Flegg High School

Flegg High School Somerton Road, Martham, Great Yarmouth, NR29 4QD

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected 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 Good 2

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

 Achievement requires improvement because students do not yet make consistently good progress, especially in science.  Achievement is still too variable between subjects and individual teachers.  The proportion of students attaining the highest GCSE grades A* and A has been low.  Teaching is not yet consistently good enough to ensure that all students make the progress that they are capable of.  Learning is not always challenging enough or expectations are too low. Teachers sometimes give work that is too easy or too hard.  Some students begin their GCSE courses too early and so make slow gains in their learning.

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The school has the following strengths

 Teaching and achievement is improving strongly because of the purposeful and clear leadership of the new principal.  Teachers and leaders are now held fully accountable for the success of their students.  Gaps between the achievement of students supported by additional government funding and their peers are closing quickly.  Achievement and standards are rising quickly in both Key Stages and in the core subjects of mathematics and English.  Governors give good support and challenge and are effective in their oversight of the school and its role in the community.  Students have good attitudes to their learning behave well in lessons and around the school and feel very safe.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited lessons on a total of 59 occasions, including seven that were observed jointly with senior leaders.  Inspectors scrutinised school records and documents including the checks on its performance and the quality of its teaching. In addition details of attendance, persistent absence and assessment and monitoring details, minutes of governors’ meetings and school policies were evaluated.  By the end of the inspection 107 parents had responded to the online questionnaire ParentView. In addition a small number of parents contacted the lead inspector to express various views about the school. Inspectors received 79 completed questionnaires from staff as well as the school’s own survey responses.  Inspectors talked with groups of students and meetings took place with the principal, senior and middle leaders, the Chair of Governors as well as teaching staff and a representative from the

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Inspection team

Ian Seath, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Lesley Daniel Seconded Inspector Andrew Lyons Additional Inspector Brenda Watson Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Flegg High School is a slightly smaller than average 11 to 16 secondary school.  Flegg High School converted to become an academy school in September 2013. When its predecessor school of the same name, was previously inspected by Ofsted in May 2011, it was judged to be good.  The proportion of students for which the school receives additional funding through the pupil premium is below average. Pupil premium is additional funding from the government for some groups of pupils, including those known to be eligible for free school meals and those in the care of the local authority.  Very few students are from minority ethnic groups or have a first language that is not English. Almost all students are of White British Heritage.  A higher than average proportion of students have statements of educational needs or are supported by school action plus. The proportion of students supported through school action is

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Information about this school

below average.  The school meets the government’s floor standards that define minimum requirements for attainment and progress.  A very small number of students attend alternative provision at Horatio House, Easton College and Nexus Training in Great Yarmouth.  The current principal joined the school just over a year before the inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of good teaching, especially in science so that students make consistently good progress in all classes by:  making sure that all teachers fully stretch students of the highest ability and support those of lowest ability, so that work is at the right level of difficulty in order for them to achieve well  ensuring that teachers use questions in lessons which encourage students to think carefully about their work and to articulate full answers  improving the consistency of marking so that all students have a clear understanding of how to develop their work and are able to demonstrate to their teachers that they have understood and acted on the advice given  improving teaching in science as a priority  ensure that all students begin their GCSE courses at the appropriate time.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The achievement of pupils has been adversely affected because students have started GCSE work before they have been adequately prepared at Key Stage 3. Many have taken examinations early before they reached their full potential.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Associated with this, results in the examinations of 2012 and 2013 were poor. The proportion of students gaining 5 or more GCSE passes at grades A* to C including English and mathematics slumped and the progress made by students was much slower than that expected, and seen in similar schools.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 High attaining students have not made the progress that they are capable of because they have not been sufficiently challenged in their learning. The proportion of students gaining the very highest grades of A and A* was far too low considering that they have relatively high attainment on entry.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The new principal has taken swift and decisive action to tackle these issues. As a result, achievement is now a very different and much improved picture. Detailed information presented by the school provided firm evidence to show that all groups of students are now making faster progress across all year groups.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 School information show that the proportion of students gaining 5 or more GCSEs at grades A* to C, including in English and mathematics, is due to rise sharply in the current examinations and will be around national average. The improvements are most marked in the core subjects of English and mathematics because these subjects have received the most urgent attention.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Until recently, there was some difference in the rate of progress made by students supported by the pupil premium and others in Year 11. In 2013 such students known to be entitled to free school meals attained, on average, over a grade lower in English and mathematics than did other students. Gaps between the attainment of students supported through additional funding and their peers and are now comparable to those seen nationally with an improving trend.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Disabled students and those who have special educational needs make progress in line with other students. Staff are very well aware of these students and of their differing needs.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 A small number of students study courses at a local college of further education. The school keeps close checks on the progress of such students. Most are gaining the skills necessary to gain suitable employment or further training.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The school ensures that funding received through the Year 7 catch-up programme (extra money from the government to support those students who attained below expected levels in English and mathematics in Year 6) is used to ensure that such students make gains in acquiring number, reading and writing skills.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching requires improvement because it has not helped all groups of students achieve well. This is because activities are sometimes too difficult or easy for some students. In these lessons students sometimes become bored and restless, so behaviour deteriorates. Students told inspectors that these situations are becoming less common however. Not all teachers use questioning skilfully to challenge students to think deeply about their learning.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teachers’ marking and feedback to students, although very effective in some classes, lacks consistency across the school. It does not always show students what they need to do to improve their work or follow up whether students have acted on this advice.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Over time, as judged by the work in students’ books and other written work, acceleration in progress is clear. As with achievement this is not consistent between subjects and indicates that different subjects are improving at different rates. This is consistent with the school’s own evaluation of teaching and learning.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The most effective learning takes place when students have a good grounding in the principles and basics of what they are learning. In these situations they are confident learners and quickly develop the ability to apply what they have learned to new situations and challenges so that they can figure out problems for themselves. Effective learning such as this was seen, for example, in design and technology, English and mathematics, and languages. Some was seen in science, but not yet enough to ensure strong achievement.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teachers assess students’ work and progress regularly. This process is generally accurate, though inspectors at the higher levels noted some overgenerous assessment.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 This information is not used well enough however. Teachers often do not ensure that those with the lowest attainment are encouraged to make the most progress so they catch up, and that those who are able to flourish do so. Expectations are sometimes too low.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Examples of good support for literacy and numeracy in subjects other than English and mathematics were seen by inspectors especially in those subjects with high literacy content such as history and geography. Good support for numeracy was seen in design and technology.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Parents are generally positive about teaching at the school. Although a common theme for concern was science, both amongst pupils and those parents who spoke to inspectors, a high majority who responded to ParentView agreed that aspects of homework, progress and teaching were good.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of students is good. Students with whom inspectors met agreed that changes to behaviour and anti-bullying policies have had an impact. This is because students are now clearer about where the boundaries are that will result in sanctions. Students know who to contact if they have concerns.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Around the school students are pleasant and helpful. Often, they were keen to chat with inspectors and wished to show their school at its best. Almost all said that behaviour had improved and that instances of lesson disruption due to poor behaviour were uncommon.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 From the relatively small number of parental responses to ParentView, a small but nevertheless significant minority of parents did not agree that incidents of bullying and poor behaviour were dealt with well. Because of these concerns, inspectors visited nearly all lessons in the school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Hardly any examples of disruptive or poor behaviour were seen, confirming the views of students. Inspectors observed occasional instances of boisterous behaviour at mealtimes or during breaks, as well as some silliness from younger students. However these did not impair learning.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Students did however comment that some teachers did not always apply the school’s behaviour policy well, so behaviour deteriorated. This usually happened when students were bored because the lesson was not sufficiently challenging.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Attendance has improved and is now better than the national average for schools of this type. Very few students are late for school or classes.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school’s log of bullying shows that the number incidents has declined. No clear pattern of the types of bullying is apparent. Inspectors looked closely at a sample of case studies and in these instances school procedures were followed promptly and correctly. The school takes a notably strong stance against racism.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The number of exclusions has risen sharply. This is due to the adoption of a new exclusion policy that is now applied consistently, together with a zero-tolerance approach by the new principal. This is widely supported by students, governors and staff.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Students feel safe in the school and almost all parents who commented on ParentView agreed.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school meets requirements for safeguarding and child protection well. Teachers, governors and leaders are all trained to at least the minimum levels required, and this training is refreshed regularly.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Internet safety on the school’s own equipment is good although students’ access to their own phones means that this is not guaranteed on site even though their use is banned. The management of safeguarding and child protection is well-organised, with clear responsibilities.

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The leadership and management are good

 The new principal has brought with him a refreshing determination to improve the school and the education of the students within it. Managers now have an accurate view of their own school and know how to continue to improve and accelerate the rate of improvement.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school is improving quickly, although unevenly. Core subjects are improving, in the case of English and mathematics quickly. Science is lagging behind but new subject managers and appointments due to be in place soon show promise. Students are now adequately prepared for examinations, and take them when they are ready. Curriculum reviews are ongoing. Planning to implement new curricula in September 2014 is well advanced.

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The leadership and management are good

 Systems to monitor and control the running of the school are strong. The management of performance is improving quickly. Managers at all levels, including subject leaders are now clear about their responsibilities and are held accountable for their own performance and that of their students. Targets are challenging but achievable and progress towards them monitored regularly. Significant new appointments have been made among teachers and middle managers.

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The leadership and management are good

 The checking of students’ attainment and progress is improving, though practice is uneven between subjects. The use of these data to monitor school improvement is good, but not all teachers use it effectively to plan learning in class.  The quality of teaching is improving. This is because the school’s lesson observation system is broadly accurate and identifies where teaching is weak. Improvement plans are put place promptly if needed. The school can point to examples of teachers’ practice that has improved markedly as a result. The best teaching practice is identified and shared well.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pockets of underachievement remain and there is not enough outstanding teaching in which teachers challenge students to achieve the standards that they are capable of. Expectations in a few classes are too low. Students are sometimes too accepting of this and reluctant to question teachers when curious.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school is tackling differences between the achievement of different groups of students well. For example, disabled students and those who have special educational needs access staff in a specialist area where they will find support and reassurance if needed.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school meets requirements for child protection and safeguarding.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school’s provision for students to explore their spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding is provided through a range of well-planned activities. The teaching of ethics explores many aspects of modern life. The school’s prefect system encourages students to take their role within the school community seriously and many rise to the challenge.

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The leadership and management are good

 A range of guidance events promote students’ understanding of careers and training options well. Almost all students continue in education when they leave the school, progressing to either further education or sixth-form college.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governance of the school is strong. Governors bring an unusually wide range of experiences and strengths to their role. Their expertise includes finance and education, and they have good representation from other educational institutions and the community, including parents. They have a good understanding of the issues facing the school and have not been slow to undertake training in, for example, data analysis and safeguarding. They have ensured that the school meets all requirements for child protection. They offer good support but also constructive challenge to the school management team. Governors understand where the strengths and weaknesses of the school lie and have overseen current improvements in performance management. They understand the use of pupil premium funding and have ensured that it gives the school good value for money.

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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 138759 Local authority Norfolk Inspection number 442638

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Secondary School category Academy converter Age range of pupils 11–16 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 880 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair John Fox Principal Simon Fox Telephone number 01493 740349 Fax number 01493 740223 Email address office@flegg.norfolk.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 and 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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