Sir Thomas Boughey High School

Sir Thomas Boughey High School Station Road, Halmer End, Stoke-on-Trent, ST7 8AP

p.1

Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 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

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Pupils make good progress in school and leave with GCSE results that are above the average.  Teaching is good leading to good and sometimes better results in many subjects, especially in English and mathematics.  Pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school is good and their attendance is above average.  School leaders including governors have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and what needs to be done to improve further. They support teachers to develop their own practice by providing on-going training opportunities for them that have improved the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement.  The school has a strong community ethos that supports the good behaviour and safety of its pupils.

p.1

It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Some teachers do not use all of the available information about pupils’ progress and individual learning needs in order to plan lessons that challenge and encourage all pupils in the group to learn best.  The achievement of pupils in some subjects is not as high as in others. The school is taking action to ensure that this will not continue and this is already having positive impact on pupils’ progress.  The feedback given by teachers does not always ensure that pupils know what they need to do to move to the next level in each subject.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 30 lessons. Three observations were made jointly with members of the senior leadership team.  Inspectors held meetings with senior and subject leaders, groups of pupils and two members of the governing body, and had a telephone discussion with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors considered the views of the 41 parents and carers who responded to Parent View, the online questionnaire, and results from the school’s own survey of parents and carers, in addition to one letter from a parent.  Eleven completed staff questionnaires were considered.  Inspectors analysed information about examination results, how well pupils and groups of pupils are doing now and information about their attendance and those who have been excluded. They also reviewed a large range of documents including the school’s own self-evaluation of its strengths and weaknesses, records relating to governors’ meetings, information relating to the

p.2

Information about this inspection

use of the pupil premium funding and evidence required in relation to safeguarding.

p.2

Inspection team

Justine McNeillie, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Raye Allison-Smith Additional Inspector Michael Marks Additional Inspector Mary Hinds Additional Inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 The school is a smaller than average-sized secondary school.  Almost all of the pupils are White British.  Just over a fifth of pupils are eligible for the pupil premium. This is less than the national average. This funding is provided for those who are entitled to free school meals or are looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported at school action is broadly average. However, the proportion supported by school action plus or a statement of special educational needs is below average.  There are no pupils currently attending educational provision away from the school site.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectation of pupils’ attainment and progress.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching so that more leads to pupils making outstanding progress in all subjects. Do this by making sure that:  leaders provide, and all teachers use, a wide range of information about what pupils already know, understand and can do to plan lessons that are consistently challenging and take into account the needs of pupils of all abilities  pupils receive consistently good written feedback that provides them with subject-specific areas for improvement, and they then act on this advice.

p.3

The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils arrive in the school with broadly average skills in reading, writing and mathematics. Most pupils make good progress and the proportion of pupils who leave with five GCSEs at grade C or above in English and mathematics is above average.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 The attainment of pupils in most subjects is at least similar to that nationally. Results in English and mathematics are above national average. In subjects where results suggest a lower rate of progress than in others, leaders have made sure that pupils catch up so that they make at least the same rate of progress as in other subjects. This is partly being done through better use of information on pupils’ progress.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs also make good progress. This is as a result of good teaching and the additional support they receive.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Gaps in the attainment of groups of pupils are closing. Those pupils who are supported by the pupil premium funding performed as well as others nationally in 2012 but not as well as the rest of the pupils in the school. The results for pupils in English and mathematics for this group in the summer of 2012 showed that they achieved one GCSE grade less than their classmates. School leaders have acted to tackle this and these pupils are now making progress at a faster rate and catching up with others.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 The pupil premium funding is used effectively to support small group teaching, to pay for extra learning support by teaching assistants as well as other aspects such as providing breakfast and access to wider educational opportunities. These include learning how to play a musical instrument. All of these have a positive impact on these pupils’ academic and personal achievement.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 The Year 7 catch-up funding has been used to provide reading support through teaching assistants and access to good resources. This has resulted in some pupils’ reading ages increasing significantly since they started at the school.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils make good progress in developing their reading and writing skills in almost all subjects. School leaders are working to ensure that there are more opportunities to develop and use these, as well as mathematical skills in all subjects.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ achievement is being supported by leaders ensuring that pupils will not be entered early for GCSE exams as it has led to a small number of pupils not achieving the result they were capable of.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Almost all pupils, and more than is the case nationally, leave school to go onto further education or employment.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is good leading to good achievement over time. The school realises that on-going improvement is still needed so that there are more outstanding lessons taught across all subjects.  Teachers and pupils have positive relationships and pupils feel that teachers want them to succeed and will give them extra support where necessary. These positive features make a strong contribution to good learning.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 Where teaching is best, teachers use carefully chosen resources that engage pupils’ interests. Pupils have opportunities to work together in groups and learn well from each other. They also have opportunities to reflect on how their classmates are doing. Good development of these and other team-working skills help pupils to become more independent in their learning. The best learning takes place when teachers have planned activities to offer appropriate challenge to pupils of all abilities in the class. Not all teachers currently make sure this best practice is included in their teaching.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Good quality homework tasks are set regularly and these support pupils to develop their learning in each subject. Pupils understand why this extra learning is important and the school’s leaders undertake regular checks that it is being completed.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils’ work is generally marked regularly and the best examples help them to understand clearly what they have done well and what they need to do in order to improve further in that subject. These teachers require pupils to complete another task or improve existing work. Pupils are also helped to understand how they are doing in relation to their classmates by having clear grades on their work and criteria to measure themselves against. When teaching is not as good as the best, pupils do not receive this very specific feedback and are not expected to respond to teachers’ comments.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching assistants give invaluable support to pupils, particularly those who need extra help, and this has helped them to achieve better results.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ behaviour both in lessons and around the school site is good. Disruption to learning is uncommon and pupils know what the consequences will be if they do not concentrate or disrupt others. Occasionally, when teacher’s planning is not matched closely to the needs of all the pupils in the group, some pupils become distracted.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 There is a positive community ethos throughout the school and pupils are respectful of each other. A small number of parents expressed concerns about bullying; however, pupils confirmed that it is uncommon, that teachers take prompt and effective action to deal with any reported incidents, and that they understand different forms of bullying.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils have an assembly four days a week, many of which are planned and delivered by them in form groups. Pupils develop good leadership skills and grow in confidence as a result of these opportunities. Their behaviour in these whole-school gatherings is a noticeable strength and a clear sign of the cohesive, cooperative community school ethos.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils feel safe. They say that teachers are always around to help and support them but they understand why safe and respectful behaviour is important when they are not observed. This is supported by a weekly programme of personal, social and health education lessons.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 As a result of good behaviour and feeling safe, pupils attend regularly so that attendance is above the national average for similar schools.  The school’s Behaviour Support Team provides good individual support for pupils who require it. As a result there are fewer pupils who are excluded from school than has been the case in the past.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The pupils enjoy the culture of achievement and success in all aspects of school life as celebrated in the assembly system, by congratulatory communications with parents and by having their photograph on the school website.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 Leaders at all levels are working effectively to make sure that the school improves further. They understand in what ways the school is successful and what needs to be done in order to achieve better achievement and educational opportunities for their pupils.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 A strength of the leadership is the way that the senior and extended senior leadership team share their vision for the greater improvement of the school with colleagues. This is reinforced further by providing regular and individual support for teachers so that they become more successful and effectively improve the quality of their teaching. Leaders are supporting teachers to perform well but also holding them more rigorously to account for the progress of their pupils.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 The management of teachers’ performance is linked to pay progression and any pay awards are based partially on how well teachers make a difference to pupils’ achievement.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 The range of subjects on offer and what is taught are suitably matched to the needs of the pupils in the school by being revisited each year. Currently there is no provision of courses off the school site as the school can match the learning needs of its pupils in-house. The school leaders are planning ahead for the future learning needs of their pupils by working to develop closer links with other local schools so that they can increase opportunities as necessary. They are also investigating how subjects taught in limited time between Year 7 and 9 can prepare pupils more thoroughly for GCSE level courses.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 Action is taken to tackle underperformance in subjects. For example, historic data suggested a reduction in standards in science so the school worked with the science leader and the local authority to formulate an action plan to improve this. The school is looking at courses that may match the learning needs of all pupils more closely rather than all pupils taking the courses currently on offer.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 A broad range of learning activities take place out of lessons and in the school. Leaders make sure that all pupils are able to access opportunities by using extra pupil premium funding where appropriate to enable them to take part. An example of this was seen where pupils were able to take part in visits due to extra funding.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 Many activities outside normal lessons and others throughout the curriculum also provided many occasions where pupils were able to develop their own social, moral, spiritual and cultural views and achievement. An example is where Year 8 pupils researched, planned and delivered an assembly to the whole school on tolerance. This included examining subjects such as race relations and cultural diversity.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 The local authority provides light touch support to this good school.  The governance of the school:  Governors know how well the school is doing in comparison to all schools. They are aware of how the pupil premium funding is being used. They know the relative strengths and weaknesses of subject areas and teachers in the school, and have a secure understanding of the quality of teaching and initiatives to improve it. Governors offer good challenge to senior and subject leaders to explain what steps they are taking to ensure underperformance in subjects is being addressed. They fulfil their statutory obligations relating to safeguarding of pupils. Governors support senior leaders to reach decisions about pay for teachers within the school.

p.6

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

p.8

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.

p.8

School details

Unique reference number 124393 Local authority Staffordshire Inspection number 412344

p.9

School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.9

School details

Type of school Secondary School category Community Age range of pupils 11–16 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 759 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair John Hopkins Headteacher Steve Gould Date of previous school inspection 3 February 2010 Telephone number 01782 729400 Fax number 01782 729421 Email address office@stb.coop 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 .

p.9

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.

p.10

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

p.10

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

p.10

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’.

p.10

School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.10