Colne Community School and College

Colne Community School and College Church Road, Brightlingsea, Colchester, Essex CO7 0QL

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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 Outstanding

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders, including governors, do not demonstrate the capacity to improve the quality of education at the school. They have not been well supported by the trust.  Safeguarding is ineffective. Leaders do not take appropriate action to safeguard all pupils. Consequently, pupils do not feel safe.  Pupils say that bullying happens and that it is not dealt with well.  A significant minority of pupils behave poorly. They disrupt the learning of others and create an unpleasant and sometimes frightening environment around the school. Leaders are ineffective at dealing with this.  Leaders do not do enough to motivate teachers. Too many teachers are disheartened and feel unsupported by leaders.  Leaders have not done enough to develop teachers’ skills. The quality of teaching is too inconsistent, and expectations of pupils are too low.  The progress that pupils make, irrespective of their starting points, is poor.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Teachers do not consistently know about, or meet, the needs of pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities. These pupils do not make enough progress.  Disadvantaged pupils underachieve significantly. The difference between their progress and that of other pupils nationally is too great.  The quality of education in the sixth form is inadequate. The curriculum is too narrow, students’ progress is poor and they are not supported effectively to move to the next steps of their education or career.  Parents, staff and pupils have lost confidence in leaders’ ability to run the school effectively.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Teachers typically have secure subject knowledge.

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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?

 Urgently improve leadership and management by leaders, governors and the trust, by: – rapidly reviewing safeguarding and behaviour procedures so that pupils are kept, and feel, safe – improving the quality of governance and trust leadership, so that school leaders are well supported to raise standards in the school – urgently clarifying the roles and responsibilities of leaders and creating a clear plan of action to address the significant inadequacies in the school’s provision – implementing a systematic approach to the leadership of teaching, learning and assessment so that this improves quickly – promoting staff development and welfare so that staff can, and do, implement school policies, and that they feel supported in doing so – spending additional funding more effectively to meet the needs of disadvantaged pupils, pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities, and pupils who have low starting points in mathematics

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

– ensuring that sixth-form students make good progress through an appropriate curriculum – restoring staff’s, pupils’ and parents’ confidence in leaders’ ability to run the school effectively.  Improve pupils’ personal development, behaviour and welfare, including for students in the sixth form, by: – making sure pupils have someone they can talk to if they are worried – teaching pupils how to keep themselves safe – promoting an open culture of respect for others – making sure that any form of bullying is dealt with effectively – providing high-quality advice and guidance to pupils on their next steps in education, training or in work – ensuring that pupils behave well around the school – reducing the amount of time pupils miss from lessons.  Improve teaching, learning and assessment, including in the sixth form, by: – equipping teachers with the skills and support to manage behaviour, so as to reduce disruption to learning

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

– making sure that teachers base their teaching on a secure understanding of what pupils already know and can do – raising teachers’ expectations of how much pupils can and should achieve – ensuring that teachers instil in pupils a sense of pride in their work. An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium funding should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved. An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved. It is recommended that the school does not appoint newly qualified teachers.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

 Since the previous focused inspection of the school in January 2018, significant concerns have again been brought to the attention of Ofsted, particularly regarding the effectiveness of leadership and management. This inspection was instigated to examine more widely the impact of leadership and management on the quality of education at the school. During this inspection, a broader range of evidence was considered which brought to light serious concerns about all aspects of the provision.  Since the inspection in January 2018, there have been substantial changes in leadership. The chief executive officer of the trust has been out of the school for an extended period, as has the executive headteacher of the school. Two senior staff from a partner school were supporting leaders at Colne. They have now returned to their own school. Leadership capacity has been diminished.  This inspection uncovered evidence of weak progress, poor teaching, inadequate

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

behaviour and insufficient work to secure pupils’ personal development and welfare. It found aspects of provision which cause pupils to be unsafe. The current leadership of the school does not have the capacity to address these issues.  The behaviour of a significant minority of pupils is unacceptable. They are late to school and lessons, truant routinely and cause distress to others. The previously reported positive impact of the acting headteacher in addressing this behaviour is no longer evident. Staff and pupils do not have confidence in leaders to improve behaviour.  Leaders do not effectively monitor the quality of teaching, learning or assessment, or help it to improve. While training has been provided, teachers have not consistently applied what they have learned. The impact of teaching on pupils’ progress is not well understood by leaders. There have been several initiatives over time to improve

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

teaching, but teachers have been subject to too much change and too little monitoring. Consequently, these new initiatives have not worked.  Some teachers do not feel well supported by leaders. They report that leaders are not effective at managing pupils’ behaviour. Some teachers are nervous about raising concerns with senior leaders for fear of negative repercussions. Some teachers reported to inspectors that morale is low.  Leaders do not use additional funding effectively. While there is some evidence of pupils benefiting from Year 7 catch-up funding to make better progress in English, this is not true in mathematics. Leaders acknowledge that pupils in Year 7 with low starting points in mathematics are not catching up. Leaders’ use of the additional funding that they receive for disadvantaged pupils has made little difference to improving these pupils’ achievement. Disadvantaged pupils make less progress than their peers in

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

school, and much less progress than their peers nationally.  Leaders have not ensured that the needs of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities are understood or met. Teachers do not commonly use strategies which would help these pupils. The impact of specialist support for these pupils out of lessons is not well measured. Leaders are not aware if this provision is effective. In addition, some pupils reported to inspectors that they are ‘picked on’ because of their SEN and/or disabilities. Leaders are not doing enough to educate or protect these pupils.  The curriculum is ineffective in providing pupils with the right experiences to prepare them for later life. Too many pupils leave school without a clear future pathway. In the sixth form, the curriculum is ill-considered and does not provide a broad enough range of opportunities for pupils to study appropriate courses.  The school does not prepare pupils positively for life in modern Britain. While some

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

pupils said that racist and homophobic bullying is tackled by leaders, others were more reticent. Pupils reported that other forms of bullying and discrimination are also not dealt with well. Pupils reported that they have been bullied for their individual differences and that this has been dismissed by staff. This includes pupils being bullied for their SEN and for disabilities. Leaders have not done enough to ensure that pupils respect each other and their differences.  As a consequence of the inadequate leadership and management of the school, it is recommended that the school does not appoint newly qualified teachers.

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Governance of the school

 The local governing committee has a number of new members. They are keen to be actively involved in supporting the school and are passionate about ensuring that pupils are educated well. However, currently, members of the committee lack a clear understanding of their role in challenging leaders. In addition, they do not have a sufficient understanding of what leaders need to do.  Over time, the trust has not prevented the fall in standards. Four new members have very recently been appointed to the trust. They bring with them relevant skills and experience, but it is too early to see the impact of their work.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.  The capacity of leaders to secure the well-being of pupils has been diminished by the reduction in leadership and support since the inspection of the school in January 2018. Leaders in the school do not have a secure understanding of how to keep pupils safe. They are unaware, for example, of the safeguarding issues which may be faced by pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities. They do not know what pupils are being taught about keeping safe, or in which subject areas this happens.  New staff have joined the school recently and they have not all received safeguarding training. Current leaders spoken to by inspectors did not understand that it is not enough to assume they had been trained elsewhere.  Leaders’ record of checks on adults who work with pupils does not cover all the adults that pupils meet. While appropriate checks are in place for most adults, some sixth-

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Safeguarding

form students come into contact with adults who have not been vetted by the school.  Leaders do not know where all pupils are during the school day. Many pupils truant from lessons and leaders do not have effective systems for finding them. Pupils often arrive late to lessons and systems for monitoring this, and pupils’ whereabouts, also do not operate effectively. Therefore, leaders do not know if these pupils are safe or not.  The behaviour of some pupils is accurately described by staff as ‘scary’. Some pupils do not feel there is an adult in school they can talk to if they are worried. Some staff reported that pupils are not safe, and pupils said they do not feel safe. Many parents are concerned that their children are not safe in school.  Governors and trustees do not monitor the effectiveness of safeguarding arrangements with sufficient rigour to make sure that pupils are safe. The governor with responsibility

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Safeguarding

for monitoring safeguarding, who previously checked on this aspect of school, has been unable to do so recently. Reports to the governing committee about safeguarding matters lack depth, and the trust’s reviews lack rigour.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

 The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is far too variable. Too much teaching does not meet the needs of learners or prepare them well for the next stages of their education or career.  Often, teachers set work which is too easy or too hard. Pupils quickly lose interest and become distracted. Teachers’ expectations of what pupils can do are not well matched to what pupils are actually able to achieve.  Too many staff have low expectations of how lesson time should be used. Pupils who arrive late to lessons go unchallenged. They are allowed to move around the classroom without purpose and to talk to their friends. Sometimes, pupils opt to leave lessons before the lesson has actually finished. Staff do not consistently challenge these pupils.  Many teachers are not able to manage the behaviour of pupils well enough. This leads to lessons being frequently disrupted and learning hindered. Systems to support

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

teachers in managing challenging behaviour are not effective.  Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities are not typically well supported because teachers do not consistently apply effective strategies to plan effective learning opportunities. Leaders acknowledge that the needs of these pupils are not being given sufficient priority and that the use of strategies to support them is not well monitored.  Teaching and learning is often poorly focused, with no clear goals in terms of what pupils should learn. Pupils do not, therefore, develop the knowledge and understanding they need in order to achieve well.  Some teachers are effective at forming positive relationships with pupils and stimulating their interest in their work. However, even when this is the case, learning is too often disrupted because pupils call out answers to questions without waiting their turn. Pupils have not been taught well enough how to behave in formal learning

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

environments.  Most teachers have secure subject knowledge. However, too much of the time they do not convey this effectively to pupils and pupils do not learn enough.  There are some stronger examples of teaching, learning and assessment in the school, but these are not underpinned by a culture of good behaviour and high aspirations.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is inadequate.  A number of pupils are educated at other institutions on behalf of the school. The school does not take adequate steps to monitor the personal development and welfare of pupils at these providers.  Pupils are not protected from bullying. Pupils told inspectors that sometimes teachers tell them bullying is ‘banter’ and to ignore it. Bullying takes place and pupils do not have confidence in leaders to resolve it. Many pupils approached inspectors to raise concerns about poor behaviour and bullying.  Pupils are not taught to respect the differences of others. As a consequence, a significant minority of pupils do not treat others with the care that they should. Discrimination occurs, and sometimes it is tolerated by adults in the school.  Many pupils are late at the start of the school day and miss tutor time. This time is

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Personal development and welfare

regarded by many pupils in the school as a time to socialise. Inspectors saw this poor use of time during the inspection.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is inadequate.  Over time, attendance at the school has been better than the national average. However, far too much learning time is lost due to the significant amount of lateness to school, lateness to lessons, and truancy from lessons. Leaders do not have effective systems for dealing with this. Pupils’ poor punctuality and truancy are often not challenged.  A significant minority of pupils behave in an unacceptable way. Some pupils show a lack of respect for others. Pupils were observed by inspectors pushing on the stairs, swearing, shouting and sliding down bannisters. Some pupils’ actions are unsafe to both themselves and others. Inspectors saw evidence of this and that staff do not challenge this behaviour.  Pupils, staff and parents reported that the way in which pupils’ behaviour is managed is vastly different when Ofsted inspections take place. Many reported that during the

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Behaviour

inspection in January 2018, leaders removed the pupils from lessons whose behaviour was the most challenging. They feel that this did not present an accurate picture of the provision.  Some pupils openly ignore the instructions of adults. This includes those given by teachers and by senior leaders. Teachers told inspectors that when pupils who demonstrate challenging behaviour refuse to leave the class with a senior leader, the leader sometimes departs with no further support for the teacher. Inspectors witnessed too much lesson time lost to disruptive behaviour.  Pupils often do not take pride in their work. Graffiti on books and missing or untidy work is common. Many pupils are not inspired to want to learn and show a lack of interest. They are slow to settle to their activities and become distracted easily.  Many pupils behave in a positive way and try to ignore poor behaviour. They told inspectors that behaviour has declined considerably.

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Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

 Pupils in Year 11 made poor progress from their starting points in 2017. The progress that pupils made was below the national average across a range of subjects by the end of key stage 4, including in English, mathematics, science and modern foreign languages. The proportion of pupils who achieved the English Baccalaureate was also low.  Pupils across the school continue to make inadequate progress. The school’s own monitoring, pupils’ books, and some pupils’ poor and distracting behaviour confirm that pupils’ lack of progress is widespread and systemic. Subjects such as science, modern foreign languages and other areas continue to perform poorly. In many subjects, across year groups, pupils make little progress from their starting points.  Disadvantaged pupils make far less progress than other pupils nationally. The difference between the progress they make and that of other pupils remains too wide

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Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

across the school. Leaders do not use the funding in an effective way to support these pupils, and show little sign of the capacity to improve the situation for these pupils.  Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities are let down by the school. They make less progress than they should because leaders have not ensured that teachers meet their needs. They make too little progress.  Pupils who join the school with weak mathematical knowledge and understanding do not catch up. Leaders acknowledge that they do not do enough to help them, or to monitor their progress.

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16 to 19 study programmes Inadequate

 Leaders do not have a coherent strategy for ensuring that students are guided onto courses which best suit their aspirations and ambitions. They do not monitor students’ destinations with care or consider whether the courses taken in the sixth form are relevant. The number of students who leave the school after the sixth form who sustain a place in education, training or employment is below than the national average.  Teaching is not consistently well planned to meet students’ needs. Students are not supported to achieve in lessons, or across time. They are not prepared well for their examinations. In particular, when students perform poorly or are likely to underachieve, leaders too often take the decision to change the students’ courses, rather than to improve the quality of provision and support for students.  Leaders do not monitor students’ progress in the sixth form in a meaningful way to help improve the outcomes pupils achieve at the end of their key stage 5 courses. As a

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16 to 19 study programmes Inadequate

result, students’ progress varies too much over time. Students currently in the sixth form have made little progress since the start of the academic year.  Leaders are not securing better standards for students who need to resit qualifications. While the outcomes for those resitting GCSE English are stronger, those for GCSE mathematics are below the national average.  Students’ welfare is not well promoted, and they are not effectively protected from harm. During the inspection, students were witnessed running across a busy road. Some areas in which students are educated are not secure from the public. Some students are sent by their teachers, unsupervised, and unknown to school leaders, to undertake sports training off-site with adults not employed by the school. The adults they meet here are not vetted by school leaders.

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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

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,367

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School details

Of which, number on roll in 16 to 19 study programmes Appropriate authority Board of trustees

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School details

Executive Headteacher Ms Catherine Hutley

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School details

Date of previous inspection 5–6 March 2013

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Information about this school

 Colne Community School and College is a larger-than-average secondary school serving the area of Brightlingsea.  Since September 2016, the school has been part of The Thrive Partnership Academy Trust. Governance of the school is undertaken by the trust. There is a local governing committee to challenge and support school leaders, while strategic decision-making takes place at trust level.  The chief executive officer and executive headteacher have been out of the school for an extended period. An acting headteacher has been appointed to oversee the school in their absence.  There has recently been a change in the make-up of the trust, with four new trustees being appointed.  The school does meet the current government floor standards for the minimum standards and progress pupils should achieve at key stage 4.  There is a smaller-than-average proportion of girls in the school.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals at any point in the

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Information about this school

last six years is lower than average.  There is a smaller-than-average proportion of pupils who are believed to speak English as an additional language.  The school has an above-average proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities.  Some pupils registered at the school receive some of their education at other providers on behalf of the school. The other providers are: Colchester Institute; St Helena School; Clacton County High School; Philip Morant School and College; Colchester Academy; and Clacton Coastal Academy.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited 60 lessons, reviewed the work of pupils in their books, and visited tutor groups and an assembly.  Inspectors met with senior and other leaders, members of the governing body, and the vice-chair of the trust. They also spoke with a representative from the local authority and with an adviser to the school.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documentation including the school’s central record of recruitment checks and safeguarding files. They considered leaders’ improvement plans and their analysis of the use of funding. Inspectors reviewed documents demonstrating the work of governors and the school’s information on pupils’ progress, attendance, behaviour and exclusions.  Inspectors considered phone calls with, and emails from, parents during the inspection. They considered the 262 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, and spoke with pupils from all year groups, as well as speaking with a range of staff.

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Inspection team

Andrew Hemmings, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

John Wilson 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

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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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