The Toynbee School

The Toynbee School Bodycoates Road, Chandlers Ford, Eastleigh, SO53 2PL

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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:

 Achievement requires improvement because, while there is evidence of recent improvements, students do not make consistently good progress.  Too few students have made no better than adequate progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 11.  Not all higher ability students achieve as well as they should.  Although improving steadily, there is still too much variation in the quality of teaching across subjects and teachers. Some teachers do not provide work that stretches the most able.  Some lessons do not provide sufficient challenge or move on too slowly, thereby limiting students’ progress.  Leadership and management have not yet made enough impact on students’ achievement and the quality of teaching.

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The school has the following strengths:

 The headteacher and his senior team give high priority to improving the quality of teaching and achievement.  The behaviour of the students is good. Attitudes to learning are very positive. Students are keen to learn.  Middle leaders are capable and ambitious for the school. They work closely with senior leaders to drive the school forward.  The curriculum is good and students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is well promoted.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 41 part lessons, of which eight were observed jointly with senior or middle leaders.  Meetings were held with senior and middle leaders, three groups of students, three governors and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors took into account 207 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View), an analysis of the school’s own staff questionnaire responses and one letter from a parent or carer.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at its self-evaluation and planning documents, external evaluations of its work and examples of students’ work.

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Inspection team

Allan Barfoot, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Cliff Mainey Additional Inspector Julie Miriam Additional Inspector Angela Cook Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is an average-sized secondary school.  The proportion of disabled students and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is broadly average. The proportion of students supported through school action plus, or with a statement of special educational needs, is below average.  Less than one fifth of students are supported through pupil premium funding, which provides additional funding for children in local authority care, those known to be eligible for free school meals and other groups.  The very large majority of students are of White British heritage.  The school operates a special unit for those with visual impairment.  The school meets the government’s current floor targets, which set the minimum expectations for student’s attainment and progress.  A very small number of students receive part of their education at the local pupil referral unit.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Make sure all teaching is good or better by: - ensuring the good practice of the best subjects is spread evenly across all subjects and teachers - ensuring lessons have suitable challenge and pace - accurately matching tasks to the abilities of students, particularly for the most able - further embedding good quality marking and feedback so that all students know how to improve.  Raise achievement to consistently good by: - increasing the proportions of students making expected, and better than expected, progress in English and mathematics in Key Stage 4 - ensuring that more-able students make faster progress

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of leadership and management by securing the more rigorous approaches to checking the quality of teaching and students’ progress.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Students’ achievement requires improvement because attainment at the end of Key Stage 4 has not risen significantly since the last inspection and has been too uneven. Attainment in both English and mathematics is too variable. The progress made by students in these two subjects has also fluctuated and has not been good enough.  On joining the school, students have average, and sometimes better than average, reading, writing and mathematical skills.  The proportion of students gaining five or more A* to C grades at GCSE including English and mathematics is broadly average.  The gap between the proportion of students gaining five or more A* to C grades at GCSE including English and mathematics who are known to be eligible for pupil premium and other students was successfully narrowed in 2012, but has now widened again.  The achievement of higher ability students is broadly in line with the national average for this

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

group, but has been variable over time and across subjects.  Achievement in science is a notable success story, with students consistently performing well above average overall. Achievement in the three separate sciences is very high.  Disabled students and those with special educational needs are well supported by the school. Their progress is broadly average. The small group of students with visual impairment are particularly well catered for and are encouraged to take a full part in lessons, ably assisted by support staff who are well led and managed. There is no difference in their progress levels against their level of ability to those of their peers.  The progress of students in Year 11 has improved and is currently better than that of the corresponding cohort one year ago. The school has recently improved the targeting of Year 11 students to be supported through a wide range of strategies designed to further improve

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

performance in GCSE examinations.  The Year 7 curriculum is adapted to provide English and mathematics support for lower-attaining pupils. This support is appropriate because it is effective in enabling them to catch up and make broadly average progress by the end of Key Stage 3.  The school has made the correct decision to no longer enter students early for English and mathematics examinations at GCSE level.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The quality of teaching is not consistently good or better and therefore requires improvement. It is too variable across subjects and year groups. Although teaching has improved since the last inspection, some of the changes have not yet made a full impact on GCSE results, particularly in mathematics and English.  In some lessons, teachers set work that is insufficiently challenging for the most-able students in a class. Consequently, they are not stretched enough and often spend time completing the same tasks as the rest of the class. As a result, progress is slowed.  The quality of marking has improved considerably, but the best practice is not evenly spread across the school. Some exemplary marking was seen in humanities and science. Students generally take pride in the appearance of their work.  In the best teaching, expectations are high and good relationships foster independent learning and encourage fast progress. Assessment is used well to plan lessons and set appropriate work.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

For example, in a Year 10 science lesson on the application of graphs to the properties of alloys, the students made excellent use of GCSE grade criteria to self-assess their work.  Where teaching is less successful, expectations are often too low. This leads to a slower pace of learning. Occasionally, the lack of stimulating work leads to boredom or, in rare instances, poor behaviour from one or two students.  The school’s increased focus over time on the quality of teaching is becoming more widely established. Common features include helpful oral and written feedback to students as well as opportunities for self- and peer-assessment. Frequent use of the ‘exit ticket’ at the end of mathematics lessons is a simple but effective idea that appears to work well. All students have target grades pasted in the front of their books. They are also well informed about their progress and current grades.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The students’ positive attitudes to learning make a strong contribution to their overall behaviour in lessons and conduct around school.  Staff, parents and carers agree that pupils’ behaviour is generally good and that pupils feel safe. Students report that the small amount of misbehaviour is dealt with effectively and also confirm that incidents of bullying, including cyber bullying, are rare and also dealt with promptly.  Students are welcoming, have respect for each other and the school environment. They are very supportive of the students with visual impairment, often helping them in lessons and with movement around the school.  Systems are in place to ensure that behaviour is managed well. The school’s self-evaluation indicates a strong commitment to regular review of these.  Attendance has improved and is now just above the national average.  Behaviour and safety are not yet outstanding because of the minor disruption seen in a very

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

small number of lessons and instances of a similar nature reported by younger students in Years 7, 8 and 9.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 Leadership and management require improvement because although leaders have begun to raise achievement and improve the quality of teaching, there are still inconsistencies, which need removal. Leaders have clearly identified most of the important issues that need to be tackled, and actions have been taken to address these, but the full impact of these actions is not yet showing through the school.  The headteacher provides strong leadership. For example, problems with weaker provision and outcomes in technology have been dealt with decisively. Robust actions have been taken over the last two years to improve the overall quality of teaching. The work of the committed senior leadership team has been strengthened through recent appointments.  The curriculum is a strength of the school. It is broad and balanced. The school constantly reviews the mix of GCSE and vocational courses to ensure the curriculum meets students’ needs.

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The leadership and management require improvement

There is a wide range of popular after-school clubs and other activities.  Middle leadership is committed and enthusiastic. They are increasingly skilled in identifying groups of students who would benefit from the range of tailored interventions on offer. The work of the school’s progress directors is beginning to be more keenly felt.  The system of appraisal is increasingly effective and has now been fully updated in response to government changes.  The school has a largely accurate view of its strengths and weaknesses. Senior leaders are skilled in their judgements of teaching quality. The school’s capacity to improve is secure.  Students and staff express highly positive views of the school and its continued journey of improvement.  The local authority works closely with the school in programmes of evaluation and appropriate levels of support. Students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is overseen by a senior leader. It is

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The leadership and management require improvement

promoted well because the leader in charge of this aspect has designed a programme of activities to ensure full coverage across all year groups. For example, there is a link with a school in Uganda on the theme of sustainability and a visit to Winchester Cathedral by a group of younger students was used as the basis for work on religion, art and history.  The governance of the school:  Governors are fully committed and offer unstinting support and guidance to the school. They are well informed and hold the school to account and provide challenge through close scrutiny of the school’s activities. Governors were fully involved in the recent reorganisation of pastoral responsibilities to create the role of progress directors. Four governors have formed a management group, over and above the usual sub-committee structure. This enables them to have very detailed knowledge of the school’s work, including the use of pupil premium

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The leadership and management require improvement

funding. Governors have a broadly accurate view of the school’s strengths and weaknesses, recognising that there is more to do in terms of improving achievement and teaching. Governors have overseen the changes to a more rigorous approach to the performance management of staff. However, the necessary impact on the overall quality of teaching is not yet plain to see. All statutory aspects of safeguarding are fully met. Governors take their responsibility to keep students safe seriously and conduct a robust annual audit of safeguarding matters.

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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 116411 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 426544

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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 11–16 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 858 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Rysia Reynolds Headteacher Matthew Longden Date of previous school inspection 1–2 December 2011 Telephone number 02380 269026 Email address admin@toynbee.hants.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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