Emmanuel Middle Church of England Voluntary Aided School

Emmanuel Church of England Voluntary Aided Middle School Howe Lane, Verwood, Dorset BH31 6JF

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Senior leaders do not monitor pupils’ progress and learning across a range of subjects. In addition, they do not monitor the attendance of disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.  The achievement of disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is inadequate. Too many of these pupils do not attend school regularly. They are not prepared well for secondary education.  There is wide variation in the quality of teaching, learning and assessment across year groups and subjects. Pupils in some classes in all years do not know how well they are doing or how to improve their work.  Pupils do not achieve well in science. They do not make enough progress in their learning.  Teachers do not focus sufficiently on the learning and progress of disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities to ensure that they make the

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

progress they are capable of.  The most able pupils are not consistently challenged to do as well as they could in some subjects.  Governors have not challenged senior leaders effectively enough to tackle weaknesses in teaching and the underachievement of some groups of pupils.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. They get on well together and show respect for each other, reflecting the values and ethos of the school.  The quality of teaching in English, French and humanities is strong.  Pupils’ achievement in mathematics is improving as a result of strong subject leadership. February 2017

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Full report

In accordance with section 44(1) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management so that: – leaders monitor the quality of teaching, learning and assessment across the curriculum and use their findings to improve standards – there is less variability in the quality of teaching, learning and assessment – sufficient emphasis is given to the achievement of the most able pupils.  Improve the attendance and raise the achievement of disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities by ensuring that: – teachers have a good understanding of these pupils’ needs and take full account of them in their planning and teaching – additional funding is used well to support these pupils and the impact is evaluated carefully – there is effective leadership of the provision and support for these pupils.  Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment by ensuring that all teachers: – are absolutely clear about their expectations of what pupils should achieve

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

– identify precisely what pupils already know, understand and can do and build on this through their planning and teaching, particularly in science – use this information to make sure that pupils make strong progress from their starting points – ensure that pupils know how well they are doing and how to improve their work and make progress.  Ensure that governors challenge senior leaders about the achievement of all groups of pupils more robustly.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

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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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What does the school need to do to improve further?

The school should not appoint newly qualified teachers. February 2017

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

 Senior and subject leaders do not undertake monitoring that provides an accurate evaluation of the quality of teaching, learning and assessment across the school. Too much attention is given to procedural matters, such as the frequency of marking, rather than evaluating pupils’ learning and progress.  Senior leaders know individual pupils and their circumstances extremely well. However, they do not monitor the overall progress and attendance of specific groups, such as disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. They cannot provide precise information about the current progress of these groups of pupils, which is inadequate in both cases. As a result, senior leaders and governors cannot provide convincing evidence that additional funding, such as the pupil premium and Year 7 catch-up funding, has been and is being used well.  There has been no improvement in the overall low attendance of disadvantaged pupils

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

and that of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. The attendance of pupils currently in Year 8 has fallen below average. Senior leaders track overall attendance carefully. They are fully aware of those pupils whose attendance is not good enough and use a range of strategies to improve this, with some success. However, while the attendance for some pupils improves, for others it declines.  Senior leaders and governors know that the published outcomes for Year 6 pupils in 2016 were poor. However, they rightly focus on establishing pupils’ starting points when they join the school in Year 5 to measure their progress through to the end of Year 8 when they leave. The school’s assessment system is still in development, particularly for subjects other than English and mathematics. It currently does not provide a robust means of checking the progress of all pupils, including specific groups

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

of pupils, across the curriculum.  There have been very recent changes in the leadership of the provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. During a period of disrupted leadership of this provision, senior leaders have not ensured that these pupils’ needs are met well. Currently, leaders cannot demonstrate how they plan to meet the needs of this group of pupils. The targets they set are too vague. This makes it difficult for leaders to evaluate the effectiveness of the support provided for these pupils.  The school has recently identified a teacher to act as the ‘pupil premium champion’ to lead and coordinate support for disadvantaged pupils. This has yet to have any impact on improving the outcomes for these pupils.  There is a broad and balanced curriculum for all of Years 5 to 8, supported by a good range of extra-curricular activities. Although leaders make use of specialist teachers

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

and facilities across the full age range, there is wide variation in the quality of teaching, learning and assessment across the range of subjects. As a result, a significant proportion of pupils are not prepared well for progression to upper secondary education. February 2017  The sport premium is used well to enhance this aspect of the curriculum. Pupils take part and develop their skills in a range of sports.  Pupils’ personal development is strong. The school’s focus on developing pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development permeates the well-being curriculum and is supported through work in, for example, religious education. Pupils are mostly prepared well for life in modern Britain, although some are limited by their poor attendance and achievement.  Leaders use their approaches to performance management to identify teachers’ professional development needs. This leads to an ambitious programme coordinated

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

through ‘learning communities’. However, this has not dealt effectively with the fundamental weaknesses in teaching.  Leaders, including governors, have an over-generous view of the school’s performance. In addition, their self-evaluation does not provide sufficient focus on pupils’ learning and progress across a range of subjects or for specific groups of pupils. In addition, the local authority has not provided robust challenge to the school’s leaders to support their evaluation with sufficiently reliable evidence.

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Governance of the school

 While governors are supportive of the school, they do not provide sufficient challenge to leaders to hold them to account for improvements in the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement. They have not ensured that leaders have tackled the poor attendance and achievement of disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Senior leaders and governors have successfully created a climate and culture where pupils are safe and feel safe; their parents agree. Pupils are well informed about potential risks and how to look after themselves.  Leaders maintain accurate and complete records of any incidents, such as poor behaviour or bullying. The safeguarding governor monitors these through frequent meetings with the headteacher in her role as designated safeguarding lead. Any lessons are learned and acted on, for example through the effective arrangements introduced for reducing and dealing with any incidents of bullying.  Governors ensure that all statutory requirements are met. They closely monitor staff training. February 2017

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

 The quality of teaching, learning and assessment across the school is widely variable. Some is of a high quality but too much is poor, such as in science.  Teachers do not have a precise understanding of what pupils already know, understand and can do to match this to their expectations of what pupils should aim for. These expectations are not always clear and often tasks set do not challenge pupils to achieve well.  Too often, teachers set work which does not take account of what pupils know, understand and can do. Some pupils make little progress because they are unsure how to tackle the work. Their work is often incomplete or missing. The most able pupils are not challenged to do as well as they could and do not make the progress they are capable of.  Teachers do not consistently ensure that pupils know how well they are doing or how to improve their work. This is not helping them to make good progress across a range

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

of subjects.  Teachers take too little account of the needs of those pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Too often there is an assumption that a teaching assistant will make sure that these pupils’ needs are met. Pupils’ books often show incomplete and/or missing work. As a result, they make insufficient progress.  Little focused attention is given to disadvantaged pupils, including those who are also among the most able pupils. Overall, their progress is inadequate.  There are some pockets of good practice to build on, for example in English, mathematics, humanities and French. Nonetheless, some teaching in these subjects is not yet consistently of a high standard.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement.  Some disadvantaged pupils and some who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are not prepared well enough to progress to upper secondary school because their achievement is too low.  Pupils, and their parents, say that there is a small amount of bullying in the school. However, they are confident that this is dealt with swiftly and effectively. This was confirmed by the inspection.  Pupils are very confident that there are adults and other pupils, such as the Year 8 ambassadors, who they can talk to if they have concerns. Many value spaces such as ‘The Hive’ where they can go if they feel vulnerable; they are very well supported when they are there. February 2017  Pupils have a clear understanding of how to keep themselves safe and avoid risks.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is strong. They have a secure

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Personal development and welfare

understanding of promoting equality and valuing diversity.  Pupils in Year 8 are provided with good careers guidance through the curriculum and a wide range of events and activities. This generally prepares them well for considering option choices when they move to Year 9 in an upper school. However, guidance for disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities does not take account of their underachievement.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is inadequate.  While overall attendance is in line with the national average, this masks variations between groups of pupils and between year groups. For example, the attendance of current Year 8 pupils is below average.  Around one in ten pupils are persistently absent. This includes one in five disadvantaged pupils and almost one in five pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.  The overall attendance of disadvantaged pupils is low and has not improved. The overall attendance of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is low and has declined since the same time last year.  Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school.  In classrooms, pupils are attentive and respond well to what teachers ask them to do. However, some, including those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, do not complete their work or they present it poorly when they are not encouraged by

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Behaviour

the teacher to do better.  Pupils’ behaviour around the school at break and lunchtimes and at lesson changeovers is safe and sensible. They get on well together across the age range. They show good respect for each other. They understand and adhere well to the school’s positive values and ethos.

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Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

 The achievement of pupils in different year groups across a range of subjects is weak. Not enough pupils make good progress from their starting points.  The achievement of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and that of disadvantaged pupils is inadequate. Their progress is not monitored carefully enough for leaders to know if additional funding to support them is used well and is having a positive impact on their achievement and progress.  There is significant variation in the achievement of different classes across and within subjects. Many pupils make weak progress in science. Pupils requiring support with their writing make too little progress in English. In religious education pupils are given February 2017 work that does not develop sufficient depth of understanding.  In some subjects, the most able pupils often find the work too easy and do not make the progress they are capable of. The most able disadvantaged pupils are often not

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Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

identified or challenged to do well.  The achievement in mathematics of current pupils in all year groups is improving. Strong progress can be seen in the work of the most able pupils, in Years 6 to 8, in English. Pupils make good progress in French and in some humanities classes.  Pupils mostly read well and with obvious enjoyment. The library is always busy and pupils have a good range of books to choose from. February 2017

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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 Middle deemed secondary Comprehensive School category Voluntary aided

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website http://www.emmanuel.dorset.sch.uk/

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School details

Email address office@emmanuel.dorset.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection September 2012

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Information about this school

 The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.  The school is an average-sized middle school with pupils from Years 5 to 8.  The school works closely with three partner first schools (Hillside Community First School, Trinity Church of England VA First School and Verwood Church of England VA First School) and two upper schools (Ferndown and Queen Elizabeth in Wimborne Minster).  Some pupils leave the school at the end of Year 6 to move to one of a number of 11 to 18 schools, including selective schools, in neighbouring local authority areas. February 2017  The proportion of pupils in the school eligible for free school meals varies from year to year but is generally slightly below average.  The proportion of pupils identified as having special educational needs and/or disabilities also varies from year to year but is currently above average, although few

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Information about this school

pupils currently have a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan.  Few pupils are from other than White British backgrounds and the proportion who speak English as an additional language is well below average.  The school does not make use of any alternative or off-site provision, although occasionally pupils are also enrolled in a local authority learning centre.  There is no specially resourced provision on the school site.  The school did not meet the current government floor standards in 2016. It met the government criteria for coasting schools based on weak performance for pupils at the end of Year 6 over several years. February 2017

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Information about this inspection

 Two inspectors were on-site for both days of the inspection and an additional two inspectors were present on the second day.  Inspectors held meetings with the school’s senior leaders, subject leaders, staff and three members of the governing body including the governor leading on safeguarding. The lead inspector met the local authority senior area adviser and the school evaluation partner.  Conversations were held with a large number of pupils of all ages around the school at break and lunchtime, during tutorial sessions and when they were in the library. Inspectors listened to some pupils reading.  In lessons, inspectors looked at pupils’ work and discussed it with them and took opportunities to listen to them read. These activities covered pupils in all year groups, across the full ability range, disadvantaged pupils and some who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Inspectors also looked at a wider sample of

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Information about this inspection

pupils’ work. Inspectors were accompanied by senior leaders for most of the visits to lessons.  Inspectors met the headteacher in her role as the school’s designated safeguarding lead and looked at a wide range of documents and records about safeguarding, as well as checking that arrangements such as the maintenance of the single central record met all statutory requirements. Discussions with governors included safeguarding.  Inspectors took account of the school leaders’ and governors’ self-evaluation and used this with senior leaders to establish inspection lines of enquiry on the first day of the inspection. They also looked at a wide range of other documents and information supplied by the school about the analysis of current pupils’ progress, achievement and attendance.  Inspectors also took account of the 68 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey, including 67 with additional comments. They also took account of the 49

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Information about this inspection

responses to the online pupil survey and 18 responses to the online staff survey.

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Inspection team

James Sage, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

John White Ofsted Inspector February 2017 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

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. www.gov.uk/pupil-premium-information-for-schools-and- alternative-provision-settings .

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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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection 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.gov.uk/ofsted

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