St Anselm's College

St Anselm's College Manor Hill, Prenton, Merseyside, CH43 1UQ

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  The headmaster, supported by senior and middle leaders and a strong governing body, has successfully brought about improvements in the quality of teaching and students’ achievement following a dip in standards in 2012.  Students make good progress. By the end of Year 11, they reach standards that are well- above average, including in English and mathematics. This represents good achievement from their starting points on entry to the college.  The quality of teaching is good and some is outstanding. Teachers’ strong questioning skills and subject knowledge enable students to extend their learning and understanding well.  The sixth form is good. Students’ needs are well met by an academic curriculum and the many opportunities they have to make a positive contribution to college life.  Students’ attitudes to learning are very positive, they are ambitious to succeed and are strong ambassadors for the college.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The college’s approach to ensuring students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. Consequently, the college is a safe, proud, harmonious community where students treat each other, adults and visitors with respect and courtesy.  A wide range of extra-curricular and sporting activities enrich the good curriculum and have a positive influence on developing students’ good personal qualities and skills.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Not enough teaching is outstanding and there is still a very small proportion that requires improvement.  There are not enough opportunities for students to develop their independent learning skills across all subjects.  Teachers’ marking and written feedback is not always sufficiently detailed, which means some students do not always know what to do to improve their work.  Arrangements to further improve the quality of teaching and so further raise achievement are not consistently applied by all staff.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors saw 40 lessons, taught by 39 teachers, of which one was observed jointly with a senior leader.  Meetings were held with senior and middle leaders, governors, groups of students and a representative from the academy trust.  Inspectors observed the college’s work and looked at a number of documents, including the college’s own information on students’ progress across all year groups and in all subjects, planning and monitoring documentation, records relating to behaviour and attendance and documents relating to safeguarding.  Inspectors looked at samples of students’ work across different age and ability groups.  Inspectors took account of the views of parents, including 230 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View.  Thirty four members of staff expressed their views through a staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Gary Kelly, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Christie Addison Additional Inspector Janet Peckett Additional Inspector Stephen Rowland Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 St Anselm’s College, Edmund Rice Academy Trust is smaller than the average sized Grammar School and 6th Form College for boys. It became part of the Edmund Rice Academies Trust in January 2011. When its predecessor school, St Anselm’s Catholic College, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be outstanding overall.  Most students are of White British heritage. The proportion of students who are from minority ethnic backgrounds and the proportion who speak English as an additional language are both well below average.  The proportion of students eligible for the pupil premium is well below the national average. The pupil premium is additional government funding provided to support students known to be eligible for free school meals, those in local authority care or from service families.  The proportion of disabled students and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is well below average. The proportion supported at school action plus or

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Information about this school

with a statement of special educational needs is well below average.  The college does not receive any additional Year 7 catch-up funding.  The college does not currently use any off-site provision to support students’ personal development and achievement.  St Anselm’s College, Edmund Rice Academy Trust meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for students’ attainment and progress.  St Anselm’s works closely with other Edmund Rice Trust schools to ensure continued improvement.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that all teaching is at least good and more is outstanding, by ensuring that:  teachers always plan activities which challenge students of all abilities, including the most and least-able  teachers provide more opportunities for students to show their initiative and develop their independent learning skills by working by themselves and in groups to solve problems  teachers' marking and feedback are sufficiently detailed so students are clear about how well they are doing and what they need to do to improve  students are always encouraged to take account of, and respond to teachers’ comments in their books.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the effectiveness of leadership and management by ensuring that leaders at all levels, including teachers, consistently apply college procedures to further improve the quality of teaching and so further raise students’ achievement.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Students enter the college with skills and abilities in literacy and numeracy which are well above those typical for their age. Students make good progress and attain standards in their GCSE and equivalent qualifications that are well above average. This represents good achievement from their starting points.  In English and mathematics, in both Key Stages 3 and 4, the proportion of students making and exceeding expected levels of progress from their different starting points is much higher than their peers nationally. This is because of the good and improving quality of teaching they receive.  Those students who are most-able usually make at least good progress and so attain the highest standards across most academic and vocational subjects. However, occasionally, when work is not sufficiently demanding, most-able students do not make as much progress as they should.  The changes made by leaders to the way that they check students’ achievement and measure

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The achievement of pupils is good

the performance of teachers has helped to boost students’ progress and so the dip in standards in 2012 has been reversed. Unconfirmed results for 2013 show that standards have risen and the college’s records from checks of students’ progress and inspection evidence show this trend is set to continue in 2014.  The college’s systems for identifying potential underachievement have improved and are now robust. Consequently, swift action is taken to ensure students make the best possible progress across all year groups and subjects.  The achievement of students eligible for the pupil premium is good. In English and mathematics in 2013, Year 11 students who were eligible for the funding attained between three quarters and a full GCSE grade below their peers, this is an improving trend on the 2012 results. Although these students achieve less well than their peers in the college, they make better progress and

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The achievement of pupils is good

attain higher standards than eligible students nationally. This is as a result of improved tracking and monitoring of their performance, the support they receive in class and effective ‘catch-up’ sessions.  Teachers judge if individuals and groups of students are ready for early-entry to GCSE examinations. Students are then re-entered if they do not do as well as they could, the impact of this targeted approach to early entry is that most student’s attain highly in their GCSE examinations, particularly in English and mathematics.  Students who are disabled or have special educational needs, those who speak English as an additional language and students from a range of minority of ethnic groups achieve well, demonstrating the college’s commitment to promoting equality of opportunity for all and tackling discrimination.  The achievement of students in the sixth form is good because the college has ensured the

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The achievement of pupils is good

curriculum meets the needs of all its students and that they are guided well when making their choices of the courses they want to follow.  There are no students who leave the college in Year 11 and Year 13 who are not in education, employment or training.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching over time is good and supports the college’s accurate view which was confirmed during a joint lesson observation with a college leader. The majority of teaching observed during this inspection was good, and some was outstanding. However, a very small still proportion requires improvement.  Students are guided by teachers who have strong subject knowledge and effective questioning skills, which ensure they make good progress in most subject areas and key stages.  In good and better lessons, teachers take full account of what students already know and understand when they plan activities. They continue to assess students’ learning and progress throughout the lesson to ensure there is a continued level of challenge for all abilities, this ensures that all students make at least good progress.  In an outstanding Year 11 science lesson, students were encouraged to process information for

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The quality of teaching is good

themselves, carefully supported by the teacher who used accurate scientific terminology and technical language throughout. All students were asked to contribute to discussions, so that the teacher could assess their progress in detail. In this lesson, students made outstanding progress because they were accurately challenged because of the teacher’s continuous assessment.  However, in a small number of lessons, there is little difference between activities and the same expectations are in place for all students. In these lessons, not enough students, including the most able and the least able make the progress of which they are capable.  In the very small proportion of lessons that require improvement, all students proceed at the same pace and they do not have the opportunities to learn independently and in groups to solve problems.  The school’s marking policy is not yet consistently applied by all teachers. Although students are

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The quality of teaching is good

regularly praised for their efforts, the guidance and opportunities to discuss where they should make improvements in books and through discussion with the teacher are not consistently in place in all subject areas.  Literacy and numeracy skills are promoted well in many subjects. All students in Key Stage 3 have dedicated reading lessons built into their curriculum and there is an insistence on students learning key words when approaching new concepts in a range of subjects. The majority of teachers are skilled in developing students’ speaking and listening and numeracy skills.  Students in the sixth form make good and better progress as a result of consistently high-quality teaching.  The very small number of teaching assistants and other adults in the college provide effective support in classrooms for students with additional learning needs.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour and safety of students at the college are good. Students make a strong contribution to a highly effective and harmonious college community. They are proud of their college and have a strong awareness of their responsibility to be positive role models and to lead by example.  Students have high aspirations and are determined to succeed. Many have clear ideas about what they want to achieve in their future careers and this lies at the heart of their very positive attitudes to learning.  Students are calm, orderly and considerate to each other and adults in lessons and around the college and are keen to engage in conversation and provide information for visitors.  In a very small proportion of lessons that did not capture their attention, students demonstrated a passivity in their attitudes to learning which meant they did not learn as much as they should.  Students are given responsibilities which they welcome. There are very effective peer mentoring

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

and college prefect systems. Sixth formers act as ‘Executive Leaders’, meeting weekly with senior leaders to have their say, and contribute positively to college life.  The college’s records show that incidences of bullying are extremely rare but if they occur, they are dealt with effectively. There have been no permanent exclusions in recent years and fixed- term exclusions in the past three years have been rare.  The parents who responded to Parent View and staff who completed the staff questionnaire agree that behaviour in lessons and around the college is good.  Students say that they feel safe in school and are that they are provided with ample information with regard to the different forms of bullying, e-safety and risky behaviours. Parents overwhelmingly agree that they believe that their children are well cared for, and safe at the college.  Attendance is well above the national average and punctuality is good and have been sustained

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The leadership and management are good

 Leadership and management are good. The college has an accurate view of its performance and knows where further improvements need to be made.  Following a dip in standards in 2012, the headmaster, supported by his senior and middle leaders and governors, put in place clear plans to secure improvement which were shared with all staff. These plans have been successful.  Leaders have improved the arrangements to check on and monitor students’ progress and the quality of teaching. This has enabled the college to better identify any students in danger of falling behind, and to pinpoint and tackle teaching that is not consistently strong enough. This has led to raised achievement in 2013 and the college’s latest assessment information, and inspection evidence indicates this trend will continue.  Leadership of the quality of teaching has improved. The monitoring skills of middle leaders have been enhanced. Higher quality professional development opportunities have been made

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The leadership and management are good

available for teachers. As a result, more outstanding teaching is emerging in the college.  As yet, there is some variability in how leaders at all levels, including teachers, apply college procedures to improve the quality of teaching even further, and so, there is still a very small proportion of teaching that still needs to be improved.  The college offers an appropriate academic curriculum with access to a rich variety of enrichment opportunities which meets the needs of students, including disabled students and those with special educational needs, and those students whose first language is not English. The college ensures that there is equality of opportunity for all.  There is a wealth of extra-curricular activities on offer for all students, including a rich menu of sporting opportunities from which students excel at local and international level.  All students, including those in the sixth form, are given a wide range of experiences to promote

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The leadership and management are good

their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. There is a thorough programme of personal, social, and health education (PSHE) that helps to develop their personal skills well.  The college’s arrangements for safeguarding meet all statutory responsibilities and record keeping is thorough.  The local authority is aware of the college’s areas for development and provides a limited level of support to the college, including support for the sixth form.  The governance of the school: - Governors are highly skilled and ambitious for the college. They have an accurate view of the college’s effectiveness and its priorities for further improvement. They understand how to ask the right questions when holding the college’s leaders to account, and set challenging targets for the headmaster. Governors recognise the need to ensure links are made between increases in salary, the quality of teaching and students’ progress and have put robust procedures in place to

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The leadership and management are good

ensure staff are held to account. They ensure the college is financially healthy, have a good understanding of the effective use and impact of the pupil premium funding on eligible students' 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 136780 Local authority Wirral Inspection number 426321

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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 Academy converter Age range of pupils 11–18 Gender of pupils Boys Gender of pupils in the sixth form Boys Number of pupils on the school roll 871 Of which, number on roll in sixth form 211 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair John Brown Headteacher Simon Duggan Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 0151 652 1408 Fax number 0151 652 1957 Email address info@st-anselms.com 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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