Chase Terrace Academy

Inspection of good school: Chase Terrace Technology College Bridge Cross Road, Chase Terrace, Burntwood, Staffordshire WS7 2DB

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Outcome

Chase Terrace Technology College continues to be a good school.

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Outcome

However, inspectors have some concerns that standards may be declining, as set out below.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy their school. They say that it is a ‘great big community where everyone gets on’. They feel safe and well looked after. Behaviour is good in lessons and at break and lunchtimes. Pupils work hard in lessons. Pupils are courteous, friendly and well mannered. Teachers and pupils speak to each other with respect.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Bullying is rare, and pupils are confident that staff quickly sort any that might happen. Pupils spoke to us about how they look out for one another and help anyone who may be feeling down. They say that there is always an adult they can talk to if they have a concern.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders’ expectations vary for different groups of pupils. For example, some key stage 3 pupils are not given the opportunity to study the same broad range of subjects that other pupils do. Also, some pupils do less well than they could in some subjects.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders’ ambition is for all pupils to achieve and thrive. Leaders are in the process of defining what pupils should learn in each subject, term by term, in order to achieve these high aims. Some subjects, such as computer science, have well-thought-out plans in place. These help teachers to ensure that pupils know what they need to and move on to more challenging work. Teachers adapt the plans so that all pupils gain good knowledge and understanding. Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) achieve well in these subjects, as do all pupils.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Some subjects do not have such structured plans in place. Plans in languages and history do not clearly set out what pupils should learn. In these subjects, lessons do not follow in a logical order. Pupils do not gain enough basic knowledge to help them understand some topics. They are not able to recall knowledge they need in later topics. For example, 17–18 September 2019

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Year 9 pupils were not able to answer simple questions such as stating their name, age or where they live in German. Where the subject plans are less detailed, teachers find it hard to know what changes to make for pupils with SEND. These pupils do not do as well in these subjects as they could.

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Some pupils, including those with SEND, do not have the opportunity to study a language in Year 8 and 9. These pupils have more English lessons instead. This means that not all pupils study the full breadth of the curriculum across key stage 3. Pupils take GCSE English Literature at the end of Year 10. Pupils underachieve because they do not have enough time to study the whole subject content. For example, pupils do not routinely study full literature texts in their lessons.

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Very few pupils study a language to GCSE level. Actions are under way to get more pupils interested in the subject. This academic year, the proportion of pupils in Year 10 taking a language as a GCSE subject doubled from the previous academic year.

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The school supports pupils’ personal development well. Pupils enjoy regular debates about current affairs. These take place in tutor time, assembly and in their personal, social and health education lessons. Pupils told us that they value the discussions they have about issues that affect their well-being and safety. For example, they spoke with knowledge about the recent talk on cyber bullying and online safety.

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Leaders ask teachers to set and mark tests for every pupil each half term. They hope this will show them how well pupils are doing. Teachers find this excessive as it adds to their workload. These tests do not help teachers understand what pupils know, or what they are struggling with. Assessments are not planned well enough to achieve this.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff are trained to spot signs that a pupil may be at risk of harm. Teachers know what to do if they have any concerns about a pupil. The safeguarding team works well with outside agencies and escalates concerns to ensure that pupils are not at risk of harm. Leaders complete all required checks on new staff. They keep accurate records of their checks.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are taught how to stay safe, including from potential dangers when using the internet and social media platforms. Pupils have a good understanding of these issues. They told us about the steps they take to make their online profiles safe.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have not assured themselves that all subject plans within the curriculum are sequenced to follow a logical order. As a result, there remains a great variability in the 17–18 September 2019

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quality of subject plans and pupils’ learning experiences at the school. Leaders need to make sure that all staff understand their aims and aspirations for a well-planned and well-thought-out curriculum. Teachers need to know in what order learning should be sequenced to ensure that pupils can achieve.

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 Not all Year 8 and 9 pupils have full access to a full range of subjects within the curriculum. Other pupils underachieve because they have not had sufficient time to embed their learning. Leaders need to evaluate how their decisions have restricted pupils’ access to a full curriculum for some groups of pupils and take actions accordingly.  Professional development has not focused enough on developing teachers’ subject knowledge and skills. This means that the impact of the curriculum in each subject is overly dependent on the individual skills of subject leaders and teachers. Leaders need to ensure that subject leaders and teachers receive the support they need to plan and deliver an effective subject curriculum.  Assessments are not planned well enough to give teachers the information they need about what pupils have learned. Leaders should ensure that summative assessments give useful information about what pupils know and remember. Also, leaders need to

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consider how the current approach to assessment affects teachers’ workload.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged Chase Terrace Technology College to be good.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school. 17–18 September 2019

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

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. 17–18 September 2019

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,375

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form

Date of previous inspection 3–4 December 2014

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Information about this school

 Chase Terrace Technology College converted in January 2017 to be the founding member of the Stephen Sutton Multi-Academy-Trust.  The school is a larger than average sized secondary school.  The school makes full-time alternative provision for a very small number of its pupils at ‘The Bridge Centre’, a pupil referral unit.  The senior leadership of the school includes an executive headteacher and head of school. The executive headteacher was headteacher of the school prior to the school’s academy conversion in 2017. From the beginning of this academic year he has taken on direct responsibility for the school. The head of school has been in post since September 2019. She was previously a deputy headteacher at the school. 17–18 September 2019

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with senior leaders, including the executive headteacher, head of school, deputy headteacher and assistant headteachers. The lead inspector held a telephone discussion with the chair of the board of trustees.  Inspectors scrutinised the school’s safeguarding arrangements and documentation, including the single central record, and met with the school’s designated safeguarding lead and special educational needs coordinator.  Inspectors visited lessons, looked at pupils’ work, met with subject leaders, teachers and pupils about their learning.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and at break and lunchtimes. Inspectors spoke to many pupils during the inspection.  Inspectors spoke to many staff, including kitchen and caretaking staff about safeguarding arrangements.  The inspection focused deeply on English, history, computer science and languages. All other subjects were considered as part of the inspection.

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Inspection team

Bianka Zemke, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Chris Stevens Ofsted Inspector 17–18 September 2019

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regulates and inspects to 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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