Corfe Hills School

Inspection of Corfe Hills School Higher Blandford Road, Broadstone, Dorset BH18 9BG

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Inspection dates: 14 and 15 September 2021

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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 14 and 15 September 2021

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations of pupils, to which pupils respond very well. Pupils behave maturely and responsibly throughout the day. Any pupils who disrupt learning realise very quickly that this is unacceptable. Pupils are punctual to lessons and engage well with their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils attend school regularly and are delighted to be back in familiar routines. Pupils are safe and content. They understand the dangers of the internet. Recently, pupils have received more information about the impact of sexual harassment. This has made a substantial impression on many, for the better. This epitomises leaders’ determination to do the right things swiftly. They care about the moral aspects of pupils’ education as well as the academic.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ well-being is central to the way leaders provide education, in school and out. Extra-curricular activities are starting again, so that pupils can develop their own unique talents beyond subjects learned. Leaders understand that recent times have affected many in the school community emotionally. Leaders are considerate of this and, as a result, staff and pupils thrive in school. Pupils do not think bullying happens very often and, if it does, it is dealt with effectively. Pupils are confident to report any concerns they have.

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better?

Governors are strategic, with clear oversight from members of the trust. They have ensured that the school’s vision is ambitious and achievable. They hold leaders to account and manage public funds efficiently. There is an active, purposeful relationship with school leaders that enhances the life of the school.

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better?

Leaders’ improvements in teaching and learning enable pupils to reach their potential, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Teachers are secure in their subject knowledge. Pupils learn the right things in a systematic way that helps them retain knowledge over time.

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better?

In Year 9, staff work with feeder schools to make sure pupils’ transition is seamless. From a welfare perspective, this is very successful. Leaders are still developing the academic transition to ensure that pupils are well prepared for what they will go on to study. It is similar when pupils move from Year 11 to 12.

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better?

In Years 9 and 10, pupils listen to teachers read novels that have stood the test of time and have cultural and historical significance. Sixth-form students engage with intellectually stimulating articles to broaden their understanding of politics and current affairs. It is too soon to see the impact of this, but students are enjoying it so far. Weaker readers in Years 9 and 10, except those pupils with SEND, are not supported well enough to improve their reading. They do not read regularly enough 14 and 15 September 2021

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and are not provided with suitable books to improve their decoding skills. As a result, their reading is less fluent than it should be. Pupils guess words or miss them out.

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Teachers check pupils’ understanding regularly, both formally and informally, to ensure that pupils are learning effectively over time. This helps pupils to retain important facts. Leaders are also mindful of teachers’ workload and ensure that the use of assessment is manageable.

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As result of the success of Spanish, the proportion of pupils taking the suite of subjects known as the English Baccalaureate is rising. Leaders’ promotion of training in every subject is strengthening the curriculum offer.

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The behaviour of pupils is a strength of the school. Leaders have ensured sustained changes to the way that behaviour is managed following the implementation of a new behaviour policy just before the previous inspection. Leaders have made further adjustments to the behaviour policy following the third national lockdown. While some parents express concern about the new behaviour routines in Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, many pupils state that learning is not disrupted anymore.

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Pupils’ personal, social, health and economic education is well-planned and continues from Years 9 to 13. Pupils learn how to become respectful citizens in 21st century Britain. They receive helpful advice on their next steps in education or training. The school invites neighbouring schools and colleges to a careers fair in time for pupils to choose post-14 choices, in line with the requirements of the Baker clause.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders are proactive in making sure pupils are safe. Staff receive training on the latest safeguarding updates, including the recommendations from Ofsted’s Sexual Abuse Review.

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Safeguarding

Most staff recognise the pupils who need support because of vulnerabilities. The designated safeguarding leaders work efficiently with various agencies and the local authority to support pupils’ needs.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and governors have received training in safer recruitment so that the appointment of staff is secure. There were some minor issues on staff recruitment checks, but these were remedied during the inspection.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Weaker readers are not always provided with enough support. This means that some pupils struggle to read with fluency. Leaders should ensure that pupils, who 14 and 15 September 2021

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require additional support with reading, have suitable books that match their phonics knowledge.  The academic transition between Years 8 and 9, and Year 11 and the sixth form, is not preparing pupils sufficiently for the next stages of their learning. Consequently, pupils are dealing with too many new concepts when they arrive at school or start their studies in the sixth form. Subject leaders need to ensure that the curriculum builds incrementally on what pupils already know.

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How can I feed back my views?

to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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 and 15 September 2021

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School details

Local authority Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole

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School details

Inspection number 10200953 Type of school Secondary comprehensive

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sixth form

Dates of previous inspection 29 and 30 November 2017

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Information about this school

 The school uses The Quay Academy as an alternative provider.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, other senior leaders and the school improvement partner. The lead inspector met with the chair and vice-chairs of governors and had an online meeting with the chair of the trust. 14 and 15 September 2021

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, languages and technology. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The lead inspector looked at recruitment practices and checks. In addition, the lead inspector spoke with the designated safeguarding lead and two deputy designated leads. Inspectors spoke with staff about their training in safeguarding and to pupils.  Inspectors spoke with the special educational needs coordinator, the head of sixth form and different groups of pupils to discuss personal development and behaviour management.

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Inspection team

Kathy Maddocks, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Mark Burgess Ofsted Inspector 14 and 15 September 2021

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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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