Worle Community School

Inspection of Worle Community School Redwing Drive, Mead Vale, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset BS22 8XX

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 4–5 February 2020

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has improved greatly in recent years. Pupils, parents and carers, and staff acknowledge this. They agree that the school is now a calm and safe place.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils generally get along well with each other and with staff. Bullying is rare. Pupils know that there is someone they can speak with if they are worried about something. Some pupils, however, do not attend school regularly enough and this is limiting what they achieve.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have brought order into the curriculum. Pupils know they will be able to get on in their lessons. However, teaching does not always help pupils to remember important knowledge they will need later on. This means they do not always know how to take the next steps in their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are tolerant and understand that people can choose to live different lives to them. Pupils would like more opportunity to learn about and to discuss what is happening in the world around them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school helps pupils to find their talents. Pupils enjoy taking roles in school productions, as journalists in the news centre and representing the school in national sporting competitions. Pupils say that they feel inspired by the alumni who visit the school. Pupils practise democratic principles in the student council and are raising awareness of environmental issues through the work of the green group.

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better?

The principal, supported by governors and the trust, has worked with determination to improve the school. There was much to improve. Staff and pupils acknowledge the important changes that leaders have made. This is particularly evident in pupils’ safety and improved conduct. Pupils can learn in a purposeful environment.

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better?

The school’s curriculum has not helped pupils to have a broad and rich experience. Pupils stop studying some subjects too early. Leaders have recently acted on this and are making changes so that all pupils will learn a broader range of subjects for longer in the future.

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better?

Leaders have agreed on ways to structure the teaching of the curriculum. This has helped to make classrooms calmer and more purposeful. However, teaching does not always help pupils to know and remember more. For example, pupils cannot use more complex grammar in languages because they forget the basic rules. Pupils make errors in their work because they do not fully understand a mathematical rule. Pupils do not remember important knowledge because they do not have the chance to practise using key vocabulary so that it sticks.

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better?

Leaders have built regular assessment into the curriculum. This helps to spot gaps in pupils’ knowledge. However, it does not always get to the bottom of why there are 4–5 February 2020

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gaps. Leaders and teachers do not always use it to find out why pupils might be insecure in their knowledge and understanding of the subject. Leaders have found it necessary to schedule intervention to plug gaps for older pupils.

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Teaching supports many pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well. However, some pupils with SEND told us that they did not have the confidence to complete their assessments. A small but significant number of pupils with SEND do not follow the full key stage 3 curriculum. In these cases, pupils do not have the opportunity to learn a language in their time at the school. The school’s curriculum is not ambitious enough for these pupils.

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Although leaders have given clear messages to pupils and parents about the importance of attendance, this is not having an impact. Attendance is too low, especially for disadvantaged pupils. Pupils who do not attend school regularly miss important work. This means that they do not achieve as well as others.

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Pupils understand the importance of good physical and mental well-being. Staff and pupils speak highly of the school’s counselling services that support mental health needs. The school provides effective careers advice that pupils say is very useful. Pupils learn about topics such as healthy relationships, different values and beliefs in society, and life in modern Britain. However, pupils would welcome more opportunity to discuss and debate issues and ideas.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have improved safeguarding arrangements so that the school is now a safe and secure environment. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe, including online. Staff are vigilant. Pupils are confident they can speak with a member of staff about any concerns.

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Safeguarding

The school supports vulnerable pupils well. The safeguarding team works with local services to help families to secure the right support. The school has acted to meet pupils’ needs when external services are unavailable, such as with mental health support.

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Safeguarding

Governors are well trained in safeguarding. They are knowledgeable about risks and how to deal with them.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders at all levels should check that the curriculum strategies they have implemented are having the desired impact. Leaders have agreed on teaching strategies to help pupils to know more and remember more. However, these methods are not always used with effect in the classroom. Leaders need to 4–5 February 2020

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consider how teaching is being used to help pupils to remember more over time, rather than just in the short term. This will help leaders and teachers to better support pupils so that they learn and make greater progress towards the curriculum goals.  Teachers and curriculum leaders do not use assessment precisely enough. They should identify the causes of underlying gaps in pupils’ knowledge and understanding. This will then help leaders to carefully revise curriculum plans where pupils do not achieve as well.  Attendance remains too low, especially for pupils who are disadvantaged. Leaders need to ensure that their strategies have greater impact so that pupils’ attendance and persistent absence rates improve.  Leaders identified that the key stage 3 curriculum did not provide a good foundation for pupils. The new curriculum should provide a richer and broader experience for all pupils, including pupils with SEND.

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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. 4–5 February 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10122321 Type of school Secondary comprehensive

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School details

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,377

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Worle Community School an Academy opened on 1 March 2017. It is a member of The Priory Learning Trust.  The school uses alternative provision at Weston College and VLC tuition.

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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 chair of the trust, the executive principal, trust challenge partner, chair of the local governing board and governors. We also met with the principal, senior leaders, curriculum leaders and the special educational needs coordinator. We held a telephone conversation with an alternative provider.  We did deep dives in these subjects: English, history, modern foreign languages, mathematics and science. We visited lessons, met with staff, looked at pupils’ work, talked with pupils, interviewed curriculum leaders and examined documentation. 4–5 February 2020

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 We met with the designated safeguarding lead and the deputy designated safeguarding lead. We talked with a range of staff about safeguarding training. We examined documentation and school records.  We spoke with pupils to discuss their views about the school. We considered 96 responses to the staff survey and 115 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View.

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Inspection team

Tracey Reynolds, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Frances Gormley Ofsted Inspector 4–5 February 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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