Iveshead School

Inspection of Iveshead School Forest Street, Shepshed, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE12 9DB

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Sixth-form provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 1 and 2 February 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils enjoy coming to school. They treat staff and their peers with courtesy and respect. Many pupils are committed to their learning and take pride in their achievements. Pupils know that staff look after them well and want them to be successful.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides a calm and purposeful learning environment. Pupils have adapted quickly to the new school building. They know how to conduct themselves around the school site. Pupils enjoy being rewarded for behaving well and having positive attitudes to learning. Few lessons are disrupted by pupils not behaving well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

If bullying takes place, staff act quickly to resolve it. Some girls say that comments made by a small number of boys make them feel uncomfortable. However, pupils are confident that staff take their concerns seriously and deal with issues effectively. Pupils feel safe in school. Some of the systems for checking that pupils are safe are not sufficiently thorough.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils get on well together and look after others. Younger pupils benefit from reading to sixth-form students. Pupils willingly contribute to their local community, for example through the Shepshed foodbank. Many pupils enjoyed using their talents as part of the recent production of ‘Matilda.’

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better?

Leaders have a clear vision for providing pupils with a high quality of education. They have devised an appropriate curriculum offer that prepares pupils well for their next steps. Pupils benefit from studying a wide range of subjects. Many pupils enjoy learning a language at key stage 4. A growing number of students opt to stay in the sixth form to gain A-level qualifications. Leaders have managed recent changes, including the move to a new building, successfully.

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better?

In most subjects, curriculum leaders make effective use of their specialist knowledge to identify what pupils need to learn. They structure the curriculum so that pupils learn new content in a logical order. In English, pupils use their prior knowledge to analyse and compare complex texts. In art, pupils learn about the work of different sculptors to inspire their own ceramic pieces.

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better?

In key stage 3 and the sixth form, pupils secure their knowledge of mathematics readily, thanks to a well-organised curriculum. Recent changes to the mathematics curriculum have left some pupils in Years 9, 10 and 11 with gaps in their knowledge. Leaders do not take these gaps into account carefully enough when planning learning.

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better?

Most teachers include regular opportunities for pupils to recall essential information. Teachers explore pupils’ understanding using well-crafted questions. Pupils are keen 1 and 2 February 2022

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to discuss their ideas with others. Work in pupils’ books is inconsistent. Not all teachers insist on neat work or correct spelling.

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The pandemic has had a negative impact on the ability of some pupils to read well. Frequent opportunities to read have rekindled pupils’ love of books. A well-resourced library includes books that promote diversity and equality. Pupils who need extra help to improve their reading work closely with trained staff. These pupils are beginning to read more confidently and fluently.

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Leaders provide opportunities for pupils to become responsible and active citizens. The provision for careers education is well developed, although few pupils benefit from work experience placements. The curriculum supports pupils’ broader development. However, not all elements of the personal development programme are planned and delivered as well as others. Sixth-form students do not learn enough about important life skills such as how to manage their personal finances.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) enjoy being part of this inclusive school. Those who attend the specially resourced provisions benefit from programmes designed specifically around their needs. Some parents and carers of children with SEND are positive about the help their children get. Others are concerned that their children are not supported well enough.

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Pupils’ attendance has been affected by COVID-19. Leaders’ work with some disadvantaged pupils is helping these pupils attend more regularly.

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Governors provide leaders with appropriate support. They seek external guidance about how the school can improve. Governors ensure that the school plays an important role in the local community. Staff are proud to work at the school. They appreciate the consideration leaders give to their well-being and workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff know when to pass on concerns about a pupil. Leaders have clear systems in place to record these concerns. They work effectively with external agencies to provide support for pupils and their families when needed.

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Safeguarding

Leaders complete the required checks to make sure that adults in school are suitable to work with children.

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Safeguarding

Records for pupils who attend alternative provision, and for students who attend work placements in the sixth form, are not always accurate. 1 and 2 February 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 There are minor weaknesses in safeguarding arrangements. Leaders’ records relating to pupils attending alternative provision and work placements are not always accurate. Leaders should ensure that systems to maintain oversight of those attending alternative providers and work experience placements are secure.  The mathematics curriculum for pupils in Years 9, 10 and 11 is not planned or implemented consistently well. Leaders have not thought carefully enough about what pupils need to know or how the curriculum is delivered. Leaders should make sure that the knowledge pupils need to learn is identified precisely, arranged in a logical sequence and taught effectively so that these pupils know and remember essential mathematical information.  Leaders do not have a strong enough oversight of the provision for pupils’ personal development. Some aspects of personal development are covered better than others. Sixth-form students are not given enough opportunities to develop

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

the life skills they need. Leaders should ensure that the programme for pupils’ personal development, including in the sixth form, is planned coherently and implemented effectively.  Teachers do not have consistent expectations about the quality of pupils’ written work. In some pupils’ books, spellings of subject-specific terms are often inaccurate. Leaders should ensure that teachers’ expectations of the quality of pupils’ written work are consistently high.

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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. 1 and 2 February 2022

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sixth form

Appropriate authority The governing body

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sixth form

Website www.ivesheadschool.org Date of previous inspection 12 November 2015, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school was formally known as Hind Leys College and provided education for pupils between the ages of 14 and 19 years old. In August 2017, the school amalgamated with another school and was renamed Iveshead School. It now provides education for pupils between the ages of 11 and 19 years old.  Since August 2017, a whole-school restructure of staffing has taken place and the school’s leadership has been reorganised.  In January 2022, the school moved into a building located on its existing campus.  A new chair and vice-chair of governors took up their positions in September 2020.  The school has two specially resourced provisions for pupils with SEND. One provision provides for pupils with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. The other provision prioritises pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs. All pupils who attend these provisions have an education, health and care plan.

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There are 17 pupils with SEND registered to attend these provisions, aged between 11 and 18 years old.  The school uses nine unregistered alternative providers. These are Cape Cabin, Charnwood Tutors, Clover Learning, E2, Go-Getta CIC, Invent Learning, Melton Learning Hub, My Online Schooling and T.E.C.K.  The school meets the requirements of the Baker Clause, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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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 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with the headteacher and other senior leaders. The lead inspector met with representatives of the governing body, including the chair of governors, and spoke with a representative of the local authority on the telephone.  Inspectors did deep dives in five subjects: English, mathematics, history, art and design and German. For each deep dive, inspectors met with curriculum leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, met with teachers of the lessons visited, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. On the second day of the inspection, inspectors reviewed pupils’ workbooks, visited lessons and reviewed curriculum plans in a wider range of subjects. Inspectors spoke with some Year 7 pupils about reading and listened to them read.  Inspectors met with groups of pupils from Years 7, 9 and 11. They spoke with some pupils with SEND and some pupils who attend alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors met with a group of sixth-form students. They spoke with pupils informally and observed the behaviour of pupils during social times.  Inspectors visited two of the unregistered alternative providers used by the school. They spoke with representatives of three of the unregistered alternative providers used by the school on the telephone.  Inspectors evaluated the effectiveness of safeguarding arrangements by reviewing the school’s record of pre-employment checks, holding discussions with leaders, staff and pupils and reviewing documentation relating to safeguarding.  Inspectors took note of the responses to the online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View, and considered the results of the Ofsted staff questionnaire. There were no responses to the pupil questionnaire.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documentation, including the school’s self- evaluation and improvement plan. They considered information about pupils’

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Information about this inspection

attendance, behaviour and exclusions, and the wider curriculum. 1 and 2 February 2022

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Inspection team

Rachel Tordoff, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Vondra Mays Ofsted Inspector 1 and 2 February 2022

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