Chadwick High School

Inspection of Chadwick High School Mainway, Skerton, Lancaster, Lancashire LA1 2AY

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Requires Improvement 14–15 January 2020

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What is it like to attend this school?

Attending Chadwick High School has been a game changer for most pupils. This school gives pupils a taste of success and achievement that was missing previously. Pupils told us that if it was not for Chadwick High they would not be in education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and feel safe. Staff have high expectations of all pupils. Many pupils join the school part way through their secondary education. They receive a warm welcome and lots of help from dedicated staff. Pupils know that staff will take time to listen to them if they have any worries or problems. They value the regular opportunities to meet with their key worker. Pupils reflect on their lives and their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Almost all pupils improve their behaviour and attendance over time. The shared spaces and corridors in both buildings are mostly calm. Pupils who have additional medical needs told us that the quiet classroom helps them to feel relaxed so they can learn. Pupils say that bullying does not happen here.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have brought about considerable improvements since the last inspection. They have focused on preparing pupils to be successful in their external examinations. By the end of Year 11, more pupils are gaining qualifications, including GCSEs, than in the past.

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better?

Parents and carers, staff and governors have a high level of confidence in the new headteacher, who took up post 18 months ago. Since arriving at school, he has taken urgent action to improve the quality of education that the school provides. He has instilled in staff a clear desire for pupils to achieve both academically and socially.

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better?

Leaders have made some significant improvements to the quality of the curriculum across the school. Curriculum leaders have planned what pupils will learn and in which order they will learn it. Staff work hard to tailor the curriculum to meet the needs of all pupils.

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better?

Pupils enter school at different stages in their secondary education and at different points in the academic year. It is therefore difficult for teachers to gain an understanding of what pupils already know, understand and can do. At times, the curriculum does not build on pupils’ previous learning. In a minority of cases, gaps in pupils’ knowledge are not always filled before pupils move on to new learning.

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better?

Leaders have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and are ambitious for their academic achievements. They have focused on preparing pupils to be successful in their external examinations at the end of Year 11. The school also now offers a small number of school-based vocational courses in key stage 4. Pupils can choose to 14–15 January 2020

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learn about construction, motor mechanics or hair and beauty. Some pupils are motivated by the link between their work in school and their future careers. However, this vocational pathway is only available to a limited number of pupils.

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Pupils’ personal development is a key focus across the school. Pupils are helped to develop resilience. They are also learning to recognise and understand their emotions, build their own character and understand how to be good citizens. Experienced and well-trained staff are excellent role models for pupils. They provide pupils with the support they need to help them deal with any learning, social or emotional difficulties. New pupils to the school settle quickly due to the high levels of effective support provided.

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Pupils’ behaviour throughout the school has improved. Pupils are keen to learn and behaviour supports their learning. Staff develop good relationships with pupils. School routines, rewards and sanctions are used fairly and consistently. When pupils have difficulties in managing their own behaviour, effective and timely support is put into place. As a result, the proportion of pupils who are temporarily excluded from school is reducing. There have been no permanent exclusions for over a year.

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Pupils’ regular attendance has a high profile. Staff work very hard to make sure that pupils attend school regularly. The attendance of pupils is improving from often extremely low starting points. However, there are still a number of pupils who are absent more regularly than others. This has a negative impact on the progress that these pupils make.

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Leaders and governors work well together. They are mindful of staff well-being. Staff say that their workload is manageable and that morale is high.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding in this school is of a very high quality. Safeguarding leaders know pupils exceptionally well. They work effectively with a wide range of external agencies to ensure that pupils and their families receive the help and support they need. They are persistent in ensuring the best outcomes are achieved. There are clear systems in place for staff to report their concerns about pupils.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn about the dangers they might face outside of school and when using the internet. Staff signpost pupils and parents to other services who will provide further advice and support.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a minority of cases, the curriculum does not always build on what pupils already know. This means that some pupils continue to have gaps in their 14–15 January 2020

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learning. Leaders and staff should take time to assess what pupils know before moving on to new learning.  Leaders have had particular success in establishing vocational education at the school. However, this is only available to a limited number of pupils. This means that some pupils miss out on this aspect of the curriculum, which limits their opportunities. Leaders should further develop this aspect of the curriculum so that more pupils can benefit from it.  Despite improvements from very low starting points, some pupils do not attend school regularly enough. This means that they are missing out on their education. Leaders should ensure that they sustain and improve further their good work in this area so that pupils’ attendance is in line with that of other pupils nationally.

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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 are the school and you are 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. 14–15 January 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10110904 Type of school Pupil referral unit

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 11–12 July 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 A new headteacher was appointed in September 2018. His role is part time. Other senior and middle leaders have joined the school since the last inspection.  Some pupils come onto roll at Chadwick High School when they have been permanently excluded from a mainstream secondary school. Other pupils attend the school for a short period of time as respite from their mainstream secondary school. This is to break a cycle of poor behaviour, or to receive further intervention and support during a statutory assessment for an education, health and care plan.  The school building has been redesigned and refurbished to create new teaching and learning spaces. These house the new construction and hair and beauty courses. Key stage 3 and key stage 4 pupils are now accommodated in separate buildings on the school site.  The school has created a new, discrete provision for pupils with medical needs. This includes pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs. Many of

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Information about this school

these pupils have been out of education for a long time. 14–15 January 2020

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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 met with the headteacher, senior leaders, curriculum leaders and teachers.  We met with five governors, including the chair of the governing body, and with a representative of the local authority. We held a telephone conversation with a senior leader from a local secondary school.  We also held meetings with the safeguarding leaders, the attendance improvement officer and the leader for pupils’ behaviour.  English, mathematics, science and construction were considered in depth as part of the inspection. In each of these subjects, we met with the subject leader, visited lessons, spoke with pupils and teachers from the lessons visited and considered pupils’ written work.  We scrutinised the school’s safeguarding arrangements and documents, including the single central record and checks undertaken on newly appointed staff.  We reviewed the four free-text responses on Parent View, Ofsted’s online

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Information about this inspection

questionnaire for parents. We also considered the 14 responses to the staff online questionnaire and the three responses to the pupil online questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Michelle Beard, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Cole Andrew Ofsted Inspector 14–15 January 2020

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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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