Carshalton Boys Sports College

Carshalton Boys Sports College Winchcombe Road, Carshalton, SM5 1RW

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected N/A 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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This is a good school

 Visionary leadership is provided by the principal. His passion for the college and its students is shared by his dedicated senior team and by his entire staff. They are strongly committed to making sure that the college continually improves.  Most groups of students are achieving well and making good progress over time.  Standards are rising because target setting and monitoring procedures are detailed and rigorous.  All students, including those in the growing sixth form, are given clear guidance on what they need to do to meet examination requirements.  Teaching and learning are good, and outstanding in some lessons.  Behaviour is good. Students attend regularly and show considerable enthusiasm for college life. They feel safe, valued and respected.  The sixth form is good. It is led and managed well and students are achieving well.  The quality of teaching is closely monitored by leaders, managers and governors. This has

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This is a good school

contributed to improvements, helping to secure good learning.  Governors are supportive and ambitious for the college to improve further. They provide good support, but are prepared to challenge leaders to make sure that policies are properly and effectively applied.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There are inconsistencies in the teaching of more-able students. In a minority of lessons the work set does not fully meet their needs.  In some lessons students’ work is not well presented and expectations about how work is presented are not high enough.  Inconsistencies in marking and assessment, including the quality of the written feedback offered to students sometimes restrict their progress. Marked work does not always make it clear what a student has done well and what they need to do to improve.  Opportunities are sometimes missed to enhance students’ literacy skills.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 42 lessons, involving 41 different staff. In addition, detailed learning walks were undertaken in two departments – information and communication technology and physical education. Many lessons were jointly observed with senior members of staff. Other lessons were visited to determine how well the learning of specific students is planned for, to look at the quality of marking and assessment and how well literacy skills are being fostered.  Meetings were held with five different groups of students and with two members of the governing body, including the Chairman. Meetings were also held with many different members of staff, including senior and other leaders.  Inspectors took account of 104 responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) in planning the inspection. The responses from 54 staff questionnaires were also considered.  Inspectors looked at samples of students’ past and present work and scrutinised various

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Information about this inspection

documents. These included the college’s self-evaluation and planning, extensive information on students’ academic progress and records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.  During the inspection various public examinations were being held, limiting the number of lessons that could be observed in Years 11, 12 and 13.

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Inspection team

Bill Stoneham, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Janet Allcorn Additional Inspector Janet Morrison Additional Inspector Gill Walley Additional Inspector Stephen Williams Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a larger-than-average-sized secondary school.  The proportion of students known to be eligible for the pupil premium (additional government funding for students known to be eligible for free school meals, who are looked after by the local authority, or who have a parent in the armed services) is above average.  At the time of the inspection there were no students who had a parent currently serving in the armed forces and very few students were in local authority care.  The proportion of disabled students and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is above average.  The proportion of students supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also above average.  Most students are White British. The proportion from minority ethnic backgrounds is above average, but the proportion who speaks English as an additional language is average.

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Information about this school

 In Year 11, a small minority of students are partly educated off-site at Carshalton College.  Carshalton Boys Sports College converted to an academy school in June 2011. When its predecessor school, which had the same name, was last inspected by Ofsted in September 2008, it was judged to be good.  The college meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for students’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise achievement so that more learning is outstanding by making sure that:  work always fully challenges the more-able students and offers more opportunities for them to excel  marking across all subjects is consistently good and that the quality of written feedback offered to students is high and clearly indicates what has been done well and where improvements are needed  students always take a pride in their work and this is reflected in the way work is presented  staff seize every possible opportunity to develop students’ literacy skills, especially by encouraging students to use key words and subject-specific language accurately in both their oral and written work.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 When students join in Year 7 they are working below national standards in English and mathematics. In Years 7, 8 and 9, good teaching leads to improvements in standards. These improvements are continued in Years 10 and 11. Students currently in Year 11 are working at levels that are at least average. All groups, including those from minority ethnic communities and those who speak English as an additional language, are making good progress.  Disabled students and those who have special educational needs achieve well because their needs are identified well and appropriate support is provided, especially in relation to boosting skills in literacy and numeracy.  Pupil premium funding is being used well to raise achievement. The college successfully helps Year 7 students who are behind to improve their skills in reading and writing. Year 7 catch up funding is successfully used to improve standards in literacy and numeracy. Although students

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The achievement of pupils is good

eligible for the pupil premium do not attain as well as their peers in English and mathematics, the gap between their attainment and that of their peers is closing, and by the end of Year 11 is less than the equivalent of half a GCSE grade.  Target setting is effective and all students are set realistic targets in their work. The progress made by every individual student, and different groups of students, against their targets, is carefully and thoroughly monitored. Student who is not on track are readily identified and are given additional support to help them to improve.  Improved outcomes have been supported by the many different subject and homework clubs that are available. The college carries on for many hours outside its core times to ensure students are offered additional support and are given every possible opportunity to improve their work. Staff are most willing ‘to go the extra mile’ to help their students succeed.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The college carefully evaluates its policy with respect to early GCSE entry. Students will only be entered early for a GCSE examination if their chances of success are high. Students are offered sufficient opportunities to improve their grades if needed.  Senior staff are fully aware that more-able students should be gaining a greater proportion of higher GCSE grades. Although this cohort achieve well, they are not always presented with work that offers sufficient challenge to enable them to attain the highest possible grades.  Some students in Years 10 and 11 follow work-related courses at Carshalton College. They make good progress and are expected to achieve the qualifications they need to progress to further education.  Most sixth form students commence their AS- and A-level studies with levels of prior attainment that are below average. Standards are rising because of good teaching and effective monitoring

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The achievement of pupils is good

procedures. By the end of their courses, they are at least in line with national expectations. Sixth formers, including the small number of girls who join the college, make good progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Learning is good in most lessons and over time because teaching is consistently good. In some lessons, teaching is outstanding. The best learning occurs in those lessons where students are given scope to work independently and solve problems for themselves.  Good learning is frequently fostered because staff expectations about what students can do and achieve are realistic. In a small minority of cases, however, the challenges offered to more-able students are not sufficiently exacting.  In the most successful lessons students are engaged and excited by the work. Older students told inspectors that the quality of teaching has improved significantly. Most lessons are interesting and challenging, with opportunities to work independently and collaboratively. The students particularly praised those lessons where they can develop their analytical and practical skills.  Outstanding teaching is a feature of some lessons in both mathematics and physical education.

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The quality of teaching is good

Common elements are that expectations are high, the work set is challenging and students are given appropriate opportunities to reflect on the progress made during the lesson. In all cases where teaching is outstanding, it is clear that the teachers know their groups well and that the activities are carefully planned so that individual needs are effectively met.  For example, outstanding teaching was a feature of a Year 7 and 8 mixed age mathematics lesson on equations. The work was carefully planned to meet individual needs, the underlying theory carefully planned and the students were given excellent guidance on their work. Progress was rapid because the students enjoyed what they were doing and they responded enthusiastically to the challenges set.  Marking and assessment are improving well, but inconsistencies persist. In a minority of cases, work is not marked with sufficient regularity. Sometimes, too few written comments are made

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The quality of teaching is good

on students’ work to indicate what is good and what needs improving. Too many books lack a written dialogue between teacher and student on how improvements can be made.  In a small minority of cases, students’ presentation of work does not show enough care and pride.  In some lessons, teaching had a clear potential to be outstanding but was not reached. Although many aspects of literacy, including students’ reading, are promoted well, there are missed opportunities to develop students’ vocabulary, especially in terms of using subject-specific language in context in both oral and written work.  Teaching in the sixth form is improving well. Planning for learning is invariably at least good and students are given sufficient scope to learn through discussion and by working collaboratively in small groups.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Students have good attitudes to learning, and their behaviour in lessons and around the college is good. The quality of behaviour helps to ensure that learning in lessons is consistently good. A very high proportion of parents replying to Parent View praised the quality of behaviour.  It is rare for learning to be disrupted by inappropriate behaviour. The students’ overwhelming view is that behaviour is now at least good and has improved significantly over the last few years.  Students told inspectors that they are proud of their college. They described it as ‘harmonious’, and as a place where there is plenty to do and where students work together well. They reported that bullying incidents, especially those based on race or homophobia, are extremely rare. They also reported that if any incidents do occur they have complete faith in their staff to resolve the issues.  Students reported that they feel safe, valued and respected. The college’s extensive personal,

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

social and health education programme is designed to promote safe and healthy lifestyles. Students are fully aware of the dangers of cyber bullying and are also given extensive information on how to stay safe and avoid the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse, for example.  Students are offered many opportunities to assume responsibility. Often, although not exclusively, this is provided through involvement in sport. Other activities, such as The Mud Club, where students grow food for their own college café and tend to a flock of hens and a very proud cockerel, also promote responsibility and make an impressive contribution to spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  The college looks smart; litter and graffiti are rarely encountered. The college’s site staff do an excellent job to ensure a clean and pleasant learning environment; the boys play their part by respecting the superb facilities provided.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Considerable efforts have been made to improve attendance. It is now above average and levels of persistent absence have fallen considerably.

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The leadership and management are good

 The college is improving well because of the clear, decisive and visionary leadership of the principal. He is well supported by his vice-principal and senior staff, a good governing body and by a team of highly motivated and enthusiastic staff who are determined to help students succeed.  Morale is high and staff are very proud to be associated with the college. Many annotated their staff questionnaires with comments praising the quality of work undertaken. As one commented, ‘This is a very special place to work. The atmosphere is quite unlike anywhere I have worked before. Our boys can be challenging, but are fantastic and great fun to work with.’  Improvements in leadership and management are identifiable at many levels, including in the sixth form where standards are rising well.  Improvements in achievement in the variety of subjects on offer can partly be attributed to careful planning that meets the full range of abilities, especially in Years 10 and 11.

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The leadership and management are good

 The wider provision of experiences is exceptionally good and helps to develop students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding extremely well. Students benefit from activities as varied as helping the site team maintain the fabric of the college to visiting Ecuador and campaigning against the closure of a local hospital. Staff work creatively to make sure that students can access many activities designed to increase confidence and responsibility and to provide experiences that would not normally be available.  The college is effective in encouraging tolerance and understanding, and in eliminating all forms of discrimination. It makes sure students of all abilities and backgrounds have equal opportunities and make good progress.  Self-evaluation is effective. Suitable procedures enable the college to check on its performance. The provision for staff training is good and teaching and learning are managed well. This is

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The leadership and management are good

reflected in an improving profile where most teaching is good and some is outstanding.  The pupil premium is used well to make sure that eligible students can access all aspects of the college’s growing provision, including taking a full part in educational visits. This is helping to make sure that gaps in the performance of different groups of students are closing at a good pace.  As a converter academy, the college works well in partnership with many local schools and the local authority.  The college’s arrangements for safeguarding, including risk assessments for off-site education, meet statutory requirements.  The governance of the school:  Governors share the desire to make the college even better. They challenge leaders through close checks on students’ performance in examinations, for example, and they visit regularly. Governors have a good understanding of the quality of teaching across the college. They

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The leadership and management are good

check decisions on pay awards for teachers and make sure that students’ progress justifies better pay or promotion. Governors fully endorse leaders’ actions to tackle underperformance. They know about the targets set for teachers to manage their performance and how well they are progressing towards meeting them. Financial planning is good and governors understand how pupil premium funding is being used and how effective this is in improving progress and achievement.

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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 136799 Local authority Sutton Inspection number 412852

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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 Non-maintained Age range of pupils 11–19 Gender of pupils Boys Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 1,225 Of which, number on roll in sixth form 140 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Richard Collier Headteacher Simon Barber Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 020 8714 3100 Fax number 020 8641 8721 Email address contact@carshaltonboys.org 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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