Baysgarth School

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

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Mr Richard Briggs Headteacher Baysgarth School Barrow Road Barton-upon-Humber Lincolnshire DN18 6AE

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Short inspection of Baysgarth School

Following my visit to the school on 3 October 2017 with Michele Costello, Her Majesty’s 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 September 2012.

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Short inspection of Baysgarth School

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. Since the governing body appointed you as headteacher in 2014, you have made great improvements which have overcome the school’s previous decline in performance. Your high aspirations, clear vision, strong drive and incisive actions have improved the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. Your high expectations have raised standards of attainment and accelerated pupils’ progress. You have reshaped leadership roles and responsibilities, and overcome a financial deficit, through an effective restructure of staffing. Parents, governors, staff and the local authority applaud the impact you have made on the school. Parents say that, since you took over, the school has gone from strength to strength.

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Short inspection of Baysgarth School

You are implementing strategically a well-articulated long-term plan to make the school outstanding. You are making good progress on that journey. The school has a positive climate for learning. Pupils are proud of their new school building. The culture of the school is successfully motivating many pupils to strive for success. Pupils say that the school has made them serious about their learning. Pupils demonstrate the schools’ expectations of positivity, respect and determination. Staff and governors embrace your vision and share the mission to become an outstanding school. Staff are proud to work at the school and say that leaders lead by example. Most staff appreciate leaders’ care to ensure that workloads are manageable. At the last inspection, you were asked to accelerate the progress pupils make in English and mathematics by improving assessment and raising expectations. You have set ambitious targets for pupils. Your assessment system for tracking pupils’

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Short inspection of Baysgarth School

progress in all years and subjects provides a strong framework for evaluating learning and progress. Frequent and rigorous assessment and teachers’ constructive feedback to pupils have had a significant impact on pupils’ progress and attainment, especially in English.

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Short inspection of Baysgarth School

In 2016, GCSE results in English showed that pupils made outstanding progress from their starting points at the end of key stage 2. In mathematics, pupils made good progress, in line with national averages. Pupils also made strong progress in science. The most able, and middle-ability pupils, made strong progress. Low-ability pupils made average progress. Some pupils do not have strong enough literacy, numeracy and oracy skills to succeed academically at the higher grades. In 2016, disadvantaged pupils made good progress at GCSE, except in humanities. Disadvantaged pupils do not attend as well as other pupils and too many are excluded.

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Short inspection of Baysgarth School

At the previous inspection, you were also asked to meet teachers’ professional development needs more effectively and ensure that teaching is consistently good or better. Your ‘Baysgarth learning model’ provided a strong framework for staff to follow. You deployed good teachers effectively to work with others to strengthen the consistency and quality of teaching. You skilfully integrated your professional development programme with rigorous quality assurance and appraisal procedures. Senior and middle leaders have an extensive range of information about the quality of teaching over time which they use sharply to pinpoint actions to improve teaching and learning. You have created a reflective, ‘can-do’ culture. Staff demonstrate a shared commitment to meeting your high aspirations.

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Short inspection of Baysgarth School

The leadership team has ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose and up to date. Experienced and well-trained leaders manage safeguarding effectively. The school provides strong support for pupils’ mental and emotional health and well-being. For example, a counsellor is available in school all week. Effective communication about safeguarding keeps staff well informed about support for vulnerable pupils. Prompt information from the police ensures that school leaders are up to date about incidents of domestic violence.

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Short inspection of Baysgarth School

Staff know how to refer any concerns. Leaders take early and prompt action when any concerns arise. They make referrals to social care in a timely way. Staff work effectively with other agencies to support pupils and families.

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Short inspection of Baysgarth School

Leaders and governors make regular checks to ensure that vetting procedures are up to date. Safer recruitment policies and procedures are fit for purpose. Staff training is up to date and regular briefings ensure that staff are updated on any local issues. The annual staff survey of safeguarding training needs highlighted eating disorders and transgender issues. Leaders followed these issues up with relevant training. Pupils say that they feel safe and that bullying is dealt with well .

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Inspection findings

 Over the last three years, attainment has risen in English and mathematics. In 2016, the progress made by pupils was in the top 10% nationally in English, above average in science and broadly average in mathematics. Pupils did not make as much progress in humanities and modern languages. Overall progress was in the top 10% nationally; however, this was bolstered by the high entry for the European Computer Driving Licence and the high percentage that gained top grades in this qualification. The school is not entering pupils for this qualification in 2018.  Provisional information about the 2017 GCSE results indicates that pupils have made at least good progress overall. Pupils appear to have made strong progress in the English Baccalaureate (Ebacc) subjects combined, including science, languages and humanities. Outcomes in non-Ebacc subjects are positive because of the strengths in sports and business studies, including a financial services

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Inspection findings

qualification. A few most-able pupils in mathematics gained the top grade 9 as a result of extra tutoring by the school. A few most-able pupils gained an AS-level qualification in creative writing.  Strong subject leadership and teaching in English have led to positive outcomes for pupils. The department has adopted a strategy of entering pupils for GCSE English language in Year 10 and English literature in Year 11. As a result of effective teaching, half of the current Year 10 pupils have already gained the new higher grade 5 in GCSE English language. They will also have the chance to improve their English language grade in Year 11.  Senior leaders have a detailed picture of the strengths and areas for development of individual teachers across the school, acquired through visits to lessons and scrutiny of pupils’ work. As a result, leaders quickly identify individuals’ development needs and put effective support in place. Senior leaders accurately

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Inspection findings

evaluate the impact of development activities through their frequent routine visits to lessons. Leaders are further refining and integrating the monitoring of teaching and learning and the appraisal of individual teachers. As whole-school systems have become established, teachers are taking more responsibility for their own development.  In cases where professional development objectives have not been met, leaders have used formal processes effectively to support and challenge staff.  The effective use of assessment makes a strong contribution to teaching and learning. Staff use information about the pupils well to organise their classroom and to meet pupils’ needs. The framework and criteria for measuring attainment across the school are providing increasingly reliable information about the progress pupils are making, including at key stage 3. This shows that current pupils are making strong progress in all year groups.

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Inspection findings

 The school’s approach to feedback is used effectively across subjects. Baseline assessments are used well to identify what pupils need to learn. Frequent, well- planned assessments across subjects and year groups enable teachers and pupils to keep an accurate focus on what pupils are achieving and the next steps in learning. Pupils value the frequency and quality of the feedback they receive from teachers.  Most middle leaders are driving improvement in their subject well. They are wholeheartedly committed to the vision and ethos of the school and have high expectations of themselves and their staff. They know the key priorities for the school and their department. They are sharp and concise in their evaluation of the strengths and areas for improvement in their subject. They explained how professional development had improved the progress of the most able in science and of boys in modern languages. They regularly analyse gaps in pupils’ learning

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Inspection findings

and review the actions teachers take. As a result, leaders have a strong overview of the progress pupils are making in the subject. Middle leaders demonstrate strong capacity and ambition for further improvement.  Leaders are accurate and precise in their evaluation of teaching. In the sample of teaching seen, effective questioning probed pupils’ understanding and encouraged them to think more deeply. Learning activities gave pupils time to think and to support each other in their learning. Teachers regularly checked pupils’ understanding during a lesson. Misconceptions were often tackled but occasionally they were not picked up. Teachers often use the analysis of tests and assessments to accurately target the teaching on a particular aspect of learning. Pupils often respond well to teachers’ written feedback. Standards of presentation in pupils’ work are generally good.  Leaders are developing a range of strategies to promote greater progress by

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Inspection findings

lower attaining pupils, for example by extending nurture and catch-up provision from Year 7 to Year 8, and by creating alternative provision on site to cater for the needs of disaffected pupils.  Governors know the school well and are passionate about its success and contribution to the community. The governing body has been reconstituted and streamlined. A skills audit led to the recruitment of people to meet skills gaps. The governing body receives reports in advance of meetings so that governors actively question senior leaders rather than passively receive presentations. Governors’ involvement in school improvement planning has strengthened their ability to challenge the implementation of actions. They undertake their own self- evaluation as part of the school’s self-review.  The very small sixth form currently only has Year 13 and will close at the end of the current school year.  Over the last three years, the progress students made on academic courses in

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Inspection findings

the sixth form has increased from below average to average in 2016. On general applied courses, students’ progress was broadly average. Only four Year 13 students took examinations in 2017. All achieved their target grade or above. AS results in 2017 were mixed. In GCSE English and mathematics re-sits in 2016, few students gained at least a grade C. However, in 2017, most gained a grade C.  In the past, some sixth-form students have not been on the right courses. Current leaders have ensured that pupils get the right advice about courses. The drop-out rate by sixth-form boys was relatively high. However, many went on to appropriate apprenticeships. Current students feel well supported for the next step in their careers.

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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

 pupils make equally substantial and sustained progress in mathematics as in English and science in order for the school to achieve outstanding outcomes  low-attaining pupils increase their literacy, numeracy and oracy skills so that more accelerate their progress and succeed academically  the exclusion of disadvantaged pupils is reduced and their attendance is improved.

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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 North Lincolnshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

We met with you, senior and middle leaders, groups of pupils, the chair of the governing body, and three members of the governing body, and a representative of the local authority. We jointly observed teaching with you in a sample of classes and we looked at the learning in pupils’ books.

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Information about the inspection

We checked the school’s website and examined a range of documents, including the school’s self-evaluation, assessment information, the school improvement plan and safeguarding records. We took account of 113 responses from parents to the Ofsted online questionnaire and 33 written responses. We also took account of 73 responses from staff and 82 responses from pupils.

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