Flegg High School

Flegg High School Somerton Road, Martham, Great Yarmouth NR29 4QD

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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 Requires improvement

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This is a good school

 The unwavering resolve of the principal, supported by a diligent senior team and governing body, has focused staff on raising standards. As a result, overall attendance, behaviour, teaching and achievement are good and improving.  Leaders have been tenacious in raising achievement. They are ensuring that assessment and predictions are quality assured and have sought external guidance to make sure that their judgements are robust. This is especially noteworthy in English.  The curriculum is well suited to the needs and abilities of pupils. The issues identified in the previous inspection have been eradicated for current pupils. They are now achieving well in a curriculum that is allowing them to gain basic skills before embarking on GCSE courses. This is particularly true in the humanities subjects.  Disadvantaged pupils are making good progress from their various starting points. Gaps between their achievement and those of their classmates

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This is a good school

are reducing in many areas including in English, humanities and languages.  Good teaching is supporting pupils to learn well. Effective planning, questioning and feedback are helping pupils to develop their knowledge and skills.  Pupils are polite, respectful and value their education. They feel safe and are kept safe by thorough processes and systems, well led by the vice-principal.  Flegg pupils are very well prepared and supported to move on to their next stages in training, education or employment. Thorough and personalised support by staff ensures that pupils continue to achieve success in this area.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Some teaching does not provide the most able pupils with opportunities to achieve top grades.  On occasion, staff do not support the specific needs of those who have special educational needs or disability well enough so that they make as much progress as their classmates.  Behaviour strategies are not always personalised enough for the more challenging behaviours exhibited by a few pupils.  While effective leadership and teaching in science is raising the achievement of pupils steadily, there are instances where teaching still needs to further accelerate the progress being made.  A significant minority of parents feel that the school could offer better opportunities for the principal, senior team and governors to communicate with parents over their concerns.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Continue to improve teaching and outcomes by: ensuring that all teaching encourages the most able to work at a level and pace which ensure that they are challenged to achieve the best grades ensuring that all adult support is skilled in meeting the specific needs of those who have special educational needs or disability continuing to develop teaching in science so that pupils can catch up where there are previous gaps in their learning.  Personalise the strategies used with the few pupils who routinely exhibit challenging behaviours, through a thorough identification of their particular needs, to help them to be able to take more responsibility for improving their behaviour.  Develop more regular opportunities for parents to have direct contact with the school, most notably with the principal, senior leaders and governors.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The principal has shown resilience and determination to raise standards at the school in a meaningful way. He refuses to opt for ‘quick wins’ in any aspect of school improvement, instead setting his team the challenge to ensure that any changes are well thought out and deep-rooted. This ensures that strengths can be sustained and built on in the future. He has worked industriously to raise standards in teaching and leadership.  Leaders and governors know the school well. The school development plan is accurate in its evaluation of the strengths and areas for improvement in the school. Leaders and governors are diligent in ensuring that they work with external partners to quality assure their work. These partnerships include a very good working relationship with the local authority, regular monitoring by a school improvement partner and close links with a number of other high-performing schools. This allows leaders to use the school

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

improvement plan regularly to accurately review their effectiveness and for governors to check the ongoing progress of the school against their targets.  Leaders have successfully strengthened teaching. They use an array of information about pupils’ performance, including pupils’ own views about their learning. This supports the decisions that leaders make about staff salary increases and progression. Leaders use this information to support teachers to improve the quality of their teaching, where it is required, with much success. Staff use their ‘spotlight’ system productively to share their best practice in teaching and create an ‘open door’ culture throughout the school so that they feel confident to try new things in lessons.  Leaders and governors invest time and money in the training of their staff and developing capacity for the future. The training programme, including the staff’s annual residential training, gives them access to

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

external speakers and a range of training materials, while also ensuring that all training is specific to Flegg’s own school improvement requirements. Significant numbers of staff are on appropriate next-stage training schemes which give them national accreditation or recognition for their teaching or leadership skills.  Subject leaders are effective in securing school improvement. They routinely monitor pupils’ achievement, intervene effectively where pupils are struggling or not working hard enough, and support staff to improve their teaching, marking and feedback. The work of the new vice-principal is holding subject leaders accountable for their assessment. He has ensured that subject leaders are thorough in making sure that they undertake regular moderation with their teams and have robust assessment procedures to ensure consistency between teachers. Leaders have worked proactively using school-to-school support

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

and staff who are examination board assessors, to verify the marks that they award to pupils and to ensure that their predications are accurate.  The Year 7 catch-up funding and the additional funding that the school receives for disadvantaged pupils are used effectively to ensure that they make progress in line with their classmates. The funding is used for bespoke support such as reading programmes, additional writing provision, catch-up numeracy online software packages, and much more. Moreover, the money also funds some personnel, such as an emotional and mental health specialist to support those pupils who require this tailored support. This funding is being used to ensure that the barriers that stop some pupils being able to make progress are being reduced and, as a result of this, gaps in their achievement are closing.  Leaders have now created a curriculum which is much better suited to the needs and abilities of pupils at

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

Flegg High School. The work undertaken by leaders on the new curriculum and assessment has been collaborative, well considered and implemented securely. The previous curriculum inherited by the principal, which required some pupils to take GCSEs early before many had the skills to do so, is now fully eradicated. Current Year 11 pupils have had the experience of a curriculum which has given them an appropriate amount of time to study for their qualifications. This is especially noteworthy in the humanities subjects of history and geography. The curriculum gives pupils a balance of subjects and a number of extra-curricular opportunities and trips which they participate in, enjoy and appreciate.  The alternative off-site education used for a few pupils where it is most appropriate to meet their needs, is effective in securing them appropriate qualifications. Leaders monitor their achievement, welfare and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

attendance. They routinely quality assure the provision to make sure that it is good enough for their pupils.  Information, advice and guidance are thorough and bespoke to the needs of pupils, especially pupils who may find it more difficult to find a suitable next step in their learning or training. The school used local and regional links well to ensure that pupils who may not have significant experience or confidence to travel outside of their community are supported to do so. Consequently, the vast majority of pupils find, and succeed in, a highly appropriate post-16 chosen course, job or other training.  Leaders ensure that pupils are ready to be responsible adults in society. The curriculum provides a variety of timetabled days, assemblies, visits and external speakers, alongside lessons such as ethics, to provide pupils with information about how to stay safe in all areas of their lives, including online. Leaders keep up

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

to date with both local and national priorities that may affect the safety of their community. They respond to this by amending the curriculum to raise awareness among pupils.  Most pupils and parents appreciate the personal welfare and support that pupils receive. However, a few parents do not feel that they can gain easy access to the principal, senior leadership team and governors, when required. A small number of parents feel that this opportunity would be useful to resolve some issues quicker, establish clearer communication and help them understand the rationale behind some of the school’s decisions.  The governance of the school The highly dedicated chair of governors, supported ably by the vice-chair, leads the governing body effectively in challenging and supporting Flegg leaders to keep doing better. The governors have recruited to their own structure skilfully to ensure that they have a variety of expertise including on

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

health, finance and education, to support the school. Governors receive regular and detailed information about the school’s work, especially about the achievement of pupils and the quality of teaching. They hold regular visits with a sharp focus on school improvement and use the information they gain to ask insightful and challenging questions of the senior team. Consequently, they have a thorough understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and use this to hold leaders to account. Governors are very clear on their statutory responsibilities to keep pupils at Flegg High School safe. They are all trained in the most up-to-date statutory guidance and many are safer recruitment trained. Governors ensure that this training is used to its full effect and they routinely visit to review the recruitment of staff and their safeguarding training.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The work of the vice-principal, who acts as the

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

designated safeguarding lead, is thorough, precise and professional. Staff training is current and appropriate. Pupils feel safe and are taught how to stay safe, mainly through assemblies, external speakers and focused curriculum days.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 The quality of teaching has improved since the previous inspection and is good. Leaders’ intense focus on this area is clearly evident, especially in the improvements in the quality of questioning and guidance given to pupils to improve their work. This is especially well considered in English, mathematics, geography, languages, ethics, art, dance and drama.  Teachers use their own subject knowledge well to plan lessons which deepen pupils’ understanding of the topics being studied. In a Year 7 English lesson on A Midsummer Night’s Dream, thoughtful planning allowed for pupils of all abilities to develop sophisticated written responses. In a Year 10 mathematics lesson, skilful planning was allowing pupils to overcome their misconceptions and practise the areas where they had, as individuals, previously not been as secure in their application of advanced trigonometry.  Teachers use questions well to explore topics and to get pupils to improve their work. This is a strength

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

both in lessons and in pupils’ work. Teachers do not settle for the first answer that they are given and often use this as a starting point for further questions to the rest of the class. In a Year 8 French lesson seen, many pupils were using the questions set by the teacher as a challenge to further extend their language skills. Pupils were actively engaging with their questions in both their books and in the lesson to identify new words while also using their understanding of conjugation to create increasingly complex sentences. In a Year 9 art lesson, pupils were encouraged and well supported to build on their prior learning of ‘ink wash’ techniques to take risks in applying this to their own work.  Staff use their understanding of pupils’ prior learning well to advise some pupils about where they could start their learning in the lesson, or where some could stretch themselves even more. Many teachers use

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

the school’s ‘bronze, silver, gold’ challenges as a method to get pupils to think beyond the ‘basics’ of the subject content. In one Year 8 geography lesson, the teacher skilfully created a lesson on ‘wildfires’ which ensured that the vast majority of pupils were learning quickly while he was able to support the least able individually to catch up with their classmates. In a Year 9 English lesson, the most able pupils were using their ‘challenge’ to rapidly relate what they had learned about the class system to current political events and issues. However, there are sometimes missed opportunities in lessons to really ensure that the most able make the most of the time and resources that they have to access the very highest levels of learning. A small minority of the most able older pupils feel that in a few of their classes they do not always get challenged as effectively as they could.  Teachers use homework appropriately to improve the learning undertaken in lessons. Pupils say that

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

homework is set routinely and used to help them improve, including the use of some online systems. Parents are generally positive about the homework being set.  Literacy and reading are important at Flegg High School. Reading lessons, literacy support sessions and paired reading and writing are just some of the activities used to help less confident readers to develop reading skills. Older pupils role model these behaviours, and many are involved in a reading mentoring scheme where they support younger pupils in developing their confidence to read aloud and write fluently.  Many teaching assistants work effectively with class teachers to support the specific needs of pupils who have special educational needs or disability. This was seen particularly in English, where teachers and teaching assistants had time to share ideas and co-plan aspects of the learning. Skilled teaching assistants are also used for targeted additional support programmes in both literacy and numeracy.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

However, leaders acknowledge that some teaching and adult support in lessons is not always meeting the very specific needs of those with special educational needs or disability as well as it could. Consequently, while pupils are making better progress than before, there is still more to be done to ensure that all adults plan skilfully enough to meet some pupils’ learning needs. The appointment of new leaders in this area in recent weeks, alongside a specific action plan, is beginning to make a real difference to this.  Weaker teaching, most notably where the school has struggled to recruit well-qualified staff, has impeded the efforts of the school to provide consistent good learning in some areas, most notably in science. However, good-quality leadership in science, better teaching and strong line management has resulted in year-on-year steady improvements in the achievement of pupils. Current pupils are beginning to make

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

progress more in line with other pupils nationally. Leaders acknowledge that further work is required to develop some teaching to ensure that gaps in pupils’ learning, owing to previous poor experiences, are filled to ensure that all pupils make rapid progress. Pupils speak positively about the improvements in science in both behaviour and the quality of their learning, and many now say that it is their favourite subject.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils appreciate the work of the staff who support them with their welfare and academic needs. The ‘student services team’, the qualified mental health specialist, the school nurse and the independent careers adviser are held in high regard by pupils. Additionally, pupils are very positive about the efforts by teachers to help them prepare for their examinations. A group of Year 11 pupils who had recently completed their English examination told inspectors enthusiastically about the extra support that they had received, especially in extensive after-school revision and catch-up sessions, and through additional resources to help their revision at home.  Pupils are very positive about the different opportunities available to them. The school library, school production, extra-curricular clubs including extensive art, photography, music, gym and sports, are just

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Personal development and welfare

some of the provisions that pupils access. The school has also invested in developing ‘STEM’ links in the school as well, including on-site clubs, research opportunities and off-site trips to raise pupils’ aspirations in this area, most notably girls. Pupils speak highly of these provisions and many participate fully.  Pupils are friendly, keen to talk to visitors and express themselves articulately. They were incredibly helpful to inspectors who needed guidance around the site and very willing to help. In lessons, pupils automatically support one another in their learning. Teachers and adults encourage this so that there is a cooperative learning ethos in almost all lessons. This sense of school community is developed well through assemblies which link to a range of spiritual, moral, social and cultural themes and are based on the school’s six core values.  Pupils like the opportunities that they receive to take responsibility in the school. One example is the

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Personal development and welfare

‘school leadership group’, who get many opportunities to discuss with senior leaders things that could improve in the school. These leadership opportunities are being extended through the school cabinet, school council and subject-specific ‘student advocates’. Older pupils act as role models and often work with younger pupils, especially in reading and homework mentoring. In the best tutor sessions, the time is well used for this type of work and builds a sense of community between the different age groups. However, pupils report that some tutor sessions do not use this time as effectively to meet the needs of the different age range of learners in the room.  Leaders’ use of some off-site alternative education is well chosen and effective in meeting the specific needs of those few pupils who use it. Pupils are securing appropriate qualifications which are relevant to their next stages and aspirations in training, education or employment. Leaders routinely monitor pupils’

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Personal development and welfare

attendance and achievement and quality assure the provision.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils respect their school environment. Litter is rare and the various displays and information screens around the school are well maintained. Classrooms are tidy and there is no graffiti.  Pupils conduct themselves well around the school site. Where space is more limited, such as in the canteen, they wait patiently and sensibly until it is their turn. Their behaviour between lessons and in assemblies is exemplary, with ‘student leaders’ taking responsibility alongside staff to monitor entry into and behaviour in the assembly hall.  Most lessons are calm and purposeful. Pupils enjoy school and feel that the support they receive is making a real difference to their learning. A small minority say that, on occasion, their lessons can be disturbed by the poor behaviour of a core few pupils, who are then dealt with by school leaders and systems. Many pupils say that if they are in trouble, the behaviour system helps them to rectify their

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Behaviour

behaviour. However, a very small number of pupils say that some staff do not always look for the reasons behind their persistent poor behaviour and are sometimes inconsistent in how they deal with these issues.  Pupils are punctual to lessons, and they move swiftly between them which enables them to start promptly so no learning time is lost. Pupils value their education and attend well. Attendance is at national levels and improving year on year. Persistent absence for some individual groups, although still high, is reducing. Pupils know that it is important to attend regularly, and they do so. For the few pupils with poorer attendance, staff are persistent in chasing and supporting families to improve this. There are many examples where the school is having success in improving attendance for these pupils. For those pupils who cannot avoid absence owing to significant medical needs, the school works with families to

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Behaviour

ensure that they are helped so that they do not miss out or so that they can catch up.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 In 2015, Year 11 pupils who entered the school with standards of attainment that were below national average made good overall progress. Current pupils, from slightly better starting points, are making better progress than in previous years, most notably in English, humanities and science. School information also suggests a significant rise in attainment in these areas. This, alongside inspection evidence, confirms that the level of achievement is rising and consequently outcomes for most pupils are now good.  Following what the school reflects upon as being disappointing results in 2015, the English team have acted swiftly to secure their predictions through extensive internal and external quality assurance. They have used the local authority and school-to-school support with other high-performing schools to ensure that their predictions are more accurate. They have also been proactive in acting on the examination

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Outcomes for pupils are good

board advice. Current school information, supported by work scrutiny and evidence seen on inspection, indicates that expected progress is at national levels for current Year 11 pupils and is set to continue to rise for future year groups.  Pupils made progress in mathematics in 2015 in line with national averages. Current school information, coupled with the lessons and work seen on inspection, indicates that achievement is strong and improving for almost all current pupils in each year group.  Disadvantaged pupils made good overall progress in 2015 and the numbers making and exceeding expected progress in English and mathematics were similar to those of other pupils nationally. Disadvantaged pupils’ progress in languages was also broadly in line with national averages. Current pupils are making even better progress, especially in English and humanities.  Science, from a very low starting point in the previous inspection, has made improvements in the last two

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Outcomes for pupils are good

years that are now starting to improve the overall results. The principal, himself a science specialist, and the vice-principal, as line manager, undertake routine quality assurance exercises and the governing body visit the school regularly. Science is now fully staffed and leadership is secured. Alongside these positives, quality assurance and school-to-school support are being used effectively year on year to secure accurate predictions. Current school information, and some intensive scrutiny on inspection, shows that science is improving steadily but teaching needs to move some pupils through core science more rapidly to fill in the gaps left from previously weaker teaching.  Significant numbers of pupils study a language at Flegg High School and make good progress. This is because of high-quality teaching and feedback which support pupils to understand how to improve. Pupils also access a good range of physical, technical and creative subjects and are achieving well in these

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Outcomes for pupils are good

areas, owing to good teaching and effective support.  Although progress in history and geography has been much lower than the national average in recent years, the issues surrounding the curriculum which has required pupils to sit GCSEs earlier than they are ready to, has been resolved so that all current pupils are being given access to a full-time GCSE curriculum in these subjects. Current predictions, which have been checked for accuracy, coupled with the work seen on inspection, show that current pupils are making good progress from their various starting points. This is particularly so in geography.  In 2015, the most able pupils achieved grades in line with national average in English, mathematics and languages. This is set to rise in 2016 and for future year groups. Progress and attainment in science was not as strong, although current pupils are achieving significantly better than this. Curriculum changes in

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Outcomes for pupils are good

geography and history are making a significant difference to improving current attainment and progress for the most able pupils.  Pupils who have special educational needs or disability are now making better progress. In 2015, pupils with an education, health and care plan or a statement of special educational needs made good progress that was much higher than the national average. Other pupils who have special educational needs or disability did not make progress that was as strong. Current pupils are now making better progress as a consequence of effective new leadership and improvements in teaching. However, there is still work in some lessons to ensure that pupils make progress in line with their classmates.  Pupils are well prepared for the next stage in their education, training or employment. The information and guidance that pupils receive is thorough and gives pupils a range of options, so that they can make

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Outcomes for pupils are good

appropriate choices for themselves. The school uses the additional funding that it receives to ensure that disadvantaged pupils are given more intensive and bespoke support to secure their next-stage training or educational placement. As a result, the majority of pupils achieve success in appropriate post-16 courses or career paths.

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School details

Unique reference number 138759 Local authority Norfolk Inspection number 10011870

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School details

This inspection 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 11–16 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 807 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mr John Fox Principal Dr Simon Fox Telephone number 01493 740 349 Website www.flegg.norfolk.sch.uk Email address office@flegg.norfolk.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 14–15 May 2014

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Information about this school

 Flegg High School converted to become an academy in September 2013.  It is smaller than the average secondary school. Almost all pupils are of White British heritage with a very small proportion from minority ethnic groups or who speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils eligible for the pupil premium (government funding to support pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and children looked after) is below national average.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disability is above national average.  A few pupils currently access off-site education at Easton College, ACE, Great Yarmouth College and East Norfolk Sixth Form.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set minimum expectations for attainment and progress.  The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in 39 lessons or parts of lessons. A number of joint observations were carried out with senior leaders. Inspectors also visited tutor sessions and an assembly.  Meetings were held with the principal, a number of nominated senior and middle leaders, governors, pupils and parents. The lead inspector also held telephone meetings with a representative from the local authority and the school’s improvement partner.  Pupils’ views were sought between classes, during lessons and at break and lunchtimes. Inspectors also scrutinised work from science, mathematics, English, modern foreign languages and humanities.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation including the school’s self-evaluation, action planning documents, minutes of governors’ meetings, external evaluations, safeguarding records, pupil progress information, and school policies and procedures.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors analysed 98 responses to Parent View, the online survey provided to parents by Ofsted, and 51 responses to staff questionnaires.  Inspectors scrutinised the various forms of communication the school uses, including the website and information sent to and from parents and other stakeholders.

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Inspection team

Kim Pigram, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Elizabeth Cornish Ofsted Inspector David Hutton Ofsted Inspector John Randall 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

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, further education and skills, 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Inspection team

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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

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