Lift Tendring

Inspection of Tendring Technology College Rochford Way, Frinton-on-Sea, Essex CO13 0AZ

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Inadequate Personal development Inadequate Leadership and management Inadequate Sixth-form provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 9 to 11 November 2021

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils are keen to learn, but a minority do not behave well enough. They show a lack of respect for staff and other pupils. Behaviour is not managed consistently. Lessons are regularly disrupted on both sites. While some pupils engage well in learning, there are other pupils who do not apply themselves in the same way. Their poor behaviour and casual attitudes prevent them and others from learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Not all pupils feel fully safe in school. A significant minority of pupils and parents feel that bullying is not dealt with properly. Not all pupils feel that if they report concerns to staff, they will help them sort things out. Homophobic language is used too often. Consequently, in this school, there is a high proportion of pupils and parents who do not think it is okay to be different.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils study a broad curriculum. New planning is in place across a range of subjects. Pupils participate in a range of enrichment activities. Competitive sport is played to a high level. ‘The hub’ provides a safe, nurturing place for pupils to go to if they need support. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well cared for and are included fully in school life. All pupils receive good careers guidance.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Students enjoy life in the sixth form. They are provided with a safe, stimulating environment in which to learn.

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better?

Following a turbulent period, more recently, the trust has taken decisive action which is contributing towards the school becoming more settled. Newly appointed leaders are demonstrating the capacity to improve. Priorities identified in the school’s improvement plan include developing the curriculum and improving behaviour.

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better?

Although leaders are taking action to raise expectations, a minority of pupils continue to show a lack of respect for staff and other pupils. Several pupils have been suspended for unacceptable behaviour. Lessons are regularly disrupted on both sites. Procedures for managing behaviour are not used consistently. A significant proportion of staff feel that senior leaders do not support them well enough with managing serious misbehaviour. These staff are concerned about pupils’ behaviour in and out of lessons, and about the safety of pupils and staff.

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better?

A significant minority of pupils have concerns about behaviour. They do not always feel safe when travelling to school, as well as when they are in school. Bullying happens and not all pupils or parents feel incidents are dealt with well enough by staff. Some pupils do not report incidents as they feel staff will not sort things out.

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better?

Pupils’ personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural education, is in the early stages of being developed. Personal, social and health 9 to 11 November 2021

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education (PSHE) lessons taught weekly during tutorials are not always taken seriously by some pupils. Consequently, their understanding of healthy relationships, fundamental British values and the protected characteristics is underdeveloped. Girls told inspectors that not enough is done to prevent boys from using abusive language towards them, or to deal with the over-sexualised behaviour of a small minority of boys.

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Not enough is done to educate pupils about difference. Too many pupils face homophobic abuse in school. Pupils told inspectors that if you are ‘different’ you will be subject to bullying and offensive language. Recent action taken on the lower site to teach pupils about the importance of tolerance and respect is leading to improvement. This does not extend to the upper site.

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Most pupils attend regularly, but a small minority in each year group have low attendance, particularly those pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils. Checks are made to ensure these pupils remain safe. However, while this information is starting to be shared with leaders overseeing attendance and safeguarding, this collaborative work is in its infancy.

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Subject leaders have revised their curriculum plans. The important knowledge and skills pupils must learn as they move through the school are identified. Learning is sequenced so that pupils build on what they already know and are ready for the next steps. The teaching of the revised curriculums varies. Some are not complete and fully in place. In some subjects, pupils show a firm grasp of knowledge and understanding over time. In others, pupils struggle to remember what they have learned previously.

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Where teaching is effective, behaviour is usually calm and purposeful. When it is less effective, pupils disrupt the learning of others. Not all pupils engage fully during questioning and discussion. They listen carefully when teachers explain tasks but, when asked to learn by themselves, some lose interest and misbehave.

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Pupils attending the specialist unit on site receive good care and support. They access all areas of the curriculum. Those with an education, health and care plan (EHC plan) are well supported, enabling them to learn well. Other pupils with SEND throughout the school receive much less help with their work. Inspectors found few examples in lessons of how teachers adapt the approach to learning for them.

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Careers education and guidance are a strength. Teaching pupils about opportunities available to them begins early in Year 7 and continues until they leave school. The vast majority of pupils successfully go on to further education or the workplace.

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Governors know what the school does well and what it needs to improve. However, they have conflicting views about the quality of pupils’ behaviour and how effectively it is managed. Communication between some governors and school leaders is not as good as it could be. 9 to 11 November 2021

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Students enjoy life in the sixth form. Study programmes are matched to their needs and include a broad choice of subjects and opportunities to retake GCSE English and mathematics. A small group of students study for a diploma in sporting excellence. The standard of play in volleyball is very high. Students feel cared for and are helped to grow into active, responsible citizens. Leaders regularly monitor their progress and well-being. Tutorials are used well to prepare students for university, apprenticeships or work. Students say they would like to be involved more in the life of the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

Until recently, safeguarding leaders have not had the capacity to carry out all their duties effectively. This has changed. New procedures for recording safeguarding concerns are now in place and all safeguarding duties are met.

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Safeguarding

However, not all pupils feel fully safe in school. Over time, leaders have not done enough to tackle poor behaviour, eliminate homophobic and abusive language and teach pupils how to respect one another. Pupils are not confident in reporting concerns as they feel these will not be followed up by staff.

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Safeguarding

The single central record is up to date. All necessary checks are made when appointing new staff.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Not enough has been done to improve pupils’ behaviour on both sites. Learning is regularly disrupted. Not all pupils feel fully safe in school. They feel that incidents of bullying or homophobic language are not always followed up. Trust leaders and senior leaders should prioritise implementing systematic procedures to manage behaviour. They should provide staff with the training and support they need to implement these procedures fully and consistently. Leaders should ensure staff should feel fully supported by leaders when dealing with difficult situations.  Improvements made to the curriculum are new and are not firmly established in all key stages and all subjects. Not all teachers understand how to use these plans to prepare and teach learning in a logical, orderly way. Leaders should monitor how well revised curriculum plans are implemented and evaluate the impact they are having on pupils’ learning and achievement over time.

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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. 9 to 11 November 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10197918 Type of school Secondary

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1829

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sixth form

Website http://tendringtechnologycollege.org/

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sixth form

Date of previous inspection 26 and 27 November 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Tendring Technology College is part of the Academies Enterprise Trust and is much larger than an average-sized secondary school.  The school is based on two sites: one in Thorpe-le-Soken and one in Frinton-on- Sea.  Most pupils are White British. Very few are from minority ethnic backgrounds.  The proportion of pupils with SEND, including those with an EHC plan, is below average.  An executive principal was appointed in summer 2021. He also leads another nearby school within the trust, Clacton Coastal Academy. The principal was appointed in September 2021.  The school uses a registered off-site provision. 9 to 11 November 2021

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We deemed the inspection a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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Information about this inspection

In accordance with section 44(2) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement, because it is performing significantly less well than it might in all the circumstances reasonably be expected to perform.

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Information about this inspection

 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 executive principal, the principal, senior and middle leaders, early career teachers, several groups of pupils of all ages and two representatives of the academy trust. An inspector held an online meeting with two representatives of the governing body and met with a governor who came into school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives into English, mathematics, science, geography, physical education and PSHE. This included discussions with subject leaders, visits to lessons, discussions with staff and pupils, and scrutiny of pupils’ work.  Inspectors scrutinised the school’s single central record and met with three designated leaders for safeguarding.  Inspectors considered 112 responses to Ofsted’s staff survey, 208 responses to

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Information about this inspection

Ofsted’s questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View, and 227 free texts from parents. There were no responses to Ofsted’s survey of pupils’ views.

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Inspection team

John Mitcheson, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Damian Loneragan Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Kay Leach Ofsted Inspector 9 to 11 November 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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