Shuttleworth College

Shuttleworth College Burnley Road, Padiham, Burnley, Lancashire, BB12 8ST

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Overall effectiveness

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

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This is a school that has serious weaknesses. It is not good because

 The proportion of students attaining five A* to C grades, including English and mathematics, at GCSE level is too low, as is students’ attainment at GCSE level generally. Consequently, students make inadequate progress.  Disadvantaged students supported by the pupil premium underachieve.  School leaders have previously not been effective in securing rapid and sustained improvement in students’ attainment and progress and in improving standards in teaching and learning.  School self-evaluation and improvement plans have lacked rigour.  Governors have not been sufficiently rigorous in holding senior leaders to account for students’ progress, examination results and the quality of teaching within the school.  Students’ attitudes to learning and their behaviour are not consistently good when faced with weaker teaching.  The curriculum has not been sufficiently broad or balanced so as to meet the needs of all students.

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This is a school that has serious weaknesses. It is not good because

 There is not enough good teaching across all subjects to move the school forward rapidly and enable students to make faster progress and reach higher standards.

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The school has the following strengths

 The newly appointed headteacher and Chair of the Governing Body have brought a more robust approach to driving improvement forward and in seeking high quality across all school provision.  Progress and attainment in English and mathematics is improving.  The school provides a safe and inclusive environment for its students.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in 36 parts of lessons taught by 35 teachers. Three of the observations were carried out jointly with senior leaders. Inspectors attended a Year 9 assembly and visited three tutorials.  Inspectors looked closely at samples of students’ written work across a range of subjects and year groups. They also watched behaviour around the school.  Inspectors held meetings with senior and middle leaders, a group of teachers, four groups of students, the Chair of the Governing Body and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors scrutinised a wide range of documentation including: self-evaluation and development plan summaries; data relating to students’ attainment and progress; information on attendance; documents and records about behaviour and safeguarding; records of the monitoring of teaching and learning and of performance management and minutes of meetings of the governing body.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors reviewed the 14 responses to the Ofsted on-line questionnaire (Parent View), alongside the school’s own records of parental and student feedback. They also considered the views expressed in 45 inspection questionnaires returned by school staff.

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Inspection team

Patrick Geraghty, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector John Ashley Additional Inspector Kathleen Harris Additional Inspector Pamela Hemphill Additional Inspector

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Full report

In accordance with section 44 of 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

 Shuttleworth College is smaller than the average-sized secondary school.  Over 40% of students are disadvantaged and therefore eligible for support through the pupil premium, which is high compared with most schools. (The pupil premium is additional funding for those students who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those who are looked after by the local authority.)  Students’ attainment when they join the school is generally significantly below average.  The proportion of students from minority ethnic backgrounds is well below average. Nearly all students are White British.  The proportion of students who speak English as an additional language is well below average.  The proportion supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average.  The school does not meet the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations

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Information about this school

for students’ attainment and progress.  Three students access off-site provision at Burnley College.  The school has had four headteachers over a period of seven years. The current headteacher took up post on the 1 September 2014.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching and learning so that a greater proportion is at least good by: - improving lesson planning to enable all lessons to best meet the needs of all students, and ensuring that tasks are challenging and engage students - ensuring that feedback and marking inform and support students in their next steps in learning - ensuring that, when used by a teacher, pair and group work are planned effectively so as to maximise learning opportunities.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Rapidly accelerate the progress that students make in order to achieve a higher pass rate for five GCSE A* to C grades, including English and mathematics by: - embedding high aspirations and expectations for students across all subjects and in doing so ensure that the most able are challenged to excel - closing the gaps in achievement between different groups of students and especially disadvantaged students and boys - ensuring a stronger focus on the development of literacy and numeracy skills across all subjects.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the impact of leadership and management, including governance, by ensuring that: - governors hold school leaders accountable for the school’s performance - senior and middle leaders continue to strengthen their efforts on promoting high quality teaching and learning in order to raise achievement more rapidly - all staff promote a culture of high aspirations and improvement which is embedded across all school provision - the development of the curriculum continues so that it is broad and balanced and better meets students’ needs - the management of teaching and learning is better focused on improving learning activities and promoting the sharing of the best practice in teaching and learning across the whole curriculum - performance management is used to reward good teachers and encourage others to improve - students’ attendance continues to improve.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of the school’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 leadership and management requires improvement

 Until recently, senior leaders over time failed to promote an ethos of high aspirations and a culture of improvement within the student body or among staff. Staff commented that previously they worked within silos of responsibility rather than as a team. Consequently, there was insufficient drive to improve overall student performance or promote higher teaching standards across all subjects.  The new headteacher has acted with alacrity to change this situation. In a short period she has introduced more robust self-evaluation, sharpened senior leadership responsibilities and focus and given purpose and direction to students and staff to be more ambitious and self-critical.  The senior leadership team has been strengthened. Many students noted the change of climate and a number of staff expressed their support and relief at the new direction. These changes have strengthened the capacity of the school to improve.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Self-evaluation has until recently been insufficiently self-critical. Senior leaders and middle managers did not recall being actively and collectively involved in self-evaluation in the 2012/13 academic year. New self-evaluation is sharp, self-critical and developmental. Areas for improvement are accurately identified and appropriate actions cited to enable that improvement.  The management of teaching and learning has also not been sufficiently robust to bring about improvement to the overall quality of teaching. However, leaders and managers are now using performance outcomes more astutely to target areas that require improvement. Staff report that professional development has improved and is enabling them to focus on better classroom practice and management.  Until recently, middle leaders have not worked sufficiently well together to promote the best practice and ensure consistency in teaching quality. In English, improvement has occurred because of excellent

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The leadership and management requires improvement

leadership within the department. Mathematics, particularly at Key Stage 4, has demonstrated a consistent improvement because of effective departmental planning and focus. Improvements have not been evident across all subjects.  Performance management has not been robust. Performance management and professional development have not been used well to support and challenge weaker teaching. This is now changing and new systems and procedures are being introduced.  The curriculum at Key Stage 4 in the 2013/14 academic year was neither broad nor balanced and failed to meet the needs of all students. Under the new leadership, curriculum choice at Key Stage 4 has been broadened. The curriculum at Key Stage 3 is now more focused on enabling students to catch up more rapidly in developing their literacy and numeracy skills. There is effective management of provision for disabled students and those with special educational needs.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The school has forged effective relationships with parents and with the local community. Partnerships with external agencies help to promote the care of more vulnerable students. Tutorial provision was seen during inspection to be preparing students to better understand life in modern Britain.  Equality and diversity have not been well promoted because too many disadvantaged students perform less well than their peers. In the 2013/14 academic year gaps between the attainment of disadvantaged students supported by the pupil premium and their peers closed but remained a concern.  The local authority acknowledges the issues that face the school and is committed to supporting the new headteacher as she continues her improvement strategy.  The school, including the governing body, meets its statutory requirements for safeguarding students, including for those accessing off-site provision.  The governance of the school:

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Governors have not held a sufficiently critical view of the school’s performance set against national trends. A new Chair of the Governing Body is bringing a more self-critical and robust challenge to senior leadership and school performance. He has the support of the governing body in this drive.  Governors have an evolving understanding of the pupil premium, how it works and its impact on student performance.  Governors recognise the need to be more fully aware of how the school is attempting to improve the quality of teaching and learning.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 The behaviour of students requires improvement. Student behaviour around the school is good. They are positive and polite with each other and adults. They look after the school and contribute to its tidy and well-kept environment. Uniform dress codes are adhered to. However, student behaviour for learning in classes is too variable. In lessons where there is a lack of challenge, expectations or activities are less well planned and consequently the progress the students make is limited.  Staff reported that in the past when low-level disruptive behaviour occurred students were removed from lessons but given work that failed to challenge them and their progress suffered as a result. The behaviour support unit has been reorganised and is now well run and has skilled teaching assistant support. However, some students are still not accessing the curriculum fully because of their frequent attendance

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

in this provision.  The number of students being excluded either permanently or for a fixed amount of time is falling. Attendance, while improving, remains below the national average.  Students say they feel safe in school. Students confirmed that they are made aware of internet safety and the possible dangers of social media websites. School records show that where bullying or racism occurs appropriate action is taken.  The school’s work to keep students safe and secure is good. Policies and procedures for safeguarding are in place and are reviewed by senior leaders and the governing body. The school works with a number of agencies to support disadvantaged and vulnerable students.  The school promotes students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development within tutorial provision. Some good provision was observed in a number of tutorials on the Scottish independence referendum and homophobia. The physical well-being of students is promoted through the curriculum and numerous extra-

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

curricular sports activities.  Parents feel that their children are happy in school and are kept safe.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 In lessons where students were engaged, activities were planned effectively. In these lessons teachers had a sharp focus on the progress they expected their students to make. Students in such lessons worked well together, resources were of a good standard and helped to support student learning both for individuals as well as pairs and groups. Teachers used prior assessment well to plan learning. These features characterised learning in English and much of mathematics.  In a significant minority of lessons students did not make sufficient progress because their aspirations were low and the teachers’ expectations for them were limited. Consequently, too many students disengaged from learning activities and made limited progress. These lessons were characterised by a poor use of prior assessment to plan activities to meet the needs of all students. Tasks were not always explained fully. Lesson activities did not encourage students to express their ideas and present solutions.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

Pair and group work was too often poorly organised. The most able students were not encouraged to excel.  There are too many inconsistencies in the quality of marking. In students’ books, there was little evidence of teacher follow-up to assess improvement and chart student progress. Next step pointers were limited with little student reflection on teacher advice and on the improvement achieved. Good developmental marking was observed in English.  There is some inconsistency across the curriculum on the promotion of literacy and numeracy. Literacy and numeracy development is not always integrated into planned curriculum content and activities across all school provision.  Teaching assistants are not always employed effectively to support individual learning needs.

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

 Overall attainment at Key Stage 4 is inadequate. The percentage of students attaining five or more GCSE passes at grades A* to C including English and mathematics is well below the national average. Unvalidated data for the 2013/14 academic year suggests the percentage has improved but not at a sufficiently rapid pace.  The percentage of students achieving grades A* to C in five GCSE subjects declined rapidly in the 2013/14 academic year because of poor attainment in a range of subjects. Inspection evidence from analysing school data, discussions with students, observing lessons and from scrutiny of written work shows that students continue to underperform in too many subjects at both key stages.  The percentage of students making expected progress in English has increased over the last year. School data indicate that this trend is continuing with current students. Strong leadership and good departmental

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

team management have enhanced standards in English. Mathematics has demonstrated consistent improvement over time in the progress that students make, however, improvements in English and mathematics need to be embedded and further accelerated.  Achievement gaps between different groups of students remain significant. In 2013, the last year for which validated data were available at the time of the inspection, students who were disadvantaged attained one-and-a–half grades below their peers in school and two grades below their peers nationally in English. In mathematics, disadvantaged students attained one grade below their peers in school and one grade below their peers nationally. The in-school achievement gap for those disadvantaged students supported by the pupil premium remained in 2014 when disadvantaged students again attained well below their peers. When compared to their peers nationally, the proportion of disadvantaged students making

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

expected progress is broadly average in English and mathematics. Girls achieve significantly better than boys. School leaders recognise that gaps remain too wide and need to be closed more rapidly.  In the 2013/14 academic year the school entered students early for the GCSE examination in mathematics at the end of Year 10. There was limited consultation on this policy and many students underperformed.  The development of students’ reading, writing and mathematical skills across the curriculum requires improvement. Recent changes to the curriculum at Key Stage 3 are beginning to tackle necessary improvements in the literacy and numeracy skills of students.  The most-able students are not making sufficient progress because of a culture of low aspirations and expectations.  There is effective support in the classroom for disabled students and those with special educational needs. School data and inspection evidence indicate that currently these students make good progress in

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

developing their reading and numeracy skills. In 2013, students with special educational needs attained significantly less well than similar students nationally.

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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 failing

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Grade Judgement Description

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 134994 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 426276

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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 Community Age range of pupils 11–16 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 771 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Steven Davies Headteacher Ruth England Date of previous school inspection 18 September 2012 Telephone number 01282 682300 Fax number 01282 775054 Email address rengland@shuttleworth.lancs.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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