Carshalton Boys Sports College

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

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Mr Simon Barber Principal Carshalton Boys Sports College Winchcombe Road Carshalton Surrey SM5 1RW

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Short inspection of Carshalton Boys Sports College

Following my visit to the school on 25 April 2017 with Diana Osagie, Ofsted Inspector, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. The visit was the first short inspection carried out since the school was judged to be good in June 2013.

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Short inspection of Carshalton Boys Sports College

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. You have achieved this by successfully addressing the areas identified for improvement and maintaining a good culture of ambition among pupils and staff. The school community continues to share your vision for the school to raise aspirations and pupils’ performance. Parents who responded to Ofsted’s survey were overwhelmingly positive about the school. The school and sixth form are increasingly popular choices for parents, with the number on roll increasing and the school continuing to be oversubscribed. The opportunities provided for pupils’ personal development form a significant part of the school’s appeal to pupils.

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Short inspection of Carshalton Boys Sports College

The school meets the Department for Education’s definition of a coasting school based on key stage 4 academic results up to 2016.

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Short inspection of Carshalton Boys Sports College

Leaders and governors made considered decisions in the past about the curriculum that meant that pupils could study a range of subjects to suit their aspirations. Some of those subjects did not count in the new performance measure for GCSE performance, progress 8. A policy of early entry, which leaders believe helps their pupils achieve more highly, meant that some published results did not account for the best grades some pupils achieved. During the inspection, you and your team were able to demonstrate that those decisions have positively influenced pupils’ outcomes in the subjects they select and their destinations when they leave the school. Leaders have not been complacent about national reforms to GCSE and A levels, and have made suitable adjustments to the curriculum over time that meet pupils’ needs. Governors have been precise in their scrutiny of leaders’ decisions and actions. There is a wide range of enrichment and extra-curricular activities on

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Short inspection of Carshalton Boys Sports College

offer, many of which link directly with pupils’ academic studies and contribute to pupils’ strong attitudes to learning. Enrichment, clubs and the sense of community that exists within the school featured prominently in parents’, pupils’ and staff’s feedback to inspectors.

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Short inspection of Carshalton Boys Sports College

At the last inspection, leaders’ evaluation of the school’s performance and governors’ scrutiny of leaders’ work featured as strengths. This continues to be the case. Leaders understand that there remains work to do to ensure that disadvantaged pupils with average prior attainment and the most able achieve better across the curriculum. This is particularly the case in subjects that performed less well last year, such as mathematics. The work done to raise standards in those areas since the start of the academic year has already resulted in much improved progress across year groups.

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Short inspection of Carshalton Boys Sports College

Students in the sixth form made good progress across a range of subjects and overall last year. Students’ destinations demonstrate progression into suitable and aspirational careers and employment. Girls who join the sixth form make good progress in their studies and told inspectors that they enjoy coming to this school.

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Short inspection of Carshalton Boys Sports College

The school’s arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders have ensured that protocols are in place to respond to concerns in a timely and appropriate manner. This includes working effectively with external agencies and following up referrals effectively. Records are accurate and robust, enabling staff to consider pupils’ pastoral needs when planning interventions and activities. Pre-employment checks on staff are accurately recorded in the single central record and consistent with the latest statutory guidance.

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Short inspection of Carshalton Boys Sports College

Leaders and governors have a detailed understanding of local contextual risks that their pupils potentially face. Consequently, training for staff and pupils is regular and focused on issues including gang violence, drug abuse and domestic violence. Staff have a keen awareness of the links between those issues and wider concerns regarding child sexual exploitation, children missing from education and in the school’s fulfilment of the ‘Prevent’ duty. Parents, staff and pupils feel that this is a safe and caring school where bullying is rare. Staff manage behaviour effectively and pupils demonstrate a high degree of respect and tolerance towards one another. Leaders use permanent exclusions appropriately to maintain pupils’ well- being and minimise the chance of external risks affecting the school.

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Inspection findings

 At the beginning of the inspection, leaders and the inspection team agreed to focus on three key lines of enquiry. The first key line of enquiry explored how leaders are working to raise the achievement of disadvantaged pupils with average starting points and the most able.  Last year, those groups of pupils’ performance was much weaker than that of their peers nationally. Leaders’ strategies are improving pupils’ progress through targeted subject support and effective use of the pupil premium funding. In science, pupils across year groups are now making good progress due to better teaching and assessment. The difference is diminishing between the progress and attainment of disadvantaged pupils and their peers because of teachers identifying in their planning those pupils more prominently.  The most able pupils are identified alongside other groups when teachers prepare activities. Most-able pupils are challenged through good questioning and

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Inspection findings

tasks that stretch their learning, particularly in groups set by ability. However, leaders are correct to identify that some subject leaders’ medium- and longer- term planning does not highlight routinely where teachers should anticipate stretching the most able pupils further, including in A level and equivalent vocational subjects.  Current assessment information and pupils’ work indicate that pupils’ attainment and progress are good, including for those groups. Formerly weaker subjects are performing better because of the strategies that leaders have introduced, including English at GCSE and A level. Overall, mathematics is performing better across year groups, but disadvantaged middle-ability pupils’ progress is improving less quickly.  Inspectors found that the curriculum is broad and balanced, offering pupils options in which to do well. Pupils receive good careers advice and guidance so that they progress to suitable courses or employment opportunities after school.

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Inspection findings

This is true of all groups of pupils and supported by improving outcomes at GCSE over time, including English and mathematics.  Girls and boys who join the sixth form told inspectors that they choose to study here because of the range of choice on offer that suits their high ambitions. Those ambitions reflect the very positive destinations information for successive cohorts since the last inspection.  Staff are rightly proud of the work they do to help pupils achieve, including additional support and enrichment. Pupils and parents recognise the effort that staff put in to getting the best out of pupils’ time in school. The policy of early entry has had an impact on the published GCSE information. However, leaders’ decision to enter some pupils early in some subjects is supported by pupils’ subsequent success in accessing suitably aspirational higher education and employment.  Leaders recognise that the school’s intake is changing. Pupils overall now join the

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Inspection findings

school with average prior attainment whereas historically prior attainment had been significantly lower than average. An increasing proportion of higher prior attaining pupils now join the school and leaders recognise that they are capable of pursuing English Baccalaureate (Ebacc) subjects at GCSE (the combination of English, mathematics, science, a humanities subject and a modern foreign language). Changes to the GCSE options process encourage pupils towards Ebacc subjects while maintaining the school’s existing breadth of subjects offered.  Pupils’ English work, particularly the most able pupils’, demonstrates the effect of leaders’ strategies to develop the curriculum based on their precise knowledge of pupils’ needs and abilities. For example, pupils in key stage 3 quickly build upon the literacy skills developed in primary school because expectations for their extended writing are high across subjects. Work to develop mastery of

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Inspection findings

mathematical skills is also promoting better outcomes across year groups.  Finally, there has been a three-year trend of improvement in attendance and reduction in exclusions. This trend is continuing due to the positive impact of the strategies in place. This includes supporting vulnerable families and encouraging positive relationships with the school that promote aspiration and value for learning. The attendance of disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have education, health and care plans has improved over time, but more slowly.  The introduction of new procedures for managing behaviour and rewarding positive attitudes to school has meant that behaviour has further improved since the last inspection. Well-qualified staff effectively support pupils at risk of poor attendance and exclusion, or who require additional support to access the curriculum. The use of internal exclusion has reduced the number of exclusions

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Inspection findings

significantly but also improved behaviour overall. Disadvantaged pupils are encouraged to participate in extra-curricular activities as part of leaders’ wider strategy to improve this group’s performance.  Leaders identified emerging low-level disruption as a potential barrier to learning as part of their evaluation of the school’s performance. To address this, classroom routines were introduced that staff use well and pupils respect. Consequently, low-level disruption is uncommon and pupils’ attitudes to learning are good.

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Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:

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Next steps for the school

 teachers effectively stretch the most able to make consistently good progress across the curriculum  outcomes for middle-ability disadvantaged pupils continue to improve at GCSE, particularly in mathematics.

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Next steps for the school

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Sutton. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

During the inspection, inspectors carried out the following activities:

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Information about the inspection

 scrutinised the school’s website to check its compliance with government guidelines  visited lessons with senior leaders and scrutinised pupils’ work both inside and outside of lessons  observed learning in the internal exclusion room and internal support room  met with staff, governors and pupils and held informal discussions with pupils throughout the inspection  considered the school’s GCSE results and then took into account the Department for Education’s coasting schools designation for this school  scrutinised school documents, including assessment and attendance information; leaders’ evaluation of the school’s and subjects’ performance and plans for development; information about pupils’ destinations; behaviour logs; procedures and policies, including those relating to safeguarding and recruitment  considered the views of 247 parents, 190 pupils and 79 staff who responded to Ofsted’s surveys.

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