Setting

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 4234 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Adrian Kneeshaw Headteacher Carlton Bolling College Undercliffe Lane Bradford West Yorkshire BD3 0DU

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College

Following my visit to your school on 23 May 2016, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. Thank you for the help you gave me and for the time you made available to discuss the actions you are taking to improve the school since the most recent section 5 inspection.

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College

The visit was the first monitoring inspection since the school was judged to require improvement following the section 5 inspection in October 2015. It was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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College

Senior leaders and governors are taking effective action to tackle the areas requiring improvement identified at the recent section 5 inspection in order to become a good school.

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College

The school should take further action to:

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College

 continue to develop and embed the tracking of pupils’ progress, including that of the most able, to ensure that teaching is increasingly focused and helps all pupils succeed.

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Evidence

During the inspection, meetings were held with you and other leaders, members of the shadow governing body and a representative of the local authority to discuss the impact of actions taken since the previous inspection. In addition, I met with a group of Year 7 pupils to discuss their experience of the school. The school’s action plans and the school’s system for checking pupil progress were also evaluated. A learning walk was conducted jointly with you which focused on the English, mathematics and design technology departments. Other documents were scrutinised including documentation relating to governance and records and analysis of pupils’ attendance. I also talked with pupils informally at break and lunchtimes.

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Context

Since the previous inspection a shadow governing body has been formed. It will take on its full responsibilities from June 2016. A new leader for English has been appointed. He has very recently taken up his duties at the school.

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Main findings

Since the previous inspection you have moved promptly and decisively to address the weaknesses at the school. You have driven improvement with a clear sense of what needs to be done. Your enthusiasm is infectious and is increasingly shared by both staff and pupils. You have empowered your staff and your leadership team, including middle leaders. They are very clear about your expectations and their key role in improving outcomes for pupils. Working with the interim executive board (the IEB) and the shadow governing body, you have given leaders at all levels clarity about what success looks like for your school and its wider community.

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Main findings

The school’s plans focus precisely on the areas for improvement identified in the previous inspection report and have very clear actions identified to make improvements to the quality of leadership and teaching. The actions demonstrate an urgency to improve, but also an understanding of the need to prioritise actions which will make the largest impact on pupils’ learning. The plans set out clearly what needs to be done, by whom and by when. In addition, actions are planned throughout the year so that there is time for the impact of actions to be measured and their success assessed. The plans show clearly the actions leaders and staff are taking to improve the school and what that improvement looks like. The role of the shadow governing body as it monitors the impact of the school’s actions is also clearly explained.

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Main findings

You and your other leaders have been active in sourcing relevant professional development so that you have the skills and abilities to carry out your roles effectively. This has been successful. Along with your robust action plans, you have further developed your monitoring systems to ensure that you use a range of information to judge the quality of teaching and learning with a focus on pupils’ progress and outcomes. This has had a positive impact on teaching and learning across the school. The more regular monitoring of pupils and the consequent sharing and analysis among staff of information about the progress of individual pupils and groups of pupils, including that of the most able, is improving the quality of teaching and learning. This is because it is helping staff focus their planning and teaching more precisely. Your middle leaders report that they are enthusiastic about this aspect of the school’s work and can already see clear signs of it having a

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Main findings

positive impact on pupils’ outcomes. However, it is too early to say if this regular monitoring is thoroughly embedded across the school.

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Main findings

You have stabilised the recent turbulence in English at the school through the appointment of a new leader in English and a determined focus on improving the quality of provision in this vital area of the school. The robust whole-school monitoring system has supported this. You entered pupils for English literature examinations early and results for these tests show a significant improvement. This has given a welcome boost to the morale of the English department.

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Main findings

You and the sixth form leader have moved effectively to address the areas for improvement in the post-16 study programme identified in the previous inspection report. Although 2016 results are not yet available, you predict that more learners without grades A* to C in GCSE English and mathematics will make progress towards grade C this year. This is because these learners’ progress has been more carefully monitored and their teaching more focused. In addition, as part of the whole-school drive to continue to improve attendance, attendance in the sixth form is improving. Your sixth form leader has also extended and refined the quality of advice given to learners about career choice and next steps. There are regular visits from local universities and businesses that help learners make more informed decisions. As part of the increasingly focused monitoring of each pupil and learner across the school, work experience for sixth form learners is being more carefully

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Main findings

tailored to learners’ needs. However, it is too early to assess the impact of this.

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Main findings

The IEB is effective in supporting the school and holding you and your leaders to account for your improvement work. The IEB, supported effectively by the local authority, is now working closely with the shadow governing body to ensure that the momentum of success is not diminished. A number of IEB members are also on the shadow governing body. This is helping to ensure a smooth and effective handover of responsibilities. Smooth yet resolute transition is also being assured because both the IEB and the shadow governing body are effective in driving improvements at the school. They know the school and community well. They are also clear about their ambitious vision for the school and the key actions that need to be taken to ensure all pupils and learners get the very best.

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External support

The executive board has benefited from detailed and effective support from the local authority. The local authority has also supported the creation and development of the shadow governing body. Beyond support from the local authority, you have carefully sought out a range of organisations to support the needs of your school. These have helped you focus and improve the quality and impact of, for example, middle leadership and your provision for sixth form learners. I am copying this letter to the chair of the shadow governing body, the chair of the executive board, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Bradford. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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