Charnwood College (Upper)

Burleigh Community College Inspection report

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Unique Reference Number 120236 Local Authority Leicestershire Inspection number 362169 Inspection dates 6–7 October 2010 Reporting inspector David Muir HMI

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This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005 which gives Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education, Children's Services and Skills (HMCI) the authority to cause any school to be inspected. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act. The registered childcare provision, managed by the governing body, was inspected under section 49 of the Childcare Act 2006.

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Type of school Secondary School category Foundation Age range of pupils 14–18 Gender of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 961 Of which, number on roll in the sixth form 351 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Andy Martin Principal John Smith Date of previous school inspection 17 September 2009 School address Thorpe Hill Loughborough LE11 4SQ Telephone number 01509 554400 Fax number 01509 554479 Email address info@burleigh.leics.sch.uk

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Age group 14–18 Inspection dates 6–7 October 2010 Inspection number 362169 Number of children on roll in the registered childcare provision Date of last inspection of registered childcare provision Not previously inspected

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Age group 14–18 Inspection dates 6–7 October 2010 Inspection number 362169 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 Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 1234 234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the documentation in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to 'Subscribe'. Royal Exchange Buildings St Ann's Square Manchester M2 7LA T: 0300 1234 234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by one of Her Majesty's Inspectors and one additional inspector. In this inspection, inspectors observed 19 lessons and saw 18 teachers, in addition to the 27 lessons seen in the previous monitoring visit. Meetings were held with three groups of students, members of the college leadership team (CLT), the chair of the governing body and members of staff, including a group of middle leaders. Inspectors observed the college's work, and looked at a range of documents including the college improvement plan and Ofsted action plan, curriculum area development plans and the college's analysis of examination results. Parental questionnaires were not distributed as a part of this inspection, although the college regularly surveys parents for their opinions on how well it is performing. The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the college's work. It looked in detail at the following:

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Introduction

 How does the school ensure the quality and consistency of teaching across the college?  How successful are improvements in the college's monitoring and evaluation processes?  How high are standards in all subjects, especially in English and mathematics?  Does governance fully comply with statutory requirements?

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Information about the school

Burleigh is a large specialist sports college, which was made subject to special measures at its previous inspection in September 2009. The majority of students are from White British backgrounds. Indian and Bangladeshi students form the largest sub-groups and many other minority ethnic groups are represented. The number of students who speak English as an additional language is well above average with a few at an early stage of learning English. The proportion of students known to be eligible for free school meals is broadly average. The number of students identified by the college with special educational needs and/or disabilities is above average when compared to Key Stage 4 provision nationally. The college manages a range of additional community services. These include a boarding house which currently accommodates 25 students, and a pre-school playgroup serving children from two to four years of age. The boarding house and playgroup were not

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Information about the school

included in this inspection and will be subject to inspections at a later date. The college chose science as its second specialist subject in 2007, and gained Foundation and Trust status in May 2009. In September 2008, a part-time executive Principal and school Principal were appointed to jointly lead the college. The college has achieved several awards. These include the International Schools Award, Healthy Schools status, Artsmark and Sportsmark Gold. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Main findings

In accordance with section 13 (4) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the college no longer requires special measures. Burleigh Community College has improved significantly since the previous inspection. It is at least satisfactory in all areas of its work and is outstanding in several, including the extent to which pupils adopt healthy lifestyles and the effectiveness with which the college promotes equality of opportunity. The latter judgment is the result of the successful promotion of a harmonious college environment. Differences are celebrated and students feel confident enough develop their own identities, including their ethnicity and sexual orientation. The college's philosophy, which has been developed around its specialisms, is based on a close monitoring of all students' progress. Care, guidance and support, the curriculum and most areas of leadership and management are good. This reflects a

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Main findings

significant improvement in consistency, in raising standards across all subjects and monitoring students' progress. Systems are fully embedded in the work of the college, which encourage staff to take responsibility for identifying pupils who are at risk of underperforming. The leadership and the governing body have an accurate understanding and knowledge of the strengths and areas for improvement. There is a common sense of purpose throughout the college community and a determination that the college can improve further. The senior leadership team provides impressive drive, passion and vision which permeate through the college and demonstrate a good capacity for further improvement. The close monitoring of the progress of all individual students and of different groups of students, and the evidence provided by the college during the inspection, show that overall, students make satisfactory progress in both key stages, including the sixth form.

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Main findings

While attainment in mathematics is around the national average, in English it was slightly below average in the most recent examinations. However, in all areas, including English, attainment is rising significantly. School monitoring, which is accurate, shows a continuing pattern of improved standards compared with last year's data. Pupils and staff are proud of their college and they extend a warm welcome to visitors. Behaviour is satisfactory and is managed well. Attendance is average. However, the college's systems for monitoring attendance and contacting families help to ensure that the rate of attendance is improving. The success of personal outcomes is the result of consistently good and well- planned care, guidance and support. Students interviewed during the inspection confirmed that they feel safe. There is a very high uptake of the healthy food on offer in the college canteen, reflecting students' healthy choices. A further strength of the college is the

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Main findings

outstanding contribution which students make to the community, mainly through the college's sports and science specialisms. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Main findings

Overall, the quality of teaching remains satisfactory, but has improved since the previous inspection, with a higher proportion now being good or outstanding. Staff have increasingly high expectations of what students can learn. Nevertheless, there remain some inconsistencies in how teachers modify activities in lessons to match the students' abilities and how they provide feedback to students. Where these are done well, students' learning is better and good progress is made. There is an increase in the number of curriculum areas where exemplary practice is seen. The better feedback explains to pupils how well they are doing and also provides targets for how they can improve their work and reach the next level. The curriculum is good and is improving. It increasingly meets the needs of students in both key stages. It provides well-thought-out pathways which are flexible enough to meet all students' individual needs and abilities. The recent changes are

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Main findings

still new but have already impacted significantly on the quality of learning in lessons. The good quality of care, guidance and support is a strength of the college, due to the high quality information, advice and guidance provided to students about their future options, and the range of partnerships and links with external agencies to support all students. Leaders know the college's strengths and areas for development well and monitoring procedures are good. All staff are part of this process and feel they have an important role to play in securing improvements in the college. The governing body has recently undergone some significant changes in personnel and has established new systems to monitor the work of the college more closely. Although it is early days in these developments, there is a clear understanding of the role of the governing body, and it provides good support and robust challenge at all levels of the college.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the overall quality of teaching by: ensuring that work is consistently well matched to all students' abilities in lessons providing constructive feedback so that students know how well they are doing and how to improve their work in all subjects giving more opportunities for students to work independently and develop responsibility for their own learning. Develop the recent initiatives to raise standards and improve the quality of learning and progress for all individuals and groups of students across the college by: ensuring that the curriculum meets the needs of all making sure feedback is used consistently across all years and subjects.  About 40% of the schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory may receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 3

Evidence from the inspection and the college's monitoring shows that students are making satisfactory progress. Students enter the college with average attainment and the attainment of students at the end of Year 11 is broadly in line with the national average in Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 3

all indicators. Examination results and the college's detailed analysis of the learning and progress of individuals and groups across both key stages show that there is a clear and improving trend over time. This demonstrates that, overall, students make satisfactory progress during Key Stage 4. This trend continues into the sixth form and pupils leave with average attainment, showing that they make satisfactory progress. Current college monitoring shows that these trends are continuing this year, with a further improvement on previous years evident. Students with special educational needs and/or disabilities also make slightly better progress due to the well-targeted individual support which students receive during their time in the college. There is no significant difference in the progress made by any group of pupils. The satisfactory progress is supported by the increasing proportion of good or better learning and progress observed in lessons during the

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 3

inspection. This also concurs with the college's accurate analysis of learning and progress in lessons and over time. Students' behaviour is satisfactory and the behaviour team, alongside improved systems for the monitoring of behaviour across the college, has had a significant impact on students' management of their own behaviour. There is a high level of involvement in sports and other outdoor activities to promote healthy lifestyles and the participation rates are monitored closely to ensure that all pupils have equal opportunities to participate. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are good. Pupils learn about other faiths and communities. They have respectful attitudes to those around them and have forged a tolerant and welcoming community. They are keen to take up a range of cultural opportunities and participate in a wide array of links with other countries, including Malaysia, Nigeria and Bangladesh. They are also given opportunities through the

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 3

curriculum to discuss a range of moral issues such as eating disorders, gender roles, sexual orientation and racism, which allows them to reflect on their own views and place in society. As a result, instances of racism are few and when they have occurred, they have been dealt with robustly and to the satisfaction of the students concerned. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 3

These are the grades for pupils' outcomes

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 3

Pupils' achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning 3

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 3

Taking into account: Pupils' attainment¹

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 3

The quality of pupils' learning and their progress 3

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 3

The quality of learning for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their progress

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 3

The extent to which pupils adopt healthy lifestyles 1

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 3

The extent to which pupils contribute to the school and wider community 1

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 3

The extent to which pupils develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 3

Taking into account: Pupils' attendance¹

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 3

The extent of pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 3

1 The grades for attainment and attendance are: 1 is high; 2 is above average; 3 is broadly average; and 4

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How effective is the provision?

Teaching is satisfactory and improving. There is an increasing proportion of good and outstanding teaching taking place, leading to improved outcomes. The college's judgements of the quality of teaching are sharp and accurate. As a result, less-effective teaching is quickly identified and support put in place through peer coaching or other successful methods to help improve the quality. The better teaching in the college shows a good variety of tasks to match students' abilities and interests, lively pace, constructive feedback throughout the lesson and activities and expectations which promote independent learning. However, these characteristics are not consistently found in all lessons. Less effective teaching allows students to be passive learners, lacks pace and does not teach skills to promote independence. Feedback in books has improved since the previous inspection and the best examples clearly tell the students how well they are

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How effective is the provision?

doing and what they need to do to reach the next stage of learning. The curriculum is regularly reviewed and modified so that it is appropriate and is contributing to the improved progress and higher attainment at both key stages. There is an increasing number of applied learning opportunities, such as Business, Technology and Education Council (BTEC) courses at Key Stage 4, to complement the academic courses available. This has led to a curriculum offer which is very well tailored to meet the needs of all students in the college. The college's specialisms have contributed effectively to the developments throughout the college and have a strong influence on all areas of the Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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How effective is the provision?

curriculum. The quality of information, advice and guidance is strong across the college. This is particularly evident in the work with feeder schools to ensure a smooth transition in to Year 10 and through the provision of a good range and variety of information to enable pupils to make sound choices about their future pathways. There is also a wide range of clubs and activities on offer, including a regular drop-in session with the school nurse.

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How effective is the provision?

These are the grades for the quality of provision

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How effective is the provision?

Taking into account: The use of assessment to support learning

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How effective is the provision?

The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils' needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships

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How effective is the provision?

The effectiveness of care, guidance and support 2

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How effective are leadership and management?

The school Principal and executive Principal, with very effective support from the impressive CLT, have created a clear vision. This ensures that staff have high expectations and understand their role in promoting improvement in the college. There is a strong common sense of purpose throughout the college which underpins the recent improvements. Robust action has been taken to rectify the areas for improvement identified in the previous inspection, in a short time. In actively engaging all members of the college community, the leadership has been able to carry staff with them in implementing new initiatives such as the curriculum changes and the changes in planning and ethos. There is a clear focus on students being at the centre of all that the college does and their outcomes are improving significantly as a result. Leaders have an accurate understanding of how the college is doing and how it can improve further. One example of this is the exact correlation between the college's

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How effective are leadership and management?

judgements of the quality of teaching and that of the inspectors on both visits since the previous inspection. Equality of opportunity is a significant strength of the college and is promoted well in all areas. This is seen by the increasingly positive outcomes for individuals and all groups of students and the absence of any difference in the progress of groups of students. Through its specialisms, the college has established highly productive partnerships with its feeder high schools, which contribute to a smooth transition. This allows students to start their Year 10 courses with the minimum of disruption when they arrive. The governing body has tackled the issues from the previous inspection completely. It provides good support through their acute awareness of the strengths and areas for improvement. The newly established committee structure is far more robust in seeking accountability and providing appropriate challenge and support to the leadership.

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How effective are leadership and management?

Safeguarding is good and the single central record of staff recruitment is exemplary and very detailed. The college promotes community cohesion well, as it knows its community and context at a very detailed level. Procedures are now starting to be developed to monitor the impact of its work more fully in this area and to plan next steps to build on this. Links with parents are strong and the leaders of the college are proactive in reaching out to the parents who are harder to reach and less engaged with their children's Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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How effective are leadership and management?

education. Due to recent improvements, the school has demonstrated that it has good capacity for sustained improvement.

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How effective are leadership and management?

These are the grades for leadership and management

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How effective are leadership and management?

The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement

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How effective are leadership and management?

Taking into account: The leadership and management of teaching and learning

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How effective are leadership and management?

The effectiveness of the governing body in challenging and supporting the school so that weaknesses are tackled decisively and statutory responsibilities met

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How effective are leadership and management?

The effectiveness of the school's engagement with parents and carers 2

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How effective are leadership and management?

The effectiveness of partnerships in promoting learning and well-being 2

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How effective are leadership and management?

The effectiveness with which the school promotes equality of opportunity and tackles discrimination

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How effective are leadership and management?

The effectiveness of safeguarding procedures 2

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How effective are leadership and management?

The effectiveness with which the school promotes community cohesion 2

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How effective are leadership and management?

The effectiveness with which the school deploys resources to achieve value for money 3

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Sixth form

The achievement of students in the sixth form is satisfactory, as they enter Year 12 with average attainment and are currently leaving Year 13 with average examination results. However, all academic measures are showing a year-on-year increase, with 98% of students studying A levels gaining grade A-E, of which 45% gain either A or B grades. Attainment is also average overall in other courses at both Level 2 and Level 3 and progress is satisfactory. There is an increasingly wide choice of courses in the sixth form, including GCE A2 and AS level courses and specialist BTEC (Level 2 and 3) qualifications. There are good personal outcomes due to students' high participation in an impressive range of enrichment activities. These include young enterprise, mentoring of younger students in the school community, Leadership Awards and residential visits, both domestically and internationally, for example, to Nigeria and Malaysia. All students who stay in the sixth

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Sixth form

form go on to further education, employment or training when they leave. The leaders of the school and the sixth form have an accurate view of the strengths and areas for development in the sixth form. The monitoring and evaluation of the work of the sixth form is good with an appropriate range of activities undertaken by the head of sixth form to assess the quality of teaching, marking and outcomes across all courses. As a result all students are subject to close scrutiny and any signs of underachievment are identified at an early stage. The effective pastoral system helps to support students to get back on track with their work. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Sixth form

Overall effectiveness of the sixth form 3

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Sixth form

Taking into account: Outcomes for students in the sixth form

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Sixth form

The quality of provision in the sixth form 3

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Sixth form

Leadership and management of the sixth form 2

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Views of parents and carers

Parental questionnaires are not normally distributed for monitoring inspections conducted under section 8 of the Education Act 2005, unless inspectors have specific reasons to request that the school does so.

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

Parental questionnaires are not normally distributed for inspections conducted under section 8 of the Education Act 2005, unless inspectors have specific reasons to request that the school does so.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils' needs.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements were introduced on 1 September 2009. This means that inspectors now make some additional judgements that were not made previously. The data in the table above are for the period 1 September 2009 to 31 March 2010 and are the most recently published data available (see www.ofsted.gov.uk ). Please note that the sample of schools inspected during the autumn and spring terms 2009/10 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools. Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100. Secondary school figures in clude those that have sixth forms, and sixth form figures include only the data specifically for sixth form inspection judgements.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning, development or training.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the pupils' work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving. Inspectors base this judgement on what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Learning: how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Overall effectiveness: inspectors form a judgement on a school's overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school. The following judgements, in particular, influence what the overall effectiveness judgement will be.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

 The school's capacity for sustained improvement.  Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils.  The quality of teaching.  The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils' needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships.  The effectiveness of care, guidance and support.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils' attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

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carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted's

main findings from the inspection of their school.

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Inspection of Burleigh Community College, Loughborough, LE11 4SQ

On behalf of the inspectors who visited your college recently, I would like to thank you very much for making my second visit very interesting, enjoyable and successful for the college. We found that Burleigh Community College is a satisfactory school which no longer requires special measures. It is also outstanding in several areas. The school Principal, executive Principal and staff all work very hard to make your time in school successful. Your personal development is a strength of the college, in particular the way you adopt healthy lifestyles and the work that you do within the local community. You are now reaching higher standards than you were a year ago in your last inspection and you make satisfactory progress. Overall, the care, guidance and support which you receive are good. Your behaviour is satisfactory, but sometimes you are too passive in your learning and don't make an extra effort to learn when it could help you. You should all be very proud of

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Inspection of Burleigh Community College, Loughborough, LE11 4SQ

the improvements in the past year. It has been very impressive to watch the progress of the college during my visits. I have asked the college to improve some areas so it can be better than it is now: Improve the overall quality of teaching by:  ensuring that work is consistently well matched to all of your abilities  providing constructive feedback so that you can know how well you have done in your work and know how to improve your work in all subjects  giving you more opportunities to work independently and develop responsibility for your own learning. Develop the recent initiatives to improve attainment and progress for all individuals and groups of students across the college by:  ensuring that the curriculum meets the needs of all of you  making sure assessment is used consistently across all years and subjects.

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Inspection of Burleigh Community College, Loughborough, LE11 4SQ

David Muir Her Majesty's Inspector out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 1234 234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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