Ellesmere College

Ellesmere College Ellesmere Road, Leicester, LE3 1BE

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Requires improvement 3 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 effective leadership of the Co-Principals, other leaders and the governing body has led to improvements in the quality of teaching and raised students’ achievements since the previous inspection.  The leadership team have high expectations of what staff and students can achieve and have clear plans to ensure that their vision of ‘together we learn, together we achieve’ will have a positive impact on students’ progress.  Teaching is good and the proportion of outstanding teaching is rising. Senior leaders and governors have effectively tackled any weak teaching.  The sixth form is good. Students are well prepared for the next stage in their learning.  Behaviour is good across the college. Students’ attitudes are consistently positive. They relate well to staff, who manage behaviour consistently well.  Governors know the college well and are committed to improving it further. They have

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

an accurate view of the strengths and areas for improvement.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teachers do not always record when verbal feedback has been given, or follow up quickly enough on the written points for improvement they give to students.  Occasionally teachers do not make sufficient use of what students already know to set them new work at the correct level of challenge.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors, together with members of the senior leadership team, observed 21 lessons.  Meetings were held with members of the senior and middle leadership team, the multi-agency team, teaching assistants, students, parents, governors and a representative of the local authority.  The inspectors observed the college’s work and looked at a range of documentation, including self-review reports, local authority reports, development planning, details of the curriculum and the governing body minutes. Records of students’ progress, behaviour and well being were scrutinised as well as students work and monitoring records on the quality of teaching. Attendance records were checked in addition to procedures relating to the safeguarding of students.  The inspectors also took into account 27 responses to the Ofsted online questionnaire (Parent View), the college’s own parent questionnaire and responses to the staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Lynda Walker, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Elizabeth Buckingham Additional Inspector Martin Bertulis Additional Inspector

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Full report

In accordance with section 13 (5) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires significant improvement.

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Information about this school

 The college caters for secondary aged students with learning difficulties from across Leicester. All students have a statement of special educational needs for their complex learning difficulties. A growing number of students have a diagnosis of autism, and a few have additional hearing or multi-sensory impairments.  The proportion of students for whom they school receives pupil premium funding is above the national average. This is additional funding for those known to be eligible for free school meals, or who are looked after by the local authority.  The college has students from a wide range of minority ethnic backgrounds. This reflects the community in Leicester. A significant proportion of students speak English as an additional language.  A small number of students are educated off site at ‘Trans4m’, Bolay Farm and the Youth Enterprise project in Leicester.  The college has strong links with a wide range of external agencies and through its specialist

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Information about this school

subject of sport leads on disability sport in Leicester and Leicestershire.  The college is due to move into new premises in September 2014 and will take its first intake of primary-aged pupils with complex special educational needs.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching and learning to outstanding by:  developing the recording of verbal and written feedback between students and staff so that students know what they need to do to improve their work  ensuring that all staff consistently use the data they collect on what a student already knows and can do to plan work that enables individual students or groups of students to make the best possible progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Prepare all staff for the increasing complexity of needs of the young people being admitted to Ellesmere College.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The attainment of students on entry to the college is lower than others of their age because of their particular learning difficulties. Despite this the majority of students make good or better progress from their starting points compared with students nationally in special schools.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The proportion of students making more than expected progress has improved since the previous inspection. There is an increased range of accredited courses and every Year 11 student achieves success in entry level passes. More-able students are identified early, study and gain passes in a range of GCSE’s including English and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Equal opportunities are at the heart of the college’s work. There is no discrimination and every student has the opportunity to perform to their full potential. The college checks students’ progress carefully and all students regardless of gender, ethnicity, background, or special educational needs achieve equally well.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Students supported by the pupil premium achieve as well and sometimes better than their classmates and there are no gaps in the attainment of these students and others in English and mathematics. This is because the funding is used well to support students’ progress in literacy, numeracy and personal development. It checks carefully on how well the students are doing and how well this support is helping.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Students who speak English as an additional language make similarly good progress in English and mathematics as their classmates because the staff take every opportunity to promote their knowledge skills and understanding.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Progress in the sixth form is good. Through good teaching the students gain qualifications in a range of academic, work-related and life-skills courses. These qualifications are transferable to college courses at the local colleges and thus prepare the students well for the next stage in their learning.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 A small number of students spend part of their time studying off site. Their rates of progress are good with all providers and similar to students in the school. There are effective arrangements for checking the quality of their work and ensuring their safety.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Work in students’ books show that they achieve well irrespective of their individual special needs.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Achievement in English and mathematics is good because students are provided with good opportunities to practise their skills in a range of activities. This was evident in a physical education lesson where students were measuring distances that they had jumped and in a science lesson where students confidently read about and discussed what they should do if there was a casualty.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Achievement is good rather than outstanding because students do not always move on quickly enough once they understand how to do something. This is because teachers do not always take sufficiently into account what they already know when planning new work for them.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Relationships between teachers, teaching assistants and the students are excellent and are a strong feature of the college. Teaching assistants, some of whom are trained to a higher level, provide excellent support. They confidently teach small groups and the students value the help they receive.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Reading skills have improved due to all teachers undergoing further training and all staff now make sure that reading skills are developed across all subjects. This has had a significant impact on students’ progress. The well-organised classrooms are stimulating and support learning effectively. Key words are displayed in all teaching areas and these are used effectively.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Good teaching in the sixth form means that students are very well prepared for the next phase of their lives. Students spoke enthusiastically to the inspectors about their work experience placements, their hopes for the future and how they had to be more independent and make their own decisions now that they were in the sixth form.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers have very good subject knowledge and high expectations of the students as they know them very well. They offer verbal feedback frequently during lessons through effective interactions with students that focus on helping them to improve their knowledge and skills. However this is not always reflected in the assessment of students’ work in their books. As a result, a few students do not know how well they are progressing towards their goals or how they can improve their work.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The senior leadership team and the governors have acted quickly to improve or remove any weak or inconsistent teaching and the proportion of outstanding practice across the college is increasing as a result.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of students is good. They display good attitudes to their learning. They are polite, friendly and courteous, keen to do well and are justifiably proud of their own and their peers’ achievements.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of students is promoted extremely well; typically through assemblies, sports, music and the arts. This enriches students’ experiences and they get along well together.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The attitude and behaviour of the students in the sixth form are equally good and students develop their maturity in a more adult environment.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The college’s work to keep the students safe and secure is outstanding. The college works closely with health and social-care colleagues to keep students safe both in the college and when studying at alternative sites.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Students and their parents report that they feel extremely safe at all times. Parents spoken to during the inspection were unreservedly complimentary about the way in which the staff at the school cared for and taught their children. One commented that she used to dread her son’s previous school phoning but now when she can see that she has a call from Ellesmere she knows that it is to praise and celebrate his achievements.  The students are very clear about what bullying is, including cyber bullying and they told the inspectors how they had taken part in a performance in Leicester about anti –bullying and what you should do if you are being bullied.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The college monitors attendance closely and it is now broadly average.

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The leadership and management are good

 The senior leadership team and the governors have worked closely with the local authority to bring about improvements since the previous inspection. The college’s evaluation of its effectiveness is accurate and is based solidly on robust evidence from checks on all elements of the college’s work.

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The leadership and management are good

 The college works closely with a range of professionals from external sources such as speech and language therapists, the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, family support workers and the Educational Physiologists Service in order to ensure that all students are supported well to achieve and experience success. This has also supported staff in developing their understanding of students with more complex needs.

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The leadership and management are good

 The recent restructuring of staff’s roles and responsibilities has been effective in establishing a culture where learning is at the heart of every activity that takes place. Teaching assistants are used extremely effectively to support both the learning and pastoral needs of the students and are appreciative of the training they receive.

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The leadership and management are good

 Checks on all staff’s performance have been used effectively to raise the quality of teaching and to remove any weak and /or inconsistent teaching. This has resulted in teachers undergoing training to improve their skills and develop new understanding.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders have effectively reviewed the secondary curriculum to adapt it to the changing intake of students. The recently introduced themed topics for the students in Key Stage 3 are well planned. They provide positive experiences with rich opportunities for learning for all students, particularly those on the autistic spectrum and those with more complex learning needs. There is an extensive range of enrichment activities, clubs and visits for all students throughout the college and the students spoke enthusiastically about taking part in sporting competitions and residential trips.

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The leadership and management are good

 In September 2014 the college will admit its first primary-age pupils with complex learning difficulties and the leadership team is working hard to ensure that all staff are suitably skilled and experienced in meeting their needs.

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The leadership and management are good

 The range of qualifications students can take has been widened considerably as is evident in their examination success and reflects leaders’ ambition and high expectations of students. The sixth form offers a good balance of academic, practical and work-related subjects and high quality personal learning programmes that prepare the students very well for the next stage in their adult lives.

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The leadership and management are good

 The pupil premium is used effectively to support students’ achievement, through one-to-one support, increased literacy and numeracy resources, and also to fund school trips for eligible students. As a result these students enjoy their learning and are doing as well as their classmates.  Comments from both parents and staff reflect the way in which the college is held in good regard. A parent commented, ‘My son has made considerable progress, he feels happy and safe at the college which is well led and managed and makes it a college to be proud of’.

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The leadership and management are good

 The college makes sure that students not making sufficient progress are given extra help to achieve well. Their system of ‘layered interventions’ works extremely well so that anyone who needs additional help is quickly identified and provided with the relevant support and help. Consequently, most students including those who join the school at different times, those from minority ethnic backgrounds and those who speak English as an additional language, make similarly good progress to other students.

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The leadership and management are good

 The college receives a small additional government funding for sport and has used this well to support sports-skills lessons and clubs which add to students’ enjoyment of the college. The college continues to support other schools throughout the Leicester and Leicestershire in ensuring their sports activities are inclusive and meet the needs of young people with disabilities.

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The leadership and management are good

 Local authority support for the school has been good. Advisers have worked closely with the leadership team to introduce rigorous systems to monitor both the quality of teaching and the achievement of students.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governance has been strengthened since the previous inspection. The governors now have a very clear understanding of the strengths and areas for development and are hugely committed to the college and are determined that it will succeed in its drive to be outstanding.  The skills and experience of governors are being used very effectively in the sub committees and they ensure that all of its statutory requirements, including those relating to safeguarding, are met both in the college and when the students are off site.  Working in partnership with the local authority and the senior leadership team, governors have ensured that staff have received appropriate training and support and that the quality of teaching has improved.  Governors have been very involved in the planning for the new school building due to open in September 2014.  Financial management is robust and governors have a good understanding of how the pupil

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The leadership and management are good

premium is spent and the results it produces.

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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 130371 Local authority Leicester City Inspection number 441953

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School details

Type of school Special School category Special Age range of pupils 11–19 Gender of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 198 Of which, number on roll in sixth form 40 Appropriate authority The local authority Chair Steve White Principal Lisa Pittwood and Lin Richardson (co-principals) Date of previous school inspection 13 December 2012 Telephone number 0116 2894224 Fax number 0116 2894121 Email address office@ellesmere.Leicester.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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