Corpus Christi Catholic High School

School report Corpus Christi Catholic Sports College St Vincent's Road, Fulwood, Preston, Lancashire, PR2 8QY

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Inadequate 4 Achievement of pupils Inadequate 4 Quality of teaching Inadequate 4 Behaviour and safety of pupils Requires improvement 3 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that has serious weaknesses.  Too many students make inadequate progress from their starting points. Consequently, they do not reach the standards achieved by students nationally, particularly in English.  Many of the students whose achievement is inadequate are those for whom the school receives pupil premium funding. This additional funding has not been used effectively in the past.  Teaching overall is inadequate. Not enough teaching is of a good enough quality to enable students to overcome previous underachievement.  Teachers do not always give clear instructions so students sometimes do not understand what they have to do.  Too often work is the same for all students, regardless of their ability. Consequently, some fall behind because the work is too hard and others lose interest because it is too easy.  There are still too many students persistently absent or excluded from school.  The school’s written summary of its

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

performance does not identify weaknesses clearly enough and its plan for improvement does not identify precisely enough how success will be measured.

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The school has the following strengths

 The headteacher, senior leaders and governors have quickly developed a clear vision and stronger drive to ensure that the school improves rapidly and sustainably.  The progress of students supported by pupil premium funding is improving.  Arrangements to improve the literacy skills of students are effective and well planned.  Staff are clearly aware of the responsibility they have for ensuring all students make progress.  Following changes in leadership, concerted actions have been successful in reducing student exclusions.  Many students behave well in and around school and are helpful to adults and visitors.  The recently appointed leader of mathematics is beginning to improve progress in this subject.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 38 parts of lessons and four of these were observed jointly with the headteacher, deputy headteacher and an assistant headteacher.  Inspectors looked at a range of the school’s plans, including the development plan, the self- evaluation summary and information about students’ progress. They looked at students’ written work in their books and files in a number of subjects.  Inspectors met with groups of students, staff, the Chair and two members of the governing body, and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors considered 22 responses to the online survey (Parent View) and an analysis of staff questionnaires.

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Inspection team

Nell Banfield, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Fiona Burke-Jackson Additional Inspector Timothy Gartside Additional Inspector Mary Liptrot Additional Inspector

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Full report

In accordance with the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement, because it is performing significantly less well than it might in all the circumstances reasonably be expected to perform.

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Information about this school

 Corpus Christi Catholic Sports College is smaller than the average- sized secondary school.  An above-average proportion of students are supported by pupil premium funding, which is additional funding for students known to be eligible for free school meals, students looked after by adults other than their own parents and children from service families.  The proportion of students with disabilities or who have special educational needs supported through school action is below the national average.  The proportion of students with disabilities or who have special educational needs supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below the national average.  The proportion of students from minority ethnic groups is similar to the national average, as is the proportion of students who speak English as an additional language.  A new headteacher from a high-performing school took up post in April 2013. He worked with

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Information about this school

the school in the spring term 2013, prior to taking up his post. There have been changes to the senior leadership and staffing since September 2012.  A small proportion of students attend courses provided away from the school site at Preston Vocational College and Myerscough College.  A small number of students attend a short-stay school, Larches House, which caters for students at risk of exclusion.  The school has specialist status for sport and technology.  The school’s examination results are below the government’s current floor standard, which is the minimum expected for students’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching so that it is good or better across all year groups, and particularly in English, and hence raise students’ attainment by: – ensuring teachers make instructions clear and precise so students understand what they have to do and lessons proceed purposefully and at a good pace – ensuring that staff ask well-planned questions so students are made to think beyond their first answer and explain what they are thinking in more detail – ensuring teachers match activities and tasks to students’ abilities so they increase their knowledge and understanding and improve their progress – ensuring that all subject teachers mark students’ work and make comments at regular intervals and in detail on what students have done well and what they need to work on next, tell students how to gauge their own success and give them the opportunity to assess their own writing and that of others.  Improve the attendance of those groups with low attendance by increasing the range of actions

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

taken so all students attend well, do not miss lessons and are able to make more progress.  Further reduce exclusions by regularly checking upon and analysing the exclusions of groups of students and individuals. In addition, plan and implement appropriate intervention actions to avoid further exclusions so that students, particularly boys and those supported by the pupil premium, spend less time away from school.  Improve further the quality and precision of leaders’ monitoring, evaluation and planning in order to further improve students’ attainment and progress by ensuring that:  accurate evaluation of both improvements and weaknesses leads to the identification of clear, planned actions to improve attainment and progress  improvement plans clearly indicate the success expected as a consequence of the actions to be taken, so that leaders can judge how successful they have been and what still remains to

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

 Attainment by the end of Key Stage 4 has been below the national average since the previous inspection. Although attainment improved from a low level in 2010 and was closer to the national average, it dipped significantly in 2012 to below the government’s floor standard. Only two fifths of students achieved five or more GCSE passes at A* to C grades, including English and mathematics.  Students arrive at the school with attainment that is significantly below average. The proportion of students making the progress that is expected in English and mathematics has been consistently below the national proportion, though progress in mathematics improved in 2012.  A number of students take GCSE examinations in English and mathematics earlier than is usual. These students are carefully selected so they are able to improve their attainment still further in Year 11.  Students for whom the school receives pupil premium funding have previously made slower

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

progress than other groups of students in the school and significantly slower progress than their peers nationally. Their attainment in GCSE examinations is one grade below that achieved by the majority of students. Leaders have recently used pupil premium funding more wisely to pay for additional staff to provide teaching and other activities. This has extended students’ experiences and improved their skills and knowledge. As a result, their progress is improving.  The progress of disabled students and those who have special educational needs is as good as the progress of students nationally with similar needs but requires improvement in comparison to that of all students nationally. They do not make good progress, largely because some work is not sufficiently challenging.  The low achievement of students places them at a disadvantage. The steady improvement in progress in mathematics and the increasing progress of students supported by pupil premium

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

funding shows that the school is beginning to tackle this inequality in achievement and progress.  The school has taken effective steps to improve the reading levels and communication skills of a large group of students on arrival at the school. As a result, these students now have improved reading levels and skills. Plans to improve literacy, communication and mathematical skills in different subjects across the school are in the early stages. Only a small number of teachers are effective in developing reading and writing in their subject.  A small number of students attend alternative courses and provision away from the school site. Their progress and attendance have improved because they are closely monitored and supported by staff and are following courses that interest and engage them.

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

 The impact of teaching on students’ learning and progress over time is inadequate. Despite recent improvements, the quality of teaching remains inadequate overall. Not enough teaching is good enough to ensure students learn at a fast enough rate to overcome previous underachievement.  School leaders have recognised that teaching is weak and have taken appropriate action. This has contributed to the improvements seen in teaching during the inspection. However, the quality of teaching still varies too much between classes, a small proportion of inadequate teaching remains and too much requires improvement.  In a number of lessons teachers ask general questions and accept answers without probing further to find out more about the students’ thinking and reasoning behind their answers. As a result, students’ misconceptions and misunderstandings remain.  Instructions about what students need to do in lessons are not always precise enough for them

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

to settle to work quickly. Instead, while they wait for help, they chat and lose interest so their learning and progress are limited.  Not all teachers plan lessons well enough for the range of ability or interest in the class. As a result, students become discouraged, either because they cannot understand or complete the task or because the task fails to arouse their interest and challenge them. Consequently, progress is slow for too many students.  Teachers do not always give useful feedback to students in their marking of written work so too many students do not know how well they are doing and what they need to work on next. In some subjects students are given the opportunity and skills to assess their own written work and choose targets they think will improve it but this is not common practice.  In the small number of better lessons students are kept on their toes by frequent and unexpected questions, which means they have to attend closely to what is being taught. They

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

are asked to reflect on their work and evaluate how well they have done. In a science lesson observed, students were helped to understand what they had to do to achieve higher levels and were able to say exactly how good they judged their own work to be and why. One student said, ‘I didn’t think I could get to that level at the beginning of the lesson but I surprised myself!’

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The behaviour and safety of pupils require improvement

 Behaviour and safety require improvement because, although attendance levels are improving and are now close to the national average, the attendance of groups of students such as those supported by pupil premium funding and White British students is not improving quickly enough.  Similarly, although there are improvements, the proportion of students who often take days off remains above the national average. Students supported by pupil premium funding and White British students are more likely to be persistently absent than other students in the school and students nationally.  The rate of exclusion has reduced because leaders have established effective provision in school for those who would have been excluded in the past. Although exclusions are decreasing steadily, they remain higher than the national average, particularly for students supported by the pupil premium funding and White British students.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils require improvement

 Most students are helpful and polite and move around the school with only occasional boisterousness. They are patient when waiting in the dining room and appreciate the varied and good-quality lunches on offer.  Students say they feel safe in the school and that the support for good behaviour on the transport to and from school ensures an organised arrival and departure. They are confident that any member of staff would help them if they were struggling with work or were worried or upset. Students are clear about the different types of bullying. All students spoken to agreed that bullying was rare and, if it happened, it was quickly dealt with.  Procedures for managing behaviour have improved recently, and students say that behaviour is better in and around school. However, they also say that, in a very small minority of lessons, teachers have to spend time managing poor behaviour which prevents students from learning.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils require improvement

Inspectors found this to be the case, particularly when teaching was less effective, and a number of staff expressed a view that behaviour was a concern.  In the better lessons seen, students behaved exceptionally well. In an English lesson students had the chance to identify and make a list of words they found unfamiliar, which the teacher then helped them to understand. Each student was then asked to explain what had happened in their book to their partner. As a result of the good behaviour during these activities, their communication and comprehension skills were developed effectively. The majority of parents felt that behaviour was good in the school.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 The headteacher, senior staff and governors know what needs to be done to increase progress and attainment. The headteacher worked closely with senior leaders before he formally took up his post and actions taken, for example to improve teaching, have begun to take effect. Many staff commented positively in their questionnaire about the impact of the headteacher’s leadership which they felt had already raised expectations for students.  A number of staff have been temporarily promoted to the senior leadership team in order to strengthen the capacity to support improvements. Their actions are already raising attendance, reducing exclusions, improving the progress of students supported by the pupil premium funding and improving progress in mathematics. These successes demonstrate the ability of leaders to make further improvements.  The school’s current self-evaluation summary lacks rigour and, though it recognises strengths, it

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The leadership and management require improvement

does not clearly identify weaker areas. Similarly, current plans for development outline briefly the actions to be taken and describe the intended outcomes in general terms.  New leaders have been appointed to lead mathematics and there is evidence that progress is gradually and consistently improving in mathematics. Improvements in English are less evident.  Management of staff performance is more rigorous and any proposed progression up the salary scale is carefully scrutinised and considered in relation to the quality of teaching and its impact on students’ progress.  The curriculum has been reviewed and adjustments to groupings and time allocated to core subjects have been made to ensure that students are able to have the teaching time and focus that will best meet their needs.  The local authority provided support for the temporary leaders until the headteacher was in post. The School Improvement Partner has confidence in the skills that the headteacher brings

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The leadership and management require improvement

to the school while also recognising the weaknesses in the school’s self-evaluation.  The school’s arrangements to safeguard students meet statutory requirements.  The governance of the school:  Governors are trained in understanding data about students’ achievement and have observed lessons with senior staff. They know what needs to be done to improve the school and why. They have been partners in implementing the new and rigorous performance management arrangements and in appointing the recent additional senior leaders. Governors are frustrated by the slow rate of improvement in the past and are keen to support the headteacher and leaders in accelerating the increase in achievement. They challenge school leaders and are well aware of which students are supported by the pupil premium funding, what it pays for and the impact it has had in beginning to improve progress.

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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 119780 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 405888

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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 775 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Peter Metcalf MBE Headteacher David Hubbard Date of previous school inspection 30 March 2011 Telephone number 01772 716912 Fax number 01772 718779 Email address admin@ccc.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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