Carisbrooke College

Inspection of Carisbrooke College Mountbatten Drive, Newport, Isle of Wight PO30 5QU

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement 10–11 December 2019

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils can see that Carisbrooke College is changing for the better. They also say that life at school is calm and harmonious. Pupils know and understand the importance of tolerance and respect. This is because leaders put these key values at the heart of the school’s life.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders want the best for their pupils. They make sure that pupils have a wide choice of subjects to learn. In the past, pupils have not always achieved as well as they should. This is starting to change as teachers ask more of pupils in their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and feel safe at school. They know that their teachers are there to help and guide. If there is an issue, such as an incident of bullying, pupils trust staff to put things right. Younger pupils really value the way older pupils watch out for them. All pupils respect the clear rules of the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers echo pupils’ positive views about the changes. As one wrote, ‘I feel very lucky my child is able to attend this school.’ Pupils like the new building that they moved into earlier in the year. Nonetheless, they would like more opportunities beyond what they learn in class.

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better?

Carisbrooke College is improving. Leaders have focused their efforts on securing capable teachers and appointing new subject leaders. They have prioritised improving pupils’ attitudes towards their learning. Staff have worked hard to build positive relationships with pupils. As a result, pupils’ behaviour in lessons has changed very much over the last year. They are ready to learn and eager to make progress.

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better?

Leaders are aware of what they must do to continue to improve teaching. Much of their work focuses on developing the content and the sequencing of knowledge in each subject. Leaders are also providing training to support teachers in developing further their expertise. Nonetheless, the full impact of these changes has yet to take effect. As a result, pupils’ learning is improving but is still variable in quality.

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better?

In mathematics, the improvements have been marked. Here, leaders have made important changes to the curriculum. Teachers have improved how they help pupils to understand and remember more. As a result, pupils are now achieving better in their mathematics GCSE. In English, pupils now experience more challenging texts. Their responses are thoughtful and often insightful. Their written work does not always reflect what they have grasped. This is because their vocabulary is not yet wide enough.

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better?

In other subjects, such as history and science, pupils also enjoy higher levels of challenge in their learning. The early signs are that pupils are learning better in 10–11 December 2019

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these and other areas. However, there is still more to do to develop the curriculum. Pupils’ reading across different subjects is not wide-ranging and demanding enough. This limits the vocabulary they can draw on to talk and write about their learning in depth.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive care and attention from staff. Pupils are well integrated into lessons so that they gain from the better quality of teaching that is becoming a feature of the school.

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The school provides a range of opportunities to widen pupils’ learning. The recent trip to China was clearly a cultural highlight for those pupils who went. The school also runs trips closer to home. These range from university visits to theatre performances. However, leaders do not check that all pupils, particularly the disadvantaged, participate in what is on offer. The range and quality of what the school offers is variable. For instance, there is strong quality in careers guidance, but religious education is less well developed. Pupils themselves would like more opportunities to widen their experience.

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The executive headteacher and his senior team lead with purpose and clarity. They are determined that all pupils receive the highest quality of education. Leaders are also careful to ensure that their staff’s well-being and workload are considered. Governors are equally committed to improvement. They offer effective challenge and support to leaders. Everyone can see that a strong start has been made.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff have positive relationships with pupils and know them well. Pupils feel safe. They are confident that they have a trusted adult they can go to if they are worried in any way.

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Safeguarding

In turn, staff act on any concerns quickly. They have had all the relevant training to help them be alert to any risk to pupils. Senior leaders work closely with other agencies to secure the best support for those pupils who are most in need. Leaders and governors take their responsibilities for safeguarding seriously. They ensure that all recruitment checks are carried out.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school has made a strong start to address the sequencing of the curriculum across the range of subjects. Leaders and teachers should continue to revise and strengthen each subject so that pupils build their knowledge, understanding and skills in a carefully sequenced way. Leaders should continue to ensure that all staff have the necessary training to support the successful learning of the pupils. 10–11 December 2019

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 Leaders should ensure that reading is at the heart of the school’s curriculum. Pupils need to develop and deepen their range of vocabulary within each subject so that they can explain their thinking confidently and accurately and write with fluency.  To further support the development of pupils’ cultural capital, leaders should ensure that a broad and stimulating range of opportunities are offered to all pupils, especially those who are disadvantaged.

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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. 10–11 December 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10111423 Type of school Secondary comprehensive

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Co-Chairs of governing body Richard Bridgford and Jenny Hastings

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School details

Headteacher Matthew Parr-Burman (Executive headteacher) Website www.carisbrooke.iow.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 3–4 October 2017

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Information about this school

 Carisbrooke College federated with Medina College in 2011 under the Island Innovation Trust. The trust was disbanded in March 2019 and the federation is now known as the Isle of Wight Education Federation. Sixth-form pupils from both schools attend The Island VI Form and are now registered at Medina College. An executive headteacher and governing body oversee Carisbrooke College, Medina College and the sixth-form provision.  The current executive headteacher took up post in January 2018.  The school has an above-average number of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. It also accommodates a specialist resource centre (The Einstein Centre) for 12 pupils with autistic spectrum disorder, which is supported by the local authority.

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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

 We held meetings with school leaders, the local authority adviser and governors. We also met with a range of staff. 10–11 December 2019

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 We evaluated the effectiveness of safeguarding. The school’s single central record was reviewed. We met with the designated safeguarding lead and other staff responsible for safeguarding in the school.  We considered the views of 57 members of staff who responded to Ofsted’s online survey, 10 Parent View responses and the five free-text submissions from parents.  We met with groups of pupils to discuss their views about the school and talked to pupils informally. We also took account of 152 pupil responses to the Ofsted survey.  We did deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, art, science and history. This involved talking with senior leaders, subject leaders and class teachers about how these subjects are delivered. We then visited a range of lessons to see this in action, talked to pupils about what they have learned and looked at their work.

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Inspection team

Yasmin Maskatiya, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Anne Turner Ofsted Inspector 10–11 December 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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