Lincoln Christ's Hospital School

Lincoln Christ's Hospital School Wragby Road, Lincoln, LN2 4PN

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  The school is welcoming and has a strong sense of community spirit that is appreciated by students, staff, parents and visitors.  School records and the lessons seen during the inspection show that the quality of teaching is mainly good, with some outstanding teaching.  Students make good progress as they move through the school and, from low starting points, achieve results in line with most students of a similar age.  In the core subjects students make the most rapid progress in English, although attainment in mathematics is rising.  The sixth form is good. Sixth form students also make good progress from their various starting points, particularly in AS level courses.  Students are friendly, polite and helpful. Behaviour in most classrooms and around the school site is consistently good.  School records, confirmed by discussions with students, show that bullying is very rare, and is

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

quickly dealt with. Students feel very safe in school.  The school is led and managed well and self- evaluation is accurate and detailed. Senior members of staff are approachable and experienced.  Teaching and learning are led well, and well- chosen staff training is further developing the amount of good and outstanding teaching.  Governors know the school well and provide support and challenge where they are required.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teaching in a minority of lessons is not good and not enough teaching is outstanding.  Work is not always matched carefully enough to students' different needs, with the same tasks often given to all.  Questioning is not always used well to encourage students to think more deeply or to check on what is being learned during a lesson.  Expectations of students' behaviour are too low in a small minority of lessons, occasionally disrupting learning.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection team observed 49 lessons taught by 49 different teachers. They also made some shorter visits to some classrooms.  The team observed tutor periods and visited many different areas of the school and the site during lessons and at break times.  Meetings were held with three different groups of students, the Chair of the Governing Body with a governor colleague, senior staff and subject and year leaders.  The inspection team examined a range of school documentation, including school development plans and policies, lesson plans, records of lesson monitoring and checks on students’ work, and the minutes of meetings, including those of the governing body. Inspectors examined a range of data, both that available to the public and that used by the school to monitor current rates of students’ progress and attendance.  Only two responses had been made to Parent View by the end of the inspection, so no analysis

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Information about this inspection

of these results was available for consideration. Staff questionnaires were considered, alongside a survey of parents and carers carried out by the school earlier this year.

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Inspection team

David Martin, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Judith Gooding Additional Inspector Ann Addison Additional Inspector Bob Roberts Additional Inspector William Cassell Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a larger-than-average secondary school. It converted to become an academy in September 2011. When its predecessor school, also known as Lincoln Christ's Hospital School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good.  The school is a specialist language college that had the International School Award re-confirmed for the fifth time in July 2012.  The proportion of students known to be eligible for the pupil premium, extra government funding to narrow gaps in achievement by students eligible for free school meals, looked-after children and students from service families, is broadly average.  The proportion of students from minority ethnic groups is lower than in most similar schools, as is the proportion of students who speak English as an additional language. Most students are from White British backgrounds, with a growing number from a Polish or other Eastern European heritage.

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Information about this school

 The proportion of disabled students and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is a little below average.  The proportion of students supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average.  The school meets government floor standards, by which minimum expectations are set for secondary schools.  Thirteen students regularly attend other centres for part of their education. Nine attend Riseholme College in Lincoln for one day a week to study for Equine and Animal Care Diplomas. The others attend various work-related centres in Lincoln mainly for one day or half a day per week. One student attends a 'Build a Future' course for three days a week in Horncastle.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise the quality of teaching so that it is consistently at least good and more is outstanding, by:  making sure that work is matched even more closely to the needs of different students, at times offering different materials and tasks that stretch the most able and support those who find learning more difficult  always using questioning that requires deeper thinking and reflection, and that helps teachers to check how well students understand what they are learning  having consistent expectations of students' behaviour and attention, so that no lessons are interrupted by off-task chatter.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Check on the attendance of different groups of students in the school, as part of the drive to further improve overall attendance and reduce persistent absence.

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The achievement of students is good

 Students learn well in the majority of lessons. They arrive promptly and settle to work quickly. Little time is lost because students have positive attitudes to learning, so lessons are productive. Students develop a broad range of skills and knowledge in subjects across the school in literacy, numeracy, and information and communication technology.

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The achievement of students is good

 Effective data and tracking systems lead to early support for disabled students and those who have special educational needs, and those who have English as a second language. Effective additional support is provided to help them, particularly with literacy and reading problems. These students make at least as good, and often better progress than their peers.

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The achievement of students is good

 Students who are known to be eligible for support through the student premium also make good progress. The gaps in attainment between groups are closing over time and these students’ attainment is now on average just over a term behind other students in English and mathematics by the time they leave school. Students supported through the Year 7 ‘catch-up’ premium also make good gains, particularly in reading.

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The achievement of students is good

 The 13 students who attend alternative provision for one day a week are also making good progress because the placements are well suited to their needs and lead to appropriate qualifications. Staff receive regular reports from the centres, but do not routinely visit to check for themselves how well students are doing.

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The achievement of students is good

 The progress that students make is good overall. From significantly below average starting points, students are on track to attain standards by Year 11 that are around national averages. Progress is strongest in English, but also in a range of other subjects.

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The achievement of students is good

 Attainment in mathematics is rising and is closing towards the national average. There is some limited early entry in mathematics for more able students, but they sit the examination again if they do not achieve challenging target grades, whilst others begin AS study early.

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The achievement of students is good

 Students achieve well in the sixth form, reaching broadly average levels of attainment from starting points that are well below average. Students achieve particularly well in AS level courses. The increasing range of courses is enabling a growing number of students to achieve good qualifications, with nearly all moving on to higher education.

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The quality of teaching is good

 School records indicate that the proportion of good and outstanding lessons is improving. Inspectors agree with these findings, observing much good teaching and some that was inspirational, exciting and clearly outstanding.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Typically, relationships between adults and students are respectful and warm. Lessons proceed at a good pace. Students make strong gains in skills, knowledge and understanding in most subjects. Work in books is detailed and thorough.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In the best lessons planning is thorough, with a variety of learning activities that engage, enthuse and motivate students. Assessment is used well to help students to understand what is expected, and how well they are progressing with their learning. Teachers adjust their lessons as a result of this assessment.

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The quality of teaching is good

 There is a good pace and a strong level of challenge for students of different abilities in these lessons, and activities are designed to help students to work independently of the teacher for parts of the lesson, particularly in the older year groups.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In some lessons, all students are expected to complete the same tasks, irrespective of ability. Only occasionally are more able students given genuinely challenging extension activities, or work adjusted to support those who find learning more difficult.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers generally use questioning well to involve all students. However, in too many lessons students are not required to reflect or discuss their ideas before answering, and questioning can be superficial, requiring only 'yes/no' answers. Teachers do not always use questioning well to check what students have learned.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The subject knowledge of teachers is strong. Marking has greatly improved since the introduction of the 'stamp' system, although practice is still not consistent. In the best lessons and in marking there is regular reference to levels or grades, although this again is inconsistent. Rarely do students have the opportunity to respond to marking by improving their work.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Students work well together, and cooperate effectively to discuss and complete tasks when given the opportunity. Attitudes to learning are good, but in a small minority of lessons low level chatter and inattention is not dealt with effectively, slowing down the pace of learning.

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The behaviour and safety of students are good

 Students are respectful towards each other and adults, and listen carefully to the views of others. They are actively involved in decision-making through the year and school council, who have a budget to manage and can explain improvements that they have made to the school.

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The behaviour and safety of students are good

 There are many other opportunities for students to take on roles of responsibility, for example as house captains, 'buddies' to students who join the school with little English, as mentors and, for older students, working with younger students or primary school students in their specialist subjects.

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The behaviour and safety of students are good

 Students are taught how to stay safe, and put this into practice through considerate and sensible behaviour around the school site. Different types of bullying such as cyber-bullying and prejudice-based bullying are well understood by students. They say that bullying incidents are rare and that adults always deal quickly and effectively with any that do arise.

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The behaviour and safety of students are good

 Attendance is steadily improving as staff work rigorously with students and families, including those facing greater difficulties or where there are persistent patterns of absence. However, attendance overall remains a little below average.

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The behaviour and safety of students are good

 Not all groups, particularly those known to be eligible for free school meals, attend as well as others. The school does not currently analyse the attendance patterns of these specific groups in detail. Other incident logs are very well maintained, with issues followed through rigorously.

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The behaviour and safety of students are good

 Relatively few students are permanently excluded and the measure is only used after all other support has been exhausted. Fixed-term exclusions are a little above average but are falling over time. The school works very effectively with students whose circumstances may make them more vulnerable or who present more challenging problems. Students report that there is always an adult that they can approach with any issues.

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The leadership and management are good

 A clear vision and set of values underpin the work of the school. These include a commitment to equal opportunity to high achievement, respect, and to the wide range of experiences offered. Discrimination or harassment of any sort is robustly challenged, and the school celebrates the increasing diversity of its population.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher provides principled and energetic leadership. A strong and experienced leadership team gives good support to the day-to-day running of the school and to ensuring continuing success across a range of developments.

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The leadership and management are good

 Senior leaders monitor and evaluate the school thoroughly, and their self-evaluation of strengths and areas for improvement is very accurate. The next planned stage of development is to involve middle leaders more fully in this monitoring, particularly of teaching and learning.

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The leadership and management are good

 Plans to improve the school are clear and easily understood, with a suitable number of appropriate key objectives and activities. The school improvement plan is currently being reviewed to add more sharp, measurable targets and to be clearer about who will monitor the actions and how and when this will happen.

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The leadership and management are good

 Teaching staff feel valued, and many spoke warmly of the opportunities available for them to develop teaching and learning practice. School records show that this training has been effective in improving the overall quality of teaching, although senior staff recognise that there is still more to do.

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The leadership and management are good

 School leaders, managers and governors have established a clear link between teaching, pupil progress and the Teachers' Standards. In order to progress to higher pay levels teachers have to meet agreed school performance targets.

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The leadership and management are good

 Certain groups have been identified for additional support, including boys, students who are cared for by the local authority, and those known to be eligible for free school meals. As a result, gaps in performance are now closing. The school tracks the support that is provided to those eligible for pupil premium funding to ensure that their needs are met.

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The leadership and management are good

 Students enjoy a good range of subjects and options to meet their different needs, with increasing choice from Year 7 onwards. The range of languages offered is impressive and demonstrates the commitment to language college and international school status. It is enhanced and enriched by an extensive range of activities, visits and trips.

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The leadership and management are good

 Through these experiences, students are very well prepared for life in modern British society. The school has built impressive links and partnerships locally, nationally and internationally to broaden students’ social, cultural and spiritual understanding.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors have revised their committee structures from the time of conversion to academy status. Records of their meetings indicate that these committees are now more clearly focused on school priorities.  Governors have a good range of professional skills, are well informed and increasingly able to hold school leaders and managers to account. They know what the quality of teaching is like in the school, visiting lessons with members of the leadership group.  They gain first-hand knowledge of the school through their programme of visits, which are recorded and used to raise questions and plan further action. They have also received independent advice from the school’s improvement partner.  Governors know the strengths of the school well, and what needs to improve. They receive very good information from leaders and managers, for example the 'school on a page' data,

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The leadership and management are good

and have scrutinised the 'data dashboard' information.  Spending, and its impact, is carefully monitored; financial management is good and there is a balanced budget.  Governors have a good working knowledge of pupil premium funding and are now taking steps to monitor this funding to make sure that that identified gaps in student performance are reduced.  The arrangements for the management of teachers’ performance are under review and are being carefully matched to the national ‘Teachers Standards’. Future staff pay rises and promotion will also be dependent on meeting targets for pupils’ progress and the quality of teaching.  Governors have fully supported the leadership group's strategies to strengthen, challenge and, where appropriate, eliminate any weak teaching in the school. They are committed to the extensive programme of staff training, including that for governors.

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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 students’ needs. This ensures that students 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 students’ needs. Students 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 students 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 137447 Local authority Lincolnshire Inspection number 413384

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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 Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 11–18 Gender of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 1396 Of which, number on roll in sixth form 332 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Rev Alan Nugent Headteacher Andy Wright Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 01522 881144 Fax number 01522 882100 Email address education@christs-hospital.lincs.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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