Beverley High School

Beverley High School Norwood, Beverley, HU17 9EX

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 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

 Students do not always make enough progress in all of their subjects at all stages of their education. While progress is good in some subjects, it is less than expected in others, particularly in English at Key Stage 3.  The sixth form requires improvement. Achievement requires improvement as the organisation of the curriculum does not meet the needs of all students.  The quality of teaching requires improvement as it is too variable across subjects and within subjects.  Teachers do not always set work that matches the different abilities of students and this slows their progress.  Not all teachers mark students’ work regularly. When work is marked, teachers do not always provide students with clear written comments and guidance on how to improve their work.  Teachers do not always actively involve students in their learning and they do not always check students’ understanding thoroughly during lessons.  Leaders and managers have not been skilful in

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

using effective systems to check the progress of all students well enough and to ensure that the assessment of students’ progress is always accurate.  Not all leaders use the full range of evidence available when checking the effectiveness of the areas for which they are responsible. Some are not ensuring that agreed expectations and policies are being carried out consistently by their teams.  When planning for improvement, leaders and managers are not clear about how they will recognise whether their actions have been successful in improving teaching and achievement.

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The school has the following strengths

 There are some lessons in which teaching is either good or outstanding. In these lessons, students made good or better progress.  Students say they are safe at school and, as a result, they enjoy school.  Behaviour is good with students generally making a good contribution to their learning.  Leaders, managers and governors have strong systems for students’ welfare and safeguarding.  Governors ask challenging questions and hold the headteacher to account for the school’s performance. There is a strong system for the performance management of teachers.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 37 lessons and 37 teachers. Three joint observations were undertaken with senior leaders.  The inspectors spoke to four groups of students about their learning in lessons and their safety in school. The inspectors also listened to some students reading and looked at students’ work.  Meetings were held with members of the governing body, school staff and a representative of the local authority.  In addition, the inspectors looked at the school’s review of its performance, its development plan, data relating to current students’ progress, safeguarding information, school policies and the minutes of governing body meetings.  The inspectors analysed 118 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and received six letters from parents.  The views of 62 staff who returned questionnaires were taken into account.

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Inspection team

James McGrath, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Julie Rimmer Additional Inspector Stephen Rodchester Additional Inspector John Townsley Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This school for girls is smaller than the average-sized secondary school.  The proportion of students known to be eligible for the pupil premium (additional government funding provided for children in local authority care, those from armed services families, and those known to be eligible for free school meals) is well below average.  Almost all students are White British. With very few exceptions, students speak English as their first language.  The proportion of students supported through school action is below average. The proportion of students supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average.  The alternative providers used by the school are The Manor House Alternative Learning Centre and Hazel Lodge Pupil Referral Unit.  The school has joint co-educational sixth-form provision with Beverley Grammar School and further collaborative provision with Longcroft School.

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Information about this school

 The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set minimum expectations for students’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.  The headteacher was appointed in September 2009, soon after the last inspection. There have been several changes of senior leaders and middle leaders since the last inspection.  The school holds the British Council’s International School Award, the Fairtrade School Award, Artsmark, Investors in People and the Yorkshire and Humber Global Schools Award.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that it is consistently good or better in order for students’ achievements to be securely good or better across all subjects by ensuring that all teachers:  mark students’ work more frequently and provide better written guidance to ensure that students can improve their work and make better progress  when planning and teaching lessons, use information about students’ abilities to set work that directly matches their different needs, especially for disabled students and those with special educational needs  talk less in lessons so as to involve students more fully in their own learning through discussion, group work and problem solving  use questioning more skilfully to allow students to provide more extended responses to show how much they understand and, when necessary, adjust teaching accordingly.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise achievement in the sixth form by adjusting the organisation of the curriculum to meet the needs of all students.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Develop the skills of leaders and managers at all levels, so that:  a more robust system to track students’ progress is used skilfully by all leaders  they use the full range of evidence available to them to take effective actions and ensure that students are making good progress in all lessons and that teaching is always good or better  subject leaders can confirm the accuracy of teacher assessments, particularly in English at Key Stage 3.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the impact of improvement planning by making sure that the measures used to judge success are closely linked to improvements in students’ learning and progress.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The majority of students start Year 7 with standards that are above or well above average in English and mathematics. In 2010 and 2011, students achieved standards that were above national averages in most subjects. In some subjects, including mathematics and English, standards were high.  In 2012, results dipped in both mathematics and English. Students started Year 7 with above- average standards in English and mathematics and finished at the end of Year 11 with results that were well below the national standard in English and at the national standard in mathematics. Results were well above the national average in design and technology and geography and in most other subjects students achieved as well as others across the country. The proportion of students achieving the English Baccalaureate is well above the national average.  The school uses early entry for a small number of students to take additional GCSE examinations

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

in modern foreign languages and music. Students taking these examinations achieve well.  Not enough students made the progress expected of them in both English and mathematics by the end of Year 11. The school’s system for checking students’ progress and some recent examination information indicate that students’ achievement for those finishing Year 11 in 2013 should improve considerably.  Lesson observations, a review of students’ work and the school’s progress data show that students make variable progress in some subjects, particularly English at Key Stage 3, and this requires improvement.  Sixth-form students make better progress in some subjects than others and they make more progress in Year 12 than in Year 13. This variability in progress leads to attainment that is overall average when students leave the sixth form, which requires improvement.  Alternative off-site provision is matched well to the needs of the few students who access it.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Disabled students and those with special educational needs make slow progress as their needs are not yet fully met. Teachers do not yet prepare work that matches the ability of these students well enough for them to make enough progress. The school’s records show that the present group of students supported at school action plus are now making better progress due to the additional support they are getting.  The few pupil premium students, known to be eligible for free school meals, did less well than those who were not eligible. In 2011, GCSE results in both English and mathematics show that pupil premium students achieved approximately one and a half grades lower than those who were not eligible. Gaps narrowed from 2011 to 2012. There were no looked after children in Year 11 in 2012. The school has appointed a member of staff to improve the learning of pupil premium students but it is too recent to determine the impact of this. The progress of pupils

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

receiving Year 7 catch-up premium is variable, with some making good progress while the progress of others is slower.  For many years, older students have listened to younger students reading and supported younger students’ numeracy skills. The school has recently introduced additional support for least-able readers and this is beginning to help them develop their reading skills further.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The quality of teaching requires improvement because it is too variable within and across subjects. However, some teaching is good and outstanding and ensures that students learn well. Teaching is better in Key Stage 4 and in the sixth form than in Key Stage 3.  In lessons where teaching is good or better, teachers set work that is challenging and caters for the needs of every student in the class. However, too often the work is ‘one size fits all’ with the most-able finding it too easy and the least-able finding the work too difficult. In these lessons, students do not make good progress.  Too often teachers spend too long explaining what is to be done and do not allow students to learn for themselves and share their learning in groups or in discussion. When teachers plan opportunities for students to work together, students respond exceptionally well. In a Year 9 history lesson, for example, they used high-quality language to explain their different historical

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

resources. This well-managed activity helped all students to learn well from one another.  The marking of students’ work is not always frequent. Occasionally, there can be too much time between work being completed and teachers returning it marked. There is high-quality marking in modern foreign languages and history where students’ work is being marked swiftly and teachers are identifying ‘what went well’ and how to improve.  Some teachers use skilful questioning to probe the understanding of all of the students. They provide ‘thinking time’ for students and expect well-thought-out, extended responses to their questions. Too often, questions are not used to involve all of the students and this leaves some students, particularly the least-able, having a limited understanding of their work and making slow progress.  In the best lessons, teachers circulate well around the classroom to support the learning of all

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

students and to assess students’ work swiftly. They provide individual support for students or adapt their teaching, if necessary, to ensure that all students understand their work fully.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Behaviour in the large majority of lessons is good overall. Most students follow instructions well and are often keen to learn.  When teachers give careful thought as to how students can contribute to their learning, through discussion and group work, they respond with high levels of application, independence and enjoyment. When this is not the case students are less interested in their work but generally well-behaved and quietly inattentive.  During this past year, attendance has been above average. There have been no permanent exclusions since the last inspection and fixed-term exclusions have been low. The school is working hard to ensure that the few pupils who misbehave are managed appropriately. However, very occasionally, some teachers do not address minor misbehaviour swiftly enough and with consistency.  Students’ behaviour around the school is good. They are polite, friendly and get on well with one

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

another. Students do as they are asked and try hard to meet the school’s expectations of their conduct. They enjoy school.  Students have a good understanding of how to stay safe. They have a good knowledge of internet safety.  Well-being lessons ensure that all students are aware of cyber bullying and of all the other different forms of bullying. Students say that bullying ‘isn’t an issue as it occurs rarely’ and they know what to do if it happens. Their level of self-esteem is high because relationships are good.  Ensuring students are well cared for and supported is given a high priority. There are strong systems in place to support students’ welfare and safeguarding. As a result, students say they feel safe within the school.  School surveys show that most parents believe students are well-behaved and the large majority of those responding to Parent View agree.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The headteacher has a very clear view of how successful the school can be and has developed a strong sense of purpose among all of the staff and the governing body. The relatively new leadership team fully understands the values on which the school is basing its developments, as do the rest of the staff.  The school’s development plan focuses well on improving the quality of teaching and learning and raising achievement. The plan addresses the main priorities for the school but does not indicate clearly how the school will know if new actions are improving students’ learning and progress. Subject leaders are not precise enough in their plans when identifying what needs to be done to improve the quality of teaching and learning in their areas.  Some subject leaders rigorously check the quality of teaching, marking and assessment in the areas for which they have responsibility. In other subjects, the work of leaders is less effective.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

They are not all drawing on the full range of the evidence available when checking whether agreed expectations and policies are being carried out and whether the quality of practice is ensuring consistently effective experiences and achievement for students.  A much-improved system for checking students’ progress is being introduced but is not yet used skilfully by all leaders and managers to identify all of the students who are falling behind.  Performance management for teachers is robust and clearly identifies the skills they need to improve. The professional development programme is supported well by the local authority; there is a strong focus on the development of middle leaders and improving teaching.  The curriculum offers a good range of academic courses for most students but it is not always well matched to the needs of all of the students, including those in the sixth form.  Students enjoy the many and varied educational visits and trips organised by the school. The

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The leadership and management requires improvement

school makes good use of its local and international links to promote good spiritual, moral, social and cultural education.  The local authority has increased its support for the school and is now providing good support to develop the use of systems to check students’ progress. It is also supporting the English department to improve its accuracy in assessing students’ work.  The governance of the school:  Governors have assisted in developing the school’s priorities. They ask searching questions of the headteacher to establish the school’s progress and seek reasons for underachievement. The quality assurance and curriculum committee reviews data on the school’s performance at regular intervals and reports its findings to the full governing body. Governors have made effective decisions to support the headteacher’s drive for improvement in the light of the 2012 GCSE results. They bring a wide range of expertise to ensure the financial security of the

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The leadership and management requires improvement

school and the smooth running of governance. They link closely with subject leaders to gauge the quality of teaching in the school. They check that strong performance is rewarded and that underperformance is supported and tackled. Governors know how the pupil premium is spent in providing additional support for learning as well as subsidising educational visits and school uniform. This is a good example of how the school promotes equality of opportunity for all. Governors are not yet precisely clear what educational gains students have made through the use of the pupil premium. They ensure that safeguarding arrangements securely meet requirements and support the strong processes used by the school to protect students.

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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 118072 Local authority East Riding of Yorkshire Inspection number 412241

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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 11–18 Gender of pupils Girls Gender of pupils in the sixth form Girls Number of pupils on the school roll 873 Of which, number on roll in sixth form 154 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair John Dunning Headteacher Sharon Japp Date of previous school inspection 20 March 2009 Telephone number 01482 881658 Fax number 01482 870935 Email address admindept@beverleyhigh.net 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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