Crofton Academy

Inspection of Crofton Academy High Street, Crofton, Wakefield, West Yorkshire WF4 1NF

p.1

Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement 18–19 September 2019

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, parents and carers told us that the school is a caring place in which pupils feel safe and secure. We agree. Pupils are well looked after. Most of the time, they get on well with their teachers. Teachers are often friendly. Pupils know there is always someone willing to help them out should they or their friends have any worries.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Teachers expect pupils to work hard and behave well. However, there are still times when pupils cannot get on and concentrate in class because other pupils are either shouting out or being silly. This poor behaviour also happens around school and, sometimes, on the buses to and from school when teachers are not there to supervise.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy their ‘values’ lessons. They said that the focus on kindness, mental health and managing issues such as examination stress was something that made their school special.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

In some subjects, pupils do not study as broad a curriculum as they should. For example, important aspects of history, such as the Holocaust, and aspects of art and design are not covered well enough. This means that pupils miss out on some valuable and worthwhile learning.

p.2

better?

All pupils are taught a wide range of subjects. In some subjects, including English and geography, the content pupils learn is well structured. This helps pupils to remember more and be able to do more. Other subjects do not have as clear an approach to organising what pupils should learn and remember.

p.2

better?

Leaders know this and are currently changing their curriculum and subject plans. The quality of education needs to improve further. Sometimes, teachers are not crystal clear about what all pupils should know, remember and be able to do by the end of a topic or series of lessons.

p.2

better?

Teachers sometimes overuse examination-style questions to check whether pupils are learning more. While these can be useful, they do not help teachers to pinpoint the specific things pupils struggle with.

p.2

better?

While leaders’ actions have helped to improve pupils’ achievement, it could be better. This is partly because some teachers are not clear about the most important knowledge that pupils should remember over time. It is also because some pupils, especially disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), do not attend school regularly. Elsewhere, some pupils mess around and disturb others. This prevents pupils from concentrating on what they should be doing. It also stops teachers, including supply staff, from getting on with the job of teaching. Some pupils say that there can be ‘barging’ along corridors as 18–19 September 2019

p.2

3

Leaders have made sure that the curriculum makes a strong contribution to pupils’ personal development. This week saw ‘Commando Joe’ visit school, trying to help pupils to build their confidence. On almost every corridor, there are wonderful examples of pupils’ artwork and displays that urge pupils to do their best. The school encourages pupils to appreciate and respect those of different faiths and backgrounds. Pupils enjoy the opportunities they have to debate topics. These have included feminism and whether video games encourage people to be violent.

p.3

3

Parents often told us that they felt staff were ‘very approachable and helpful’. Leaders and staff want all pupils, including those with SEND, to achieve well. Pupils with SEND said they felt fully included in all aspects of school life.

p.3

3

Teachers have weekly training to help them improve their teaching. Although this is helping some staff, it is not working equally well across the school. Some pupils do not do as well as they could, for example in mathematics and science.

p.3

3

Subject leaders often identify issues that need to improve. However, they do not plan well enough to tackle these things. Governors do not have a clear understanding of what additional money is coming into the school. They do not know how it is being spent or the difference it is making.

p.3

3

Leaders have managed to improve the school in other ways. They have been mindful of staff workload. For example, there is now more time for teachers to plan together. Parents’ evenings now start earlier. Leaders work well with others in their community. This includes visiting and learning from other schools and working well with other agencies and professionals to help keep pupils safe.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

Safeguarding is given great attention. Leaders have invested significant amounts of time and money into having several staff trained as safeguarding leads.

p.3

Safeguarding

Staff know pupils well. Adults know how to raise concerns and have confidence that their worries, no matter how big or small, will be taken seriously. Recent training has covered issues such as county lines, extremism and additional risks for vulnerable pupils. Staff work well with social and health services, police and parents to keep pupils safe.

p.3

Safeguarding

Pupils learn about the dangers of social media and knife crime. They are helped to stay mentally and physically healthy.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some teachers are not clear enough about what essential knowledge and skills they want all pupils to achieve over time. This makes it harder for teachers to know whether pupils are making good enough progress through the curriculum. Leaders need to make sure that all teachers understand: – the essential knowledge that all pupils must acquire in that subject – how best to organise the curriculum to help pupils remember what has been taught previously.  Teachers’ use of examination-style questions is sometimes unhelpful. Such tests give little information about what specific issues pupils may have knowing, remembering or doing more. Leaders need to ensure that staff understand the limitations of such approaches to assessment. Leaders need to make sure that assessments check that pupils have learned and retained the most important knowledge.  Some pupils stop others from learning. They disrupt and shout out and this is

p.4

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

distracting for both the teacher and the rest of the class. They sometimes behave poorly when unsupervised. Leaders need to improve pupils’ behaviour and attitudes so that all pupils can get on with their learning.  Some groups of pupils do not attend school regularly enough. This means that they are missing out on their education. Leaders need to ensure that all pupils, especially those who are disadvantaged and those with SEND, attend well.  Governors do not have a good enough grasp of what additional money is coming into the school or how it will be spent. This means that it is difficult for them to check on the use of this important resource. Governors need to ensure that they hold school leaders to account fully for their use of additional funding and for the quality of education.

p.4

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.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

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

p.4

5

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.5

5

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. 18–19 September 2019

p.5

School details

Inspection number 10110584 Type of school Secondary comprehensive

p.6

School details

Number of pupils on the school roll 1028

p.6

Information about this school

 There have been some significant staff changes since the time of the last inspection.  The school has an additional resource base for pupils with visual impairment. Six pupils currently benefit from provision in this specialist resource base.

p.6

Information about this inspection

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

p.6

Information about this inspection

 We met with a wide range of senior staff. These included the headteacher, deputy headteacher and assistant headteachers. We also met with subject coordinators and the special educational needs coordinator. We met with three governors.  We focused on English, mathematics, science, art and design, design and technology, history and geography. We visited lessons, looked at pupils’ work and spoke with pupils, teachers, subject leaders and senior leaders to consider the quality of education.  When we inspected safeguarding, we met with a wide range of pupils, both formally and informally, including those with SEND. We met with the designated 18–19 September 2019

p.6

7

safeguarding leader and checked a wide range of documentation, including surveys from teachers, parents and pupils.  We spoke individually to newly qualified teachers and administrative staff to check their views on pupils’ behaviour and attitudes.

p.7

Inspection team

Phil Smith, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

p.7

Inspection team

Gina White Her Majesty’s Inspector 18–19 September 2019

p.7

8

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.

p.8

8

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 .

p.8

8

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

8

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

8

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8