Stocksbridge High School

Stocksbridge High School Shay House Lane, Stocksbridge, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S36 1FD Inspection dates 6–7 July 2016

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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This is a school that requires improvement

 Pupils do not make consistently good progress across a wide range of subjects including English and mathematics.  Disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities make less progress than others in school. They are often absent from school and this hinders their progress.  Teachers’ expectations are not consistently high and pupils’ attitudes to learning require improvement. Pupils do not take sufficient pride in their work or make sure that it is of a consistently high standard.  Work set does not match the needs and abilities of all groups of pupils. In particular, the most able pupils are not challenged well enough to achieve the highest GCSE grades.  Pupils’ writing and mathematical skills are not reinforced or developed in a wide range of subjects.  Teachers do not check pupils’ learning well enough to provide additional challenge and support. They do not use questioning well enough

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This is a school that requires improvement

to deepen pupils’ learning and to maintain their interest.  Subject leaders have not ensured that the school’s guidance for marking and feedback is implemented consistently to strengthen pupils’ progress.  Leaders have not been thorough enough in checking the quality of teaching to ensure that it is good. Not all leaders make sure that teachers’ assessments of pupils’ progress are accurate, particularly for pupils in key stage 3.  Plans for improvement do not show clearly how the changes to be made will improve the quality of teaching and pupils’ learning

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The school has the following strengths

 Pupils say that they are safe in school. There are high-quality safeguarding procedures in place to protect pupils, especially the most vulnerable.  There is a climate of respect and tolerance throughout the school. Relationships between pupils and adults are good.  Pupils enjoy the many opportunities to take on roles of responsibility and contribute to the school.  The new headteacher has the full support of staff in his efforts to strengthen the work of the school. Morale is high and the school is improving.  Governors and the new headteacher are ambitious for the pupils, and have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and how to tackle its weaknesses.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that it is consistently good across the school, by: increasing expectations of what pupils can do, particularly for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities encouraging pupils to make better use of teachers’ feedback to improve their work setting work that challenges all groups of pupils appropriately so that they make good progress making sure that pupils of all abilities present their work neatly and take pride in their work ensuring that teachers swiftly check pupils’ learning before moving on to other planned activities skilfully questioning pupils to probe their understanding and to engage them consistently well in their learning.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve outcomes for pupils across the school by ensuring that: information about pupils’ progress in key stage 3 is accurate in all subjects, so leaders and managers can pinpoint underachievement and address it successfully disadvantaged pupils make consistently good progress across a range of subjects including mathematics and English the teaching for pupils with special educational needs improves to help them make good progress the most able pupils are challenged sufficiently across a range of subjects to attain the highest outcomes high-quality writing is promoted across a wide range of subjects, particularly for boys pupils’ mathematical skills are strengthened by applying them across a wide range of subjects.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the impact of leaders and managers by making sure that: the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress are good across the school subject leaders check the quality of pupils’ work thoroughly to ensure pupils’ good progress, accurate teacher assessment and high expectations the school’s guidance on marking and feedback is applied consistently well to strengthen pupils’ progress the attendance of disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities is at least average leaders are crystal clear about how planned actions will contribute to improvements in teaching and pupil progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

 Over time, leaders have not improved the quality of teaching, pupils’ outcomes and personal development, behaviour and welfare rapidly enough to ensure that they are consistently good. Progress has been made in tackling the areas for development from the previous inspection, although inconsistencies still remain across the school.  The new headteacher has a clear view of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. He has high expectations of staff and pupils. He is providing good support and challenge to strengthen the quality of teaching. The leadership team has been reorganised to strengthen the school’s capacity for sustained improvement. Parents, pupils and staff say that they have noticed recent improvements at the school because of the headteacher’s efforts and ambition.  Subject leaders are keen to play their part to ensure that the school improves. They are receiving appropriate training to fulfil their roles. As yet, there is inconsistency in the checking of pupils’ work to

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

ensure that pupils make good progress and receive good-quality teaching. Subject leaders have not ensured that the school’s guidance for marking and feedback, including pupils’ response, is used well enough to help pupils make good progress. They have not ensured consistently high expectations for all groups of pupils, particularly disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.  Leaders do not yet use systems to check pupils’ progress sufficiently well to ensure that all groups of pupils are making good progress. They still need to refine processes for checking teachers’ assessments of pupils’ progress in key stage 3 to secure reliable information.  Plans for improvement are not focused well enough on how actions taken will result in improvements to the quality of teaching and learning and pupils’ progress. This limits leaders’ ability to check closely the impact that their actions are having on improving the school.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

 The system to manage teachers’ performance meets requirements. It has been used to tackle underperformance, and provide training and support for staff to strengthen the quality of teaching. However, the impact of this training has yet to result in good outcomes for pupils.  The curriculum offers a wide range of subjects and additional support for pupils. The headteacher has noted that outcomes for pupils are inconsistent and changes have been made to the curriculum in an effort to achieve greater success at the end of key stage 4. In key stage 3, the curriculum is not developing pupils’ writing skills or their mathematical skills well enough across a wide range of subjects.  There are a good number of after-school clubs, some organised by pupil ambassadors and pupil leaders. Pupils participate well in sport, school visits, residential activities and work in art, drama and music, as well as additional study opportunities at the school’s ‘Study@36’ centre. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

cultural understanding is developing effectively, as is their understanding of tolerance, respect and democracy.  The additional government funding to support disadvantaged pupils has not been used very effectively. Attainment gaps are not closing quickly and consistently across the school. Very recently, two senior leaders have started to strengthen work with these pupils, but their plans have yet to come to fruition.  The use of Year 7 catch-up funding (government funding for those entering secondary school with below- average standards in English and mathematics) is used effectively and is helping these pupils to improve, particularly with their reading.  The school’s website has been upgraded and resited very recently. The headteacher is aware that, as yet, it does not meet statutory regulations. Work is being done to ensure that it is compliant.  The local authority has provided very effective support through its school improvement partner, governor

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

services and a national leader of education. The school improvement partner’s sharp analysis of the strengths and weaknesses in the school has supported the headteacher well in focusing on key areas to improve. The national leader of education has worked closely with the headteacher, and her school is providing training and support to develop the quality of teaching. Governor services have provided training and support for governance.  The governance of the school There has been significant change in governance since the previous inspection. Governors have instigated their own review of governance and sought judicious support from the local authority and a national leader of governance. Along with their own improving expertise, this advice and support has strengthened governance considerably. Governors are well aware of the strengths of the school and its areas for improvement. They are ‘key players’ in the improvements that are occurring within the school, and appreciate the support of the

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

local authority and the national leader of education. Governors have expertise in finance, and check that the school is financially viable and that resources are allocated appropriately, particularly for disadvantaged pupils. They are clear about the need to strengthen the progress of disadvantaged pupils and specific groups, such as the most able and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They are challenging leaders, including subject leaders, to strengthen pupils’ progress. Governors have a clear understanding of the link between pupil performance and the quality of teaching. They support and challenge the headteacher to ensure that teaching is improving.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. All staff have been trained and know how to report concerns that they may have about a pupil’s safety. Leaders follow up these concerns quickly and involve outside agencies, the local authority and parents appropriately. Governors check the quality of the

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

school’s work and know that it is secure, particularly the work with the most vulnerable pupils.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

 While the quality of teaching has been a focus for the school and is improving, it is inconsistent across subjects and within subjects. Inconsistencies in the quality of teaching have prevented pupils achieving well enough by the end of Year 11. Currently, pupils’ progress is uneven as teaching is not consistently good.  Expectations are not consistently high across the school. Not enough is expected of pupils, especially disadvantaged pupils, the most able and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The quality of pupils’ presentation varies considerably across the school and is not good overall. Pupils are not consistently challenged to develop resilience, ambition and pride in their work.  Work set is often not sufficiently challenging for pupils, including the most able, to help them make better than expected progress. When work is challenging, for example in a science lesson and in modern foreign

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

languages, pupils ‘rise to the occasion’, make good progress and produce high-quality work.  Questioning and swift checking of pupils’ work are not used well enough to identify how much pupils are learning. Questioning does not probe pupils’ learning well enough or pursue answers to deepen their knowledge and engage all of them fully in their learning. Teachers do not meticulously check pupils’ progress with tasks in their lessons. As a result, tasks are not adjusted well enough to ensure that pupils of all abilities make good progress.  An analysis of pupils’ work by inspectors showed that teachers’ use of marking and feedback is not following the school’s new guidance well enough to ensure good progress for pupils. Feedback is not sufficiently focused on the additional challenge required to help pupils make good progress. When the new guidance is applied consistently well, pupils respond enthusiastically and make good improvements

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

in knowledge, skills and understanding.  The development of writing and mathematical skills is not emphasised well enough across a wide range of subjects. Writing is inconsistent across the school and is not helping pupils to learn well, particularly boys. Good opportunities were seen in science for pupils to apply their mathematical skills, but not across other subjects. There are good opportunities for pupils to read in a range of subjects.  Homework is making an effective contribution to pupils’ learning. It is set regularly and includes work from the new online system that can be accessed by both pupils and parents. Governors, pupils and parents are pleased with this new development.  Teachers and other staff have positive relationships with pupils. When tasks are interesting, match the needs of pupils and have a good level of challenge, pupils of all abilities learn well and make a strong contribution to their learning. Pupils are cooperative and polite to each other as well as the adults they

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

are working with.  The quality of teaching is improving and is evident in the improving outcomes for pupils at the end of Year 11.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement.  New strategies to improve attendance are beginning to bring overall attendance in line with national averages. However, the gap in attendance between disadvantaged pupils and their peers, though closing in school, remains wide. This is also the case for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Therefore, some of the most vulnerable pupils in the school are missing too many lessons and falling behind.  Pupils are not taking enough pride in their work to ensure good progress. There are good examples of high-quality presentation and detailed work that support good progress. However, there is too much variation across and within classes.  Pupils say that they feel safe. Parents agree that their children are safe in school. School leaders have highly effective systems in place to ensure that pupils are safe, including those pupils who are not

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Personal development and welfare

attending as regularly as they should. A good ratio of staff accompany pupils on visits and the school’s Year 7 residential visit. Good checks are made to ensure the safety of Year 10 pupils taking part in work experience.  There are highly effective arrangements in the school’s inclusion base for vulnerable pupils to learn well and to support them well in engaging in the life of the school.  Pupils value the personal, social and health education lessons that provide them with good advice about how to live healthy lifestyles and how to stay safe. They have a good understanding of how to stay safe when using the internet and mobile phones.  School records indicate that bullying is uncommon. Pupils frequently talk positively about the support that they get from staff and the vast majority are confident that bullying is dealt with appropriately. A small number of parents disagree that bullying is dealt with appropriately, however. The school is aware of this

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Personal development and welfare

and is strengthening its procedures.  Pupils are proud of their leadership roles in the school. Over a quarter of the pupils take up leadership opportunities and this contributes well to their personal development. There is a good level of tolerance and respect for others, and good opportunities to learn about democracy and British values.  Careers advice and guidance is given to all year groups, with work experience available in Year 10. Visits from employers and colleges promote pupils’ continuity in education or employment with training.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.  Overall, pupils’ attitudes to learning are not good, as there are occasions when they do not contribute well to their learning. Lessons generally flow smoothly, but when the pace of learning slows or work is too easy some pupils lose interest and this slows their learning.  From a small number of pupils there is some challenging behaviour that the school rightly deals with by using external exclusion. The number of exclusions is reducing, but the school is clear that they need to be reduced further to be at or below the national average.  Around the school, pupils are orderly and courteous and conduct themselves well. They respond quickly to adults’ instructions. They eat and socialise in a calm and mature manner.  Pupils say that behaviour has improved since the new headteacher has arrived. They also say that the new behaviour and rewards system, started very recently, is helping to make it very clear to them what is

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Behaviour

expected. Pupils say that they believe that ‘behaviour is good most of the time’.  Pupils show a positive regard for each other’s belongings and are respectful of the school’s equipment and facilities. Buildings are well kept and the environment is litter free.

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

 Inconsistencies in the quality of teaching within and across departments lead to outcomes that require improvement.  Published information for those pupils leaving school at the end of Year 11, in 2014 and 2015, shows that pupils did not make good progress in English, mathematics and a range of subjects. Generally, they make the progress expected of them, but not enough pupils do better than that.  Disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities make less progress than others in school and nationally. The needs of these pupils have not been met well by the quality of teaching. The school has much to do to ensure equality of opportunity for these groups of pupils.  Since the previous inspection, gaps in attainment between disadvantaged pupils and others in school and nationally have been too wide in English, mathematics and a range of other subjects. Additional support

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

for pupils led to some narrowing of attainment gaps in 2015, particularly in mathematics. However, further work needs to be done to close attainment gaps quickly.  Inconsistent progress was made across subjects by pupils who left the school at the end of Year 11 in 2015. Progress in English showed little signs of improvement from the previous year and remained well below average. Progress in mathematics, science and modern foreign languages improved strongly, but was still below average. In history, geography and religious education, progress was well above average. Overall, progress improved, and the proportion of pupils attaining five or more GCSE grades at A* to C including mathematics and English improved to be just above the national average.  Currently, in key stage 4, school information indicates improvements in pupils’ progress and attainment across a range of subjects, including English and mathematics. However, progress remains uneven,

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

particularly for disadvantaged pupils and the most able.  As in previous years, the most able pupils are making the progress expected of them, but that is not enough to help them to achieve the very highest GCSE grades across a range of subjects. The most able pupils achieve well in physics, chemistry and biology as the work is challenging for them.  In Years 7 to 9, pupils’ progress has shown signs of improvement during the past year. Leaders have focused strongly on improving the quality of teaching and have increased expectations. However, teaching is not consistently good and the rate of improvement for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities remains behind others in school. Attainment gaps between these pupils and others in school are not closing quickly. The progress of these pupils is hampered by inconsistent expectations from teachers and some poor attendance.

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

 An analysis of current pupils’ work confirms that pupils’ progress is uneven and not consistently good. In particular, it showed that the quality of boys’ writing does not match that of girls and is slowing their progress across a range of subjects in key stage 3.  The school is promoting reading well. There are regular opportunities for pupils to read in tutor time. ‘Reading leaders’, pupils in Year 9, read to younger pupils as well as listen to them reading. This is providing good encouragement to young readers and inspiring them to read well. Recently, the school has started to use computer systems to support reading and pupils say they enjoy using them.

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School details

Unique reference number 107143 Local authority Sheffield Inspection number 10009188

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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 comprehensive School category Community Age range of pupils 11–16 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 831 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Sarah Cavanagh Headteacher Adrian Smith Telephone number 01142 883153

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School details

Website https://stocksbridgehigh365-public.sharepoint.com Email address enquiries@stocksbridgehigh.sheffield.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 5 March 2014

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized secondary school.  The proportion of girls is higher than average.  The proportion of pupils supported through the pupil premium is average. The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those children who are looked after by the local authority.  The vast majority of pupils are White British. There are exceptionally few pupils who speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils who have support for special educational needs and/or disabilities is well above average.  The proportion of pupils with a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan is average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 11.  The school does not meet requirements for the publication of specified information on its website. It has

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Information about this school

not provided details about the use of Year 7 catch-up funding or a report prepared by the school in relation to special educational needs, and it does not provide the name of a person to whom enquiries should be addressed.  There has been significant change to leadership and staffing since the previous inspection. The new headteacher took up his post on 1 September 2015 and most of the leadership team has been appointed since the previous inspection. There has also been significant change to the membership of the governing body, including a new chair of governors.  The school receives support from a national leader of education from Notre Dame High School, Sheffield. The support involves elements of management training, advice and support to strengthen the quality of teaching. Governors have enlisted the support of a national leader of governance to provide advice to them.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed a range of teaching and learning in parts of lessons. Three observations were undertaken jointly with senior leaders.  Throughout the two days of the inspection, inspectors spoke with pupils, both individually and in groups, about learning and safety.  Inspectors listened to pupils reading. They reviewed pupils’ work in lessons and analysed samples of work in pupils’ books.  An inspector held meetings with the chair of the governing body and five other governors. She also had telephone conversations with a local authority representative and the national leader of education.  Inspectors also held meetings with senior leaders and other staff.  Inspectors looked at the school’s review of its own performance, its development and improvement plan, a number of key school policies and the minutes of the governing body meetings. They considered a range of documentation in relation to child protection, safeguarding, behaviour and attendance.

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Information about this inspection

 During the inspection, most of Year 10 were taking part in work experience and groups of Year 7 pupils were taking part in residential activities off-site. Year 11 had completed their studies at the school.  Inspectors analysed 62 responses to the online questionnaire for parents (Parent View).  There were 29 staff questionnaires completed and considered by inspectors.  Inspectors considered 95 responses to the online pupil questionnaire.

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Inspection team

James McGrath, Lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Judith Gooding Ofsted Inspector Stephen Rogers Ofsted Inspector Melanie Williams 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

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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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