Allerton Grange School

Inspection of Allerton Grange School Talbot Avenue, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS17 6SF

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Sixth-form provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 4–5 February 2020

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a multicultural school and pupils enjoy the diversity. There is a real family atmosphere. Pupils are happy and feel safe. They are polite and proud of their school. They wear their uniform with pride and are excellent ambassadors for their school. The relationship between pupils and staff is strong.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils like the fact that they see a wide range of staff around the school throughout the school day. Pupils value the support they receive from their teachers and the pastoral support staff. Pupils know there is always someone willing to help them out should they or their friends have any worries.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders want the best for every pupil. The curriculum is challenging, but there is support in place to make sure that all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), can access the work and make progress.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and teachers agree that behaviour has improved over the last few years. The atmosphere in lessons and around school is now calm and business like. Bullying is rare. When it does arise, pupils agree that school staff deal with it well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers are very positive about the school. They say that their children are happy and make good progress. We agree.

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better?

Leaders have been quick to respond to the areas for improvement identified in the last inspection. As a result, the quality of education has improved. The school is gaining the confidence of its community.

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better?

Leaders have a very clear vision for the school. Their curriculum focuses on knowledge. Leaders and teachers understand the need to develop the literacy skills of pupils. The Drop Everything And Read (DEAR) sessions are one example of this. Leaders want every pupil to aim high and fulfil their potential. Leaders also aim to give pupils the skills to be successful in the modern world.

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better?

Curriculum leaders have developed an effective curriculum. Teachers look carefully at the most sensible way to order the topics they cover. They understand that it is necessary to return regularly to key skills and knowledge. Pupils are now remembering more important knowledge than they have in the past. Consequently, examination results have improved too. However, leaders know they must continue to focus on those few subjects where the curriculum is less effective.

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better?

There is a well-planned programme, with a strong ethos of tolerance and respect, to prepare pupils for life in modern Britain. The school also provides many activities at the end of the school day, including sports, music and drama clubs. Pupils value 4–5 February 2020

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these opportunities. Leaders are now looking to ensure that all pupil groups benefit from these activities.

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Pupils with SEND learn alongside their peers. Parents are very positive about the provision for pupils with SEND. Pupils with SEND enjoy lessons with their peers. They value the support they get. The pre-teaching of vocabulary in English, mathematics and science is particularly useful.

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Teachers manage pupils’ behaviour well. If pupils do not follow the school rules, teachers follow procedures consistently. Pupils understand the consequences if they misbehave. Pupils understand why they have received sanctions. They appreciate the support of staff to improve their behaviour. Pupils feel that teachers treat them fairly. However, leaders know that they have not won the hearts and minds of a minority of pupils. These pupils are subject to school sanctions on too regular a basis.

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Governors are key in driving the school forward. The governors are well informed. They have both the skills and confidence to hold leaders to account.

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Staff feel valued and supported and proud to be working in this school. They appreciate leaders’ efforts to make their workload manageable. Teachers now feel they are focusing on the work that brings most benefit to pupils.

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Students enjoy the sixth form and have very positive attitudes. They appreciate the support they get and feel that they are well prepared for their intended studies at university or their future careers. They enjoy and appreciate the new and improved enrichment offer. In both A-level and vocational courses, students are supported to become effective learners and most make the progress expected of them.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders provide effective training for all members of staff, including governors. They keep them up to date through regular bulletins. Pastoral leaders build strong relationships with pupils. As a result, pupils have the confidence to talk to staff if they have a problem or are concerned about a friend. Staff are prepared to go the extra mile. They make themselves available to pupils outside the working day and during holidays.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make sure that pupils are well informed about risks to their safety. The curriculum helps pupils to recognise when they might be vulnerable.

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Safeguarding

The register that records the checks on all adults in school is thorough and compliant with all the legal requirements. Pre-employment checks make sure that the adults the school employs are suitable to work with children. 4–5 February 2020

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculum for a small minority of subjects has not been developed as effectively as for most other subjects. This is more noticeable in the sixth form. As a result, pupils are not experiencing the benefits of the new curriculum in some subjects. Leaders should ensure that the knowledge-rich curriculum is embedded across all subjects and all three key stages.  Leaders have only just started to check rigorously enough which pupils are attending extra-curricular activities. Consequently, there are some pupil groups who are not participating as much and not experiencing the obvious benefits. Leaders should ensure that all pupils benefit from the range of extra-curricular activities.  Behaviour is good, but there is a small group of re-offenders. These pupils repeatedly experience sanctions and as a consequence, their learning suffers. Leaders should reduce the number of pupils who regularly experience sanctions.

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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 10121683 Type of school Secondary comprehensive

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,576

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sixth form

Appropriate authority The governing body

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sixth form

Date of previous inspection 1–2 November 2017

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Information about this school

 The school is a larger than the average-sized secondary school.  The school is the only secondary resourced school for deaf and hearing impaired children in Leeds. Children with a severe or profound hearing loss from across the city are able to access more support than could be offered in their local mainstream school. Many of the children are multilingual, using their home language, English and British Sign Language (BSL) in their everyday life.  The school provides alternative provision for 11 pupils at Reconciliation Training, Steven Longfellow Academy, Elland Academy, Elect and Leeds Medical Provision.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. 4–5 February 2020

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 We met with a wide range of staff. These included the headteacher and other members of the senior leadership team. We also met with subject leaders. The lead inspector met with governors, including the chair and vice-chair of the governing body. He also met with a representative of the local authority.  To evaluate the quality of safeguarding, we spoke with pupils and staff. A meeting was held with safeguarding leaders. Paperwork associated with safeguarding was reviewed. Discussions centred on how the school keeps pupils safe. The single central record was checked.  We spoke individually to newly qualified teachers, administrative staff and a supply teacher to check their views on pupils’ behaviour and attitudes.  An inspector had a phone conversation with the manager of one of the alternative providers used by the school and visited another.  We considered the responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaires. This included the

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pupil survey (91 responses), the staff survey (86 responses), Parent View (466 responses) and the free-text responses to Parent View (142 responses).  We undertook deep dives into the following subjects: English, science, history, mathematics and languages. This involved meetings with subject leaders and joint visits with leaders to a sample of lessons in these subjects. We also looked at books and other kinds of work produced by pupils from the lessons visited. Leaders joined us for this activity. We had discussions with teachers and groups of pupils from the lessons visited. In addition, visits to lessons in other subjects were carried out.

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Inspection team

David Pridding, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Belita Scott Her Majesty’s 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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