Tibshelf Community School

Inspection of a good school: Tibshelf Community School Doe Hill Lane, Tibshelf, Alfreton, Derbyshire DE55 5LZ

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Inspection dates: 29 and 30 September 2021

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Outcome

Tibshelf Community School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are high expectations of every pupil at Tibshelf Community School. Teachers and leaders are ambitious of what pupils can achieve academically and how they can develop personally.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have planned a new curriculum to prepare pupils for life beyond Tibshelf. They have carefully selected important knowledge which all pupils need to learn so they can become global citizens.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have very strong relationships with staff at the school. There is a feeling of family and community which is evident. Pupils say they are happy and feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour is calm and orderly around the school and in lessons. Pupils who spoke to us told us they can learn in their lessons. Pupils also said that bullying does not happen very often and, when it does, staff deal with it quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are large number of clubs and activities for all pupils to take part in at lunchtime and after school. These include debate club, politics club, board games and disco dodgeball. As one pupil put it, ‘There is at least one club for every pupil at Tibshelf’.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders have made improvements to the curriculum so that it is ambitious for all pupils. The most important vocabulary and knowledge are identified in all subjects. In most subjects, there is a clear rationale for what pupils need to know and when. This allows pupils to build their knowledge over time. In a few subjects, some parts of the curriculum are not planned well enough to ensure that pupils know more over time as well as they should.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

During Year 9, pupils receive more lesson time in those subjects they have chosen to study in greater depth. This enables them to develop an in-depth knowledge of the 29 and 30 September 2021

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subjects that particularly interest them. At the same time, they continue to study the full range of key stage 3 subjects.

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Teachers have good subject knowledge and present information clearly most of the time. They assess pupils’ understanding well in most lessons. On occasions, teachers do not resolve misconceptions which pupils may develop during the lesson. In some lessons, teachers present pupils with too much information. This can result in pupils not being able to understand and recall the key concepts teachers want them to learn.

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The work pupils produce is demanding and demonstrates they are knowing and remembering more. For example, Year 11 design and technology pupils design and build high-quality products using the knowledge of tools and materials they have previously learned. Pupils who struggle to read receive appropriate support. Regular opportunities for pupils to read for pleasure encourage a love of reading.

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Personal development lessons are well planned. Pupils learn about staying safe and eating healthily. They learn about relationships, British values and different faiths and beliefs. Some pupils told us they would confidently challenge homophobic or racist attitudes. The careers programme gives pupils meaningful encounters with the world of work. It meets the requirement of the Baker clause.

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The special educational needs coordinator knows the needs of all pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well. Teachers are trained to meet these pupils’ needs. As a result, pupils with SEND access the full curriculum through mainstream classes. Pupils who attend the resources base for pupils with autism spectrum disorder do so for only very short periods of time, to receive appropriate support.

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Teachers manage behaviour well. They quickly challenge any off-task behaviour.

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Governors and leaders have a renewed ambition for the school. They have helped to oversee the changes to the leadership structure, curriculum and behaviour system which have been carried out through the pandemic. Leaders engage with staff and consider their workload and well-being. Staff say that they ‘would not want to work anywhere else’.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff are well trained by safeguarding leaders. As a result, they know about the local and national contextual issues which are prevalent and may affect their pupils’ welfare. Staff can identify warning signs. They follow a consistent approach to report these signs quickly. 29 and 30 September 2021

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Leaders do regular walks around the school site at unstructured times. This is to check that areas of the school pupils use during these times are safe spaces.

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Pupils told us that they had someone to talk to if they had a concern and they were confident that leaders would take such concerns seriously.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, leaders have not ensured that all planning is coherently sequenced. As a result, some pupils do not develop their knowledge and skills well enough. Leaders should ensure that learning is well sequenced in all subjects so that all pupils acquire in-depth knowledge and sufficient skills for future learning.  In some lessons, teachers do not use the most effective strategies to teach the curriculum. In these lessons, pupils find it difficult to remember important knowledge and be able to recall it fluently. Leaders need to make sure that all teachers have the necessary knowledge and skills to implement the curriculum consistently well across the school.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good/outstanding. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that a good school could now be better than good, or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good on 1 and 2 March 2016.

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How can I feed back my views?

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. 29 and 30 September 2021

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The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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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. 29 and 30 September 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10199652 Type of school Secondary Comprehensive

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 1 and 2 March 2016, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 A new headteacher was appointed in March 2021.  There is resourced special educational needs provision at the school for pupils with autism spectrum disorder.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school has 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 as well other senior leaders at the school. The lead inspector held a meeting with governors and the local authority designated link. 29 and 30 September 2021

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 Inspectors completed deep dives in English, mathematics, history, and design and technology. In each subject, inspectors visited lessons, scrutinised the work in pupils’ books and held discussions with subject leaders, teachers and pupils. Inspectors observed two whole year group assemblies.  Inspectors evaluated the effectiveness of safeguarding by reviewing the single central record and other documents relating to safeguarding. The lead inspector met with the designated senior leader for safeguarding to discuss the school policies and procedures. Inspectors spoke with pupils and staff to evaluate the safeguarding culture at the school.  Inspectors observed behaviour in lessons and around the school.

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Inspection team

Rakesh Patel, lead inspector Her Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Stephen Long Ofsted Inspector 29 and 30 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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