Impington Village College

Inspection of a good school: Impington Village College New Road, Impington, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB24 9LX

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Outcome

Impington Village College continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a school with an individual and positive character. One aspect that shines through is the inclusive nature of the school, as seen in the behaviour and attitudes of staff and pupils. Everyone is welcome, regardless of sexuality, nationality, disability or any other personal characteristic. This is a real strength. It is reflected in the fact that, when asked about bullying, pupils were confident that it is unusual and is dealt with well. Pupils are safe from intolerance and unkindness.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Lessons are typically calm and productive. Pupils are polite and attentive. They are confident to share their ideas in front of others. Pupils usually listen, work and learn well. Out of lessons, adults manage pupils’ behaviour well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and teachers have high expectations of what pupils should achieve. As with other aspects of the school’s work, the approach that staff adopt is to be inclusive and to make sure all pupils benefit from high-quality provision. Pupils do well in the subjects they study, and achieve well by the end of Year 11. The school’s progress scores are above average across a wide range of subjects at key stage 4.

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

Leaders are ambitious for pupils and expect them to achieve well. This is evident in the key stage 4 curriculum, which is broad, well planned and well taught. A greater than average proportion of pupils study the subjects that make up the English Baccalaureate (EBacc). Within the EBacc, the uptake of foreign languages is high, as is the range of languages on offer.

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

While the quality of planning and teaching is strong at a subject level in key stage 3, provision overall is weaker than at key stage 4 because the key stage 3 curriculum is covered in two years. This means that pupils do not benefit from as broad a range of subjects as they should in Year 9. In subjects across key stages 3 and 4, leaders have given careful consideration to what 5–6 November 2019

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the curriculum should achieve for pupils. They have determined what pupils should learn and when they should learn it. The curriculum planning is underpinned by effective teaching across different subjects and year groups. Teachers’ plans are informed by assessments that guide them on what pupils have learned well and what is not so secure. Teachers adapt what they do accordingly.

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Leaders have been highly successful in adapting some features of their distinctive post-16 provision, so that the students contribute to the provision for younger pupils. The students gain valuable experience through facilitating and leading aspects of the enrichment programme for key stages 3 and 4. The schedule of enrichment activities, timetabled on Wednesday afternoons, for example, ensures that pupils have experiences that they would not otherwise have. All pupils, from Year 7 to the end of the sixth form, follow programmes on themes of ‘creativity, activity and service’. Some learn about British Sign Language or archaeology. Others, for example, help out in local primary schools or care homes. The opportunities are extensive.

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The democratically elected student leadership team has the structure of a professional organisation and has clear purpose. It is listened to by senior leaders. Between them, for instance, student and senior leaders implemented a new self-referral process for pupils who are feeling anxious.

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Provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is strong. The proportion of pupils with education, health and care plans is high and some pupils have particularly high levels of need. The work of leaders and teachers ensures that pupils with SEND are fully involved in life and learning at the school.

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Most pupils behave well most of the time and are keen to succeed. Some pupils are less enthusiastic about learning, though their conduct is still typically positive. Around school, pupils are well supervised and behave appropriately. When staff are not present, some pupils’ behaviour can be silly or overly boisterous.

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The sixth form has an international dimension and most students take International Baccalaureate courses. Students join from different schools and different countries. They integrate well. They achieve well in their studies because the strengths in curriculum planning and teaching evident in key stages 3 and 4 continue into the sixth form.

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A small proportion of students in the sixth form attend the specialist provision, which caters specifically for those with SEND. Following a review of the SEND provision with the local authority last academic year, the courses students undertake have been changed to ensure sufficient academic rigour. It is too early to see the impact of this work.

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The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Leaders maintain accurate records of their checks on the recruitment and vetting of staff. They make sure staff are trained and know how to report concerns. The files are well- kept and show that leaders follow up concerns appropriately, including with external agencies.

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Pupils feel safe. They are kept safe from bullying. The open and inclusive culture means pupils are free to be themselves. If pupils have worries, they have someone to talk to.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some pupils lack high levels of motivation and do not work as hard as they could. When unsupervised, some pupils behave in silly or inappropriate ways. Leaders should build on the strong foundations already in place to ensure that pupils are consistently keen to achieve their best and to manage their own behaviour to the highest standards.  The curriculum for Years 7 and 8 is not as broad in scope as the national curriculum for the whole of key stage 3. Leaders should review the curriculum in Year 9 to ensure that pupils have access to the range of subjects they ought to have for key stage 3.

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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 third section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good on 30 to 31 May 2012.

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How can I feedback 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. 5–6 November 2019

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

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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. 5–6 November 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10110260 Type of school Secondary Comprehensive

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1387

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form

Date of previous inspection 30–31 May 2012

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Information about this school

 The College’s sixth form includes around one third of students from oversees.  The school is funded for enhanced resource provision for pupils with SEND, including physical disabilities. At present, the funding is for 16 pupils in Years 7 to 11 and 20 pupils in post-16 education. In addition to the enhanced provision, the school caters for a wide range of SEND.  The school makes use of Academy 21 and Cambridge Regional College to provide some alternative education for some of its pupils.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited a range of classes in different year groups and key stages. We looked in detail at English, mathematics, French and art, which included meetings with curriculum leaders and teachers. We reviewed the work of, and spoke with, pupils from 5–6 November 2019

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those subjects.  Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, other school leaders, the chief executive officer of the trust, trustees and members of the local governing body. We reviewed documentation and arrangements for safeguarding pupils and information about pupils leaving the school roll and considered leaders’ evaluation of the school.  Inspectors considered the 208 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, the 11 responses to the free-text option, the five written communications they received from parents during the inspection and one complaint received before the inspection.  We took into account the responses of the 98 staff who completed Ofsted’s survey of staff views and considered the outcomes of staff surveys completed previously by the school.  We reviewed the 630 responses to Ofsted’s survey of pupils’ views, spoke with pupils during their free time and met with representatives of the student leadership team.

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Inspection team

Andrew Hemmings, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Gerard Batty Ofsted Inspector 5–6 November 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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