Treviglas Community College

Treviglas Community College Bradley Road, Newquay, Cornwall TR7 3JA

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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 Requires improvement

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16 to 19 study programmes Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Outstanding

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils are underachieving significantly because the quality of teaching, learning and assessment across the school is poor. Over the last three years, pupils have made insufficient progress from their starting points in most subjects, particularly in science, mathematics, history, geography and languages.  Disadvantaged pupils make less progress than in the vast majority of schools nationally. Leaders are failing to ensure that disadvantaged pupils receive the quality of teaching they need to help them catch up with other pupils.  Governors have failed to hold school leaders to account robustly for the dramatic decline in the school’s performance since the previous inspection.  Senior leaders are failing to make clear to teachers their expectations of high-quality teaching, learning and assessment. They do not provide the necessary training staff require, nor do they monitor the quality of teaching effectively.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Teachers have low expectations of what pupils can achieve. Too often, teachers fail to provide pupils with sufficient challenge to extend their learning. As a result, pupils do not make the progress they should.  Teaching does not ensure that pupils, particularly boys, have consistently positive attitudes to their learning. Pupils often fail to complete tasks they are set. When teachers provide feedback to pupils on how to improve their work, it is regularly ignored.  Senior leaders do not ensure that staff, at all levels, are held to account for the quality of their work. Middle leaders do not make sure that there is a consistently high quality of teaching across their teams.  Leaders have not tackled the high level of absence that has been a feature of the school for some time. Too many girls and disadvantaged pupils are persistently absent.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils are known as individuals by staff and benefit from a comprehensive package of support and care.  The sixth form has improved recently as a result of stronger leadership.

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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 by: – ensuring that governance is robust and holds school leaders to account for standards in the school – setting a clear vision of high-quality teaching, learning and assessment – providing appropriate training opportunities for staff and monitoring the quality of teaching robustly – developing a culture where all staff are held to account for the quality of their work.  Raise standards across key stage 3 and key stage 4 in all subjects, for all pupils, particularly disadvantaged pupils, by improving the quality of teaching, learning and assessment by ensuring that teachers: – set high expectations of what pupils can achieve – plan learning activities that challenge pupils to think deeply about their answers.  Improve the personal development, behaviour and welfare of pupils by: – raising teachers’ expectations of pupils’ commitment to learning, particularly their

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

expectations of boys – improving the attendance of all pupils, especially girls and disadvantaged pupils. External reviews of governance and of the school’s use of pupil premium funding should be undertaken to improve these aspects of leadership and management.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

 Leaders have an overgenerous view of the work of the school. There is a culture prevalent at all levels throughout the school that much of its underperformance can be blamed on external pressures. This combination has led to inaction in the face of poor performance over a protracted period.  Until recently, senior leaders have not communicated to teachers their expectations of the progress pupils should make with sufficient clarity. They are now setting more challenging targets but teachers are not being given the guidance that will allow them to improve their teaching and so meet these targets. As a result, there has been little impact on the progress pupils are making.  Leaders are not addressing the training needs of teachers effectively. There has been significant input into training to support pastoral care and personal, social and health education and, consequently, the school’s provision is strong in these areas. However,

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

there has not been a similar focus on improving the quality of teaching. This imbalance is a significant cause of the poor quality of teaching and learning which is currently widespread across the school.  Senior leaders do not hold middle leaders to account for the quality of their work effectively. There are systems in place to do this, including regular line management meetings and extensive departmental reviews, but these are not having any significant impact on addressing weaknesses in performance because they are not sufficiently rigorous.  Over the last few years, the headteacher has addressed some of the most profound instances of weak leadership and teaching via the school’s performance management structure. However, too much remains unaddressed.  Senior leaders have failed to protect pupils from the school’s difficulties in the recruitment and retention of teachers. As a result of staffing turbulence, some pupils

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

have had multiple changes of teacher in a year. This has slowed their progress.  Middle leaders do not monitor the quality of teaching, learning and assessment in their departments with sufficient rigour. When poor-quality teaching is unearthed, middle leaders provide teachers with some support but they do not monitor any improvements robustly. Consequently, weak teaching goes unchecked.  Leaders have ensured that pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported. The Effective Learning Centre, which supports these pupils, is staffed with skilled teaching assistants who work effectively alongside pupils. As a result, these pupils grow in confidence. However, pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make slower progress when they return to their mainstream classes. The school receives additional funding for those pupils who have an education, health and care plan. Leaders use this money effectively to support these

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

pupils and so they make good progress.  Senior leaders have used the additional funding available for disadvantaged pupils to reduce absences within this group and to improve their reading. Attendance and reading ages have both improved this year. However, the progress of this group remains very weak because teachers’ expectations of them remain low. The funding the school receives to help Year 7 pupils who need to catch up with their classmates is used to improve their basic skills. Most pupils are responding well and making progress.  Leaders have responded to recent changes to the national curriculum by focusing on teaching pupils to master key skills. However, leaders have not ensured that this approach is clearly understood by teachers and pupils and, consequently, it has not been effective in improving pupils’ progress.  Leaders have ensured that the curriculum is suitably broad. Key stage 4 pupils are able

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

to choose from a good range of GCSE options, and teachers guide pupils to ensure that they study an appropriately balanced range of courses. Key stage 4 pupils and sixth- form students also benefit from suitable work experience opportunities.  Leaders ensure that there are opportunities throughout the curriculum to address the spiritual, moral, social and cultural needs of pupils. These are effectively mapped into the school’s curriculum plans. Pupils also benefit from additional extra-curricular opportunities, such as a link with the Royal Shakespeare Company, which allow pupils to have access to high-quality cultural events.  Leaders place an appropriate emphasis on making sure that pupils understand fundamental British values such as democracy and tolerance. Pupils are given opportunities to discuss current affairs in their tutor periods, and assemblies are used to remind them of their rights and responsibilities. As a result, pupils are well informed

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

and are able to discuss controversial topics responsibly and with respect for the views of others.  There is a wide range of extra-curricular sports and arts clubs available to pupils after school most evenings. Pupils enjoy these and participation rates are high.  Leaders have ensured that careers education and advice are good. There is a comprehensive programme that starts as soon as pupils enter the school in Year 7. There is something for each year group, including for sixth-form students. For example, younger pupils all take part in an activity involving going to work with a parent. The school ensures that no one is excluded from this activity.

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Governance

 Governors have not been effective in halting the school’s declining performance. This is because, over the last few years, they have not held the headteacher and senior leaders to account with sufficient rigour. They have put systems in place to monitor the effectiveness of the school. For example, they are active in carrying out regular reviews of particular areas of the school’s work. However, these reviews have not proved successful in improving standards because they are not precise or rigorous. Governors have also been unable to ensure that recommended follow-up actions have been implemented effectively.  Governors prize highly the school’s reputation as a welcoming and inclusive school that serves its local community. They work hard to ensure that the school can meet the needs of all pupils, particularly the most vulnerable.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  There is a very strong commitment from governors, leaders and all staff to keep pupils safe. There is a culture of vigilance and all staff are well trained and know what to do should they become aware that a pupil is vulnerable. All the necessary checks on staff and visiting adults are carried out diligently and records are well maintained.  Leaders and staff work well with parents and with external agencies, such as social workers, to make sure that vulnerable pupils are safe.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

 Teachers do not have high enough expectations of what pupils can achieve. Typically, pupils are asked to complete tasks that do not stimulate them or require them to think deeply. This regularly leads to pupils working on tasks without enthusiasm and making slow progress. Some teachers do stretch pupils appropriately and, when this happens, pupils respond positively and show that they are capable of high-quality work.  The most able pupils are not consistently challenged to stretch themselves and achieve the highest standards. When they are, they enjoy wrestling with the complicated problems they are set. However, they do not experience this level of challenge often enough across the full range of subjects.  Teachers do not ensure that disadvantaged pupils receive the high-quality teaching and extra help they need to catch up with other pupils. Teachers are given some additional information about these pupils to help them meet the needs of this group but they do

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

not use it effectively to improve pupils’ progress.  Teachers do not provide pupils with regular opportunities to develop their answers beyond the superficial. Pupils are rarely asked to construct an argument and develop their line of thought. As a result, they frequently give an answer which is of less quality than they are capable of.  The quality of teaching is inconsistent across the school, both between departments and within departments. Teaching fails to meet the needs of pupils. Poor teaching is often the result of teachers failing to understand precisely what it is that pupils can and cannot do, and therefore plan teaching which leads pupils forward. Sometimes, this is because teachers are not specialists in the subjects they teach.  The teaching of literacy across the school is inconsistent. There is a whole-school policy for correcting grammar and spelling errors but this is only infrequently applied by

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

teachers. Consequently, pupils do not develop good literacy habits or use subject- specific vocabulary with confidence.  The quality of teaching in mathematics and science is generally weak. Pupils are not making good progress. They face a diet which does not inspire or enthuse them, and does not give them a solid understanding of key skills on which to base their learning. As a result, pupils’ understanding of their work is superficial and does not prepare them for the next steps in their learning.  In some subjects, for example history, pupils improve their understanding as a result of better teaching. Pupils are encouraged to develop their answers and to try to understand the root causes of events.  When teachers give feedback to pupils on how to improve their work or the next steps to take, pupils, particularly boys, often do not take any notice and teachers do not insist that the work is done. As a result, pupils’ progress is slowed.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

 The quality of teaching for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities in the Effective Learning Centre is good. It helps pupils develop their skills and confidence and, increasingly, allows them to take part in mainstream classes.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement.  Pupils’ attitudes to learning are not sufficiently positive. Poor presentation and unfinished work are allowed to go unchecked by teachers. This leads to the quality of work in some pupils’ books deteriorating over the year and pupils not reaching the standards they should. Boys’ books in particular reflect a lack of care and pride in their work.  School leaders place considerable emphasis on pupils’ personal development. They put significant time and expertise into personal, social and health education aspects of the curriculum. As a result, pupils’ social skills, including their respect for others and tolerance of those who have different beliefs, are very good. Racist and homophobic incidents are very rare and are dealt with quickly when they do occur.  Leaders and teachers support the mental and emotional wellbeing of pupils very well.

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Personal development and welfare

There is strong provision in place for pupils when they need it. Pupils who are struggling with personal issues in their lives are given the additional support they need to allow them to prosper. A small number of pupils attend off-site provision because they are struggling to learn in school. School staff work well with the provider to ensure that pupils’ needs are met.  Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are given good support, which allows them to develop their self-confidence and social skills. They are confident in talking with adults and taking an active part in the lessons they attend.  Bullying is rare. Pupils know how to stay safe and protect themselves from bullying when it does occur, whether in school or online. They feel able to approach a trusted adult in school and are confident that if they report an issue, they will be taken seriously and the problem addressed.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.  Pupils are sometimes disrupted in their lessons by the behaviour of a small minority of their classmates. This usually occurs when the quality of teaching fails to meet pupils’ needs and they become bored or distracted. This is most prevalent in lower-ability groups.  There are too many pupils who are persistently absent from school. The number of girls who are absent regularly is well above the national average and, so too, the number of disadvantaged pupils. School leaders have recognised this and are beginning to have some success in addressing it. However, the figures remain too high.  Pupils act in a mature and sensible way around the school site at breaks and lunchtimes. They treat each other well. The atmosphere is good-humoured and friendly. Relationships with adults are positive.

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Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

 Pupils make much slower progress overall in key stages 3 and 4 than in other schools. This has been the case since 2014. The work in pupils’ books indicates that there is little or no improvement for current pupils. The progress of boys is a particular cause for concern. Last year, they made less progress from their starting points than in more than nine out of 10 other schools in England.  Disadvantaged pupils make very slow progress. This has been the case for three years and the school’s use of the pupil premium grant has failed to have any impact on improving their outcomes. The most able disadvantaged pupils are not reaching the highest standards because they are not being stretched or challenged to think at a high level often enough. Additionally, they are not being taught to be resilient learners.  Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, and who have an education, health and care plan, make good progress from their starting points.

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Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

 The most able pupils are not currently making the progress they are capable of in most subjects. The most able younger pupils are not being exposed to a suitable level of challenge. Consequently, they cannot start their GCSE courses at the appropriate level and thus fail to reach the highest standards.  Overall, pupils make similar progress in English to that of pupils in other schools. However, this disguises the fact that there is considerable variation. Some pupils do very well and others do not because the quality of teaching is inconsistent. Progress in mathematics is poor. In particular, higher and middle prior-attaining pupils do less well than pupils in other schools. Standards in science are also very weak. Pupils’ progress is slower than in nine out of 10 schools in England.  Standards are also low in most other subjects. For example, in languages and in history and geography, progress has been poor for some time. However, there is some

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Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

improvement in history, where pupils’ books do show them responding well to greater challenge.  Leaders and teachers do not insist on high standards of literacy across the school. Incorrect spellings and poor grammar are often left uncorrected and so pupils tend to repeat the same mistakes. Pupils do not get many opportunities to develop and practise longer answers, and so standards of extended writing are generally low.

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16 to 19 study programmes Requires improvement

 Despite recent improvements in some subjects, there is considerable variation in the quality of teaching and learning of subjects across the sixth form. In some subjects, such as physics, chemistry and photography, teachers responded well to the challenge set by leaders last year. However, the improvement is far from universal. In some subjects, teachers do not yet challenge students to deepen their thinking or provide sufficient opportunities for them to analyse complex issues. As a result, standards are not yet good across the whole sixth form.  Outcomes in the sixth form are improving significantly as a result of strengthened leadership, which is raising the quality of teaching, learning and assessment.  In 2016, students achieved better overall A-level and applied general level results than their peers in other schools. This was a significant improvement on previous years when they were below the national average. AS-level results are also improving.

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16 to 19 study programmes Requires improvement

Students retaking GCSE English and mathematics achieve broadly in line with national averages.  Students are now making better progress overall as a result of teachers’ higher expectations. Leaders and teachers now set challenging targets and students’ progress is monitored closely. Teachers are intervening when necessary and this is leading to good progress in the majority of subjects. Students appreciate the support they receive and are responding well to it.  Students on academic and vocational courses benefit from a well-structured programme of study, which includes good opportunities for suitable work placements, both locally and nationally. They also benefit from a course to develop personal skills, and an employability programme.  Leaders have ensured that opportunities for students’ personal development are good. Relationships between students and with staff are strong. Safeguarding in the sixth

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16 to 19 study programmes Requires improvement

form is strong. There are good systems in place which are underpinned by a caring and watchful ethos.  The quality of careers advice and guidance is good. Students are well prepared for university entrance or moving into other training or work. They value the individualised support they receive from sixth-form staff in choosing the pathway most relevant to them.

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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

Gender of pupils in 16 to 19 study programmes Mixed

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School details

Of which, number on roll in 16 to 19 study programmes Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Email address office@treviglas.cornwall.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 25  26 September 2012

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Information about this school

 The school does not meet the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress by the end of Year 11.  The school is an average-sized secondary school.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is above average.  The proportion of pupils supported by pupil premium funding is in line with the national average.  Most pupils are of white British heritage. There are very few from minority ethnic groups and a very few speak English as an additional language.  The school uses an alternative provider, Acorn Academy, to meet the needs of some pupils who struggle to be successful in school.  The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed learning across a wide range of subjects and age groups, and scrutinised a wide range of pupils’ written work. Some of the observations were conducted jointly with senior leaders.  Inspectors looked at a range of documentation including minutes of governors’ meetings, development plans, analysis of pupils’ progress, attendance and behaviour data, safeguarding documents and the school’s review of its own performance.  Meetings were held with governors, the headteacher, senior and middle leaders, and groups of pupils.  An inspector spoke with a representative of the alternative provider the school uses.  Inspectors took account of 70 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View.

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Inspection team

Andrew Lovett, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Shelagh Pritchard 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

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

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 .

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Inspection team

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, 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.gov.uk/ofsted

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