Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School

Cardinal Wiseman Catholic Technology College Old Oscott Hill, Kingstanding, Birmingham, B44 9SR

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Overall effectiveness

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

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

 Student achievement requires improvement. Not enough students or groups of students make consistently good progress across subjects.  Teaching requires improvement because it has not enabled all students to achieve well.  Teaching in mathematics does not ensure that all students have sufficient skills to effectively apply their subject knowledge to solve mathematical problems.  Teachers’ marking in mathematics is regular but it does not accurately identify weaknesses in students’ work or give detailed subject-specific next steps for improvement.  Students do not always explore subjects in detail or develop a deep understanding of them.  Teachers’ questioning in lessons does not always enthuse and inspire all students to engage and respond in enough detail.  Lessons do not improve students’ mathematical skills across a range of subjects other than mathematics.  Not all leaders of subjects are effective at improving

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

teaching and the achievement of groups.  The school’s targets for improving students’ achievement are not sharp enough to confirm whether the plans will be successful.

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The school has the following strengths

 The headteacher provides strong leadership. She has high expectations of both staff and students in raising achievement.  Senior leaders have established effective systems, which check the quality of teaching and provide greater challenge and targeted support for teachers. This is making teaching better and raising student achievement.  Students behave well. They are polite, courteous and willing to take on responsibilities.  Students have positive attitudes to learning and treat each other with respect. They work well with each other in lessons.  The safety and well-being of students is given a high priority in school policies and actions. Students say they feel safe.  Programmes to support students’ literacy skills are improving learning and progress for students in some subjects.  Governors are effective in their support for the school. They hold senior leaders rigorously to account for their actions.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed students’ learning and behaviour in 32 classrooms through learning walks and lesson observations. Senior leaders joined inspectors on a number of these visits. Inspectors also observed an assembly, break times and lunchtimes. Students were observed reading in the library and at work in the Emmaus Centre, which supports students with behavioural, social and emotional difficulties.  Inspectors scrutinised students’ books and folders during lessons and as a separate activity.  Meetings were held with groups of students.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, other senior leaders, subject leaders, the Chair of the Governing Body and six other governors and a representative from the local authority. Informal discussions also took place with staff. One inspector spoke by telephone to the centres providing alternative provision.  There were 31 responses to the online Parent View questionnaire to provide evidence for the inspection.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors also received some written correspondence from parents and met with one parent in school. They also considered the 52 responses to Ofsted’s staff questionnaires.  Inspectors analysed a variety of information about students’ progress, attendance and behaviour. They looked at a range of documentation including the school’s self-evaluation and development plans, and minutes from governing body meetings. The inspection team looked at the school’s safeguarding policies and at its records relating to the safeguarding of students.

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Inspection team

Mark Capel, Lead inspector Associate Inspector

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Information about this school

 Cardinal Wiseman Catholic Technology College is smaller than the average-sized secondary school.  A large majority of students are White British. The proportion of students from minority ethnic groups is above average.  The proportion of students who speak English as an additional language is below that found nationally.  The proportion of disadvantaged students, who are those supported through the pupil premium (additional funding provided by the government for students known to be eligible for free school meals and children looked after by the local authority) is well above average.  The proportion of disabled students and those who have special educational needs is below average.  A small number of students attend courses which take place away from the school site. The James Watt Campus, Oscott Academy and the Flexible Learning Centre, Erdington provide these courses.  The school meets the government’s floor standards which set the minimum expectations for students’

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Information about this school

attainment and progress.  The school is partnered with a nearby outstanding school whose headteacher is a National Leader in Education

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that more is consistently good or better to raise students’ achievement across all subjects by:  helping students in lessons to explore what they are learning in greater detail, so that they can deepen their knowledge and understanding and develop their subject skills  ensuring that students explain their views and opinions in more detail during lessons.  Accelerate students’ progress in mathematics and ensure that the standards they reach are at least in line with national averages by:  teachers frequently checking students’ progress and accurately identifying gaps in their knowledge, understanding and skills  ensuring that teachers’ feedback helps students know if their work is accurate and correct  using the information from students’ progress to plan targeted activities that help them to catch up or move forward with their learning more quickly.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Develop regular opportunities for students to practise and apply their numeracy skills in subjects other than mathematics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen leadership and management by making sure that:  all leaders of subjects are effective at improving teaching and students’ achievement.  the school’s improvement plans have clearly measurable outcomes leading to improved student achievement.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leadership and management are good because senior leaders, under the tenacious leadership of the headteacher, are swiftly tackling weaknesses in teaching and students’ achievement. Leaders have set a clear agenda which insists on every teacher wanting the very best for each student. As a result, there is a clear pattern of improvement across the school. For example, the proportion of students making expected progress in English is now above the national average.

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The leadership and management are good

 School leaders are ambitious and share the headteacher’s vision for the school. They believe that all students should have the opportunities to develop their talents. Leaders use their time effectively in improving the school because they have clearly defined roles and responsibilities and are held to account by the governors.

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The leadership and management are good

 School leaders have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and correctly identify where further improvements are needed. The school has made effective use of additional support, including a nearby outstanding school whose headteacher is a National Leader in Education, in confirming the school’s judgements. As a result, school leaders have an improvement plan which is clearly focused on raising students’ achievement by developing high quality teaching, improving students’ learning skills and providing better facilities such as the new library. However, the plans lack a sharp focus on measuring their outcomes for students.

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The leadership and management are good

 Teaching is improving quickly. This is because senior leaders regularly check the quality of teaching using a range of evidence to do this. They make accurate judgements and use this information to provide support and challenge for teachers. Teachers value the training they receive and the opportunities to work with other colleagues to share good practice.

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The leadership and management are good

 Teaching is also improving because of robust ways in which teachers’ performance is checked which are clearly aligned to the standards teachers should achieve. Any under-performance by teachers is rigorously challenged and there is a clear link between performance and salary progression.

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The leadership and management are good

 Spending of additional government funding to support the disadvantaged students is carefully planned and monitored by leaders and governors. The funding has been used to provide a balanced range of additional provision. This includes individual tuition, additional teaching expertise in English and mathematics, learning coaches, weekend classes and holiday revision sessions. All of these are helping to improve these students’ achievement, particularly in English. The additional funding has also been used to provide a Family Support Worker who effectively works with students and their families to improve attendance and provide extra support to these students in school.

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The leadership and management are good

 Students are set challenging targets and their progress towards these is tracked in forensic detail by senior leaders and heads of subjects. Where students are not making the progress they should, leaders intervene quickly to provide additional support.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders of subjects are held rigorously to account for the students’ performance in their subject areas and this is securing improvements in a range of subjects. The skills and expertise of subject and year group leaders are developing well but are not yet consistent in their effectiveness, particularly in mathematics.

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The leadership and management are good

 The range of subjects and qualifications offered to students is broad and balanced. All students are provided with good opportunities to gain valuable academic as well as vocational qualifications. The personal, social, health, economic and citizenship education curriculum is well planned across subject lessons, ‘enrichment’ days and a school assembly programme. As a result, the students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness is well developed. This, together with the school ethos which strongly promotes tolerance, respect and understanding of democracy, means that students are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school provides students with good information, advice and guidance on the subjects they choose to study during Years 10 and 11 and in preparation for what they will do beyond Year 11. School leaders have been very successful in making sure that all students who recently left the school have continued in education or training or found employment.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school’s arrangements for safeguarding students meet requirements. Leaders are tenacious in taking swift and appropriate action to secure the safety and welfare of the students. It closely checks that other agencies are doing everything they can to help potentially vulnerable students or those who need additional support.

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The leadership and management are good

 School leaders regularly make checks on the small number of students who attend courses away from the school. They make sure these students are safe and making good progress.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority has provided appropriate advice and guidance to support school improvement.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors have a clear understanding of their role and bring a good range of skills and experience to the school. They undertake regular training to ensure they are best able to fulfil their role.  Governors regularly visit the school. They contribute their expertise to appropriate areas and hold leaders to account. They meet with them regularly to review the progress being made in various aspects of the school’s work.  They are confident in analysing the considerable amount of information provided by the school. As a result they have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses including the quality of teaching and how the progress of students compares to national averages.  Governors have an accurate understanding of pupil premium spending and its impact on students’ achievement.  Governors understand how the school uses performance management to improve teaching. They have

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The leadership and management are good

supported school leaders in rewarding good work and challenging underperformance.  The Governing Body is efficient in ensuring that its statutory duties are met, especially with regard to safeguarding.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of students is good. They have good attitudes to learning in lessons and show respect for each other and their teachers. Students are well engaged in lessons, they share their learning and listen to each other’s views. However, although behaviour is good students are not always motivated when the quality of teaching is less than good.

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Behaviour

 Students behave in a mature and responsible manner around school. They take responsibility for their actions so that breaks and lunchtimes are calm and orderly. Students from different backgrounds get on well with each other.

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Behaviour

 The students are polite, courteous and helpful. They are proud of their school. Students arrive promptly and are well prepared for lessons. They show good respect for their environment. The site is litter free.

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Behaviour

 The school’s records show that behaviour is typically good. This was confirmed in discussions with teaching and support staff, in staff questionnaires, in the school’s own surveys and when considering the views of parents who responded to Ofsted’s questionnaire. Pastoral leaders analyse behaviour in detail and take immediate action to tackle incidents of poor behaviour.

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Behaviour

 The school works effectively to promote good behaviour. Successful systems are in place to involve staff, parents and carers and external agencies in developing strategies to moderate students’ behaviour. The Emmaus Centre within school is particularly effective in helping those students whose behaviour is preventing them from learning. Students in the centre are able to continue to follow the curriculum while undertaking programmes which help them to be successfully reintegrated back into their classes.  Good attitudes are promoted in school through a well-understood system of praise and rewards which are highly valued by the students.

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Behaviour

 The students willingly contribute to school life. For example, older students serve as prefects and students from all year groups are members of the Student Chaplaincy team where they take part in community and charity events. During the inspection three students confidently presented a 20 minute assembly on Advent. The school listens to the students’ views through the school council and regular student voice activities.

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Behaviour

 School attendance is broadly in line with the national average and there are good systems in place to ensure that students attend regularly. The number of students who are frequently absent from school is below the national average. These improvements are a result of the good partnership work with students and their parents to highlight the importance of regular attendance at school.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep students safe and secure is good. The safety of students is afforded a high priority within the school.

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Safety

 Students, including those who are potentially vulnerable, say that they feel safe and secure in school. They were clear that they trust adults in the school and are confident they will be listened to. The good behaviour in the school and the high levels of supervision at break times all support students in feeling safe in school.

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Safety

 Students know about different forms of bullying. According to students, incidents of bullying are rare and they are confident that if students are unpleasant to each other the school will deal with it quickly and effectively. The school records confirmed this.

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Safety

 Students have a broad understanding of how to keep themselves safe from potential harm when they are not in school. Issues such as keeping safe on-line and cyber-bullying are discussed in detail in assemblies and lessons.

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Safety

 Senior leaders carefully monitor the behaviour, attendance and safety of students attending alternative provision. The students’ behaviour is good and they are well cared for.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching requires improvement because it has not ensured all students make good enough progress. While there have been recent improvements in the quality of teaching it is not yet consistently good in all subjects.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The quality of teaching in mathematics requires improvement. Teachers do not sufficiently focus on what the students need to learn and lessons become a series of activities which are either too hard or too easy for students. As a consequence there are some gaps in the students’ knowledge, understanding and skills in the subject.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teachers plan their lessons thoroughly and set clear routines for the students to follow. This means that students know what is expected of them. However, some teachers do not make sure students explore topics in more detail or deepen their understanding.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teachers’ generally good subject knowledge is used to pose effective questions in lessons which help students to make quicker progress. The most effective teachers use questioning to set high expectations and make sure that all students remain engaged so that they can share each other’s ideas and benefit from them.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Students’ work is marked regularly and in most subjects, detailed feedback is given to help the students to improve their work. While the quality of students’ responses to this feedback is quickly developing there are inconsistencies within departments and across subjects. In mathematics, the three weekly cycle of marking is not effective in helping students to identify errors in their work and gaps in their knowledge and understanding.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The standards of literacy are developing well across all subjects. As a result of training, teachers actively promote students’ literacy skills. For example, in a science lesson, students were given key words and required to explain their science understanding through extended writing. However, the development of numeracy skills for all students across subjects is inconsistent.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Relationships between teachers and students are very positive in the vast majority of lessons. When asked to, students work well together. For example, in an art lesson, students reviewed each other’s work and identified areas for improvement, resulting in the students developing their skills in this subject.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The most effective teaching is characterised by teachers carefully planning what all students, including those who are disabled and have special educational needs, can and should learn. Teachers use their good subject knowledge to challenge and engage students and as a result students make good progress in these lessons.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The school has provided additional training for all teachers to ensure they effectively meet the needs of disabled students and those who have special educational needs in their classes. The school no longer employs teaching assistants and additional support for these students and for those who have English as an additional language is provided by the special educational needs co-ordinator and two learning coaches. It is too early to measure the effectiveness of these changes.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Achievement requires improvement because there are a number of subjects, including mathematics, where students and groups of students have not made consistently good progress over time.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Students join the school in Year 7 with standards that are well below average. In recent years the proportion of students achieving five or more GCSE passes at A* to C including English and mathematics has fluctuated and is currently below the national average.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The school’s analysis of 2014 results shows improving progress in English literature, languages, humanities and science but progress in design and technology remains well below national averages.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Students make better progress in English than mathematics. Although the proportions of students making expected and above expected progress in English are broadly average for the last two years not enough students make the progress expected of them in mathematics and this has worsened in 2014. Disadvantaged students make similar progress to their classmates in English and mathematics. The school’s monitoring indicates that current Year 11 students are on track to make progress at least in line with national expectations in both English and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The gap between disadvantaged students and their classmates in gaining five or more GCSE passes at A*- C including English and mathematics remains wide. In 2014 the results show that disadvantaged students attained a quarter of a grade lower in English and just under half of a grade lower in mathematics compared to other students in the school. The gap between the grade achieved by disadvantaged students in the school and other students nationally was just under one third of a grade in English and just over one grade for mathematics when compared to the most recent national averages. The gap is smaller in English and wider in mathematics than the previous year.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The proportion of students achieving the EBACC (achieving a GCSE grade C or above in English, mathematics, a language, history or geography and two sciences) increased in 2014 and has improved by 11% since 2012. This is because the school encourages students to study a wide range of academic qualifications and they do so with some success.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The school’s strong focus on literacy in recent years has helped students to develop their literacy skills. This is reflected in the increased number of students making expected and more than expected progress in English and the improved results in GCSE English literature and humanities subjects.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The achievement of disabled students and those who have special educational needs requires improvement. The recently appointed special educational needs co-ordinator is improving the early identification of these students’ needs and making subjects and teachers increasingly accountable for the progress of this group. Current information shows that progress is now improving through Key Stage 3, although weaknesses in progress remain in Key Stage 4.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The school is now more focused on the achievement of the small number of more able students. The progress made by these students is not yet consistently good and it is too soon to measure the impact of recent initiatives to raise their achievement. School leaders no longer use early entry to GCSE mathematics. When they did use the strategy it did not limit the potential of the most able students.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The progress made by students in alternative provision is monitored by the school. The progress they are making is similar to that of other students in following courses which combine GCSEs with vocational and work-related qualifications.

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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. Unique reference number 103539 Local authority Birmingham Inspection number 453767

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Grade Judgement Description

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

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Grade Judgement Description

Type of school Secondary School category Voluntary Aided Age range of pupils 11–16 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 538 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Patrick McDermott Headteacher Christina Stewardson Date of previous school inspection 5 March 2013 Telephone number 0121 3606383 Email address enquiry@cardinalwiseman.net 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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Grade Judgement Description

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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Grade Judgement Description

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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Grade Judgement Description

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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Grade Judgement Description

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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Grade Judgement Description

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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