, the school is taking robust action to consolidate and refine these recent changes.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 28 part lessons across a range of subjects. All teachers were seen. Senior leaders jointly observed four lessons. Registration sessions were observed as were activities undertaken in the library during lunchtime.  Meetings were held with school leaders, managers and teachers. Two groups of students representing all ages were met with. A meeting was held with three members of the governing body including the Chair and a separate meeting with a representative from the local authority.  There were no responses to the Ofsted on-line questionnaire (Parent View).  Inspectors analysed 31 questionnaires completed by staff and took account of the school’s own surveys of feedback from parents and students.  The inspectors scrutinised a wide range of documents including the school development plan, students’ work, progress data, monitoring reports from the local authority and records showing

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Information about this inspection

how the school cares for and protects students.

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Inspection team

Peter Cox, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Sophie Gillies Additional Inspector Osama Abdul Rahim Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized high school.  The proportion of students known to be eligible for the pupil premium is above the national average. (The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, children from service families and those children that are looked after).  Twice as many students from minority ethnic groups attend when compared with the national picture. The proportion who speak English as an additional language is double that seen nationally.  The proportion of students supported at school action is average. The proportions that are supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs are average.  There are higher than average numbers of students who join the school other than at the usual times.  The school meets the current government floor standards that set the minimum expectations for

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase further the proportion of outstanding teaching so that levels of achievement secured by students move from comparing well with the national average to being high by:  making sure that the data records available in school are used more precisely to plan learning opportunities that better match the ability of students  ensuring that marking is consistently helpful and is acted upon by students.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 From low starting points on entry to the school in Year 7, students make good progress overall. Attainment by the time the students leave is improving and the proportion gaining five or more A* to C passes at GCSE, including English and mathematics, while below average, is above the minimum standard set by the government. This was the situation in 2012 and is set to improve further in 2013. Lesson observations and scrutiny of work support the school’s tracking data that the dip in the science results in 2012 has been reversed.  The school’s policy of entering students early for examinations in some subjects is well considered. Further opportunities are made available for students to reach the highest grade possible if they missed out initially.  The school has been very successful in teaching literacy. Students arriving into Year 7 often have low reading ages. As a result of the uncompromising teaching of literacy in all subjects, ground is

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The achievement of pupils is good

made up quickly and students are better able to make good progress in most lessons.  Students arriving at the school during term are made very welcome and settle in quickly due in part to the all-inclusive nature of the staff and students. Those from an Eastern European background make good progress in speaking English because of the bilingual support they receive in class from adults and older students from the same country.  The gap between boys and girls achievement is closing. The attainment of those students eligible for the pupil premium, including those known to be eligible for free school meals, is lower than that of their peers, when average points scores are measured but the gap is closing.  The government funding available for these students is used very well across all year groups; it provides programmes that help students catch up who may have fallen behind and is particularly well focused on students’ literacy and oracy development. The funding has provided additional

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The achievement of pupils is good

adult support in English and mathematics and has enabled students to take part in other courses available in the curriculum.  Disabled students and those with special educational needs make good progress in line with other students because their needs are accurately identified and the support received from staff is very effective.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Students confirm that the quality of teaching is good in both key stages. One student reported during a discussion that teachers are ‘helpful and give up a lot of their own time’. They went on to say that their lessons are ‘always challenging and lots of support is available if they get stuck’.  Teaching is not outstanding because there remains a small proportion that requires improvement. During the inspection, none was seen to be inadequate. Students’ performance data confirm the quality of teaching to be good over time.  Most teachers mark students’ work regularly but too much is perfunctory and lacking in helpful advice about how to improve. When teachers ask questions and request corrections students do not always comply and teachers do not follow this up.  Many lessons include well-structured opportunities for students to work collaboratively, debate ideas and give feedback on each other’s performance. Independent learning is a characteristic of

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The quality of teaching is good

the higher quality teaching seen.  Skilled questioning of students by most teachers helps them make deep and well-considered responses. High quality questioning was seen in an outstanding religious education lesson where students were asked to consider the characteristics of God and the act of forgiveness. Mature discussions took place between groups of students in an environment of tolerance for other beliefs and mutual respect. Learning gathered much pace throughout the lesson and one student was overheard to say that she regretted the lesson ending because she ‘got so much from it’.  The teaching of mathematics is good and numeracy within other subjects is evident. Students are successfully taught mathematical principles that prepare them well for the next stages in their education.  Registration periods at the start of the day are used well to set the tone and direction for learning. The facilities in the library at lunchtimes are well used by students under the expert direction of

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The quality of teaching is good

the librarian who allows students to take the opportunity to play literacy games (Scrabble) and to read newspapers and books at will.  Teachers pay good attention to the improvement of students’ literacy skills and particularly wide- ranging opportunities for them to express oracy. Some opportunities are missed to promote students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development within lessons. For example, when a Year 10 class was shown a Hubble telescope picture of the universe, the moment to pause and consider the ‘awe and wonder’ of what was contained in the photograph was missed.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Students enjoy coming to school and have positive attitudes to learning. In the majority of lessons students concentrate well, engage in the learning and make good progress.  Behaviour around the corridors and the school is good. Students are polite and courteous to staff, visitors and each other.  The recent school survey of parents shows that all those who responded consider their children to be safe and secure when at school. Almost all parents who responded said that students behave well and that the school deals with behaviour effectively. Inspectors agree. The pastoral care and personal development of students are strengths of the school.  Incidents of all types of bullying are uncommon. Students are aware of the different forms that bullying can take and are confident in reporting any issues to adults.  The attendance officer and achievement coordinators carefully track attendance. Rates have

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

improved over the last three years to being broadly average in 2012. Attendance for the 2013 academic year is currently above average.  Exclusions, both permanent and fixed-term, have reduced considerably over the last three years although fixed-term periods of exclusion remain above average as a result of the high expectations of staff.  Students welcome the opportunities they have to influence decision making in the school via the student leadership group where they present their considered views about potential improvements with confidence.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher, his senior colleagues and the governing body set high expectations of themselves, staff and students. There is a clear focus on raising students’ achievement through quality teaching, and personal development. Improvements have been secured since the previous inspection in teaching quality and students’ achievement.  Senior leaders have steered the school through some difficult waters in recent years. Management restructures have taken place in response to budgetary constraints. The senior leadership team is leaner and increasingly effective in its devolving of responsibilities to middle leaders, some who sit on the extended leadership team.  The school knows each student very well and has accurate performance data to report to parents their child’s progress.  The school has worked very hard with parents to successfully reduce the once high rates of non- attendance and exclusions. The school has done this by ensuring the curriculum is well matched to

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The leadership and management are good

students’ abilities and interests and by providing additional academic and pastoral support when needed.  The quality of teaching is well managed with first-hand observations undertaken periodically. There are initiatives in place to share further the stronger practice seen in some subjects. Teachers who do not deliver consistently good and outstanding teaching are well supported in their practice and improvements are being secured. Professional development opportunities are identified and offered when appropriate.  Arrangements for teachers’ performance management are secure and ensure a correlation between students’ achievement and teachers’ salary progression.  Senior leaders involve subject leaders in setting targets and when making plans for improvement. The school’s checks on how well it is doing are broadly accurate.  Some middle leaders are new to their posts and responsibilities. They demonstrate a steely

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The leadership and management are good

determination to succeed and are committed to providing quality experiences to all students. Discrimination on students’ ability, ethnicity or religion is not tolerated. Senior and middle leaders recognise that more is to be accomplished to move the school to being outstanding but that the building blocks are in place. The school is well placed to improve further based on improved outcomes for the students over time.  The school benefits from good support from the local authority that is providing training to governors and middle leaders to help strengthen their effectiveness.  The school’s procedures for safeguarding students are robust and meet government requirements.  The governance of the school:  The appointment of new governors with a mix of education and commercial experience has strengthened the governing body’s effectiveness since the previous inspection. Governors hold the school to account to good effect and during the inspection evidenced convincing examples of

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The leadership and management are good

professional challenge to the school. Governors have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and priorities for improvement. They have an accurate view of the quality of teaching and ensure that salary progression of all staff including the headteacher is closely linked to students’ achievement. School policies are updated regularly and remain effective. The pupil premium funding is closely monitored to ensure its best effect.

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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 119781 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 412819

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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 Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 11–16 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 320 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Ann Oastler Headteacher Anthony Perry Date of previous school inspection 18 March 2010 Telephone number 01772 252072 Fax number 01772 885674 Email address reception@ctk.lancs.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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