Eggbuckland Community College

School report Eggbuckland Community College

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Westcott Close, Eggbuckland, Plymouth, Devon PL6 5YB

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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 Not previously inspected

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This is a good school

 Leaders have raised the expectations of staff, pupils and parents swiftly. Leaders are incisive in their self-evaluation so that they know exactly what to do to sustain school improvements.  Governors fulfil their statutory duties well. In particular, they rigorously monitor the school’s safeguarding procedures.  Leaders monitor the school’s comprehensive system of tracking pupils’ progress, attendance, behaviour and well-being carefully so that extra support to pupils can be provided when required.  The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good, with staff following school policies well. As a result, pupils make good progress.  The behaviour of pupils is good. They are polite to staff, each other and to visitors. They are keen to learn and achieve well.  Pupils are safe and know how to stay safe in a range of circumstances, including when using the internet.  The new head of the sixth form has improved the

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This is a good school

quality of provision. Students attend regularly and are achieving well. The courses they choose are appropriate to their potential and career aspirations.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 A small minority of pupils’ attendance is stubbornly low. These are a few disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs or disability in key stages 3 and 4.  The most able pupils are not achieving as well as they should in key stage 4. Some teachers do not plan learning to sufficiently challenge and extend these pupils’ thinking.  Good practice in teaching is not shared routinely so that teachers can improve their practice even further.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that leaders and managers, including governors, work more effectively to: share the best of practice in teaching, learning and assessment so that pupils’ progress continues to improve across the full range of subjects raise the attendance of disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs or disability improve the progress of the most able pupils so that they attain the very highest levels.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 School leaders have worked with determination to accelerate the school’s improvement, learning from and putting behind them the disappointing examination results of 2015. The school has been galvanised by leaders’ high expectations, which have been effectively communicated to staff, pupils and parents. Staffing has been stabilised, and pupils’ current progress, which is well informed by accurate assessment information, is good. With the support of new leadership in key positions, provision and current pupils’ achievement demonstrate continuing rapid improvement.  As a member of the Endeavour Learning Community Trust, the school promotes strongly held values which are reflected in the very positive relationships between pupils and staff. These values are characterised by mutual respect and courtesy and the positive contribution made by pupils to the school and wider community.  Leaders are accurate in their self-evaluation of the school’s performance and this enables them to

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

secure further improvement in identified areas. Systems for monitoring the progress of pupils and their personal welfare and development are comprehensive and effective in identifying pupils that may require extra support.  The leadership of teaching is good, including high-quality professional development of staff. Those very new to teaching are appreciative of the mentoring they receive as it is motivating and practical, with ‘teaching tips’ on important aspects such as questioning, ‘holding purposeful discussions’ and literacy support.  Leaders and governors manage teachers’ performance well, setting appropriate targets. However, in monitoring the quality of teaching, not enough use is made of information about pupils’ and students’ progress over time.  Subject leaders are held rigorously to account now for the standards achieved in their curriculum areas. There is an expectation that they will challenge staff as well as pupils when expectations of pupils’

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

progress are not high enough.  Leaders use the pupil premium funding effectively and eligible pupils are making progress that is in line with other pupils nationally.  The school provides a broad and balanced curriculum that has been adapted well to meet the identified needs of pupils. For example, the necessary changes were made to the key stage 4 curriculum to ensure that pupils are taking the qualifications most suited to them. The extra-curricular activities available to pupils and students allow them to extend their knowledge and understanding. In particular, leadership experiences allow pupils and students to successfully build and develop their skills for when they move on to further education, employment or training.  Pupils are prepared positively for life in modern Britain by their personal, social and health education programme, which includes citizenship education. Pupils and students talk of its effectiveness in helping

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

them to understand the fundamental British values of democracy and equality. There are impressive displays around the school that further support pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  All parents who responded to the Ofsted Parent View survey agreed that ‘the school is well led and managed’.  Leaders and governors work with local schools and businesses to improve the range of qualifications for students. This has enhanced the opportunities for students in the sixth form.  Effective practice, such as that in the sixth form, is not yet routinely shared with staff to eliminate the few areas of concern, such as the stretch and challenge for the most able and the poor attendance of a small minority, more quickly.  The governance of the school Governors have the information they need to make decisions on teachers’ pay awards. Governors are fully trained in safer recruitment and safeguarding. They challenge school leaders

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

vigorously about the safety of pupils and students. Governors do not yet have a full overview of the progress and attainment of groups of pupils to enable them to robustly hold the school to account for pupils’ achievement. Governors are supportive of the school and attend parents’ evenings and other functions. They have undertaken all necessary statutory training.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Secure processes are in place for monitoring and recording any safeguarding concerns and for taking the necessary action. There is a comprehensive approach to the assessment of any risks in school, and on trips and activities. Staff are trained in how to keep pupils safe from abuse, sexual exploitation, radicalisation and extremism. Staff are alert and act promptly if they suspect pupils are vulnerable to any of these issues.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Teachers have secure subject knowledge that enables them to plan learning well and to deepen pupils’ knowledge through skilful questioning.  When suitably challenged, pupils thrive. They enjoy learning which makes them think deeply to develop their understanding. For example, pupils in Year 9 science thoughtfully considered the ethical issue of whether antibodies should be given to terminally ill patients in preference to other patients.  Teachers are making effective use of the school’s new assessment system, which underpins pupils’ learning from Year 7 to Year 11. Pupils and staff are using this new system with confidence.  Teachers and teaching assistants follow school policies with regard to marking and feedback so that pupils have a clear understanding of what they can do well and how they can improve their learning further.  Teachers work well to develop pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills. Effective practitioners lead a whole-

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

school approach that extends into the sixth form. As a result, literacy, in particular, underpins the improving standards across the curriculum.  The teaching of pupils with low reading ages has been effectively supported by guidance from primary school teachers from within the trust, with a particular focus on the use of phonics (the sounds that letters represent). As a result, weaker readers in key stage 3 are making more rapid progress.  Pupils with special educational needs or disability are well supported. Teachers are fully aware of their particular learning needs and plan work accordingly.  The pupils from the hearing impairment unit are taught well by subject teachers and learning assistants; these pupils integrate seamlessly with the classes in the main school.  Teachers are now giving more attention to challenging the most able pupils, with good examples observed in English, mathematics, science, history and languages. However, these pupils are still not

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

fulfilling their potential in other subjects.  Homework is set regularly, but is of variable quality. Leaders are monitoring this to make sure that homework provides pupils with enough challenge and support.  All parents who responded to the Ofsted Parent View survey agreed that their child is well taught at school.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils are confident, responsive to teaching and willing to participate in lessons; pupils are also eager to be involved in assemblies.  Pupils value the education provided for them, in particular the interesting opportunities provided by the school that promote their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  The emotional health of pupils is considered as important as any other facet of their lives, and leaders monitor this carefully and provide a range of helpful support when necessary. The predominantly positive attitudes of pupils reflect this.  Teachers are able to identify any health or social concerns quickly and act upon them. For the most vulnerable, new, individualised ‘wrap-around’ systems are in place to improve attendance and pupils’ attitudes. It is too soon to see the impact of these initiatives.

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Personal development and welfare

 Pupils feel safe at school and know how to keep themselves safe. They have a good understanding of different types of bullying and say that on the rare occasions that bullying takes place, it is dealt with efficiently.  All parents who responded to the Ofsted Parent View survey agreed with the statement, ‘my child feels safe at this school’.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils conduct themselves well in the school and contribute to an orderly environment. The buildings are spread across a large site, but pupils walk purposefully from lesson to lesson. The site is litter-free and well respected.  Pupils wear their uniform with pride and value the distinction of their house emblems.  Instances of inappropriate language are very rare.  Pupils’ overall attendance is above the national average. There is an improvement in the attendance of the few pupils who had in the past been persistently absent. A minority of disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs or disability do not attend regularly. Leaders are tackling these issues well through their rigorous tracking, intervention and reward systems.  Pupils are punctual to lessons, but a few pupils turn up late to school first thing in the morning.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Pupils’ rates of progress are much improved since the disappointing GCSE results in 2015 which showed pupils making below the expected rates of progress in English and other subjects. The school’s assessment information, which has been carefully moderated alongside teachers from other secondary schools across the city, suggests that current pupils are on track to attain much improved results in 2016 across a range of subjects.  Pupils in key stage 3 are making good progress currently in a range of subjects, including English and mathematics. This reflects the high expectations of teachers, stability of staffing, supportive mentoring and effective planning based on the clear targets derived from the school’s new assessment system.  Disadvantaged pupils are making good progress in comparison with other pupils nationally. There remains a gap between the attainment of disadvantaged pupils and that of other pupils in the school,

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Outcomes for pupils are good

but this is decreasing.  Pupils check their own progress against subject criteria, which are placed in their exercise books. These sheets are completed regularly by the pupils. In key stage 4, these effectively support the revision necessary for examinations and assessments. The pupils show resilience in their determination to reach the high expectations set for them.  The most able pupils in key stage 3 are on track to exceed the expected rates of progress. In key stage 4, the most able pupils are not making the same good progress as their peers because their learning in some subjects is insufficiently challenging.  The additional funding for pupils who need to catch up in English and mathematics in Year 7 is used effectively so that they are now making more rapid progress.  The support for pupils who have special educational needs or disability is effective and these pupils are making strong progress from their different starting points. Teachers are aware of the different needs

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Outcomes for pupils are good

of the pupils and plan and share work with the teaching assistants accordingly.  Pupils read widely and well. There is a public library on site and pupils in key stages 3 and 4, as well as sixth-form students, make effective use of it for study and pleasure. Reading is encouraged in all subjects and is part of the literacy promotion in the school. Pupils are provided with suggestions for reading according to the topics being studied in class. In history, for example, Year 9 pupils are reading about the influx of refugees in the Stuart period.  Impartial careers guidance is provided for pupils in Years 8 and 10 to support them in making their subject choices for GCSE and post-16 studies. This is a strength as pupils make sensible subject choices for their future careers. As a result, pupils go on to other destinations successfully.

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16 to 19 study programmes are good

 New leaders have had immediate impact. Following a generally poor set of examination results in 2015, particularly in academic subjects, steps have been taken to ensure that current students are making much more rapid progress. The legacy of underachievement in key stage 4 means that progress in Year 13 is not as good as that in Year 12, but leaders’ efforts are focused on enabling students to catch up so that they achieve well.  Leaders set aspirational targets for students, who show determination to succeed. The effective tracking systems used at key stages 3 and 4 are used in the sixth form too. If students are not keeping up with their studies, they are mentored and monitored closely until they are back on track. Students commented on their appreciation of this.  Teaching in the sixth form is good. Teachers provide challenge and support appropriately to maximise progress. This was evident in a Year 13 performing arts final assessment production that showed

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16 to 19 study programmes are good

clearly the range of skills and dramatic effects that had been learned over time.  The school’s monitoring has contributed to students’ exceptionally high attendance compared with sixth forms locally and nationally. Equally, students’ well-being is monitored so that their learning attitudes remain positive.  The school meets the needs of students well by offering a wide range of appropriate courses. Leaders have secured places at four other school sixth forms in the city for academic qualifications as well as seven other centres for vocational courses. Over 50 students attend the vocational centres and study subjects that support a range of employment opportunities, such as carpentry, skills for further learning and employment, vehicle (light) maintenance and repair, beauty therapy, professional cookery and creative digital media.  Students’ attitudes to learning are commendable. They are enthusiastic and tenacious. The sixth-form

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16 to 19 study programmes are good

environment is purposeful and stimulating. The students respect it and use the space for independent, diligent work.  The school supports them well in achieving their studies whether these are at level 1, 2 or 3. Many students progress through the levels during their time in the sixth form.  Students who did not pass their GCSEs in English and mathematics with a grade of A* to C in Year 11 are taught until they achieve this grade, regardless of the time it takes.  All students participate in work experience. They meet local business people to discuss the necessary skills for future employment.  Students behave well and their consideration for the younger pupils is shown in the way they support them in lunchtime activities.  Students are aware of how to keep themselves safe and commented on the high focus this area has in the teaching of personal, social and health education.

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School details

Unique reference number 140104 Local authority Plymouth Inspection number 10011158

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School details

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

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School details

Type of school Secondary School category Academy converter Age range of pupils 11–18 Gender of pupils Mixed

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programmes

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,078

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programmes

Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Peter Leverton Principal Katrina Borowski Telephone number 01752 779061 Website www.eggbuckland.com Email address mailbox@eggbuckland.com Date of previous inspection 12–13 February 2013

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Information about this school

 Eggbuckland Community College converted to an academy on 1 September 2013. The Eggbuckland Community College Academy Trust converted to a multi-academy trust, The Eggbuckland Community College Multi-Academy Trust, on 1 March 2015. It operates with two schools: Eggbuckland Community College and Austin Farm Academy, a primary school.  When the predecessor school of the same name was last inspected in February 2013, it was judged to be good.  There is a hearing support centre on site that provides specialist educational support for up to 12 pupils who are deaf or have hearing impairment from Year 7 to Year 13.  The school works collaboratively with Devonport High School for Boys, Devonport High School for Girls, Notre Dame School and St Boniface’s Catholic College. Sixth-form students study AS- and A-level biology, business studies, maths, media studies, physics, sociology and Spanish in the sixth forms of the five

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Information about this school

schools, depending on the curriculum offered.  A total of 55 sixth-form students attend vocational courses in carpentry, plastering, skills for further learning and employment, vehicle (light) maintenance and repair, public services, supporting learning and teaching in schools, animal care, beauty therapy, professional cookery, creative digital media, early years education and care, health and social care, ICT professional competence, creative craft, BTEC sport, childcare and education, hairdressing, British Horse Society stage 2 riding and patisserie. These are studied at a range of venues in the city: Construction Training South West, Achievement Training, Discovery College, Venus Training and Consultancy Ltd, GHQ Training, Cornwall College and Norpro Training Ltd.  The school is a member of the Endeavour Learning Community Trust which is a cooperative trust. The partners are six primary schools, a special school, the Cooperative Movement, Plymouth Learning

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Information about this school

Partnership and Plymouth local authority.  The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.  The school does not meet the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited 35 lessons, 16 of which were observed jointly with senior leaders.  A wide sample of pupils’ work from all year groups and a range of subjects was scrutinised.  Inspectors talked with pupils from Years 7, 10, 12 and 13 in formal meetings, as well as with pupils informally across the site.  Meetings were held with a number of senior and middle leaders and members of the governing body.  Information and other documentary evidence were scrutinised, including that relating to safeguarding, assessment, school evaluation and external reviews.  Inspectors took account of the 26 responses to the online Parent View survey and the parental survey undertaken by the school.

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Inspection team

Kathy Maddocks, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Martyn Groucutt Ofsted Inspector Marie Hunter Ofsted Inspector Nann Stimpson Ofsted Inspector Gillian Carter 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

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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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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