Carlton Bolling College

Undercliffe Lane, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD3 0DU

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Inadequate 4 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Inadequate 4 Leadership and management Inadequate 4

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires special measures.  Governance is inadequate. The governing body is an obstacle to improvement, rather than a champion of it. Deep rooted disagreement and distrust between governors was very clear to inspectors. Governance does not contribute effectively to setting the college’s strategic direction.  Some staff expressed serious concerns about relationships between leaders, including governors, and other staff through the inspection survey or in confidence to inspectors.  Around 30% of staff who responded to the inspection survey say that the college is not well managed. A few stated that they fear speaking out publicly. Staff turnover is high.  In the context of this unsettling picture, leaders have been unable to stem the decline in the quality of teaching and achievement in some subjects and year groups. Both require improvement; as does the sixth form.  Students are polite and courteous, but

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

attitudes to learning in lessons require improvement. The slide in students’ behaviour is seen through occasional disruptive behaviour, but more often chatting in lessons or quiet lack of engagement.  Safeguarding is inadequate. The child protection and safeguarding policy, which is yet to be ratified by governors, fails to give necessary attention to potential risks posed by extremism. Senior leaders have a naive view about such risks and governors reported that they do not concern themselves with this matter. The curriculum does not help students to understand such risks.  Persistent absence rates, particularly of some Eastern European students, are a concern. Not enough has been done to identify and tackle the causes. Consequently, work to keep these students safe and secure is inadequate.  Equality of opportunity is not promoted adequately. Policies such as afternoon closure for Friday prayers do not support the different

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

needs of the growing minority of non-Muslim students.  Parents’ views are not gathered frequently enough to inform the college’s work.

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The school has the following strengths

 Students have generally positive relationships with adults in the college.  The headteacher is implementing plans to improve the weaker aspects of the college.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection was carried out at no notice under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. It was subsequently deemed a section 5 inspection due to the extent of concerns surrounding safeguarding and leadership and management, particularly governance.  Inspectors observed 21 part-lessons, five of which were observed jointly with members of the senior leadership team. Inspectors also visited a range of lessons for short periods, including an intervention group that supports students’ development of their literacy skills.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, senior, middle leaders and staff. Other meetings included discussions with the Assistant Director for Education from Bradford Council’s children’s services and a representative from the Bradford Partnership, a partnership of Bradford secondary schools that work together to support improvement in Bradford schools.  Inspectors spoke to students in lessons and at various times during each day. They also spoke

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Information about this inspection

formally to groups of students on the first day of the inspection.  The inspection team looked at a range of students’ work books, school documentation, including attendance, exclusion and behaviour information, the recent review of the school by the Bradford Partnership, the headteacher’s reports to governors and a variety of governing body minutes. They reviewed a range of policies, including those aimed at keeping students safe.  At the time of the inspection, not enough parents or carers had completed the online inspection survey, Parent View, for inspectors to take account of their views. There has been no school- initiated parent survey since the last inspection for inspectors to review and consider. Inspectors took account of 74 responses to the Ofsted staff survey.

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Inspection team

Margaret Farrow, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Cathryn Kirby Her Majesty’s Inspector Joan Hewitt Her Majesty’s Inspector Phil Smith Her Majesty’s Inspector Lynne Selkirk Additional Inspector

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Full report

In accordance with section 44 of the Education Act 2005 (as amended), Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school.

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Information about this school

 Carlton Bolling is a much larger than average secondary school. Well over half of the students are known to be supported by the pupil premium (additional funding to support the learning of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals or who are looked after by the local authority); this is twice the national average.  A high proportion of students are of minority ethnic heritage. The largest group is of Pakistani heritage followed by Bangladeshi. A small proportion is White British. A small but increasing minority are of Eastern European heritage, including from Hungary and Poland, a number of whom are in the early stages of understanding English.  The proportion of students with a disability or special educational needs receiving extra help at the school action level of support is nearly twice the national average. An average proportion is identified as needing school action plus support or has a statement of special educational needs.

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Information about this school

 There has been significant change in leadership and staffing over the last 18 months, including two headteachers and an acting headteacher. The current headteacher took up his post in September 2013. The acting headteacher who led the school at the time of the inspection in January 2013 had been in post a matter of days before the inspection and left in July 2013. A number of staff, including senior staff, left the school between January and September 2013. Since September 2013, well over 20 more have either left or are about to leave.  At the time of the inspection, Year 11 students were not on-site. They had completed their examinations and left the school. Year 13 students were also out of school.  The headteacher has very recently restructured the leadership team and the governing body was reconstituted in October 2013.  The school currently meets the government’s floor standard, which sets out minimum

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Information about this school

expectations for students’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Immediately carry out a review of governance so that the governing body is fit for purpose, understands its role and responsibilities, carries out its statutory and other duties within the boundaries expected and ensures that: − all policies meet requirements and are up to date and ratified by the governing body, especially those related to child protection and safeguarding − the named governor for safeguarding is suitably trained − staff and governors are well trained on how to identify and respond to possible risks to students from extreme or radical views so they can better safeguard students from such risks − school policies and practice are sensitive to and meet the needs of all students so that all are treated equally, with equal opportunities to benefit from all that the college has to offer − the views of parents and carers are gathered by governors regularly to inform the college’s work.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Reduce the number of students who are persistently absent by: − improving the use of the detailed information leaders hold about attendance of different groups so they can investigate, and then tackle, the causes of non-attendance.  Raise students’ achievements in all subjects further by: − implementing fully the recent strategies to drive improvement in teaching − tackling the variability in the quality of teaching across all key stages including the sixth form and in different subjects − tackling the causes of some students’ lack of engagement in lessons and by ensuring a consistent approach to the management of behaviour in all lessons − ensuring that all teachers have high expectations of what students can do and high expectations of the quality and presentation of work they complete − raising students’ understanding of what good achievement looks like by showcasing and celebrating high-quality work on classroom walls and displays across the college

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

− sharing the strongest practice in teaching including marking and feedback and effective teacher questioning and by seeking to learn from good practice outside the college.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality and impact of leadership and management by: − ensuring that the college’s provision gives high priority to helping students stay safe by teaching them to understand the possible risks posed by the behaviour of others − ensuring that the governing body contributes to, rather than detracts from, the college’s overall effectiveness − senior leaders and governors, through their actions and behaviours, working to improve relationships and trust among the staff community − ensuring that changes that affect students’ experience of school, including of the curriculum, take equal account of their different needs and faiths − ensuring that all middle leaders have the skills to raise students’ achievement and can demonstrate the impact of their work through improving outcomes over time.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of the college’s use of the pupil premium should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

Ofsted will make recommendations on governance to the authority responsible for the college.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Achievement requires improvement because it varies too widely across subjects and types of courses and in individual classes. Achievement at Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5 is much stronger in vocational subjects than in academic subjects.  The proportion of students gaining five good GCSEs including English and mathematics fell in summer 2013 and was well below the national average. Nevertheless, from students’ low starting points in English and mathematics, many made progress that was at least in line with similar groups of students nationally in these two subjects.  Leaders’ strong focus on improving English and mathematics this year is making a positive difference in Year 11. The school’s tracking information indicates that results will be an improvement on the previous year’s results.  This improvement is not the case in all subjects and other year groups. Variability in the balance of strengths and weaknesses in teachers’ practice results in patchy achievement in classes and

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

in the qualifications students gain at the end of their time in the college. Leaders know that achievement in some humanities subjects is inadequate and are taking action to tackle this.  Newly arrived students are supported effectively by designated staff in learning to speak English to help them in their studies. The progress made by students with a disability or special educational needs and those entitled to the pupil premium also requires improvement. There are virtually no gaps in performance between pupils eligible for free school meals and other students.  In lessons that require improvement, teachers do not always focus on students’ learning needs effectively enough to ensure that all students make good, rather than steady, progress.  Smaller class groups and intervention work with small groups of students who have difficulties in literacy or numeracy are helping to build students’ confidence and skills. Tracking information

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

for some targeted groups shows good improvement as a result of this focused work and students say they appreciate the additional help.  The wide variability in outcomes across the sixth form means that achievement in the sixth form also requires improvement. Course demands and students’ skills, knowledge and understanding are not well matched on enrolment to sixth form courses to ensure good retention and success rates.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The quality of teaching has declined since the last inspection. The leadership of teaching has failed to sustain good provision, a situation that has not been helped by the significant changes in staffing. Consequently, some students make less progress than they should.  Some teachers do not have high enough expectations of what students can do or in the quality of work expected from them. As a result, some books are messy and show little progress over time. The good practice in teachers’ marking and feedback seen in some classes is not evident in all.  Sometimes, there is a mismatch between teachers’ assumptions of students’ literacy and comprehension skills and students’ actual abilities. Where this occurs, students’ progress is hindered by their lack of understanding of basic concepts.  There are examples of teaching where teachers’ knowledge of students’ differing abilities is used well to plan and deliver activities that move students on quickly in developing their skills and

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

acquiring new knowledge and understanding. This was evident in a physical education lesson where the teacher’s good understanding of students’ differing skills and competencies, his enthusiasm for the subject and the range of interesting activities motivated even the reluctant to try and achieve their best.  In some subjects, teachers give students the opportunity to reflect on moral and social dilemmas, but students’ diffidence hinders them from engaging in more than superficial debate.  Where learning is better, teachers are skilled in asking pertinent questions and instilling in students a confidence to respond in ways that extend their vocabulary, as well as their understanding and ability to think for themselves. This practice is not evident across all subjects or in all lessons so opportunities to develop literacy skills can be missed.  Relationships between teachers and students are generally cordial and students arrive promptly

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are inadequate

 The work the college does to keep students safe and secure is inadequate. It is for this reason that students’ behaviour and safety overall is inadequate. The college does not protect students from the possible risks posed by extremism well enough. Students do not have enough opportunities to understand how to recognise extremist views or what to do if they hear such views expressed.  Students say they are taught about using the internet safely. The sex and relationships education policy is new and is not yet ratified by governors. Teaching of the subject is relatively recent. As a result, older students in particular have not been well prepared for if they become exposed to risks to their safety and well-being and nothing has or is being done to resolve this.  Students’ attendance overall has improved but the proportion of students who are persistently absent remains higher than that found nationally; students from Eastern European heritage

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are inadequate

form a significant part of this group.  Students’ behaviour requires improvement overall. This is because students’ behaviour and attitudes to learning in some lessons are not consistently good.  In lessons that require improvement, students’ attitudes to learning are too often lack-lustre. In such lessons, teachers have to work hard throughout to interest and ‘chivvy’ some students to get down to their work.  The college is generally calm and lessons usually take place without disruption. Students are polite and friendly, but sometimes lack the confidence to offer extended answers to teachers’ questions in lessons.  Students wear their uniform smartly and look after the school buildings well. However, they show less respect for their books, which are often dog-eared, and some have graffiti in them.  Students report that they are taught effectively to understand most forms of bullying and how hurtful it can be, but some students of Eastern European origin report they are called names

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The leadership and management are inadequate

 Leadership is hindered by some ill-judged decisions and divisions within the governing body. Collectively, the governing body is not providing sufficient oversight and challenge to ensure that its statutory duties are fulfilled.  Safeguarding arrangements are inadequate. Governors do not meet their responsibilities. The yet to be ratified child protection and safeguarding policy does not identify the steps the college will take to protect students from the possible risks of radicalisation or extremism. Students and staff are not educated through the curriculum or training well enough to understand, respond to or calculate potential risks associated with extreme or radical views.  Governors encroach unnecessarily on the headteacher’s time, preventing him from focusing on the required changes as quickly as he needs to. For example, there are delays in appointing teaching and non-teaching staff because governors oversee all appointments.

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The leadership and management are inadequate

 Governors do not discharge their responsibilities to ensure equality of opportunity for all pupils. This is because some decisions accommodate the needs of Muslim students well, but do not take sufficient account of other faiths, mostly found in the small group of White British and growing number of Eastern European students. Not enough work has taken place to understand why more Eastern European students are persistently absent so that this concern can be tackled.  The Ofsted staff survey shows that the leadership has not gained the full confidence of all staff. The survey revealed an undercurrent of distrust and concern. Around 30% of the staff who responded stated that the college is not led well. The small number of written comments gave a negative view of working in the college  The significant turbulence in staffing before and since the headteacher’s arrival is hindering the pace of improvement in teaching and in students’ achievements across the college. The senior

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The leadership and management are inadequate

and middle leadership team has recently been restructured. Consequently, the intended strategy for leading teaching and learning, delivering more rigorous performance management and increasing professional development opportunities for all staff have yet to make their mark.  Staff spoke to inspectors enthusiastically about teaching and the recent work that is being undertaken to improve its quality and impact. However, inspectors’ views of teaching and its impact on learning over time indicate that leaders’ and governors’ assessment of teaching as good is overgenerous.  Improvements have recently been made to the signatory process for raising cheques in college. This follows an incident in which one teacher converted cash raised by students and the community to a college cheque for a charity unknown to the headteacher and without his knowledge.  The curriculum requires improvement because until very recently it was narrow and was not

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The leadership and management are inadequate

meeting students’ needs fully. Recent changes have improved the breadth and balance of the curriculum, but these will take time to show their full impact in meeting the needs and interests of the whole student body. For example, music has been reintroduced to Key Stage 3 and the personal, social, health and education curriculum has been broadened and now includes sex and relationships education as a taught programme.  The local authority and Bradford Partnership are providing support to the headteacher and staff of the college. The local authority has regularly sought legal advice about their powers to intervene, but this has not resulted in tangible actions to tackle the deep-seated concerns about governance in this college over recent years.  The governance of the school: − Governance is inadequate. Some governors accept that the governing body is not fit for purpose. There is a rift in the governing body between groups of governors that has resulted

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The leadership and management are inadequate

in an atmosphere of distrust in which some members say they feel intimidated. For example, the inspectors were told that the Chair of the Governing Body shouted aggressively in response to the expression of views contrary to his own. − Governors wasted time reorganising their structure. This was an unnecessary distraction from more pressing work, such as ensuring that all policies are up to date, implemented, monitored and reviewed for impact. One of the two stated reasons for the reorganisation, which was to enable the Chair of the Governing Body to remain a governor of the college, is inappropriate. The other stated reason, to improve the effectiveness of committees and governors’ skills, has been unsuccessful. Very few governors have received any training since 2010. − The new child protection and safeguarding policy states that all governors must receive safeguarding training annually. Few have been trained, including the Chair of the Governing

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The leadership and management are inadequate

Body or the named governor for safeguarding. This restricts the governing body’s ability to ensure that it has the knowledge and information needed to understand its safeguarding responsibilities or carry these out effectively. − Pressure has been exerted by some governors to restrict the curriculum and change the nature of collective worship. A proposal by teachers for a mixed residential trip to London was refused by governors and boys were excluded from this visit. Over time, some governors have exerted pressure on headteachers to seek a Determination from the Department of Education exempting the college from having a broadly Christian act of worship. Some governing body members have also pushed for the narrowing of the geography curriculum and restricting religious education courses to the study of Islam. − Governors know how the pupil premium is spent and the impact of this funding on students’

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The leadership and management are inadequate

achievements, but have yet to measure the impact of the government’s Year 7 ‘catch up’ grant. Governors do not understand the views of the changing community of parents and carers as they do not systematically gather their views on a reasonably regular basis.

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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 107413 Local authority Bradford Inspection number 450448

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School details

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

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School details

Type of school Secondary School category Community Age range of pupils 11–18 Gender of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 1,476 Of which, number on roll in sixth form 2965 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Faisal Khan Headteacher Adrian Kneeshaw Date of previous school inspection 9 January 2013 Telephone number 01274 633111 Fax number 01274 630635 Email address a.kneeshaw@carltonbolling.co.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory 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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