Titus Salt School

Titus Salt School Higher Coach Road, Baildon, West Yorkshire, BD17 5RH

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 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

 During the past three years, students’ overall progress has been variable, particularly the progress of those in receipt of the pupil premium and those with special educational needs at school action plus.  Too much teaching requires improvement and, as a result, students are not making good enough progress in all of their lessons.  Not all teachers plan their lessons to make sure that all students are given work that gets the best out of them.  When marking books, not all teachers consistently provide students with precise guidance on how to improve their work.  The sixth form requires improvement. Not enough students make good progress.  Over time, leaders, managers and governors have not increased achievement and improved teaching so that it is consistently good.  Not all middle leaders use the full range of evidence available to them to assess the progress of all groups of students in the areas for which they are responsible.

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

 Governors are not clear about the effects of the additional funding allocated to the school for those students who are known to be eligible for the pupil premium funding.

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The school has the following strengths

 The overall quality of teaching is now improving and the rate of students’ progress is starting to increase.  All students leaving at the end of Year 11 and the vast majority of those leaving in the sixth form continue in education, employment or training.  Behaviour and safety are good with attendance above average. Parents are exceptionally confident in the school’s work and its safety.  There is a good range of well attended additional activities and clubs that students enjoy.  The headteacher has developed a strong sense of purpose amongst all staff to drive the school forward.  There are clear indications that actions taken by leaders and managers are showing signs of improvement in students’ progress. This demonstrates the leadership’s capacity to secure improvement in school.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 42 lessons taught by 41 teachers, with one of the sessions observed in the school’s inclusion unit. Seven observations were undertaken jointly with senior leaders. In addition, inspectors visited one of the alternative providers of education used by the school.  Inspectors spoke to three groups of students about their learning in lessons and their safety in school. Inspectors also listened to some students reading.  Meetings were held with the Chair of Governors and three other governors, school staff and a representative of the local authority. Inspectors also looked at the school’s review of its own performance, its development plan, subject development plans, school policies and the minutes of governing body meetings. Inspectors also considered a range of documentation in relation to child protection, safeguarding, behaviour and attendance.  Inspectors looked at students’ work in lessons and analysed a sample of students’ books.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors analysed the 143 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and 37 questionnaires completed by staff. The inspectors also took into account written responses.

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Inspection team

James McGrath, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Eleanor Garbutt Additional Inspector Pauline Pitman Additional Inspector Christine Addison Additional Inspector John Cornally Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This school is much larger than the average-sized secondary school.  The proportion of students known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium is above average. The pupil premium is additional funding for those students 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.  The large majority of students are White British. The proportion of students from minority ethnic groups is well above the national average with the large majority from Pakistani backgrounds. Most students speak English as their first language.  The proportion of students supported through school action is above average. The proportion of students supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average.  The school has designated provision for those students with learning difficulties and disabilities.

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Information about this school

 The proportion of students joining or leaving the school at other than the usual times is above average.  The alternative providers used by the school are Bradford College, Educate Through Sport, Buttershaw Youth Centre, Keighley College, PRISM, The Lighthouse Group, Yorkshire Tiling Academy, UMMID, Bradford Bulls, and Justart.  The school is designated as a specialist school for mathematics and computing.  The school holds the Investors in People Award and the International Schools Award.  The school meets the government’s current floor standard, which set the minimum expectations for students’ attainment and progress.  The headteacher, formerly the deputy headteacher, was appointed from 1 September 2012.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 In order to raise standards and accelerate students’ progress, improve the quality of teaching and learning to be consistently good by making sure that all teachers:  use all of the information about where students are at in their learning to match work that is at the correct level for their different needs  when marking books, provide clear information about what students need to do to improve their work and reach their targets  provide enough time for all students to respond to teachers’ written comments  ask probing questions that extend students’ understanding and improve their learning.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management, including governance, to raise students’ achievement by:  ensuring that all subject leaders and middle leaders use the full range of evidence available to them to accurately access student progress in lessons and use this information when setting priorities  ensuring that the governing body checks the impact of pupil premium funding to ensure those eligible are achieving well.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of governance, to include a specific focus on the school’s use of the pupil premium, should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and governance may be improved.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 During the past three years students’ overall progress has been variable. Inspectors found that students’ progress, from their individual starting points, is inconsistent throughout the school and requires improvement. The progress, especially of those eligible for support through the pupil premium and those with special educational needs at school action plus, has not been fast enough.  In 2013, pupil premium students attained a GCSE grade lower than others in mathematics and two thirds of a grade lower in English. This group includes those known to be eligible for free school meals. This gap is closing as more attention is now being given to these students’ needs but their overall progress and achievement requires further improvement.  The progress of disabled students and those with special educational needs, including those within the school’s Designated Specialist Provision and those at school action plus, requires

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

improvement. There has been insufficient rigour in tracking and monitoring their achievements over the past three years. Since the recent reorganisation of the special educational needs team, students’ achievement is measured more closely and effective actions are beginning to show improvements in the progress of these students.  As yet, there is further work to do to ensure effective promotion of equality of opportunity for the different groups of students.  The attainment of students on entry to the school is well-below average. Test results at the end of Key Stage 4 were below average in 2013. The numbers attaining five or more good GCSE grades including English and mathematics were lower than average in 2013. The school’s rigorous tracking systems shows better achievement for those leaving school in 2014 with standards set to become much closer to average.  The number of students attaining the English Baccalaureate is well-above average, particularly

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

for the most able students in school. Over the past three years progress in science has contributed particularly well to the number obtaining the English Baccalaureate.  The most able students often make good overall progress and, by the time they leave school, many reach higher than expected levels. However, progress varies between classes and subjects and requires improvement when work set is not hard enough and they could make better progress.  Early entry to GCSE mathematics is used well to analyse the skills required to achieve higher levels and is showing signs of improvement. Students continue to study mathematics until the end of Year 11 and their results improve to enable them to make good progress. In 2013, early entry to GCSE English was tried for the first time but, as yet, there is insufficient data to show any evidence on the impact of this practice.  The few students attending alternative provision achieve well. The work seen by inspectors at

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

Bradford Bulls and The Lighthouse Group confirms that students make good progress in their life skills.  Students from Pakistani heritage backgrounds make better progress than other groups of pupils.  Year 7 ‘catch up’ funding has been used to provide better reading materials and to support better writing. Inspectors found that the funding was helping more subjects contribute to the quality of writing as well as developing a strong interest in reading for students.  Overall, achievement in the sixth form requires improvement. Attainment overall is average by the end of Year 13 although there are variations in attainment and progress across subjects. In the sixth form, those students in receipt of funding for the pupil premium make good progress.  Those entering the sixth form without GCSE English and mathematics at grade C or above are taught effectively, enabling most to attain grade C or above, in each subject, before leaving the

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

school.  Better achievement information and better checking of students’ progress across all year groups is giving the school greater capacity to take swifter action when students are not achieving well and there are signs of improvement in progress for vulnerable groups.  The school’s information, guidance and support ensure that all students leaving at the end of Year 11, and the vast majority of those leaving in the sixth form, continue in education, employment or training.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Although some teaching is good or outstanding, the overall quality is uneven across the main school and also in the sixth form. This unevenness inhibits students from making at least good progress over time in their studies. Teaching therefore requires improvement.  Teachers’ planning does not always take into account the information available on each student to set work at the correct level and meet their needs. This leads to some work being too easy for some and too difficult for others and progress slows.  Questioning is not sharp enough and fails to encourage students to think more deeply to test their understanding of what is being taught. Questioning is too general and not targeted at the levels of ability within the class, which means that some students do not understand what is being asked. When this is the case, the least able students and those with learning difficulties make slow progress.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The marking of students’ work is inconsistent across and within subjects. Some marking is irregular, cursory and does not provide helpful guidance to help students to improve their work. When supportive comments are given, teachers do not insist that students use them to improve their work and this slows their progress.  On the other hand, some marking is effective and assists good progress, particularly in science, history and geography. These subjects, along with religious education, make a good contribution to the development of students’ literacy skills.  Teaching assistants are well respected by the students and help to create a good climate for learning. They are not always deployed efficiently to maximise their contribution to the learning of those students with special needs and in receipt of the pupil premium.  However, senior leaders are checking more closely that teachers identify vulnerable students in

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

their planning. This is starting to improve the accuracy in the work set for vulnerable students and helps to improve their access to learning.  Some more skilful teaching is evident when closer attention is given to the differing needs of students and questions are phrased in such a way that a dialogue is encouraged so that misunderstandings can be addressed quickly and the learning of all students moves on at a brisk pace. This skilful questioning was seen best in a Year 12 physics lesson where learning was highly effective.  Students are motivated by imaginative activities, as seen in a Year 11 geography lesson, where students were studying ways of managing flooding, which enthralled them. Students said they ‘love the subject because the teacher makes it come alive’ .

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of students is good. In the large majority of lessons they are keen to learn, follow the instructions of their teachers and ask interesting questions to support their learning. These aspects help lessons to flow smoothly and support good learning. Occasionally, they lose concentration when teaching is not good.  Students have developed good social skills and welcome visitors. They are courteous and confident when explaining their work to adults. They are very proud of their school and keen to tell visitors that they enjoy coming to the school. They appreciate the care and guidance they receive throughout their education.  Around the school students treat each other with great respect and move sensibly and safely between lessons and in dining areas at lunchtime. Students know what behaviour is expected of them and appreciate the rewards they can gain as well as having a clear understanding of the

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

sanctions that would be imposed if school rules are not followed. This leads to a harmonious community.  Students take a pride in their appearance and wear their uniform with pride. They are involved with decisions and so support them more, such as a referendum to determine whether blazers should become part of the school’s uniform.  The large number of clubs are valued and well supported with many students taking part in the wide range of sporting activities. Students respect the school environment well and the excellent displays that make it attractive.  The school’s work to keep students safe and secure is good. Students have a good understanding of how to stay safe because the curriculum covers these aspects thoroughly.  Those attending off-site provision attend well and are well-looked after by the school and the alternative providers. Almost all of those parents who responded to the online questionnaire,

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

Parent View, said their children were safe and well looked after.  Students are clear about what constitutes bullying, including cyber-bullying, and know what to do should it ever occur. They say bullying is rare and they are confident that when it occurs it is dealt with very effectively by the school. School records confirm their opinion, as do parental responses to Parent View. Students’ self-esteem is high because relationships are good and they know they can talk about any concerns they might have.  Students enjoy coming to school and, as a result, attendance is above average. It was above average on both days of the inspection; there were very few students late for school. There have been no permanent exclusions in the past five years. Fixed-term exclusions have reduced steadily and are few in number. This is because of the assiduous care with which staff make efforts to resolve issues without recourse to exclusion.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Parents and staff share the same, positive views about students’ behaviour and safety.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Leadership and management require improvement because they have not ensured that the quality of teaching and students’ progress over time are consistently good. Over time, middle leaders have not supported the learning for vulnerable groups of students well enough. Subject leaders do not use the full range of evidence available to them to check students’ progress and identify actions for improvement.  Following his appointment in September 2012, the headteacher has shared his high aspirations with staff and governors and established a stronger management team. He has made some key appointments and staffing changes at middle leadership level to drive forward his ambitions for the students. For example, the change in leadership for special educational needs is beginning to improve the progress for vulnerable students and likewise improvement in leading English has resolved the weaknesses identified previously.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Parents and students show a strong commitment to the headteacher’s vision and support change.  A thorough system for checking students’ progress has been introduced throughout the school. However, not all middle leaders are using the system well enough to check students’ progress, particularly during lessons, and so do not have an accurate picture of progress in the subjects they lead.  Performance management for teachers is robust and identifies the skills they need to improve. Through a well-structured development programme for teachers the school is making use of its best teachers to strengthen the practice of others in the school. The full impact of this work has yet to have a full impact on improving teaching.  The curriculum offers a good range of academic and vocational courses and there is a focus on the development of reading and literacy skills. The school is responsive to students’ needs and

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The leadership and management requires improvement

provides good alternative provision for a small proportion of students. As yet, the curriculum at Key Stage 3 and 4 has not enabled the vulnerable students to make progress as well as they should. There is a wide range of extra activities which are attended in high numbers by students and include many sporting, cultural and artistic experiences. These provide well for students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Since the previous inspection, the curriculum in the sixth form has improved as it offers a wider and more appropriate choice of courses to meet the needs of all students. Also, the tracking of students’ progress is more rigorous but adjustments are not yet secure enough to have a real impact on improving students’ progress.  The local authority offer light touch support to the school. This has increased with the appointment of a new headteacher in offering support in reviewing aspects of the school’s work.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The governance of the school:  Governors are enthusiastic and committed to improving the school. They are supportive and link with middle leaders to gain an insight into the quality of teaching and progress across the school. This leads to a broad overview of the working of the school, but, as yet, it is not in sufficient detail to challenge the headteacher effectively. Governors have approved the use of pupil premium funding but are not clear about the impact of the actions taken by the school for these students. They are clear about the arrangement for performance management and check that this links to pay progression. At the time of the inspection the school’s website did not display statutory information. The school is adjusting this to make it meet requirements. The school’s arrangements for safeguarding meet statutory requirements and the school rejects all forms of discrimination.

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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 107395 Local authority Bradford Inspection number 440767

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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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 1,463 Of which, number on roll in sixth form 224 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Shirley Craven Headteacher Ian Morrel Date of previous school inspection 10 November 2010 Telephone number 01274 258969 Fax number 01274 258970 Email address enquiries@titussaltschool.co.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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