Teignmouth Community School, Exeter Road

Teignmouth Community School, Exeter Road Exeter Road, Teignmouth, TQ14 9HZ

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected as an academy This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Sixth form provision Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 In this improving school, the principal and senior and middle leaders work effectively together to help students gain the skills and qualifications they will need for life after school.  Students make good progress. The proportion achieving five or more GCSEs at grades A* to C, including English and mathematics, is above average. Students enjoy their learning and their achievement is improving rapidly.  Teaching is good in all subjects and some is outstanding. Inspirational professional development helps teachers to enhance their skills and develop strategies to engage and motivate students.  The curriculum has been skilfully developed to enable students to achieve the qualifications they need for further education, employment or training..  Governors bring a good range of skills and expertise to their roles, with each governor taking on a specific area of responsibility. Governors effectively hold the school’s leaders to account.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The school’s procedures for keeping students safe are outstanding. The school is highly inclusive, attendance is above average, and exclusions are extremely low.  Students behave well. Those joining the school at times other than the beginning of Year 7 are quickly integrated into friendship groups.  The sixth form is good and this is a reflection of the increased strength of its leadership. Students make at least good progress in all subjects.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The work set by teachers is not always well enough matched to students’ abilities.  The most able students do not always make as much progress as they should because they are not always sufficiently challenged.  Disadvantaged students do not attain grades as high as other students in the school in English and mathematics.  Teachers’ marking and feedback do not always show students how to improve their work.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 38 lessons, the majority of which were jointly observed with members of the senior leadership team. Inspectors also conducted a number of shorter visits to lessons to observe the work of teaching assistants and to observe students’ attitudes towards learning.  Inspectors looked at students’ work in their books during lesson observations. They also conducted a separate scrutiny of students’ work to check the regularity and impact of teachers’ marking and feedback.  Meetings were held with groups of students, teachers, senior and middle leaders and members of the governing body.  Inspectors took account of the 99 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View, and one letter from a parent. They also took account of the 97 responses to the staff questionnaire and one letter from a member of staff.  Inspectors reviewed attendance and exclusion records, behaviour logs and the school’s records of bullying

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Information about this inspection

and racist incidents.  Inspectors looked at a range documentation relating to other areas of the school’s work. This included self-evaluation records, the school’s improvement plan, information about students’ achievement and records relating to safeguarding and child protection. They also examined the minutes of the meetings of the governing body and records relating to the management of staff performance.

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Inspection team

Caroline Dearden, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Teignmouth Community School, Exeter Road, is larger than the average-sized secondary school.  The school converted to academy status as part of the Teignmouth Learning Trust on 1 March 2011. When its predecessor school, Teignmouth Community College, was last inspected by Ofsted it was judged to be good overall.  The school is federated with Teignmouth Community School, Mill Lane. This is a primary school with early years through to Year 6 provision. The two schools operate together as Teignmouth Community School, under the same board of directors (governing body). The principal has overall responsibility for both schools. Other members of the senior leadership team have responsibilities in both schools.  Most students are from White British backgrounds, with a very small proportion from other ethnic backgrounds.  The proportion of disadvantaged students eligible for the pupil premium (additional funding for students in

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Information about this school

the care of the local authority or who are known to be eligible for free school meals) is close to the national average.  The proportion of disabled students and those with special educational needs is above average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for students’ attainment and progress.  The school has specialist facilities for work-related learning, including motor vehicle maintenance, catering, hairdressing and construction. Most alternative education takes place on site.  One or two students follow an alternative curriculum off site.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching to ensure the rapid and sustained progress of all groups of students by:  ensuring that teachers always set work which is appropriate for students’ abilities  always providing the most able students with suitably challenging work when they are ready to move on  ensuring that all teachers’ marking and feedback show students what they need to do to improve their work  raising the attainment levels of disadvantaged students  sharing the excellent teaching practice that exists within the school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The principal is clear that the school must provide every opportunity for students to succeed. This commitment is shared by staff, governors and students and is exemplified by the school’s strong promotion of equal opportunities for all to gain the qualifications they will need to progress to further education, employment or training.  The school’s leaders have devised a curriculum which includes a rich variety of academic subjects and a good range of work-related courses. This means that all students are able to choose options well suited to their needs, aspirations and skills.  The leadership of teaching is very good. Inspirational professional development for teachers has helped them enhance their skills and develop teaching strategies which motivate and engage students. Consequently, a significant proportion of teaching is now outstanding and students’ achievement is improving rapidly..  The school’s procedures for managing staff performance are rigorous and contribute well to improvements

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The leadership and management are good

in teaching. Teachers are held accountable for the progress of students in their classes and the qualifications they achieve. At the same time, school leaders work very effectively within the Teignmouth Learning Trust and the South West Teaching Alliance to build teachers’ leadership skills and to access training and development.  Middle leaders have been successfully helped to develop their leadership skills. They take full responsibility for their areas and contribute very well to the improving quality of teaching and rising standards. The middle leaders spoken to said that ‘the lines between senior and middle leadership are blurring’ and that this is enabling them to become more confident and effective. Pastoral middle leaders have worked very effectively to ensure that students attend and behave well.  The school’s analysis of the quality of its provision is thorough. Strengths and areas in need of

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The leadership and management are good

improvement are accurately identified and appropriate measures are taken to remedy weaknesses and improve the provision. The progress, attendance and behaviour of the one or two students attending off- site provision are effectively monitored.  Students are prepared well for life in modern Britain through the provision for their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. There are many opportunities for students to experience different cultures, including trips abroad and foreign exchange placements. Tutor times and assemblies contribute well to developing students’ understanding of right and wrong and respect for those of different faiths and beliefs. The school council is well established, but students do not believe that their views are always communicated by their representatives or seriously considered by the school’s leaders.  The guidance provided for students from Year 8 to Year 13 is excellent. Consequently, students make well

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The leadership and management are good

considered choices for their Key Stage 4 options, post-16 pathways and destinations when they leave the sixth form. The number of students not progressing to education, employment or training when they leave is low.  Much of the pupil premium is used to resource and staff work-related courses that would not otherwise be financially viable. The premium is also used to fund extra-curricular trips, visits and materials or ingredients for specialist lessons. Disadvantaged students receive additional small group or one-to-one support, which is helping them to make similar progress to others in the school in English and mathematics. These measures are also beginning to raise perceptibly the attainment of this group of students, which the school is aware was lower than it should have been in 2014.  The school is a highly inclusive community where discrimination is not tolerated and good relationships between all are successfully fostered.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school meets the statutory requirements for safeguarding highly effectively.  The governance of the school:  Governance is highly effective. Governors contribute very well to the strategic leadership of the school and to its continuing improvement. Each governor has responsibility for an aspect of the school’s work and governors work well as a team. They use their skills and expertise effectively to hold school leaders to account for the quality of teaching and for students’ achievement. Governors know how the performance of the school is measured and compare the school to others nationally and accurately identify any weak areas. Very good use has been made of training to help governors monitor how the school keeps students safe. They meticulously check the spending of the pupil premium and know about the impact of the funding on outcomes for students. Governors understand the link between

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The leadership and management are good

teachers’ pay and the quality of their teaching. They ensure that pay increases are only awarded when the achievement of students is good and when performance targets have been met. They also know what the school is doing to tackle any underperformance. The financial affairs of the school are routinely monitored by governors and verified by external auditors.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of students is good. All groups, including those who attend alternative education on and off site, behave well. Students are polite and conduct themselves well at social times and when moving between lessons. They arrive punctually to lessons, despite the large distance between different parts of the school campus and without bells sounding the start and end of lessons or break times. That students respect their school is clear from the lack of graffiti and the very small amount of litter.  Visitors are warmly welcomed and students joining the school from other countries or at times other than the beginning of Year 7 are quickly integrated into friendship groups.  In lessons, disruption is rare. Students generally display positive attitudes towards learning, have good relationships with teachers and want to do well. When the work set is not sufficiently challenging, however, students can lose interest while they wait for the teacher to move the lesson on. Exclusions are

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Behaviour

very rare because students are helped to manage their own behaviour and because there is a range of effective strategies to keep students engaged and interested in lessons.  Students understand the behaviour policy and appreciate the way in which they are recognised for behaving well. The school’s system for rewarding students is motivating because it is linked to trips, the annual prom and positions of responsibility within the school.  Students understand the hurt that can be caused by all forms of bullying. Consequently, bullying is rare and when it does happen is dealt with quickly and effectively.  The majority of parents believe that the school makes sure that students are well behaved.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep students safe and secure, is outstanding.  The school’s arrangements for safeguarding are highly effective and meticulously implemented. Students know whom to go to for help if they need it, and there is clear signage around the school identifying those responsible for child protection.  Questionnaire responses show that the vast majority of parents and carers and staff believe that students are safe at school.  Attendance is above average. All groups of students, including those with special educational needs, those who are disadvantaged and those who attend alternative provision on and off site, have low levels of absence.  Very effective use is made of tutor times, assemblies, information technology lessons and personal, social and health education to teach students about different types of risk and how to keep themselves safe. This includes the use of the internet and social media.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Senior and middle leaders routinely check the quality of teaching. Teaching is now securely good, and some is outstanding.  The teaching of literacy, reading and mathematics is good across the school and students are developing the skills they need to make good progress across a wide range of subjects.  Teachers’ planning is very thorough and teachers set tasks which are designed to engage, motivate and inspire students. However, they do not always set work at the appropriate level for all groups of students, so that some students in a class can get left behind as the lesson advances. Sometimes the most able students find themselves having to complete more work at the same level as they wait for others to catch up, and do not make the progress they should.  Almost all teaching ensures students are interested in, and enthusiastic about, what they are learning. This is evident from their eagerness to learn and the way in which they think for themselves and move on

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The quality of teaching is good

to challenging work without being told to do so by the teacher.  Teachers’ feedback to students is generally good. Students value the time taken by teachers to mark and correct their work, and there is clear evidence that students take account of their teachers’ comments in their next piece of work. However, good practice in marking and feedback is not evident in every class and students are not always sure what they have to do to improve.  Most teachers have strong subject knowledge, which is evident in their skilful use of questioning to extend and deepen students’ knowledge and understanding and in the high expectations they have for students’ achievement.  Students feel well supported by their teachers and there is good take up of additional activities outside the school day, including after school, at lunchtime and during school holidays.  Effective teaching of disadvantaged students in additional English and mathematics lessons is now helping

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The quality of teaching is good

to narrow the gap between these students’ achievement and that of their school peers.

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is good

 The proportion of students attaining five or more GCSE grades at A* to C, including English and mathematics, has been rising since 2012, and is now above the national average. This represents good progress because students join the school with below average levels of attainment. Information provided by the school for students currently on roll suggests that this improvement is being sustained.  The proportion of students making the expected progress in English and mathematics is above the national average. The proportion making more than the expected progress in both subjects is similar to the national average.  In 2014, the gap between the attainment of disadvantaged students and their peers in English and mathematics was approximately one grade in both subjects. This gap is beginning to close as the school has recently increased the amount of support from specialist teaching assistants for these students.

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is good

Disadvantaged students also now benefit from specific interventions to improve their reading, writing and mathematics. The proportion of disadvantaged students making the expected progress from their different starting points is now similar to that of other students in the school. The attainment of disadvantaged students is approximately one grade higher in English and mathematics than that of students nationally.  Most disadvantaged students follow work-related courses in Key Stage 4. They make exceptional progress in these subjects and often move on to study level 3 courses before the end of Year 11. All gain the skills and qualifications necessary to move on after school into employment or training.  The most able students attain at least as well as similar students nationally. Almost all attain GCSE grades A* to A in both English and mathematics. However, the proportion making good progress is lower than

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is good

the national average. This is because the work provided for them is not consistently challenging enough.  The achievement of disabled students and those with special educational needs is very good. This is because interventions are matched exceptionally well to their needs and because teaching assistants provide well targeted support in lessons and during small-group or one-to-one sessions.  The Year 7 catch-up fund is used very well to enable students entering the school with low literacy and numeracy skills to make rapid progress. By the end of Year 7 almost all these students are working confidently at Level 4 or above.  The school’s system for tracking and monitoring students’ progress is very thorough, with a strong emphasis on identifying what students do or do not understand. Interventions are quickly made and aimed at remedying underachievement.  No students are currently being entered for their GCSE examinations before the end of Year 11, although

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is good

the school policy is to enter pupils early if they are judged to need confidence in taking examinations.  The very few students who attend alternative provision off-site make good progress and gain the qualifications necessary for the next stage of their education, employment or training.

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The sixth form provision is good

 Standards in the sixth form are improving steadily across the range of subjects on offer. Students’ achievement is now good because the students make good progress in all subjects.  The leadership of the sixth form is now very effective and is generating improvements in the quality of teaching and in the progress made by students. However, many of the measures recently taken to speed up students’ progress and to raise standards have yet to have a significant impact on students’ outcomes.  Teaching in the sixth form is good. Teachers have strong subject knowledge which they use to skilfully question students about what they are learning. This enables students to deepen their understanding and make links between the things they are learning.  All students receive comprehensive careers guidance so that they are able to make appropriate choices about what they want to do when they leave.  Students’ progress is routinely tracked and monitored. Teachers use this information to set challenging

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The sixth form provision is good

targets and to plan lessons that challenge students and enable them to make good progress.  The range of subjects on offer is very wide and includes level 3 academic and work-related courses. This good range of choices is helping to improve retention rates from Year 11 into Year 12, and to ensure that students gain the qualifications and skills they need. A small number of students take a mixture of level 2 and level 3 courses, and this means that the sixth form is as inclusive as the rest of the school.  The behaviour of students in the sixth form is very good. The rewards system is linked to a range of opportunities to help and support younger students, to develop work skills or to contribute to the school and local community. Students are able to use their reward points as evidence for their Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

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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 136495 Local authority Devon Inspection number 448608

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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 Academy converter 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 1056 Of which, number on roll in sixth form 177 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Martyn Cox Principal Anthony Gray Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected as an academy Telephone number 01626774091 Fax number 01626777920 Email address exeterroad@teignmouth.devon.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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