St Bede's Catholic Voluntary Academy

St Bede’s Catholic Voluntary Academy Collum Avenue, Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire DN16 2TF

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Overall effectiveness Good

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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This is a good school

 Since the last inspection, leaders and governors have responded robustly to a dip in standards in some subjects. As a result, pupils’ current progress across a range of subjects, including English, mathematics and science, is good.  Effective teaching inspires pupils to learn. Accurate assessment enables teachers to balance challenge and support. Strong teaching in religious education (RE), languages and humanities ensures pupils learn well in a broad range of subjects.  A healthy proportion of the most-able pupils are on track to reach the highest GCSE grades and pupils with special educational needs and those with disability are making good progress from their different starting points.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, cultural and social development is exceptional. Values of ‘love, respect and service’ reflect the school’s Catholic ethos. They are made real to the pupils as they are woven through the life of the school.

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This is a good school

 Pupils are polite and thoughtful young people. They are already active citizens making a good contribution to their community.  Governors are rigorous in their challenge to leaders about the standards achieved. They celebrate success and do not shy away from supporting leaders to tackle underperformance.  The vast majority of parents and staff are positive about the benefits the school brings to the lives of the pupils.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There is some variability in middle leaders’ diligence in implementing the school’s agreed policies and procedures.  The legacy of weak teaching in some subjects means pupils do not achieve outstanding outcomes.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the effectiveness of teaching, learning and assessment so pupils achieve outstanding outcomes, by:  fully utilising the strengths of the highly effective teachers to support those developing their craft  increasing the consistency with which teachers follow the school’s requirements to give precise advice to pupils about how to improve their work  ensuring that all teachers share leaders’ high expectations of all pupils.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management, by:  ensuring all middle and subject leaders model the consistent use of the school’s policies and procedures and are accurate in the evaluation of the impact teaching has on pupils’ progress.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The headteacher leads with skilful insistence stemming from her personal commitment to the school’s values. She is ably supported by a leadership team who share her commitment and governors who challenge and encourage with appropriate balance. Together, leaders have ensured that dips in attainment in different subjects have been addressed and pupils are on track to achieve good outcomes.  Leaders have an accurate view of the strengths of the school. They are right to be proud of the pupils’ exceptional spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The chaplaincy teams, assembly and tutor group programmes enrich pupils’ journeys to adulthood. Most pupils demonstrate they are active citizens, tolerant and ready to respectfully offer support to those in need.  Leaders are continuing to develop the range of subjects and qualifications offered to ensure as many pupils as possible achieve a broad set of qualifications, so they have more opportunities as they move on

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

to further and higher education.  Leaders ensure teaching and learning are effective through a sound approach to checking the work of teachers. They respond to the results of the checks they make with thoughtful and specific plans for teachers’ development. The vast majority of teachers appreciate the support they are given to improve their skills.  Through the targeted use of specific funding, leaders ensure disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs or disability make good progress. The gap between disadvantaged pupils and other pupils has closed over time and current information indicates that it is closing further this year. The effective use of catch-up funding helps Year 7 pupils who need extra help to make accelerated progress in reading.  The vast majority of parents appreciate the work of the school. A few parents expressed concern about pupils’ behaviour. Leaders accept on to the school roll pupils who experience difficult challenges in their

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

lives. Consequently, a few pupils take a while to respond to the guidance provided by staff until they become ‘St Bede’s pupils’. Inspectors saw no evidence to substantiate the concerns expressed by parents.  The directors of the North Lincolnshire Catholic Academy Trust have an accurate overview of the local governing body and work of the school. They ensure the school seeks appropriate external advice about aspects of its work, including the work of the governing body. They are responding to direction from the Department for Education to change the membership of the directors’ group.  Leaders and the governing body are committed to the role the school plays in the local community and have maintained a positive relationship with the local authority. Leaders appreciate the support provided by the local authority and the benefit of working with other schools in the area.  Not all middle leaders are equally effective. Some do not demonstrate, through their own practice, a strict

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

adherence to the school’s policies and procedures. Some are a little over-optimistic in their evaluation of the impact teaching has on pupils’ progress. This hampers their success in leading others in their departments to meet senior leaders’ high expectations.  The governance of the school  Governors actively lead the values that drive the school. They do this through visits to the school to celebrate success and challenge when needed. They work to ensure the values are understood by parents and the wider community.  Governors have a good oversight of the standards achieved by pupils because they understand the information leaders provide. They challenge senior and middle leaders if they are not satisfied that enough progress is being made to bring about agreed improvements.  Governors ensure teachers are rewarded for the difference they make to pupils’ achievements. They check and challenge the recommendations leaders make to ensure there is consistency and rigour in

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

the pay review process.  Governors are diligent in planning the use of the financial resources available to the school. As a result, they can make sure extra resources are provided to boost standards when needed; for example, to the new leader for science to buy additional equipment during this school year.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Determined and skilful senior leaders ensure all staff are aware of their responsibilities to safeguard pupils. Leading by example, they get to know and understand pupils’ experiences and work with other agencies to make sure the right support is in place in a timely manner. As a result, staff are knowledgeable about a wide range of safeguarding issues, including the ‘Prevent’ duty and child sexual exploitation. They use their knowledge to identify pupils who may need support. Other agencies work in the school to increase pupils’ understanding of how to keep

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

themselves safe, alongside the effective personal development programme delivered by school staff. Leaders ensure all required checks are made before staff start to work at the school. During the inspection the record of these checks was amended to ensure it met the requirements.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Teaching leads to good progress, particularly in English, mathematics, chemistry, physics, RE, history and languages. This is because most teachers plan work based on accurate assessments of what different pupils need to do next in order to make swift progress. Carefully planned activities are delivered in a lively and inspiring way that engages pupils and gets them to think deeply. Pupils persist when work is hard; they are not afraid of getting work wrong as they know they can learn from any mistakes they might make.  All teachers are encouraged to ‘plan for challenge’. Most teachers’ skilled response to leaders’ expectations has led to an increasing number of the most-able pupils being on track to reach the highest GCSE grades. Equally, most teachers use detailed individual plans for pupils with special educational needs and those with disability to support their planning. This results in lessons which enable all pupils to

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

make sound progress.  Teaching assistants make a good contribution to the progress pupils make. The support given to the majority of pupils with additional needs is effective. The most effective teaching assistants do not stifle pupils’ independence; neither do they leave them to struggle and switch off.  Tutor time is used effectively and for a range of purposes. Literacy and mathematics leaders provide weekly activities for pupils to practise the basics in both these key areas. This means pupils are more accurate in punctuation and grammar and recalling common mathematical facts. Leaders know this is effective because they track pupils’ skills through regular testing and provide additional work for those not keeping up. Science and mathematics teachers work together to make sure pupils can use and apply mathematical skills in their science work.  Those pupils who access alternative provision benefit from effective teaching that matches their needs.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Their progress, however, is limited by their attendance, which is variable.  There is some variability in the effectiveness of teaching, across different subjects and within subjects. When teachers are not precise in their planning or explanations, pupils’ interest and progress wanes. Some teachers do not provide advice to pupils about their work in line with the school’s policy, and this also slows the progress of some pupils.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Leaders put great effort into making sure pupils learn how to keep themselves safe. They involve other agencies and are not afraid to tackle difficult and sensitive issues with pupils. As a result, pupils say that they feel safe and inspectors agree they are safe.  There are numerous opportunities for pupils to develop themselves as well-rounded, thoughtful young people. The peer mentor programme, sustained and developed since the previous inspection, is effective. Pupils are trained to support other pupils experiencing difficulties and everyone involved respects the success of this work.  The chaplaincy teams lead a variety of activities, including worship. Inspectors observed pupils from different faiths involved in the chaplaincy work. The deeply moving experience exemplifies how pupils learn tolerance and respect for those of different faiths and of no faith.

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Personal development and welfare

 Leaders are vigilant about all aspects of safety. A wide range of out-of-school activities take place safely because leaders ensure risks are managed appropriately. The site is secure from unauthorised access. This, alongside the pupils’ good behaviour, means that staff supervise pupils discreetly and do not need to ‘police’ them. As a result, pupils learn to accept responsibility for their own conduct.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Attendance is above average and the number of pupils with poor attendance is low. The pastoral team provides good support to pupils who struggle with coming to school. Very few pupils are late to school and most pupils move swiftly to the next lesson because they are keen to learn.  Pupils’ behaviour in lessons is linked to the effectiveness of teaching. Occasionally, pupils’ attention drifts and some may fiddle when their work is either too easy or too hard. Pupils’ behaviour very rarely disrupts the learning of others; this is because the majority of teachers use the school’s policy and rules consistently.  Around the school site and when moving between lessons pupils are considerate of others and respect each other, adults and the environment.  Pupils recognise that bullying can happen but rarely does. All pupils spoken to were clear that staff help them sort things out quickly.

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Behaviour

 The attendance of the very small number of pupils who attend alternative provision is varied. Staff at the provision and those at the school are diligent in checking the safety of the pupils who choose not to attend. Staff go to great lengths to respond to pupils’ changing interests by making different arrangements to try and keep them engaged in learning.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Leaders’ information about the progress of current Year 11 pupils is very positive. The information, confirmed by work in pupils’ books, indicates that a good proportion of pupils are on track to reach the highest GCSE grades in English, mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology, as well as continuing last year’s success in history and languages.  Equally, work in pupils’ books also confirms that most pupils in most subjects across all year groups make good progress. Disadvantaged pupils are well supported through the use of additional funds and, as a result of rapid progress, they are catching up with other pupils both in the school and in other schools nationally.  Pupils with special educational needs or disability make good progress. Leaders are developing more personalised opportunities for some pupils to ensure the qualifications they achieve are meaningful and help them move on to their next steps in education, training or employment.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 The very few pupils attending alternative provision have the chance to study for qualifications closely matched to their interests. Those who attend regularly are on track to achieve success.  Pupils in Year 9 and, from this year, Year 8, receive sound advice about the subjects they choose to study in key stage 4. Leaders ensure that advice from local further education colleges links the choices pupils make in their GCSE options to what is needed to move on to different career pathways.  Year 11 pupils receive independent advice and guidance about their choices for post-16 study. Current Year 11 pupils are all set to move on to their next step in education, with clear and realistic aspirations in mind. Apprenticeships are promoted and are the chosen route for some pupils. Girls are actively encouraged to develop the skills they need to enter careers in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM).

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Since the previous inspection there have been dips in the outcomes for pupils in English and science, and in the proportion of pupils reaching the highest GCSE grades. The dips in standards were due to a variety of reasons, including middle leadership capacity, a sluggish response to changes in national expectations and variation in the starting points of different groups of pupils. Leaders and governors have addressed the issues as they have arisen. As a result, current pupils are on track to achieve good outcomes.

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School details

Unique reference number 138018 Local authority North Lincolnshire Inspection number 10000597

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was converted to a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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School details

Type of school Secondary comprehensive School category Academy converter, voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 11–16 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 684 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Kevin Coyle Headteacher Michelle Travers Telephone number 01724 861 371 Website www.stbedesscunthorpe.org.uk Email address mtravers@stbedesscunthorpe.org.uk Date of previous inspection 11–12 October 2011

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Information about this school

 St Bede’s is a smaller-than-average secondary school. Since the previous inspection the school has converted to an academy to become part of the North Lincolnshire Catholic Academy Trust on 1 April 2012.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils for whom the pupil premium provides support is below the national average. Pupil premium funding is provided to support pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those who are looked after by the local authority.  There is a slightly higher proportion of pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds and those who speak English as an additional language than is typically found in schools.  The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disability, including those who have a statement of special educational need or an education, health and care plan, is also slightly above average.  At the time of the inspection the school placed a very small number of pupils at four alternative

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Information about this school

provisions: Coritani Academy, 7KS, Study Parks and North Lindsey College.  At the time of the inspection there were partial omissions in the information required on the school’s website, namely an indication that individual governors do not have any relevant financial and business interests and the full information required about provision for pupils with special educational needs and those with disability.  The school meets the government’s floor standards, which are the expected standards for progress and attainment in secondary schools.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection started as a short inspection under section 8 of the education Act 2005 and converted to a section 5 inspection under the same act.  Inspectors visited a range of lessons for varying amounts of time, covering a wide range of subjects. Several visits to lessons were joint visits with senior leaders. During visits to lessons inspectors talked with pupils and reviewed work in their books.  An assembly, a tutor group period and a chaplaincy team prayer group were also observed.  Meetings were held with senior leaders, middle leaders, the chair and six other members of the governing body, three directors of the Northern Lincolnshire Catholic Academy Trust and a representative from the school’s human resources advisers, North Lincolnshire local authority.  Informal discussions took place with pupils as they arrived at school, at breaktime and lunch, as well as two formal meetings with pupils from Year 7 and Year 11.

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Information about this inspection

 The view of parents were considered through the school’s own surveys of parents and 48 responses to Parent View (Ofsted’s online survey) and 22 free-text responses to the same survey. Staff views were considered through discussions and from 37 responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff.  Records and reports of all aspects of the school’s work, including safeguarding records, were reviewed.

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Inspection team

Susan Hayter, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Matthew Sammy Ofsted Inspector Wendy Bradford Ofsted Inspector Rajinder Harrison Ofsted Inspector Mandy Wilding Ofsted Inspector guidance 'Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . 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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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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