Beverley Grammar School

Inspection of Beverley Grammar School Queensgate, Beverley HU17 8NF

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Inspection dates: 29 and 30 September 2021

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Sixth-form provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Good 29 and 30 September 2021

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What is it like to attend this school?

Beverley Grammar is a remarkably inclusive, friendly and welcoming school. It is an exciting place to learn. Expectations are high. Pupils are polite, articulate and courteous. They live the school’s values of confidence, ambition, resilience and empathy. Pupils love coming to school. They attend well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils follow an ambitious and engaging curriculum. In class, pupils relish taking part in lively debates. They gain deep knowledge and understanding in a wide range of subjects. Pupils achieve exceptionally well. This includes students in the sixth form.

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What is it like to attend this school?

A strong and caring ethos permeates the school. Respectful relationships and leaders’ high expectations means that pupils behave extremely well. Pupils are happy and feel safe. School records show that bullying is rare. Pupils and parents agree. When it happens, pupils are confident that adults will sort it out quickly. Leaders provide pupils with a wide range of experiences. These enrich and enhance pupils’ learning. Alongside the many sports-based activities, pupils attend drama, and music clubs. Some post-16 students proudly lead enrichment clubs. This helps to develop their leadership skills. Pupils take pride in all they achieve.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers are positive about the quality of education that their children receive. One parent’s comment, echoed by many, said ‘My son comes home every day buzzing about school.’

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better?

The headteacher, governing body and senior leadership team are inspirational. They, along with staff, are resolute in their determination to raise achievement and develop pupils’ character. The quality of education that pupils receive is outstanding. Pupils gain an impressive range of knowledge and skills over time at the school.

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better?

Leaders have established an ambitious curriculum. Subject leaders have thought carefully about what they want pupils to learn and when. Teachers use their excellent subject knowledge to plan sequences of lessons that build knowledge over time. They provide pupils with frequent opportunities to revisit previously taught content. Pupils value ‘dedicated improvement time’ where they refine and make improvements to their work. As a result, pupils remember the most important information they have learned.

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better?

The support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is exceptional. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) assesses and identifies pupils’ additional needs well. Teachers and teaching assistants are highly skilled at adapting the curriculum to meet pupils’ needs. Because of this, pupils with SEND flourish and achieve well. 29 and 30 September 2021

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Staff have high expectations. Pupils rise to these. They value learning and take pride in their work. Pupils listen carefully to their teachers and to one another. Leaders expect pupils to behave exceptionally well and they do. Pupils’ attendance is high and the number of times that a pupil is excluded for not meeting expectations of behaviour is low.

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The promotion of pupils’ personal development is exemplary. The personal, social and health education curriculum includes ‘civics’ lessons which are well planned. This helps to build pupils’ self-esteem and confidence considerably. Pupils speak with conviction about being a good citizen and the importance of mental health. They are knowledgeable about democracy, respect and equality. Pupils show respect to each other, adults and visitors. Leaders ensure that learning extends beyond the classroom. Pupils, including students in the sixth form, receive exciting opportunities including residential trips, visits to local museums, art galleries and theatres.

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Staff provide pupils with high-quality advice and guidance about their potential next steps in employment, education and training. Staff are committed to pupils aiming high when choosing potential careers. In 2021, all Year 11 pupils completed their GCSE courses and progressed into employment, education or training.

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In the sixth form, leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum to meet the needs of students. Expert teachers deliver the curriculum. This enables students to deepen their knowledge and understanding. Students achieve well in all subjects. They receive exceptional guidance on their next steps and benefit from work experience. They are very well prepared for future education and employment. Students behave and attend very well. They are excellent role models for younger pupils.

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Staff are rightly proud to work at this school. They speak highly about the quality training and support they receive. They appreciate senior leaders’ ‘open-door’ policy. They say leaders genuinely care about their well-being as that of pupils. As one teacher stated, ‘We love our jobs and we are a team.’

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and governors make sure that safeguarding is a high priority. The right checks are completed on staff before they start to work at the school. Staff receive regular safeguarding training and updates. They know the potential issues that pupils can face in the community. They are knowledgeable about keeping pupils safe. Leaders and staff are vigilant. Safeguarding concerns are dealt with thoroughly. Staff with designated responsibility for safeguarding know pupils and their families well. They are tenacious in their work to get the right support for vulnerable pupils and families. Pupils are taught and know how to keep themselves safe. 29 and 30 September 2021

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How can I feed back my views?

or 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. 29 and 30 September 2021

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School details

Local authority East Riding of Yorkshire

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School details

Inspection number 10200716 Type of school Secondary

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sixth form

Appropriate authority The governing body

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sixth form

Date of previous inspection 6 June 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Beverley Grammar School provides education for boys and is a smaller than average-sized secondary school.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 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 senior leadership team, the SENCo, middle leaders and a range of teaching and support staff. An inspector spoke with 29 and 30 September 2021

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a representative from the local authority and four governors, including the chair of the local governing body.  Inspectors evaluated the quality of education by looking closely at the following subjects: English, mathematics, modern foreign languages, physical education and science. Here, inspectors met with the curriculum leaders for each subject, visited lessons, looked at pupils’ work and spoke to pupils and teachers.  Inspectors looked at pupils’ punctuality, behaviour and conduct across the school day. Inspectors held discussions with groups of pupils. Inspectors met with different members of staff including early career teachers and support staff, to gauge their views on how well pupils behave and conduct themselves. Inspectors spoke to some pupils who have received sanctions in the past.  Inspectors carried out a range of activities to check the arrangements for keeping pupils safe. Inspectors looked at the school’s policies relating to safeguarding,

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met the designated safeguarding leader and considered records of the vetting checks the school makes on its staff.  Inspectors looked at other information about behaviour, attendance and extra- curricular activities that support pupils’ personal development.  Inspectors considered the 62 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for staff. Inspectors also considered the views of the 143 parents in their responses to Ofsted’s online survey and Parent View questionnaire as well as the 97 free-text responses.

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Inspection team

Jean Watt, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Pritiben Patel 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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