Setting

Mr Richard Bramley Headteacher Lady Lumley’s School Swainsea Lane Pickering North Yorkshire YO18 8NG

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Short inspection of Lady Lumley’s School

Following my visit to the school on 23 February 2016 with Tudor Griffiths, Ofsted Inspector, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. The visit was the first short inspection carried out since your school was judged to be good in December 2010.

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Short inspection of Lady Lumley’s School

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. The overall quality of leadership has improved and you are supported by a capable senior team who plan effectively for pupils’ academic and personal development. Your ambition to improve outcomes and the depth of learning for all pupils is shared by senior leaders, staff and governors and the majority of pupils appreciate the increasing levels of challenge in lessons. This has resulted in improved achievement and progress in subjects such as English, geography and history, while outcomes have also improved for sixth-form learners.

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Short inspection of Lady Lumley’s School

You and other leaders have an accurate view of the school’s current performance and of where you need to take action in order to secure further improvement. Senior and middle leaders have high expectations of staff and are increasingly effective in checking the ongoing quality of pupils’ work. Action has been taken to strengthen the quality of middle leadership following the departure of a number of staff. Partnership work with outstanding schools and the local authority has strengthened leadership. Good-quality professional development and a collaborative learning culture where teachers are actively sharing good practice are helping to improve the quality of teaching. Ofsted

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Short inspection of Lady Lumley’s School

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Systems to track pupils’ progress are improving. Regular reviews of pupils’ progress are resulting in stronger challenge for teachers whose classes are underperforming and improvements in support for those pupils who are falling behind. Governors support this process by showing increasing rigour in holding school leaders and teachers to account for pupils’ progress and outcomes, for example regarding the recent dip in science results. Many pupils value the additional time for deeper learning and reflection made possible by the longer lessons, although some find that teaching does not always sustain their concentration for this duration. The school is keeping this under review. Sixth-form learners are making improving progress and feel more centrally involved in the life of the school. Behaviour for learning is

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Short inspection of Lady Lumley’s School

positive across the school, with a culture of mutual respect encouraging pupils to become actively involved in lessons. Pupils show self-confidence in their willingness to respond to questions and contribute ideas.

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Short inspection of Lady Lumley’s School

Pupils’ welfare and safety are treated with paramount importance and senior leaders and governors take their responsibilities very seriously. Procedures to ensure safe recruitment are strong and well-coordinated, with regular checks by senior leaders. The school puts safe practice at the heart of its activities and the vast majority of pupils and parents agree that pupils feel safe at school. Safeguarding training on a range of key issues, including the dangers posed by extremist views, is regularly updated. Pupils are able to discuss how the school has made them aware of online threats, the negative impact of peer pressure and cyber-bullying. The school’s work to promote safety is supported by external agencies, including the police, who talk to pupils about the possible harmful aspects of social media.

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Inspection findings

 Leaders and managers at all levels continue to work effectively. Middle leaders are increasingly involved in the ongoing monitoring of the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, resulting in improving provision. Their monitoring of the quality of teachers’ feedback to pupils and subsequent actions are improving pupils’ progress over time. Teachers are focused on developing their practice, with a willingness to share ideas on assessment and curriculum development in order to provide more stretch and challenge for pupils.  Leaders have shown an ability to address many of the areas for improvement identified at the last inspection. In particular, provision in the sixth form is much improved and learners are achieving stronger overall outcomes than those achieved nationally. A dip in AS results in 2014 was swiftly addressed. The focus on improving teaching and learning, stronger guidance and wider

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Inspection findings

enrichment, means learners make better progress and encounter wider experiences that prepare them well for future destinations.  Inspectors saw well-planned teaching in English and history lessons that led to impressive outcomes in these subjects in 2015. This is all the more encouraging as English was an area for development at the last inspection. Good planning and effective modelling of answers were also evident in mathematics, where pupils showed a good understanding of mathematical methods. Current pupils show improvement in attainment and progress in this subject.  Leaders have acted to improve provision and outcomes for key groups. The most-able girls are making good progress in a number of subjects and their outcomes are either in line or above those of similar pupils nationally. Pupils with special educational needs or disability are receiving improving support and guidance through regular review meetings. The appointment of a pupil

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Inspection findings

premium champion, alongside partnership work with the local authority, are improving provision for these pupils, although this has not yet resulted in improved outcomes.  The success that the school has achieved in some subjects is not currently matched in science. Revised schemes of work at Key Stage 3 are building long-term capacity alongside the appointment of new subject leaders in physics and chemistry. The local authority is working closely in partnership with the school to further strengthen provision.  Behaviour for learning is a strength. There is a calm and purposeful atmosphere evident around the school. Pupils cooperate positively with one another, offering constructive feedback on one another’s work. Teachers secure pupils’ attention through calmly raising hands, reflecting mutual respect and sound classroom routines. Work in books is well presented, reflecting pupils’ pride in their accomplishments.

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Inspection findings

 While there is evidence of a favourable response by staff and pupils to recent changes in lesson timings and groupings, these are not matched by a significant minority of parents and it is important that the school listens to their concerns and improves the rigour with which it communicates change and progress.

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Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:

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Next steps for the school

 robust action is taken to improve the quality of teaching and pupils’ outcomes in science  account is taken of the views of a significant minority of parents who have concerns about changes to lesson timings and groupings and that they make parents aware of the impact on the quality of provision and outcomes  leaders continue to develop improvements in teaching and assessment to further accelerate the progress of all pupils. I am copying this letter to the Chair of the Governing Body and the Director of Children’s Services for North Yorkshire County Council. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

We met with you, senior and middle leaders and governors. I also spoke to a representative of the local authority and a parent on the telephone. We observed 17 part-lessons, and some of these were observed jointly with senior leaders. We spoke formally to pupils in a series of meetings and informally in lessons and around the school. We also looked at documents provided by the school, including: the school’s self-evaluation and development plan; safeguarding documents and those relating to attendance and behaviour; pupils’ progress information; and records of the monitoring of teaching and learning. We took into account 105 responses to the online Parent View questionnaire, 60 responses to the online pupil questionnaire and 35 responses to the staff questionnaire. I also took into account the school’s own survey of parents’ views.

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