Malton School

Malton School Middlecave Road, Malton, North Yorkshire, YO17 7NH

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 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 Requires improvement 3

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

 The progress that current students make is variable. While some students progress very well, too many in Key Stage 3 and over time in the sixth form do not make the progress expected of them.  There is not enough good or better teaching, and a small amount remains inadequate. Where teaching is weaker, teachers do not plan to meet the needs of individual students.  During lessons, some teachers do not assess well students’ levels of understanding and do not adapt what they are doing to rectify misconceptions or accelerate the pace of learning.  The quality of marking and feedback to students is variable. In the weakest cases, the marking of students’ work is superficial. Guidance on how to improve lacks precision and there is little evidence that students do anything differently in response to these comments.  Teachers, school leaders and managers have a wealth of data on the progress that students make, but they do not use this data with

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

sufficient rigour to accurately assess if students are achieving well enough.  The sixth form requires improvement because students’ achievement has been variable over time. The advice, information and guidance some students received before choosing their courses was unhelpful and so, too many students started unsuitable courses.

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The school has the following strengths

 The school has improved since the last inspection. Governors are now holding all staff to account more rigorously and they provide good support and challenge.  The attainment and rates of progress of students in Year 11 last year improved significantly.  Leaders and managers have developed a good system that will enable them to monitor better the progress of all students. Teaching has improved. There are now staff who teach outstandingly and consistently well.  Almost all students have very positive attitudes to learning. Their behaviour around the school is exemplary and they feel safe.  Additional funding to help weaker Year 7 students catch up is used effectively. For those students included in the programme, their numeracy and reading skills improve quickly.  The whole-school initiative to improve standards in literacy has been effective.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors worked with senior staff while observing teaching and learning and reviewing work previously completed by students. Inspectors observed 30 lessons taught by 29 different teachers. They also made several shorter visits to lessons. Inspectors spoke to many students during breaks, lunchtimes, and during lessons. They also spoke to a group of Year 7 students about their improvement in literacy and numeracy.  They observed activities taking place during form and registration time. Inspectors attended a school assembly.  Meetings were held with members of the governing body, senior leaders and with staff. A discussion was held with a representative of the local authority. An inspector had a telephone conversation with a representative of the Red Kite Alliance.  Inspectors looked at a wide range of documentation, including internal and external data about students’ attainment and progress, behaviour and attendance records and students’ work. They

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Information about this inspection

scrutinised safeguarding procedures and records.  During the inspection 74 responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) were taken into account. Inspectors reviewed responses to parental surveys conducted by the school and 49 staff responses to a questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Neil Mackenzie, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Lynne Selkirk Additional Inspector Jane Holmes Additional Inspector David Thompson Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Malton School is a smaller than average sized secondary school.  Since the last inspection, there have been a significant number of changes to staffing, including subject leaders and teachers. The team of senior school leaders has been reorganised.  Malton School is part of the Red Kite Alliance, which shares good teaching and leadership practice with its participating schools.  The proportion of students who are known to be eligible for the pupil premium is lower than the national average. The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, children from service families and those children who are looked after by the local authority.  Almost all students are White British.  The proportion of students supported through school action is lower to that found nationally. The proportion of students supported at school action plus or with a statement of special

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Information about this school

educational needs is also lower than the national average.  Currently, one student in each of Years 8 and 9 and three from Year 11 attend Ryedale Out Of School Education Provision. Eleven students from each of Years 10 and 11 attend Derwent Training Association to study an Engineering BTEC. Four Year 11 students study a Level 2 Hair and Beauty BTEC at The Academy and five study a Level 2 Motor Vehicle BTEC at Askham Bryan College.  In 2012, the school met 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?

 Use the good and outstanding practice already in the school, to help to fully eliminate inadequate teaching and reduce the amount that requires improvement by ensuring all teachers:  use assessment information to plan learning activities that provide suitable challenge, more precisely matching the needs of all students  check students’ understanding throughout lessons, and adjust activities or strategies when the rate of progress slows  more consistently apply school approaches to the marking of students’ work, providing clear guidance for improvement and making certain that all students follow that advice.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further raise achievement so that it is at least consistently good for all groups of students and subjects, particularly at Key Stage 3 and in the sixth form.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure leaders and managers at all levels more rigorously evaluate the impact of their work on the achievement of students and use these evaluations to inform further improvements.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve more quickly the quality of education in the sixth form so that students make more consistent progress by:  improving the quality of guidance students receive to ensure they follow suitable courses.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Students’ overall achievement requires improvement because too few make expected progress in Key Stage 3 and until recently, sixth form students have not done as well as they should.  The progress different groups of students make is very variable. The strongest achievement is made by the most-able students and older girls. Lower ability students’ progress in English and science is weakest. Progress of middle-ability boys across subjects in Key Stage 3 is slow.  The attainment of students in the sixth form has at least matched national averages, and sometimes better, over recent years. Some students go on the study at the country’s best universities. Currently, students in the sixth form are making at least expected progress. However, over time, the progress students made in the sixth form has been variable.  Achievement of Year 11 students in 2012 was weak. The school’s analysis and the unvalidated

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

GCSE results show that Year 11 students in 2013, including those partially educated off site, progressed very well overall and attained results that were above the national average. Last year, teachers, school leaders and managers worked effectively to significantly improve the achievement of Year 11 students in mathematics.  The school’s promotion of equality of opportunity requires some improvement because students’ achievement varies according to how well they are taught.  Any use of early entry to GCSE examinations has been used positively, and has not limited students reaching their potential in those subjects.  Overall, disabled students and those with special educational needs make similar progress to other students in the school.  In 2013, students who were known to be supported by the pupil premium made variable progress. In English, the gap in the performance of those students known to be eligible for free

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

school meals compared to other students in the school, widened. In mathematics, there was no gap. The overall standards they reached averaged half a grade behind the standards reached by other students in the school, which was an improvement on 2012’s results.  The school provides catch-up sessions to students who join in Year 7 with weaknesses in reading and mathematics. Currently, their improvement in reading and numeracy is good.  The whole-school initiative to improve students’ literacy has had a positive impact. Students communicate well. Students also successfully use a wide range of skills across their learning, including those in mathematics and information and communication technology (ICT).

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Since the last inspection the quality of teaching has improved, although it still requires improvement. There are now teachers that can teach at a consistently high level and the progress the students make in these groups is outstanding. However, there is too little teaching of that quality to rapidly improve rates of progress.  The quality of teaching in the sixth form is now usually good, reflecting students’ recent higher attainment and faster progress.  Where teaching is least effective, teachers plan lessons with little regard to individual students’ prior understanding, skills and interests. In these classes, all students are expected to learn at the same rate, and when they do not, some fall behind and others complete their work quickly, limiting their attainment. The expectations teachers have of their students are often too low.  In the best lessons, teachers constantly evaluate how quickly students are learning and how well

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

they understand new concepts. They do this through observing students working and the use of very effective questioning. These teachers are very skilled in adapting their teaching or learning activities to ensure individual students maintain good rates of progress and good levels of understanding.  Recent whole-school developments to improve the quality of assessment and feedback to students have been successful overall. However, there are still instances where marking does not provide students with clear guidance on how to improve, and where teachers fail to check that students act on any advice.  In the best examples of marking and feedback, teachers give very precise guidance to students on how to improve their work, and they rigorously check that the students understand this guidance. In one department, feedback at the completion of significant sections of work is given by individual video clips. Students watch the teachers ‘annotations of their work while listening

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

to the teachers’ observations and guidance. This is particularly helpful for low-ability students or those who do not read as well as most students. Students say they find this form of feedback very helpful because they have easy access to the advice, and can return to it at any time.  Teaching assistants make a good contribution to the development of all students, disabled students and those with special educational needs in particular. As a result the progress made by students supported at school action plus has improved recently.  Students say that relationships between themselves and staff are very positive, that all teachers work hard and are keen to help. Older students say that one of the biggest improvements to the school is the quality of the new teachers who are good at helping them learn and understand.  Students and parents agree that homework is set regularly. In the best examples, students are

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

required to review or analyse previous work, or prepare for the next topic.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 For the majority, students’ attitudes to learning are good. Incidents where learning is slowed in the classroom, due to low-level disruption, are rare. On these occasions, students are not fully engaged in their work because of weak preparation by the teacher. There are a few occasions when the most able students will complete a task and sit waiting, rather than seeking more challenging learning. Most students take pride in their work as demonstrated by the care and attention shown in their books. However, there are some whose presentation skills and accuracy of work are weak.  Students’ behaviour when moving around the school is exemplary. Students take personal responsibility and care for each other. They socialise and integrate well. Students are articulate and are confident when talking to adults.  Students are punctual to lessons and there has been a steady improvement in attendance, which

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

is currently above average. There has been improvement in the attendance of students known to be supported by the pupil premium.  Students also told inspectors that bullying is rare, when it does happen it is in the form of name calling and it is dealt with quickly and effectively. Students are taught how to recognise all forms of bullying and how to respond to them.  Parents agree with the views of students. Almost all say students are well behaved, and a significant majority say that bullying is well dealt with.  The school makes considerable and successful efforts to work with parents, even those who are difficult to reach. The impact of this work can be seen on improving rates of attendance for specific students whose attendance was poor.  The attendance and safety of those students attending alternative provision are checked. These students are safe and their attendance is broadly similar to their peers in school.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Although there has been improvement in the performance of teachers and leaders and managers at all levels, these are not yet sufficiently widespread, in order to accelerate rapidly students’ rates of progress across all year groups. This is why leadership and management still require improvement overall. However, leaders and managers have ensured that there was a significant improvement in GCSE results last year and continue to improve many aspects of the school’s work. This indicates leaders’ and managers’ capacity to bring about further improvements.  The leadership of teaching and learning requires some improvement because despite initiating some improvements in their overall quality, leaders’ lesson observations tend to focus too much on what the teacher does and too little on the quality of students’ learning. However, leaders have established a strong link between teaching quality and students’ achievement in relation to

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The leadership and management requires improvement

any increases in teachers’ salaries. Careers guidance requires improvement because too many students started courses in the sixth form, which were inappropriate. The school has been aware of this and is beginning to provide more appropriate guidance.  The school’s association with the Red Kite Alliance has played a significant role in improving key aspects of the school’s work. Shared good practice has improved accountability within the school. The alliance has contributed significantly to the recent introduction of some outstanding teaching in the school. The Red Kite Alliance has helped to improve aspects of teachers’ professional development.  Systems to provide care and to promote students well-being are of high quality. All parents who responded to Parent View said that their child feels safe in the school. Students say they are very safe in this school. A strong element of personal safety is taught throughout the curriculum

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The leadership and management requires improvement

and through the pastoral system. Students explain what they would do if they felt insecure.  Students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a strength of the school, shown in their good behaviour and positive attitudes. Students appreciate the range of enrichment activities and after-school clubs. Students’ personal development and their spiritual development are nurtured throughout their schooling.  The local authority’s most recent report provided an inflated view of students’ achievement which has contributed little to leaders’ accurate evaluation of the school’s performance. In this regard, the school has not been well support by the local authority.  The governance of the school:  the quality of the governing body has improved rapidly and is now at least good. The governors have become more skilled in evaluating the achievement of students, particularly in Key Stage 4 and in the sixth form. This enables them to more rigorously hold school leaders to

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The leadership and management requires improvement

account  recently governors have taken decisive action to improve the quality of teaching, including blocking any increases in salary for those whose teaching is improving too slowly  the governors have a good grasp of school spending, including additional funding to support students known to be eligible for the pupil premium. They are beginning to effectively evaluate the value these students get from this investment  the governing body ensures that the procedures to protect students are effective and meet requirements, both on and off site.

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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 121681 Local authority North Yorkshire Inspection number 425882

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School details

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

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School details

Type of school Secondary School category Community 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 654 Of which, number on roll in sixth form 132 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Lucy Legard Headteacher Rob Williams Date of previous school inspection 22 February 2012 Telephone number 01653 692828 Fax number 01653 696871 Email address admin@maltonschool.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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