Cardinal Newman Catholic School A Specialist Arts and Community College

Cardinal Newman Catholic School A Specialist Arts and Community College Sandpits Lane, Keresley, Coventry, CV6 2FR

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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 Requires improvement 3 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3

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

 In recent years, students have not made consistently good progress in mathematics and science.  Disabled students and those who have special educational needs do not always achieve as well as they should.  Some students do not concentrate in lessons and do not put enough effort into their work.  Some teachers do not have high expectations of what the most and least able students are capable of, and do not set them challenging work, either in lessons or for homework.  Teachers do not always check students’ work carefully and their marking is not as frequent or as precise as it needs to be to help students improve their work.  Teaching assistants and other support staff are not always effective in helping students to make good progress.  The sixth form requires improvement. The progress that students make is too variable across subjects, particularly in Year 12.  Leaders, including subject leaders and governors, have not acted quickly enough to

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The school has the following strengths

 In 2013, the proportion of students who achieved five good GCSE grades at A* to C, including English and mathematics, was above average.  Achievement and teaching in English, the arts and design technology are good.  The sixth form curriculum has been suitably revised to meet the expectations of the new 16-19 Study Programme.  Students have a good understanding of safety issues that might affect them and all feel safe at school. March 2014 2 of 10

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching in 38 lessons, 10 of which were jointly observed with one of the senior leaders. The inspection team also made several short visits to other lessons, some with a senior leader, to check on the progress and behaviour of different groups of students.  Meetings were held with four groups of students from all year groups. Other meetings were held with members of the governing body, and with senior leaders and staff, including those responsible for leading subjects. The lead inspector met with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors listened to some students in Year 7 reading.  Inspectors analysed the 158 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View. They also analysed a questionnaire that the school uses.  Inspectors observed the work of the school and looked at a number of documents, including those relating to the monitoring of teaching and the targets set for teachers to improve their

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Information about this inspection

work. They also looked at records relating to attendance, behaviour, bullying and safeguarding, the school’s improvement plan and data on students’ progress.

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Inspection team

Richard Sutton, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Deirdre Kennedy Additional Inspector Martin Spoor Additional Inspector William Cassell Additional Inspector Elizabeth Macfarlane Additional Inspector March 2014 3 of 10

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average-sized secondary school.  The large majority of students are White British. The proportion of students who are from minority ethnic heritages is above average, as is the proportion who speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of disabled students and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is below average. The proportion supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also below average.  The proportion of students supported through the pupil premium, which is additional funding given to schools for students in local authority care, those known to be eligible for free school meals and those with a parent in the armed services, is below average.  A small number of students in Key Stage 4 study vocational courses at a number of institutions in the city of Coventry. Students study on a part-time basis at Arthur Rank Training, City College,

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Information about this school

CW Training, Brakes and Motovate, Henley College and Team 2.  The school works in partnership with eight other sixth forms to provide courses for a small number of sixth form students.  The headteacher joined the school in September 2012.  The school meets 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?

 Improve teaching, both in the main school and the sixth form, and particularly in mathematics and science, by making sure that all teachers:  have high expectations of what all students, and particularly the most and least able, can achieve, and set work in class and for homework that is sufficiently challenging and moves students quickly on in their learning  insist that students concentrate on their work and do their best at all times  check students’ work systematically to ensure that they have fully understood what they are learning and that they are making sufficient progress  mark students’ work regularly and in appropriate detail so that they know how to improve.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the achievement of disabled students and those who have special educational needs by ensuring that:  teachers work more closely with teaching assistants and other support staff to plan the teaching for this group of students  targets which are set for these students are designed specifically to improve their academic achievement and are regularly reviewed by teachers to ensure that they are appropriate.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the impact that leaders and governors have on teaching and achievement by ensuring that:  subject leaders, particularly in science and mathematics, are equipped with the necessary skills to improve teaching and achievement in their areas of responsibility  the school improvement plan contains clear milestones and targets so that the senior leaders and governors can check on the school’s progress throughout the year March 2014 4 of 10

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 the targets which are set to help teachers improve their work are more precise  the leadership of the sixth form identifies and tackles underachievement in Year 12 swiftly and effectively.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Over the past three years, not enough students have made consistently good progress. Although the proportion of students who achieved five good GCSE grades at A* to C, including English and mathematics, was above average in 2013, it was not as good as it should have been. Students did not make good progress in a range of subjects, particularly mathematics and science.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The progress that most groups of students make, including those who speak English as an additional language and students from ethnic minority heritages, is too variable. In mathematics, although an average proportion of students make the progress that is expected, too few students make more rapid progress, particularly the least and most able students.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 For the past two years, disabled students and those who have special educational needs have made insufficient progress. However, their progress is now improving because the school has put in place a range of effective additional support measures. Disabled students and those who have special educational needs in Year 11, for example, are now making good progress from their various starting points. This improvement is not, however, seen consistently for all such students across the school.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The most able students do not always make good progress because they are sometimes set work that is too easy. Even when teachers do plan harder work, these students are not always moved onto this more challenging work quickly enough.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The school enters some students early in Year 11 for GCSE mathematics and it enters all students early for GCSE English. This is not always an effective strategy in mathematics, as students did not achieve well this year. However, in English, most students achieved very well.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 In the sixth form, students make better progress in applied courses than they do in academic courses. There is too much variation in achievement between subjects in the Year 12 academic courses.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The achievement of students taught off site and in other sixth forms is good. The courses that students study are well matched to their interests and skills. Leaders monitor the quality of this provision carefully.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The achievement of students currently in the school is improving. The school’s own data indicates that current Year 11 students are on track to achieve better this year, including in science and mathematics. Achievement in English is particularly good and sometimes outstanding. Students consistently make good progress in this subject because teaching is usually good or better. Students enjoy English and they have very good attitudes to learning in this subject.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The progress of students who are supported by the pupil premium requires improvement because it varies across year groups. In 2013, Year 11 students supported through the pupil March 2014 5 of 10

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

premium achieved, on average, two-thirds of a grade lower in English and mathematics than other students in the school. This was an improvement from 2012.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 A small number of students are supported through additional Year 7 ‘catch-up’ funding, which helps those who join the school with attainment below the expected levels in English and mathematics. The school uses this funding effectively to provide these students with additional support for reading, writing and mathematics. Most of these students are quickly catching up with their classmates.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching requires improvement in the main school and the sixth form because it has not been consistently good in recent years. Since the start of this school year, teaching has begun to improve but it is still too variable.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 In the main school and the sixth form, some teachers do not have high enough expectations of students, particularly the most able students, because the work set is sometimes too easy. As a result, some students in Key Stages 3 and 4 do not always pay enough attention to their teachers and they do not always try their best in some lessons.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teachers do not always check students’ work or move them on to more challenging work quickly enough. This is particularly the case with the least and most able students. The homework activities set in Key Stages 3 and 4 do not always help students to make as much progress as they should because they do not make them think hard enough.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The support given to disabled students and those who have special educational needs by teaching assistants and other support staff is not consistently good. The targets that are set for these students are not regularly reviewed by teachers or sufficiently related to students’ academic achievement.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Marking does not always help students to improve their work because the comments teachers write are often too general. In some subjects, students do not get their work marked frequently enough.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching is good and sometimes better in some subjects, including English, the arts and design technology. In these subjects, teachers use the information that they have about students’ attainment very well to set appropriately challenging work. This results in students making good progress and showing a high level of interest in their work.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 The behaviour of students requires improvement. A significant minority of students do not show good attitudes to learning, particularly when teaching is not as good as it should be. These students sometimes come late to lessons, lack concentration when they are there and show little determination to succeed. These are, however, exceptions to the general rule; the majority of students are polite and well mannered.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Sixth form students have good attitudes to learning and they behave well around the school. Many act as positive role models for younger students and they speak passionately about how they value the ethos of the school. March 2014 6 of 10

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 The school’s work to keep students safe and secure is good. Students, including those in the sixth form, have a good understanding of safety issues, including how to keep safe when working online.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Bullying is rare. When such incidents do occur, students are confident that staff will deal with matters swiftly. Students have a clear understanding of the various forms of bullying. Consequently, they are well equipped with the appropriate skills to manage such situations, should they happen.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 The school has successfully improved attendance this year and most students attend school regularly.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Leaders and managers, including governors and subject leaders, have not acted quickly enough to ensure that teaching and achievement have been consistently good over time, particularly in mathematics and science. They have not ensured that the achievement in some parts of the sixth form or the progress of disabled students and those who have special educational needs have been consistently strong.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Not all subject leaders have had the skills needed to check on teaching and achievement in their subject effectively. This was the case, for example, in science and mathematics. However, the skills of these and other subject leaders are improving and becoming more consistent through, for example, opportunities to work together to share good practice.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Leaders have not made sure that teachers and teaching assistants who work with disabled students and those who have special educational needs work closely together to plan for the specific needs of these students. In addition, the targets for these students have not always related to academic achievement and they have not been checked frequently enough.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The targets set for teachers to help them improve their work and guide decisions about pay increases are not always precise enough and they do not have enough impact on improving teaching.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The school improvement plan does not contain clear targets to be achieved at various points throughout the year and, consequently, leaders and governors cannot check the school’s progress towards desired objectives effectively.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Sixth form leaders have not always ensured that they identify and tackle any underachievement quickly enough, which is why achievement has been too variable. However, this is improving and achievement is becoming more consistent across subjects. The curriculum has been revised to meet the expectations of the new 16-19 Study Programme and it provides a suitable range of courses.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The curriculum provides students with a wide range of activities and subjects. Additional activities, trips and visits make the curriculum more exciting and help students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, particularly through the wide range of arts activities that the school offers.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Students have access to good independent advice and guidance regarding their future careers. Older students benefit from very good support to help them to make informed decisions about March 2014 7 of 10

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The leadership and management requires improvement

examination subject choices, as well as the opportunities available to students in further and higher education, employment and training.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 In the past, support from the local authority has not been effective in ensuring that teaching and achievement have improved quickly enough, particularly in mathematics and science and for disabled students and those who have special educational needs. However, the quality of its support has improved this year.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The governance of the school:  Governors know the school well and their understanding of its strengths and weaknesses are accurate. Many governors understand how to interpret data about students’ achievement and they provide an appropriate level of challenge and support. However, they are aware that they have not influenced improvements in teaching and achievement quickly enough or checked the school’s progress towards desired objectives sufficiently  The governing body knows how the additional pupil premium and Year 7 ‘catch up’ funding is used. Governors are aware of the good impact that the Year 7 ‘catch up’ funding is having for eligible students and also how the pupil premium funding is helping eligible students’ attainment to get closer to that of other students  Governors know about the quality of teaching and the management of staff performance, and they are appropriately involved in making decisions about whether teachers should receive pay

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The leadership and management requires improvement

rises in relation to meeting their targets. They are aware of how any staff underperformance is tackled and are appropriately involved when this is necessary  Governors have made sure that the school very effectively fulfils its responsibilities regarding safeguarding; all staff have been checked as required and are trained appropriately to keep students safe and free from harm. March 2014 8 of 10

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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. March 2014 9 of 10

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School details

Unique reference number 103743 Local authority Coventry Inspection number 440500

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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 Voluntary aided 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 1229 Of which, number on roll in sixth form 199 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Chris Smith Headteacher Marina Kelly Date of previous school inspection 3 October 2011 Telephone number 024 7633 2382 Fax number 024 7633 5626 Email address admin@cardinalnewman.coventry.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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