Cams Hill School

Inspection of Cams Hill School Shearwater Avenue, Fareham, Hampshire PO16 8AH

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Outstanding 22–23 October 2019

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are supported well in this school. They feel that they are listened to and have a voice in how the school develops. For example, some pupils recently helped review and change the rewards and praise scheme in the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say that they feel safe in school. Most parents and carers agree with their children’s view. Pupils enjoy a wide range of enrichment activities. An increasing number of pupils take part in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme. Leaders have developed a thoughtful programme of opportunities to help pupils learn about important skills they will need in the future. For example, Year 10 pupils learn about managing finances well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are ambitious for pupils and want them all to do well. Leaders give pupils helpful advice and guidance regarding future education and careers. Year 11 pupils are well supported in selecting and moving on to the right post-16 choices for them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils understand responsibility well. Some are involved in ecology projects to protect the environment; others have key responsibilities in the day-to-day operation of the school, such as supervising the lunchtime queues and tills. They undertake these roles maturely and behave well throughout the school day.

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better?

Leaders have designed a curriculum that supports pupils to achieve highly in most subjects, for example mathematics. They provide a wide range of subjects for pupils to study. In recent years, low numbers of pupils have studied a modern foreign language at GCSE. Leaders know this and are ambitious for the situation to change. As a result, the proportion of pupils studying a modern foreign language is increasing.

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better?

Most leaders ensure that subjects are planned in a logical sequence. For example, in Year 7 religious studies, pupils learn about how communities develop, through a well-sequenced series of learning activities. However, in some subjects, such as geography and design technology, learning is not yet sequenced as well.

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better?

Teachers are skilled and knowledgeable about the subjects they teach. They ask pupils well-considered questions to check pupils’ understanding of what is being taught. During the inspection, key stage 3 pupils were overheard answering their teachers’ questions accurately about the team games they were playing in physical education. Where pupils have gaps in their understanding, teachers address them quickly. Because of this, pupils catch up promptly, and most are achieving well in physical education and the majority of other subjects, for example history.

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better?

Teachers know the individual needs of pupils with special educational needs 22–23 October 2019

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and/or disabilities (SEND) well. They often adapt the planned learning to help pupils with SEND meet their personalised objectives. However, leaders do not yet have a full understanding of what strategies work best across the curriculum for all pupils with SEND.

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Pupils’ behaviour is good. Pupils are respectful to each other around the school. Most pupils are focused and pay attention to their teachers during lessons. They engage well with the learning activities provided for them.

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Leaders have introduced helpful anti-bullying strategies. For example, ‘pupil peer coaches’ support pupils if required. Pupils talk of how helpful these peer coaches are. However, some pupils do not feel confident that if they had serious concerns around bullying, they would be dealt with by staff.

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Leaders have developed an extensive programme of tutor-time activities. Pupils learn about a broad variety of topics, such as health and well-being, and about different cultures around the world. Nevertheless, some pupils do not have a good understanding of the many different aspects of life in modern Britain.

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Staff offer a wide range of after-school activities in sports, across the arts and other subjects. Many pupils attend and enjoy these clubs. Most parents are supportive of the school and the rounded education they see it provides for their children.

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Staff feel listened to by leaders. They feel that they have a voice in helping leaders work to improve the school further. Most staff are happy at this school.

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Governors fulfil their legal duties well. They have secure understanding of what the school does well and what it needs to do to improve further. They are well placed to support leaders to continue the school’s future development.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders know their safeguarding duties well and carry them out appropriately. They have introduced systems to allow staff to report concerns quickly. Staff ensure that incidents are addressed swiftly.

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Safeguarding

They know how and whom to report their concerns to about children’s safety or welfare. They report concerns as they should.

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Safeguarding

Leaders’ work with other agencies to support vulnerable pupils and their families is appropriate. Leaders carry out the correct checks before adults are able to work with pupils at the school. Governors make regular checks on the safeguarding procedures in school to ensure that they are as effective as they should be.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school’s curriculum is not yet sufficiently planned in a logical and coherent manner across some subjects. Leaders know this. They have plans in place and are carrying out actions to address this.  Most teachers use the information they receive about pupils with SEND well to plan helpful learning activities. However, leaders do not yet have a full picture of which approaches work best to support pupils. As such, they need to ensure that they have a more secure understanding of the most effective support in place for pupils with SEND. This will ensure that the needs of all pupils with SEND are supported more effectively.  Leaders have taken actions to develop strategies to support pupils who feel that they are being bullied. However, some pupils are not sure that these strategies are working well enough. Leaders need to ensure that their work to address bullying concerns is effective and understood by all, so that pupils

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

have confidence that matters will be dealt with thoroughly when necessary.  Pupils learn about peoples’ different cultures and beliefs well. However, not all pupils have a good understanding of the values that drive life in Britain today. Leaders need to ensure that more pupils have a better knowledge and understanding of these values so that they are better prepared for the next steps in their lives.

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How can I feed back my views?

school, 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. 22–23 October 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10116494 Type of school Secondary comprehensive

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School details

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,196

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School details

Appropriate authority The board of trustees

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School details

Date of previous inspection 19–21 October 2011

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Information about this school

 The school converted to academy status in February 2012.  The headteacher has been in post since September 2015.  The school works with one alternative provider, the Key Education Centre.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We deemed the inspection a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with senior leaders, curriculum leaders, subject teachers and pupils. An inspector also met with a representative group of staff.  T he lead inspector met with a group of trustees, who are known as governors.

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Information about this inspection

 The lead inspector reviewed the school website, publicly available pupil performance information and other relevant school and trust documentation.  The 181 replies to Ofsted’s Parent View survey and a sample of the school’s own pupil surveys were considered as part of the inspection. 22–23 October 2019

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 Inspectors reviewed safeguarding procedures in place at the school, including checking the single central record and safeguarding policies. An inspector met with the designated safeguarding leaders.  Two parental concerns received during the inspection were also considered.  The lead inspector spoke to a representative of the local authority by telephone. An inspector spoke to the headteacher of the local pupil referral unit by telephone.  Inspectors observed behaviour at breaktimes and as pupils moved around school.  English, mathematics, modern foreign languages, history and physical education were considered in depth as part of this inspection

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Inspection team

Dylan Davies, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Neil Strowger Ofsted Inspector 22–23 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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