Beverley High School

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

p.1

Mrs Sharon Japp Headteacher Beverley High School Norwood Beverley HU17 9EX

p.1

Short inspection of Beverley High School

Following my visit to the school on 24 October 2018 with Michael Reeves, 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 inspection carried out since Beverley High School was judged to be good in March 2015.

p.1

Short inspection of Beverley High School

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. Based on the evidence gathered during this inspection, I am of the opinion that the school has demonstrated strong practice and marked improvement in specific areas. This may indicate that the school has improved significantly overall. Therefore, I am recommending that the school’s next inspection be a section 5 inspection.

p.1

Short inspection of Beverley High School

Since the school’s last inspection, you have worked with great determination to further improve the quality of education in the school. You ensure that pupils have access to a broad and balanced curriculum and pupils achieve well in the subjects they study. Overall, progress by the end of key stage 4 is significantly above the national average in the majority of areas of the curriculum, and attainment is especially high in English and history. Pupils’ progress in mathematics is not as good as progress in other subjects. You recognise this and have taken action to ensure that progress improves. There are already signs that your actions are having a positive effect on pupils’ progress in mathematics in key stage 3. However, there is more to do to embed the improved practice consistently across all key stages.

p.1

Short inspection of Beverley High School

In your previous inspection, an area for improvement was to ensure that middle leaders used data effectively to ensure maximum progress for pupils. You have created a culture whereby middle leaders are central to school improvement. They have high expectations of what all pupils can achieve and they strive for constant improvement. For example, while overall pupils’ progress is already significantly above the national average, leaders in English continue to be ambitious for further improvements. These high expectations are evident in lessons where pupils are challenged in their thinking and make strong progress as a result.

p.1

Short inspection of Beverley High School

During the inspection, we looked at the behaviour for learning exhibited by pupils in lessons because this was identified as an area for improvement in your last inspection. The conduct of pupils is a strong feature of the school. Pupils are respectful and tolerant of each other and rates of exclusion are below the national average. Their positive behaviour in lessons enables them to take advantage of teaching that challenges them in their thinking and ensures that they make strong progress from already high starting points.

p.2

Short inspection of Beverley High School

Another area for improvement identified at the last inspection was to ensure that leaders listen to the views of parents and carers and pupils. You now meet regularly with groups of pupils to discuss their views. Consequently, pupils feel that their opinions are taken on board and acted on. For example, pupils raised concerns about the physical education kit and you changed it to give more choice. The results of the Ofsted survey, Parent View, indicate that parents now feel listened to and a significant majority would recommend the school to another parent.

p.2

Short inspection of Beverley High School

The leadership team has ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose. You have developed a strong culture of safeguarding where staff are vigilant and pupils feel safe. Leaders and governors have ensured that there are appropriate checks in place for all members of staff and there is regular, high- quality training for staff around safeguarding. All staff have a clear understanding of their obligations with regard to the most recent government guidance, which ensures that concerns are reported in a timely fashion and pupils access support quickly. Leaders ensure that the most vulnerable pupils are well protected due to thorough record-keeping and reporting systems. You have created a pleasant and welcoming environment within Beverley High School where pupils feel that they can talk to an adult about concerns they may have and staff are well equipped to support them. Pupils told me that bullying was

p.2

Short inspection of Beverley High School

rare and when it did happen, they felt confident that adults would resolve it.

p.2

Inspection findings

 Leaders have a relentless drive to improve standards across the school. They are highly ambitious. This has led to a year-on-year trend of improving outcomes. In 2017, pupils’ outcomes by the end of key stage 4 were significantly above the national average. Provisional outcomes information for 2018 indicates that results have improved further.  On this inspection, we looked closely at the difference in progress pupils have made in mathematics and English at GCSE. Through visiting lessons, meeting with leaders and conducting a work scrutiny, I am confident that progress in mathematics is improving. Outcomes at key stage 3 are more in line with English than historical key stage 4 outcomes have been. You now have a strong team in place after a period of turbulence in staffing in mathematics and leaders have clear plans in place to ensure greater consistency across the teaching of mathematics. We agreed that embedding this needs to be an area for continued

p.2

Inspection findings

improvement to ensure that progress in mathematics is at least as good as the progress made in English.  You have devised well-planned training opportunities for teaching staff which have inspired and motivated them. In the Ofsted staff survey, the vast majority of staff said that they are proud to be members of Beverley High School and nearly all staff felt that training encouraged, challenged and supported their professional development. Staff feel trusted to innovate and take risks in their teaching. They learn from each other and share good practice. Teachers are highly motivated and they enjoy their teaching.  Inspection activities clearly showed that middle leaders are motivated because they feel empowered to innovate and take ownership of improving the quality of teaching and learning in their areas of responsibility. They are knowledgeable about their subjects and are proactive in monitoring the quality of the provision

p.3

Inspection findings

within their area of responsibility. You have created an environment where teachers share good practice and learn from each other through research-based training opportunities. This has led to staff morale being high and a strong and proactive middle leadership team at the centre of school improvement.  Students’ progress on 16 to 19 study programmes has not been as strong as it has been at key stage 4 and this was a key line of enquiry during the inspection. However, the small numbers of students studying each course make it difficult to identify trends over time. Outcomes have improved and the average grade achieved at A level is now above average. Regular quality assurance processes are in place. Leaders know the priorities for improvement and there are clear plans to increase rates of progress. Pastoral support for students is well matched to individual needs and safeguarding arrangements are secure. However, we

p.3

Inspection findings

agreed that improving the progress of students at post-16 needs to remain an area of focus for the school to ensure that it matches the strong progress at key stage 4.  Governors are passionate and committed to the school. They bring a skilful expertise and understanding, which enables them to provide high levels of challenge and support. Governors are fully aware of the school’s strengths and the continued areas for improvement and they ensure that they target their attentions to continually drive up standards.  Attendance levels are high because pupils feel well cared for. In the Ofsted survey, the vast majority of pupils said that they feel safe at school and feel there is an adult they can speak to if they feel worried. Pupils told me that teachers ‘want you to be the best you can be’, and ‘they provide work which is challenging and have high expectations’. Punctuality to school has improved since

p.3

Inspection findings

the last inspection and it is now rare for pupils to be late.

p.3

Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:

p.4

Next steps for the school

 recently introduced approaches to mathematics teaching are embedded across all key stages in order to further improve pupils’ progress in this subject so that it is at least as good as that in English  students’ progress on 16 to 19 study programmes continues to improve so that it matches the strong progress seen at key stage 4.

p.4

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 the East Riding of Yorkshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

p.4

Information about the inspection

During the inspection, I held several meetings with you and the deputy headteacher. The inspection team also held meetings with leaders across school, including with those responsible for 16 to 19 study programmes in the sixth form, the middle leaders responsible for English and mathematics, and the senior leaders responsible for safeguarding, behaviour and welfare. We also met with representatives from the local authority and the governing body. We scrutinised the school’s safeguarding procedures and checked the school’s records for children on protection plans. We talked to groups of pupils from key stages 3, 4 and 5 and looked at the surveys completed online by staff, pupils and parents. We visited 10 lessons in English, mathematics, science and modern foreign languages across all key stages and looked at a wide range of pupils’ and students’ work both in lessons and with middle leaders.

p.4

Information about the inspection

Inspection activities focused on the action the school has taken to improve punctuality to school and ensure that behaviour for learning in lessons enables pupils to take advantage of strong teaching. We also looked at what the school had done to develop greater capacity at middle leadership level because these were identified as areas for improvement at your last inspection. We also looked at progress at post-16 and the outcome differential between English and mathematics at GCSE.

p.4