Kettering Buccleuch Academy

Kettering Buccleuch Academy Weekley Glebe Road, Kettering, NN16 9NS

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Overall effectiveness

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

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that has serious weaknesses.  At Key Stage 2, students’ achievement has been consistently poor over the last three years. In 2013, students also underachieved at Key Stage 4.  Throughout the academy, students have not made enough progress in mathematics over time.  Students supported by the pupil premium (additional funding) achieve significantly less well than others do by the end of Year 11  Teaching in the primary phase does not always challenge more-able students to reach their full potential. Recent improvements in teaching across the school have not had time to impact on the progress students make, especially in mathematics.  Teachers do not apply consistent approaches to help students improve the presentation of their work or to develop their communication skills, particularly in writing.  Some students are following courses which are inappropriate for their ability levels.  The quality of marking is not always good

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

because teachers do not give students enough guidance about what they need to do to improve their work.  The misbehaviour of a minority of students sometimes slows the learning of their classmates, particularly in science and mathematics.  New systems introduced by senior leaders for monitoring teaching and tracking students’ attainment, have yet to make substantial improvement to students’ achievement.  Governance has been too slow to challenge persistent underachievement at Key Stage 2.  The sixth form requires improvement. Students’ achievement is not consistently good.

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The school has the following strengths

 The new leadership demonstrate the capacity to improve the academy quickly, as seen by students making better progress in the secondary phase.  The current quality of teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage is consistently strong.  With good support from the sponsor, leaders actively seek to learn from good practice in other schools.  Students feel safe. They say behaviour is much better as a result of new leaders’ tough stance. Attendance figures are improving.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 52 lessons, 17 of which were observed jointly with senior leaders. Inspectors were accompanied by a British Sign Language interpreter for part of the inspection.  Inspectors looked at students’ work in a number of subjects across several year groups.  Inspectors held meetings with senior and subject leaders, groups of students, the Chair and members of the local Governing Body, and spoke with representatives of the academy’s sponsor.  Inspectors considered the views of the 72 parents who responded to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, and the parents who contacted the team by letter. They analysed the results of the 28 replies to the staff questionnaire.  Inspectors looked at the academy’s data on students’ progress, minutes of meetings and records relating to behaviour, safety and attendance. They also reviewed the academy’s checks on how well it is doing and academy improvement plans.

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Inspection team

Lisa Fraser, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Susan Lomas Additional Inspector Rosemary Barnfield Additional Inspector Paul Watson Additional Inspector Beverley Mabey Additional Inspector

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Full report

In accordance with the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement, because it is performing significantly less well than it might in all the circumstances reasonably be expected to perform.

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Information about this school

 The academy is an all-through school and larger than most schools.  Most students are from White British backgrounds.  Many students join the academy at the start of the secondary phase.  The proportion of students supported by the pupil premium is above average. The pupil premium provides additional funding for students who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of disabled students and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is below average. The proportion of students supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is average.  The academy meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress at Key Stages 2 and 4.  The academy works in partnership with a range of organisations including, Thresham College,

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Information about this school

Minitt Ltd, William Knibb, Youth Works, Green Patch, The Complementary Education Academy, Torch Project – Irchester and The Real Project, to provide vocational and alternative provision to 49 students in Years 9 to 11.  The academy is sponsored by the United Learning Trust.  The academy has specially resourced provision for pupils with special educational needs. This is specialist provision for pupils who are deaf. A very small number of students were supported by this provision at the time of the inspection. These students use spoken language and/or British Sign Language according to their needs. From September 2014, this provision will be run by the local authority.  Significant changes in leadership have taken place since the previous inspection, including in the past year. In November 2013, a substantive academy principal was appointed. Many leaders, including vice and assistant principals, have been appointed in the last twelve months. The

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Information about this school

executive headteacher in the primary phase had been in post for six weeks at the time of the inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching and raise achievement across the primary and secondary phases, particularly at Key Stage 2 and in mathematics, by:  increasing the level of challenge for students, especially the most-able and students eligible for the pupil premium, across all subjects  improving the support given by teaching assistants to disabled students and those who have special educational needs in lessons  making sure that teachers mark work regularly, give clear advice on what students need to do to improve their work ensuring that students are given help to develop their communication skills across all subjects, particularly in reading and writing, and to improve the presentation of their written work.  Ensure that the behaviour of a minority of students does not adversely affect students’ learning, particularly in mathematics and science.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the effectiveness of leadership and management by:  ensuring that new heads of subjects receive the training and support they need to drive improvements so that teaching is never less than good  implementing plans to ensure that all students follow courses which are appropriate for their ability levels  making sure that leaders and governors measure the impact of the spending of additional funding to ensure accelerated progress for all students supported by the pupil premium  ensuring that the local governing body continues to work with experts from the sponsor to develop their skills and understanding of their role so that they are equipped to take more rapid action to address areas of persistent underperformance.

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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. An external review of the academy’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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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

 Achievement is inadequate because students’ progress and attainment at Key Stage 2 has been consistently poor over the past three years. In 2013, the proportion of pupils making the progress expected in reading, writing and mathematics was below the national average. Current data indicate that the attainment of pupils in Year 6 will be even lower than last year.

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

 In mathematics, students make insufficient progress across the academy. Last year, pupils at Key Stage 1 attained below average standards in mathematics. At Key Stage 2, pupils have consistently underachieved over time. Over the past two years, students entered early for GCSE examination in mathematics, including the most able, have repeatedly failed to make the progress expected. Predictions for students currently in Year 11 indicate students’ achievement in mathematics remains low.

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

 Students in Year 11 typically enter the secondary phase with skills in reading, writing and mathematics which are below average. By the time they leave the academy, the proportion of students achieving five GCSE grades A* to C, including English and mathematics, is below average. Students in Year 11 in 2011 did not make good progress across the range of subjects. The proportion of students making expected and accelerated progress in English was below that found nationally. Current data indicate that, as a result of leaders’ successful focus on English, this year students in Year 11 are expected to make the progress they should.

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

 Additional funding to support students eligible for the pupil premium has been spent in various ways, including one-to-one tuition in English and mathematics and additional teaching assistants. However, this funding is not having a rapid impact on the achievement of eligible students. During the past two years, gaps between their attainment and that of their classmates have remained wide in the secondary phase. Despite its aim to do so, the academy has not, therefore, been successful in ensuring equality of opportunity.

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

 In 2013, the attainment of pupils supported by additional funding at Key Stage 2 was similar to their classmates in English and mathematics, reflecting the low attainment at the academy in this key stage. In Year 11, students were well over a grade behind their peers in their GCSE examination results in English and a grade and a half behind in mathematics. In the current Year 11, very few eligible students are on track to attain five GCSE passes at grades A* to C including English and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

 Similarly, catch-up funding which supports students who join the secondary phase with weak literacy and numeracy skills, has not had a significant impact on improving these students’ achievement. Leaders have recognised that specialist reading programmes designed to help students catch up with their classmates were not helping them do so quickly enough. They have acted quickly to bring about the necessary changes to the support on offer.

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

 Disabled students and those who have special educational needs do not achieve consistently well. Not all teaching assistants give good support to these students in lessons because many assistants have not received appropriate training. The very few deaf students supported by the resource base make similarly inconsistent progress and particularly in reading because the teaching does not always take sufficient account of their needs.

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

 Achievement has been inadequate for students who access alternative provision off the academy site for part of their learning. A number of students have been following courses which are inappropriate for their ability levels. Not all students attend these sessions regularly.

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

 Although achievement is not yet good, the small sixth form has improved since the previous inspection. In 2013, from their relatively low starting points, students’ achievement at both A and AS level was broadly average. Good numbers moved on to study at university or further education courses. All sixth formers have the opportunity to develop their employability skills by completing a week’s work experience. However, leaders are concerned that students in the current Year 13 are not on track to achieve their targets. The small numbers of students entered for resit GCSE examinations in English and mathematics have low success rates.

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

 In the Early Years Foundation Stage, children are making good progress because teaching is consistently good. Although attainment dipped in 2013, pupils in Key Stage 1 usually achieve average standards.

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

 Leaders are phasing out the use of early entry in GCSE examinations. Students are no longer entered early in mathematics. However, students in Year 10 have been entered early for GCSE English literature this year. In 2013, students’ attainment in English literature was in line with the national average.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Inadequate teaching has not been fully eradicated at Key Stage 2. The quality of teaching in Years 1 and 2 is improving but it has not yet impacted on achievement. Progress by some pupils have been affected by the high turnover of staff.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 When teaching is poor, teachers provide unsuitable activities to enable all students, including the most able, students supported by additional funding, disabled students and those who have special educational needs – including those who are deaf – to make good progress. This is because these teachers do not have high expectations of what students can achieve and the work provided is often too easy. On occasion, students in these lessons do not know what the teachers expect them to do.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Many students have weak literacy skills but many teachers across a range of subjects are ineffective in helping students to improve their communication skills. At Key Stage 2, in particular, pupils’ presentation of work is often poor. Pages are scribbled upon or torn out of exercise books.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Students’ work is not always marked to a high quality across all subjects; they sometimes do not receive helpful advice on what they need to do to improve their work. Marking does not take into account the targets which students are working towards.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching assistants are not all working consistently well to support targeted students; work to improve their effectiveness in the classroom is at an early stage and so has not had time to make a difference to some students’ learning. Where support is working well, teaching assistants ask good questions to develop understanding rather than doing the work for students.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching in the secondary phase is improving fast; this is because of improved leadership. Practical subjects, such as physical education, information, communication and technology and art are taught consistently well leading to good student outcomes.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage is consistently strong because of the strength of provision in this area; teachers and assistants support the development of children’s knowledge and skills well.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Good teaching in history is appreciated by students and supports their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. For example, Year 7 students’ moral awareness was developed well in work on the slave trade. Successful teaching enables students to enjoy their work and achieve well in physical education and drama.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The quality of teaching in the sixth form is rapidly improving and so is students’ achievement. Students were observed learning very effectively in media studies when using information and communication technology in a coursework blogging task. However, some sixth formers expressed their frustration that, in other subjects, they have had a succession of different teachers. Teachers who have left have not always been replaced. Students say that high staff turnover has had a negative impact on the quality of their learning.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 The behaviour of students requires improvement. Students are beginning to show increasingly positive attitudes to learning. However, there remains a minority of students whose behaviour occasionally affects the progress of their classmates in lessons, particularly in mathematics and science.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Older students sometimes find it difficult to motivate themselves to get involved in learning. Younger students do not find it easy to maintain concentration.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Where the quality of teaching is good, students’ behaviour is also good. Students are motivated by the reward points they receive for positive effort. Students conduct themselves responsibly around the academy and in the dining hall.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Students are extremely positive about recent improvements in behaviour instigated by senior leaders. Leaders have begun to successfully tackle poor attendance. Attendance has gone up and is now in line with the latest published national average data. Leaders’ insistence on good standards of behaviour has resulted in a sharp increase in fixed-term exclusions. There have been a number of permanent exclusions in the last two years.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 The academy’s work to keep students safe and secure is good. Access to the academy is secure and staff are rigorously checked prior to appointment.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Students and their parents agree they are safe at the academy. Provision for students’ personal, social and health education in the secondary phase contribute to students’ good understanding of the dangers attached to alcohol, drugs, and sexual relationships. Several students spoke positively about how support from the academy’s counsellors has helped them to improve their behaviour or tackle personal problems.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 A number of parents had concerns about how the academy deals with bullying and inspectors considered these carefully. They found that students have a good understanding of the different types of bullying and the academy acts decisively to deal with incidents. Older students say that bullying is rare but younger pupils say it exists in the primary phase. All students are confident that teachers sort out any issues.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Sixth formers are generally positive about their learning. A small number of students on health and social care courses have supported younger students’ reading and numeracy in the primary phase. However, the attendance of students in Year 13 this year has not been high enough.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 New leaders have instigated many significant changes and these are beginning to make a marked difference to the quality of teaching and achievement, particularly in the secondary phase. There is clear direction from the Principal who sets ambitious targets for improvement. The sixth form is improving and good leadership in the Early Years Foundation Stage is ensuring children make good progress. Students are now on track to make the progress expected in English by the end of Key Stage 4. However, the changes instigated by leaders have not had enough time to make a difference overall, and especially at Key Stage 2.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The Principal and local governing body have appointed some key leaders, including a few heads of subject. However, they have not yet started work at the academy. Some other leaders are new to their roles and have yet to have the training they need to support improvements in teaching and learning in their areas of responsibility.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Senior leaders are working closely with the local authority to ensure that the transfer of the leadership and management of the resourced provision for deaf students results in improved achievement and outcomes for these students.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Nevertheless, academy improvement plans highlight the right priorities. Arrangements to monitor the quality of teaching and new systems to track students’ attainment and progress introduced in the last year are thorough. During the inspection, an examination of students’ work indicated there have been improvements in the progress students are making in the secondary phase. Together with the improvements seen, and confirmed by the students, in behaviour and attendance, this demonstrates leaders’ capacity to improve the academy further.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Although teaching is still inadequate, senior leaders have not been afraid to take decisive action to change staff in order to raise the quality of teaching. In the short term, this has resulted in a high turnover of staff and temporary teachers in some classes. Despite the good range of coaching and training opportunities on offer, significant numbers of staff are moving on from the academy this year. Last year, a few teachers who were successful in enabling students to make good progress in particular subjects moved onto higher pay scales, whereas others did not. The setting of targets for staff is now done with greater care and is reviewed rigorously to drive improvements in the quality and effectiveness of teaching.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 At Key Stage 4, leaders have correctly recognised that courses provided for students who study off-site for part of their learning are not ensuring they make the progress they should. Consequently, the academy itself is offering a wider choice of subjects from next year.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Good opportunities exist in Reception for children to make discoveries in their learning beyond the classroom. Many were excited to see the development of some eggs that had hatched overnight. The newsflash on this topic on the academy’s social media account encouraged children to discuss this with their parents.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is enhanced by the academy’s programme of assemblies, which Year 9 students described as ‘inspirational’. There is a good number of sporting activities on offer after school. Students are looking forward to the production of Grease later this term.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Additional sports funding is used by the academy to offer sessions in dodgeball, gymnastics and table tennis. These are helping pupils to improve their coordination and well-being in the primary phase.  Students in the sixth form benefit from careers information, advice and guidance which ensure that almost all leave the academy to move on to education, employment or training.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Support provided by external consultants and partnerships with other schools organised through the academy’s sponsor have ensured that some subject leaders have received helpful training in observations of teaching and learning and in reviewing the performance of their departments.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The governance of the school:  Governance has been too slow to tackle issues of persistent underachievement at Key Stage 2. With support from the new principal and directors and advisers employed by the sponsor, the local governing body is developing its understanding of its role. Nevertheless, the local governing body lacks a detailed understanding of published data about the academy’s performance and how much difference the additional funding is making to the achievement of students supported by the pupil premium. Senior leaders and external consultants keep governors from the local governing body informed about the quality of teaching. They understand the arrangements for managing the performance of staff and know what is done to reward good teachers and tackle underperformance. The local governing body makes sure that safeguarding arrangements meet requirements. What inspection judgements mean

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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 135966 Local authority Northamptonshire Inspection number 425059

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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 All-through School category Academy sponsor-led Age range of pupils 4–18 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 1314 Of which, number on roll in sixth form 73 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Cluny Broadbent Headteacher James Bowkett Date of previous school inspection 12 October 2011 Telephone number 01536 515644 Fax number 01536 510163 Email address enquiries@ketteringbuccleuch-academy.org 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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