Co-op Academy Priesthorpe

Inspection of Co-op Academy Priesthorpe Priesthorpe Lane, Farsley, Pudsey, West Yorkshire LS28 5SG

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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 Sixth-form provision Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 3–4 March 2020

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What is it like to attend this school?

Some pupils say that pupils’ behaviour in school is improving. However, a significant minority of pupils do not believe that behaviour is good. At times, some lessons are disrupted by pupils and this affects pupils’ learning. Most pupils feel safe in school. However, sometimes, pupils do not always feel safe when, for instance, fights occur, or pupils are aggressive.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say that bullying is usually dealt with quickly by staff. A number of pupils told inspectors that they often hear inappropriate language used in school, such as swearing.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The quality of curriculum planning is variable. Pupils do not achieve as well as they should in some subjects. Teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve are not high enough across the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils receive effective careers education from Year 7 through to Year 13. Leaders ensure that impartial careers advice is available. Pupils are encouraged to engage in voluntary and community activities, such as the National Citizen Service.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Sixth-form students enjoy the courses offered in partnership with another school in the area. They also value work experience. Students achieve well on vocational courses. However, they do not achieve as well as they should on academic courses.

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better?

In some subjects, such as mathematics and science, the curriculum is well planned. Pupils achieve particularly well in mathematics. However, the quality of education across the curriculum is variable. In subjects, such as geography and history, pupils do not learn topics in enough depth. There are gaps in pupils’ learning. In these subjects, some pupils do not remember what they have been taught. There are limited opportunities for pupils to revisit and review their learning. In some subjects, there is a lack of subject-specific training for staff. Some curriculum leaders are not clear enough about the crucial knowledge that pupils need to know.

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better?

Leaders have made it a priority to increase the number of pupils studying the English Baccalaureate (English, mathematics, science, history or geography and a language). A third of pupils now study the English Baccalaureate.

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better?

Most pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) achieve well in the subjects they study. Some pupils with SEND do not access the full curriculum in some subjects, such as history and geography. Leaders have plans to address this. Most parents are positive about the provision for pupils with SEND. Pupils themselves value the support they receive. 3–4 March 2020

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Pupils have very mixed views about behaviour. Some pupils say behaviour is improving. However, other pupils told inspectors that disruption still occurs, and this has an impact on how well they can learn. Pupils are keen that disruption to lessons stops completely. Younger pupils, at times, feel intimidated by older pupils. Fixed- term exclusions are below the national average. However, a number of exclusions are for violent behaviour. The area that the school uses to remove pupils from lessons is not appropriate. The trust confirmed during the inspection that this would be rectified.

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Pupils’ attendance has improved and is now in line with the national average. However, disadvantaged pupils’ attendance remains below that of other pupils at the school. Consequently, some disadvantaged pupils do not achieve as well as they might.

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There is a range of opportunities for pupils to take part in activities outside of the normal school curriculum, such as drama and music. The school uses extra funding to make sure disadvantaged pupils can access trips and music tuition. Despite this, further effort is needed to increase the number of disadvantaged pupils attending extra-curricular activities.

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Pupils learn about different faiths and cultures. Leaders ensure that the personal development curriculum helps pupils to learn about risks to their safety, such as grooming and the dangers of drugs. However, some pupils spoken to during the inspection did not have a strong enough awareness of the importance of British values.

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There is a comprehensive careers programme in place. This helps pupils, including students in the sixth form, to prepare well for life after school. Sixth-form students also benefit from the opportunity to develop wider skills, including sign language. Pupils are able to undertake relevant work experience. The number of pupils who leave school without a place in education or employment is lower than the national average.

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The trust offers appropriate challenge and support to governors. However, governors accept too readily what school leaders tell them, without further challenge. Staff say that leaders value them and consider both their workload and well-being carefully.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that checks on adults are thoroughly carried out before allowing them to work in the school. Staff are clear about the school’s procedures for safeguarding pupils. Leaders ensure that pupils who attend alternative education provision attend regularly. During the inspection, leaders ensured safeguarding checks made on pupils attending alternative provision were appropriate. 3–4 March 2020

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Pupils and staff know who to speak to if they have a concern. Staff are aware of the local safeguarding risks. They are clear about the signs to look out for that may indicate that a pupil is at risk of harm.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The quality of curriculum planning in some subjects, such as history and geography, is variable. This means pupils are less secure in their knowledge and understanding in these subjects. Pupils find it difficult to recall what they have been taught. Leaders need to be clearer about the crucial knowledge and skills that pupils must learn in each subject. Leaders should make sure that the curriculum is coherently planned in all subjects to match that of stronger subjects, such as mathematics and science.  Disadvantaged pupils are more likely to be absent from school compared to their peers. These pupils do not achieve as well as they should. Leaders need to ensure that disadvantaged pupils’ attendance improves further.  Disadvantaged pupils’ participation in the school’s programme of extra-curricular activities is not as high as it could be. Leaders should ensure more disadvantaged pupils take up the enrichment activities on offer.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Governors accept too readily what leaders tell them about the quality of education and pupils’ behaviour. This means that they do not have an accurate view of the school and the impact of leaders’ work to make improvements. Governors should ensure that they challenge leaders more effectively to improve the quality of education and pupils’ behaviour.  Pupils’ behaviour is variable. Learning is disrupted by poor behaviour. Leaders should ensure that all staff implement the school’s behaviour policy consistently and fairly, so that pupils can learn without interruption. Leaders should also ensure that swearing and inappropriate language is eliminated.

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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 . 3–4 March 2020

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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. 3–4 March 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10128312 Type of school Secondary comprehensive

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School details

Number of pupils on the school roll 1141

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sixth form

Chair of governing body Rachael Bickerstaff

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sixth form

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 This is the first section 5 inspection since the school became an academy in July 2017.  This school is part of The Co-operative Academies Trust.  Some pupils attend alternative education provision at: West 14; West 11; Prism; MAP Education; and the Medical Needs Teaching Services of Leeds.  The school works in partnership with Crawshaw Academy to provide A-level and vocational courses for sixth-form students. Students attend lessons at both schools.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. 3–4 March 2020

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 We held meetings with the principal, senior leaders, curriculum leaders, members of the governing body, including the chair of the governing body, and the chief executive officer of the trust.  We carried out deep dives in English, mathematics, science, geography and history. We carried out further lesson visits in addition to the deep dives to ascertain the school’s approach to the curriculum as a whole. We discussed the curriculum with leaders. We conducted lesson visits, scrutinised pupils’ work and held meetings with staff. We also spoke to pupils about their work.  An inspector visited an alternative education provider used by the school to ensure that pupils are safe and accessing a suitable curriculum for their needs.  We checked the school’s systems for vetting staff and scrutinised the school’s safer recruitment procedures. We also checked the school’s records of the investigation of complaints and concerns to ensure systems are robust and

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support children who need further help.  Minutes of governors’ meetings, the school improvement plan, and the school’s self-evaluation was scrutinised along with a range of school policies.  We considered the views of pupils, parents and staff who responded to Ofsted’s surveys. We also took into account the school’s own survey of pupils due to the limited number of responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Colin Scott, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Michele Costello Her Majesty’s Inspector 3–4 March 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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