The Coleshill School

The Coleshill School Coventry Road, Coleshill, Birmingham, B46 3EX

p.1

Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

p.1

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

 Students are not yet making consistently good progress in all lessons because of weaknesses in teaching.  Higher attaining students make less progress than other groups because teaching does not ensure that they are consistently challenged. In some lessons, all students undertake the same work regardless of their abilities.  At times, teaching does not clarify precisely how students of different abilities can excel.  In a small minority of lessons, teaching does not ensure that students work with sufficient urgency.  The school’s improvement plans do not pay sufficient attention to improving the progress made by higher attaining students.  The sixth form requires improvement.

p.1

The school has the following strengths

 There have been noteworthy improvements in students’ attainment. Following a period when attainment was below average, it is now in line with the national picture.  In over a half of lessons, students progress well because teachers ensure that work is focused on their individual targets and good relationships exist between staff and students.  All aspects of behaviour and safety have improved strongly and are good.  Leaders are using checks on teachers’ performance and staff training well to ensure that the school is rapidly improving. For instance, relatively recently teaching was inadequate but there are now significant strengths, particularly in English, mathematics and science.  Recent improvement to some aspects of the sixth form has been rapid.  Students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is strong because of the high priority the school has given to these aspects.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 34 lessons, of which 20 were joint observations with senior leaders. In addition, inspectors made a number of other short visits to lessons. They also visited seven mixed-age tutorial groups.  Meetings were held with six groups of students, four members of the governing body including the Chair, and senior and middle leaders. A telephone discussion was held with an external consultant to the school.  Inspectors took account of the 34 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View), one email from a parent and a discussion with another. Inspectors also compared the outcomes of the school’s 2010 survey into parental views with that undertaken this year.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and scrutinised a number of documents, including the school’s own data on students’ recent examinations and current progress. They also looked at documentation relating to school development, performance management, professional

p.2

Information about this inspection

development and the monitoring of teaching, behaviour, attendance, safeguarding and governance.

p.2

Inspection team

Kevin Sheldrick, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector David Stockwell Additional Inspector Susan Laffey Additional Inspector Robert Smith Additional Inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 This school is smaller than the average-sized secondary school with a sixth form and has reduced in size.  A below-average proportion of the students are known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for students in local authority care and those known to be eligible for free school meals.  The percentage of disabled students and those who have special educational needs who are supported at school action, and by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs, is below average.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds or who do not speak English as their first language is below average.  The school meets the current government floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for students’ attainment and progress.  It is a specialist enterprise and business academy.  The school offers work-based learning for a small minority of Year 10 and 11 students through

p.3

Information about this school

the ‘Making Learning Work Training Centre’ in Wolverhampton.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure students experience teaching that is consistently good and outstanding by:  clarifying the outcomes that all students need to achieve in order to reach their challenging targets and ensuring students always have the opportunity to concentrate on work that is appropriate to their abilities  developing students’ ability to use assessment criteria well to accurately self- and peer-assess  ensuring all students consider fully the questions posed in lessons  eradicating lessons where students work too slowly because teachers’ expectations are not high enough.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure all progress indicators compare favourably with the national picture, particularly for those students entering the school with above-average attainment by:  ensuring that the school’s improvement plans contain more challenging targets related to improving progress and that there is a stronger focus on addressing the weaknesses in teaching  ensuring that all middle leaders know how to use information about students’ progress well to evaluate the effectiveness of all aspects of provision.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Fully implement the school’s plans for improving the sixth form.

p.3

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The attainment of students when they enter the school in Year 7 is average. By the end of Year 11, the attainment of students is average. This represents average progress from their starting points.

p.4

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Leaders have acted decisively to eradicate inadequate teaching and, as a result, there has been an impressive rise in attainment. The unvalidated GCSE results for 2012 have risen sharply, particularly in mathematics. Changes to the curriculum have also contributed to the rise in attainment, for instance students are now undertaking more appropriate science courses.

p.4

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 In the sixth form, although below average, attainment is rising. The much more rigorous selection procedures introduced for this year have resulted in students undertaking courses they are more likely to successfully complete.

p.4

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Gaps exist in students’ previous learning because teaching was inadequate in the recent past. To ensure students were well prepared for their post-16 education and training, the school prioritised the C/D borderline students for additional support outside of the usual lesson times. This contributed to many lower attaining students making much better progress and has contributed to the substantial rise in the results at GCSE.

p.4

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The school carefully monitors the effectiveness of the work-based alternative provision it provides for a very small minority of students in Key Stage 4 to ensure that the outcomes are at least in line with those of the main school.

p.4

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The improvements in the progress higher attaining students make is more modest because the weaknesses that remain in teaching have had a greater impact on this group.

p.4

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Students who are disabled and those who have special needs are making better progress, in part because of the more accurate identification of their needs and the better tracking of their progress. The majority who are included in lessons are making better progress because teachers are more skilled at adapting work and teaching assistants are consistently deployed well to support these students.

p.4

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Minority ethnic students make progress that is in line with other groups in the school.

p.4

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The school has significantly closed the large gap in attainment that previously existed between students known to be eligible for the pupil premium and other groups through the effective use of the pupil premium. In developing this provision, the school has built upon the proven success associated with its deployment of teaching assistants. An additional teaching assistant has been employed to work with students eligible for the pupil premium.

p.4

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The school quickly identifies those students who have reading difficulties and uses individual programmes of support to improve these. Lessons generally reinforce the development of students’ literacy skills.

p.4

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The frequent opportunities students have to work in pairs and groups in lessons is contributing to the development of important social skills.

p.4

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 In the better lessons, students willingly took responsibility for their own learning and showed a commendable willingness to persevere and solve problems. Students were observed enjoying the times when they were really challenged, particularly when teachers ensured students could see the links to their targets.

p.4

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Inspectors agree with the school’s view that teaching has improved strongly in recent years. One student summed up the views of many in stating that ‘teaching here is much better than it used to be, particularly in English, mathematics and science’. Although there is much that is good, it remains the case that too many lessons contain weaknesses that prevent all students from progressing well.

p.5

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 In the better lessons, teachers are clear about the outcomes for different ability students. Students undertake work appropriate to their abilities; often, they can make choices and move more quickly onto challenging work. In an effective English lesson, the teacher increased the level of challenge at exactly the right time by encouraging students to think about the impact of their writing on the audience in the context of responding to teenage problems.

p.5

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 In the less effective lessons, all students tend to undertake the same tasks. Adjustments are not made quickly enough in response to evidence that more able students are ready to move on.

p.5

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 In most lessons, teachers ensure a sense of urgency but inspectors also observed lessons in which insufficient was expected of students. Consequently, they did not learn enough.

p.5

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teachers generally ask appropriate questions, and examples were seen of probing follow-up questions being used to deepen learning. Some teachers adopt strategies to ensure all students think about their questions. For instance, in a science lesson, all students were expected to think about how the Earth’s atmosphere might have developed. However, lessons were also observed in which concentration levels waned because students knew that they would not be required to respond to the teachers’ questions.

p.5

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Students were very clear that they really value the feedback they get from their teachers, although there are inconsistencies in the quality of this. They spoke positively about how well English and citizenship have helped them to evaluate their own work using assessment criteria. Despite this good practice, examples were also seen of quite superficial student involvement in self- and peer-assessment, largely because students had not been taught how to use challenging assessment criteria.

p.5

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Survey responses show that parents and carers think that teaching has improved in recent years.

p.5

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Disabled students and those who have special educational needs are taught effectively, largely because of the highly skilled teaching assistants who are well deployed. They try hard to encourage students to solve problems for themselves. In some less effective lessons, tasks are not sufficiently well adapted, particularly when teaching assistant support is not available. The well-organised Guided Learning Centre provides quality learning experiences for the very small minority of students whose needs cannot be met in lessons.

p.5

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well. Teachers regularly refer to SPIRIT (Self-management, Perseverance, Innovation, Reflection, Independence, Teamwork) posters displayed in many classrooms to reinforce these aspects of learning. A well coordinated citizenship programme addresses all these elements in every year group. The school ensures students think more deeply about a wide range of issues introduced in assemblies by linking these to tutorial sessions during the same week. In an outstanding Year 11 history lesson, students showed a great deal of empathy for the victims of the Wall Street Crash. Many examples were seen of group work in which students worked well together.

p.5

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Literacy is promoted appropriately across the school, for example through the use of key words and strategies to aid students’ writing.

p.6

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Students, parents and staff are united in their view that behaviour has improved since the last inspection. This positive picture is reinforced by the school’s records relating to its careful monitoring of behavioural incidents. Student exclusions have reduced and are now below the national average.

p.6

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Attendance for all groups is rising strongly and is above average. An important factor in this improvement is the higher level of enjoyment associated with the improvements made to teaching and the increased opportunities students have to participate in extra-curricular activities.

p.6

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Students and parents agree that students feel safe and almost all indicated that bullying rarely occurs. Almost everyone thinks that bullying is dealt with effectively.

p.6

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school is taking effective steps to ensure that students understand about different forms of bullying. Although no evidence of homophobic bullying was found, the school has recognised that students are less conscious of the impact of homophobic remarks. Appropriate steps are being taken to increase awareness of this form of bullying.

p.6

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Students spoke positively about the new all-age tutorial and house system. This is well staffed and includes sixth form helpers so students, particularly the younger ones, are very well supported. Students also appreciate the increased opportunities this has brought for inter-house competition in sport and in terms of fundraising.

p.6

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Sanctions are rarely needed and students appreciate the fairness and simplicity associated with their use. Many students are converting the rewards they receive for good behaviour into charity donations.

p.6

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Students are very clear about what is not acceptable, and almost all meet the high expectations the school has.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 Staff morale is high because of the effective leadership of the headteacher and other senior staff. The headteacher and deputy headteacher show great determination in their desire to make this an outstanding school at the earliest opportunity. They have a clear vision that is being communicated well to staff, parents and students.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 A strong track record of improvement is developing. Teaching has improved considerably, even though it is not yet good. Changes made to the arrangements for caring for students have noticeably improved all aspects of behaviour. The introduction of the all-age tutor groups was very carefully planned to minimise any problems that might occur with such a major change.  The school makes very effective use of staff, including those who are not teachers. Finance is well managed so the impact of falling rolls has been minimised. For instance, the school is able to proceed with the important improvements it wants to make to the fabric of the building. The teaching assistant workforce is particularly well managed.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 Senior leaders use a wide range of information to inform self-evaluation. The school evaluates teaching accurately. The self-evaluation is succinct but usefully provides evidence of how the school is improving over time, for instance, how the quality of teaching has improved. The identification of what is needed to improve, within the self-evaluation, is further evidence of the school’s growing capacity to improve.

p.7

The leadership and management are good

 The current improvement plan includes a suitable range of priorities. However, it does not communicate sufficiently well the priority the school is giving to eradicating the remaining weaknesses in teaching and improving the progress all groups of students make.

p.7

The leadership and management are good

 There are major strengths in the way the school is using assessment information, for instance, student and parental involvement in finalising the challenge in students’ targets. The school has painstakingly improved the accuracy of its assessments so is more aware of likely future outcomes. Assessment information is used well to monitor the progress students make and intervene where this is needed. Assessment information is also being used to improve the rigour in performance management.

p.7

The leadership and management are good

 Middle leaders use attainment data well in evaluating their areas of responsibility but are at an early stage of using progress data for this purpose.

p.7

The leadership and management are good

 Staff spoke positively about the professional development they are now receiving because it is being used more flexibly to meet their needs and exploits more fully the strengths in teaching that already exist in the school.

p.7

The leadership and management are good

 The management of teachers’ performance is much more rigorous because it is directly linked to better outcomes for students and the school’s priorities. Teachers recognise that these arrangements will help improve their teaching.

p.7

The leadership and management are good

 The school’s approach to the pupil premium is well considered and there is already evidence that it is closing the gap in attainment that previously existed. In developing this provision, the school has built upon the proven success associated with its deployment of teaching assistants. An additional teaching assistant has been employed to work with students eligible for the pupil premium.

p.7

The leadership and management are good

 The curriculum has been transformed in both the main school and the sixth form. Far more students are undertaking academic courses in Key Stage 4 that will better prepare them for appropriate post-16 studies. Students are experiencing more English and mathematics teaching so that they can better achieve their potential. Students are now experiencing a curriculum that is much better matched to their needs, although the impact of this is yet to be fully realised.

p.7

The leadership and management are good

 The school has received support from an external consultant who has provided sharp insights to both senior staff and governing body. In addition, it has helped the school ensure the accuracy of the judgements made about teaching.

p.7

The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  ensures that statutory duties including safeguarding are met  is much more involved in the life of the school and is clear about its role in checking the progress that the school is making in improving the outcomes for students  has effective committees which ensure that the headteacher and other senior leaders are held to account, especially for students’ achievement and improving the quality of teaching  robustly applies performance management procedures to improve the effectiveness of staff.

p.7

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.9

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.9

School details

Unique reference number 136986 Local authority N/A Inspection number 385559

p.10

School details

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

p.10

School details

Type of school Academy School category Non-maintained 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 756 Of which, number on roll in sixth form 130 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Dewi Jones Headteacher Mark Rhatigan Date of previous school inspection N/A Telephone number 01675 462435 Fax number 01675 465232 Email address enquiries@thecoleshillschool.org.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 .

p.10

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.11

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.11

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.11

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.11

School details

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

p.11