Clyst Vale Community College

Inspection of Clyst Vale Community College Station Road, Broadclyst, Exeter, Devon EX5 3AJ

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Sixth-form provision Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection

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What is it like to attend this school?

Clyst Vale Community College proudly calls itself a ‘Rights Respecting School’. Staff listen to pupils and consider their views. The college offers pupils a wide range of subjects to choose from in Year 11 and the sixth form. However, some pupils underestimate how much they can achieve. Leaders do not boost pupils’ confidence and challenge them appropriately when this happens.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders expect pupils to leave the school as well-rounded young adults. There are plenty of extra-curricular clubs, trips and challenges for pupils, from Amnesty International to an expedition to Costa Rica. Pupils are well informed about what is going on in the world. The college is good at encouraging pupils to respect people from different walks of life.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Relationships between staff and pupils are strong. Behaviour is good most of the time because leaders do not tolerate disruption to learning. Pupils enjoy their lessons and appreciate the variety and interest that teachers provide. They feel safe and happy at the college. Staff sort out any bullying straight away.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils look after each other. Some of the youngest pupils told us that the older ones are caring and responsible. Pupils will help each other if there is a problem, including with their schoolwork.

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better?

The college has designed a curriculum that aims to develop the whole person. The trustees cherish the school and want to improve the quality of education. They have recently strengthened the senior leadership team.

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better?

Leaders have provided good training for teachers. This has helped pupils remember more of what they have learned. Leaders have high expectations for behaviour. They ask pupils to ‘respect, participate, learn’. Together, these developments are promoting positive attitudes to learning. Pupils told us that the college is a good place to be. Most pupils attend well. However, there are some groups of pupils who still miss school too often, for example disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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better?

Leaders are reviewing the curriculum plans for each subject. There are strong plans in place for mathematics and science. In other subjects, leaders have not given enough thought to the order in which pupils learn. In English, Year 7 pupils who need to catch up do not revisit basic grammar points. This is because appropriate plans are not in place from which teachers can work. Another example is in physical education (PE). Here, incomplete plans lead to gaps in pupils’ knowledge. For example, Year 9 pupils cannot name the muscle groups. As a result, they are not prepared well for their GCSE studies.

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better?

Most pupils in Years 10 and 11 do not study a foreign language. This is because 1–2 October 2019

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leaders have considered this to be too hard. Pupils are not supported successfully in their language learning because curriculum plans are weak. Pupils with lower prior attainment do not make good progress. Too few gain a qualification in a language.

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The needs of pupils with SEND are not met well. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) provides useful information to teachers. However, leaders do not check that teachers are making sure that pupils with SEND gain the right knowledge. The college has a centre for pupils with sensory impairments. These pupils are well supported and successful in lessons.

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Through ‘Course 42’, the college prepares pupils well for life beyond school. In assemblies and morning registration, teachers encourage pupils to develop their views. Pupils have opportunities to go on residential trips in the United Kingdom and abroad. During the inspection, Year 12 students were in Bude, engaged in outdoor pursuits. Pupils benefit from the college’s link with Exeter Medical School. The college provides many extra-curricular opportunities for pupils. Leaders are not sure how well different groups of pupils, such as disadvantaged pupils, take advantage of these.

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Students in the sixth form achieve well in most subjects. Many have ambitious career plans. Where they do not, teachers and leaders try to raise their aspirations. Sixth-form students play an active role in college life. They mentor younger pupils. Students form committees to consider matters such as the college’s environmental and sustainability goals. Most students undertake a work experience placement in Year 12. The college is rightly beginning preparations for work experience earlier this year so every student can have this useful experience.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff take their responsibilities for keeping pupils safe very seriously. They are quick to report their concerns. They follow up referrals until they know that pupils are safe from harm. Leaders make sure that staff have up-to-date training, and many staff choose to undertake further training.

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Safeguarding

Leaders are mindful of the local risks that pupils face. For example, they have ensured that staff understand the risks associated with child criminal exploitation (so-called ‘county lines’).

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Safeguarding

Leaders have created a well-established culture of safeguarding in the college. However, leaders do not check effectively how safe pupils are in alternative provision. 1–2 October 2019

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Despite leaders’ stated ambition to follow the national curriculum in key stage 3, the plans in English, modern foreign languages and PE do not match its breadth and ambition. Appropriate curriculum plans are not in place in English, languages and PE. There is some effective teaching in these subjects, but it cannot compensate for the absence of a carefully sequenced curriculum which ensures that pupils acquire the knowledge they need. Leaders should ensure that a suitably organised curriculum is offered to pupils in every subject.  Teachers focus too much, too early, on assessing pupils’ work against what is expected of them at the end of their GCSE programmes of study. This causes teachers to neglect the detail of what pupils need to learn along the way. Leaders should identify the component knowledge they want pupils to acquire over the course of key stage 3 and use assessment to check that pupils are understanding

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

and remembering this.  The curriculum is not successfully adapted for pupils with SEND. Leaders should ensure that teachers are given the appropriate guidance on how to meet the needs of every pupil they teach. The SENCo should have time and opportunity to advise teachers. This is a pivotal role for the college and, as such, this leader should be able to contribute to strategic discussions.  Too few pupils obtain qualifications in modern foreign languages because of the prevailing attitude among leaders and teachers that language learning is too hard, or not relevant. Leaders should ensure that pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND, receive effective teaching in languages, and are encouraged to persist with their language learning.  Leaders have reduced absence and persistent absence so that rates are close to the national average. They need to increase the focus on the attendance of

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

disadvantaged pupils and pupils with education, health and care plans (EHCPs), when their attendance is below average. In addition, leaders should assure themselves that these pupils participate in the extra-curricular opportunities that the college provides.  Leaders and trustees have not fully understood their responsibility to ensure that pupils who attend alterative provision access a safe and suitable placement. Leaders have not made initial safeguarding checks, nor checked that pupils are safe and that they are receiving an appropriate education. This extends to the monitoring of pupils’ attendance and ensuring that pupils benefit from a broad and balanced, well-planned curriculum which gives due regard for their personal development. Leaders must ensure that this is done as an immediate priority. 1–2 October 2019

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you’re not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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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. 1–2 October 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10111552 Type of school Secondary comprehensive

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sixth form

Date of previous inspection 25 April 2018

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Information about this school

 The college was previously inspected under section 8 of the Education Act 2005 on 25 April 2018.  The college has a specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND. The provision is called the Sensory Impairment Hub. Four pupils attend the provision. This provision has recently changed because it was previously designated as a resource for pupils with hearing impairment only.  The college uses two alternative providers: Torlands Academy (Wave Multi- Academy Trust) and 1-2-1 Mentors. 1–2 October 2019

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with the principal, two deputy principals and other senior leaders, including the SENCo and the teacher in charge of the 16 to 19 study programmes. Additionally, an inspector met with staff at Torlands Academy, alternative provision used by the college.  The inspection focused on the subjects of English, mathematics, modern foreign languages and physical education. Inspectors met with curriculum leaders and teachers, visited lessons, examined documentation, scrutinised pupils’ work and interviewed pupils to find out about their experiences in these subjects.  Inspectors interviewed the designated safeguarding lead. They talked with teachers, including newly qualified teachers, a range of support staff and staff responsible for lunchtime supervision about safeguarding training. Inspectors held discussions with pupils and considered the views of pupils, parents and staff, as expressed in the Ofsted online surveys.

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Inspection team

Lydia Pride, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Katherine Powell Ofsted Inspector 1–2 October 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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