Swanmore College

Swanmore College of Technology New Road, Swanmore, Hampshire, SO32 2RB

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 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 headteacher provides the school with outstanding leadership. Governors and senior leaders provide strong support and all share the headteacher’s vision for the school to be outstanding.  GCSE results are significantly above national average and students make good progress from their starting points.  The overall quality of teaching is good with some that is outstanding.  Behaviour is good and often excellent. Students are polite and courteous to staff and visitors. They feel safe and are proud to be members of the school.  Governors know the school well from their checking of the school’s work and from the detailed information provided by the headteacher. They hold staff to account and are focused on the right priorities for further improvement.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There is too little teaching that is consistently outstanding. Occasionally teachers do not set work that challenges students and, at times, work is not set at the right level of difficulty.  The best practice in teaching, such as questioning, checking of students’ progress during lessons, and marking and feedback, is not shared well enough across the school.  The systems for target setting and the monitoring of students’ progress are not simple or clear enough to staff, students and parents.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 48 lessons, including 10 that were observed jointly with senior leaders. Inspectors also observed the routines for registration and attended an assembly.  Inspectors looked at students’ work and listened to some students read.  Inspectors met with groups of students across the age and ability range to discuss their views on progress, teaching, behaviour and safety in the school.  Meetings were held with representatives of the governing body and school staff, including the headteacher, senior and middle leaders and teaching staff.  The lead inspector met with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors took account of the 202 online responses to the Parent View questionnaire and one letter received from a parent.  Inspectors took account of the 58 responses to the staff questionnaire.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including the

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Information about this inspection

school’s self-evaluation documentation, the school’s information on students’ current progress, monitoring documentation, records relating to behaviour and attendance, and documents relating to safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Terry Fish, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Lesley Greenway Additional Inspector Margaret Faull Additional Inspector Teresa Hill Additional Inspector Mary Hoather Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Swanmore is larger than the average-sized secondary school.  The proportion of students from minority ethnic backgrounds and the proportion who speak English as an additional language are very low compared to national averages.  The proportion of students known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for those in the care of the local authority, those known to be eligible for free school meals and those from service families, is significantly below the national average.  The proportion of disabled students and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is very small compared to the national average. The proportion of students supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is approximately half the national average for secondary schools.  A small number of Key Stage 4 students attend alternative provision at The Bridge Education

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Information about this school

Centre, Eastleigh.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set minimum expectations for students’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching by  ensuring all teachers plan activities to challenge all students, including the most and least able  enabling staff to share best practice in teaching across the school, including the effective use of questioning, frequent checking of progress during lessons and clear marking with good feedback to students on how they may improve.  Simplify the school’s systems for target setting and tracking students’ progress so that these are clear to staff, students and parents.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Achievement is good because students make good progress across a range of subjects. In 2013 the proportions making and exceeding expected progress in English and mathematics were higher than that found nationally. The proportion of students gaining five or more GCSEs at grades A* to C, including English and mathematics, was significantly higher than the national average. The school’s data indicate further improvements this year.  In 2013 the attainment of students supported through the pupil premium, both in English and mathematics, was between one and two grades behind other students at GCSE. The school has had a sharp focus on eligible students. As a result of this, the attainment of these students, as evidenced during the inspection, has improved significantly. Gaps between the achievement of eligible students and other students are closing rapidly.  Disabled students and those with special educational needs are supported well and they make

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The achievement of pupils is good

good progress from their starting points. However, the school’s systems for monitoring the progress of all students, including this group, are not yet simple enough to enable teachers to target their support even more effectively.  Able students achieve well. Where teaching is best, teachers provide suitably challenging materials and through highly effective questioning enable the most able students to be appropriately challenged and stretched. An example was seen in a Year 11 English lesson where there was a real focus on A*/A grades, linking this work to that of A-level standard. The teacher’s expert use of questioning and clarity of explanation enabled the students to make exceptional progress.  The achievement of the very few students attending alternative provision at The Bridge Education Centre is variable and the school is addressing this with senior leaders.  The school had used early entry for GCSE English, but this did not limit the achievement of any

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The achievement of pupils is good

students. Early entry is no longer used for any subject.  The progress of students in lessons is slower where teachers do not plan activities at the right level of difficulty. Progress is also slower where marking and feedback do not give students sufficient clarity on what they need to do to improve.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching has improved considerably over the past two years. Most is now good, with much outstanding.  Most learning in lessons is planned with a clear purpose to meet the learning needs of all students by providing inspiring activities that interest and challenge them. For example, in a Year 9 mathematics lesson, the teacher’s expert subject knowledge, highly effective questioning and very clear explanations enabled all students to improve their level of understanding rapidly.  Where teaching is good or better, teachers monitor the progress of students throughout the lesson and respond appropriately. For example, in a Year 8 art lesson the teacher supported individuals with highly-targeted and very timely advice on how they may improve their work, leading to all students making excellent progress.  Where teaching is less effective, teachers are not planning work at the right level of difficulty.

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The quality of teaching is good

Some work is too easy for the more able students in the class and students who need more help have to wait for one-to-one support instead of being provided with helpful resources to enable them to access the work. Questioning is not always used well and students’ progress is not checked closely enough.  Such teaching is also characterised by marking and feedback which do not give students sufficiently clear advice and guidance on how they may improve.  Students’ skills in reading and writing are generally well developed across a wide range of subjects and through specialised additional support for those who need it.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of students is good. They have positive attitudes towards school. They are very proud of their school and this is reflected in the way they behave. They arrive on time and are ready to learn. They are polite and courteous to each other, to staff and to visitors.  Older students say that levels of behaviour and attitudes to learning have improved significantly over the past two years.  The school’s work to keep students safe and secure is also good. Students are well aware of the different forms of bullying and reported few incidents. They also commented that incidents are dealt with effectively.  The overwhelming majority of students exhibit positive attitudes to learning and are keen to do well. They often show resilience and a determination to succeed. When teaching is less than good and students are not suitably challenged, however, they can sometimes lose focus and wander off task.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Attendance was slightly lower than the average for secondary schools but is now improving rapidly. Current attendance rates are above average. The school monitors the data carefully and has evidence to show that overall levels of persistent absence are reducing, as are the gaps in attendance between groups of students and their peers. Exclusion rates have also reduced dramatically over the past year.  The vast majority of parents and carers who responded to the Parent View questionnaire were very positive about the school, agreeing that the school makes sure their children are well behaved, well looked after and safe.

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The leadership and management are good

 The outstanding leadership of the headteacher ensures that the senior team, governors and other leaders are committed to securing further improvements in the quality of teaching and students’ achievement. They are determined for the school to become outstanding.  Rigorous procedures have been introduced to evaluate teachers’ performance and staff are made accountable for the progress their students make.  Leaders and managers are not yet ensuring that the outstanding practice that exists within the school is shared consistently well across the school.  Systems to monitor students’ progress and identify any underachievement have been strengthened and targets for students’ achievement have been raised. This has led to more students, including those eligible for the pupil premium, making good progress.  However, the complex way in which the school monitors students’ progress means that it is not

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The leadership and management are good

always easy for teachers to be confident that their expectations for individual students are set at the correct level.  Leaders in charge of subjects share the headteacher’s determination to improve the school. They also have a clear understanding of the areas of the school which require further improvement.  The deputy headteacher is successfully leading work to improve the quality of teaching. All leaders have received training in lesson observation and regularly carry out joint observations. Whilst this is improving the consistency in the quality of teaching across the school, they are aware that more needs to be done to improve this further.  During the joint lesson observations carried out with the inspection team, senior leaders were generally accurate in their judgements on the quality of teaching.  The appointment of a family support worker has been highly effective. This has had a very significant impact on improving attendance rates.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority monitors the performance of its schools rigorously. The lead learning partner has undertaken a number of visits which have focused on key areas to support the school’s improvement. The most recent visit focused on improving the performance of the school’s pupil premium students and lower ability students, which is having a significant impact.  Parents are very positive about the school. Of those who responded to the Parent View questionnaire, 100% said that they would recommend the school to others.  The governance of the school:  The governing body knows the school very well through an effective system of committees and monitoring procedures. Governors are very well supported by the very clear and detailed information available from the headteacher. Governors fully understand their responsibilities and have ensured that all safeguarding and child protection requirements are met. Skills

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The leadership and management are good

within the governing body are used well to ensure that all expenditure is monitored appropriately and that the school is financially stable. Governors are skilled at understanding data on the school’s performance and rigorously hold the school to account. They are well aware of the impact of the pupil premium on improving outcomes for all eligible students. Governors are well informed about the quality of teaching and know where it is strong or requires improvement and what is being done to bring this about. They are fully aware of how salary progression is linked to outcomes for students and are involved in the decisions on staff pay. They challenge leaders well to demonstrate how the school’s results are improving and how teachers’ performance is effectively managed.

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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 116424 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 441240

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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 11–16 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 1200 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mr John Ponsford Headteacher Mr R K Jonathan Date of previous school inspection 14–15 September 2010 Telephone number 01489 892256 Fax number 01489 891453 Email address enquiries@swanmore-sec.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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