Campsmount Academy

Inspection of Campsmount Academy Ryecroft Road, Norton, Doncaster, South Yorkshire DN6 9AS

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Good Sixth-form provision Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Good 22 and 23 March 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

The governors, principal and staff team are committed to their pupils. They are determined to maintain the inclusive ethos of Campsmount as a school for the whole community. However, they know they have more to do to support pupils in making positive behaviour choices.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have a range of provision in place for pupils experiencing periods of poor mental health. Pupils value the support offered by the mental health and well-being support programmes leaders have put in place. Pupils would like leaders to make it easier to access this help in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

While most pupils are focused and enjoy the well-planned curriculum, a small number of pupils do not meet the school’s expectations around acceptable behaviour. At times, these pupils show limited respect for their peers, school staff or the facilities of the school. Some pupils, teachers and parents find these poor behaviours frustrating. They would like things to change.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Although leaders have attempted to improve levels of attendance, too many pupils in key stages 3 and 4, as well as many students in the sixth form, do not come to school regularly enough.

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

Senior leaders have worked with subject leaders to develop new approaches to curriculum organisation. Teachers have reviewed what they want pupils to learn and the order of lessons. Curriculum plans support teachers, including early career teachers, to know what to teach next. In lessons, teachers check that pupils understand the most important concepts and give purposeful support if a misconception occurs.

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

Checks that pupils are remembering the most important knowledge in the long term are established in some subjects, including English. In other subjects, the thinking around assessment, especially at key stage 3, needs to have a sharper focus on what leaders want pupils to know and remember more. Too many teachers currently rely on broad tasks usually associated with the end of GCSE study.

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

A wide range of subjects are studied in this school, including in the sixth form. Pupils like this choice and feel it gives them the right support for taking their next steps. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) access the same curriculum as their peers. Teachers know the needs of pupils with SEND well. They make good use of the guidance provided to adapt planning and resources where necessary.

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

Leaders have begun to establish approaches to support pupils to develop high- quality reading. In history, for example, pupils use well-planned strategies to consider the ideas of historians. They read challenging sources from the past. A range of support is in place for pupils who are developing their reading fluency. A 22 and 23 March 2022

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phonics-based reading scheme is in place to support pupils who are still in the very early stages of reading. Pupils in Year 7 enjoyed the books they received for Christmas from the staff. However, within the school, pupils’ access to books to be read for pleasure is limited.

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The academic offer in the sixth form is strong and is delivered well. Students have a sound knowledge of what they have been taught and are confident to apply this to increasingly complex work. While students enjoy their lessons, other aspects of the sixth form need improvement. Lessons outlining post-18 options, courses and life skills are not well planned or delivered. Too many sixth-form students are not developing good habits of attendance, and leaders need to do more to address this.

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In most lessons, the behaviour of pupils is calm and studious. The majority of pupils are respectful to each other and their teachers and are proud to discuss their work and learning. At social times and around the school, most pupils are polite and enjoy seeing their friends. Pupils are confident that any bullying is dealt with. There are, however, a small minority of pupils who do not follow the school’s behaviour code. Some pupils and their parents feel that actions by staff and leaders are not dealing with these incidents of poor behaviour effectively enough.

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Leaders have refined systems around poor conduct in and outside of lessons. However, they acknowledge there is still work to do in this priority area. Aspects of this refreshed approach have not been popular with some pupils. Some staff are also finding the implementation of the new systems challenging and feel they need more support from leaders.

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Improving the attendance of key groups of pupils is a priority for leaders. They have rightly identified the high levels of absence in several year groups as a concern and have a range of strategies in place to establish positive attendance habits, including working with local agencies to support the mental health of young people. There now needs to be greater consistency of approach and follow-through of clear stages of response.

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The school has a dedicated pastoral team and an appropriate personal development programme. The personal, social and health education offer has supported pupils in developing a strong understanding of healthy relationships, as well as online safety. Leaders have prioritised pupils’ mental health. The carefully planned support for pupils’ mental health and well-being are strengths of the school. Leaders have taken steps, via the revised tutorial programme and work with local specialists, to address the use of discriminatory language by a small number of pupils. The extra-curricular offer is popular, and many clubs and activities are available for pupils to enjoy. Many pupils gain their Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards. However, pupils in the sixth form do not have the same breadth of opportunity. Leaders know they have work to do to improve the offer to the oldest pupils beyond the subjects which they study.

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Leaders from the trust have invested time in developing the role and knowledge of governors. This training has supported governors in asking increasingly challenging questions of school leaders that are purposeful and appropriate. To help monitor 22 and 23 March 2022

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school improvement, governors have also put in place a system to gain an objective external view of the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders systematically complete the appropriate checks on adults’ suitability to work with children. Staff have the necessary safeguarding training to help them identify risks to pupils’ safety in a range of settings. Leaders have strong safeguarding systems in place around pupils who are educated in alternative provision.

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Safeguarding

Staff know who to speak to if they have any concerns about a pupil, and thorough records are maintained. Leaders work with a wide range of external agencies and make appropriate referrals where necessary. Leaders’ close links with the community mean that the most vulnerable pupils can be quickly supported.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The system of assessment, particularly in key stage 3, is not always linked closely enough to the content that pupils are taught. Some teachers rely on GCSE assessment materials. They do not check what pupils have remembered from their lessons. As a result, teachers are not always clear about which components of knowledge are securely remembered by pupils. Leaders need to work with subject leaders to further develop approaches to assessment in order to address this with speed.  Even when taking the impact of the pandemic into account, pupils’ attendance is low. This prevents pupils from benefitting fully from the curriculum. They are not being taught important messages about growing up in modern Britain. Students in the sixth form are missing out on planned sessions preparing them for life after school. Leaders need to improve the effectiveness of their work to improve pupils’ attendance.  The behaviour of some pupils does not meet the expectations of leaders, within

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

and outside lessons. As a result, the learning of other pupils is being affected and staff’s workload is increased. Leaders need to ensure that manageable systems to support positive behaviour are fully established, and that staff are supported in managing these.  The personal development of pupils in the sixth form lacks ambition and rigour. There are very few extra-curricular opportunities. Some students do not receive adequate careers advice. Many students do not value the tutorial programme in place. As a result, students are not sufficiently prepared for life after Campsmount. Leaders need to review and adapt as necessary their approach to the wider curriculum in the sixth form. 22 and 23 March 2022

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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. 22 and 23 March 2022

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School details

Website www.campsmount.com Date of previous inspection 13 and 14 September 2016, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Campsmount Academy joined the Leger Education Trust, a multi-academy trust, in May 2012. The current principal was appointed to the post in September 2020. The school uses a number of alternative providers: The Levett School, AD Astra, Vega College, Pathways, St Wilfred’s Academy and Maple Medical PRU.  Through its careers programme, 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 has received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken this into account in their evaluation of the school.

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Information about this inspection

 During this inspection, inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: art and design, English, history and science. For each deep dive, inspectors met 22 and 23 March 2022

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with subject leaders, visited lessons, spoke with pupils and teachers and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also visited lessons in a range of other subjects, including in the sixth form.  Inspectors met with the principal, other senior leaders, the special educational needs coordinator, subject leaders and teachers. Inspectors spoke with support staff and met with teachers in the early years of their careers.  The lead inspector met with the chief executive officer of the Leger Education Trust, as well as representatives of the local governing body, including the chair.  Inspectors checked safeguarding procedures, including the checks made on staff.  Inspectors met with the designated safeguarding lead and the safeguarding team, governors, staff and pupils to discuss wider aspects of safeguarding. They scrutinised a range of documentation relating to safeguarding. An inspector also checked the arrangements for pupils attending alternative provision.

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 Inspectors considered a range of documentation, including that relating to the curriculum, pupils’ behaviour, personal development and improvement plans and the self-evaluation summary.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in a range of situations, including in corridors, at breaktimes, before and after school, at lunchtimes and in lessons. They also spoke to pupils in all years in the school about behaviour and bullying.  Inspectors spoke with pupils about their programme of wider personal development and the support available to them. An inspector listened to younger pupils read.  Inspectors considered responses from parents to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View. This included all comments submitted via the free-text facility.  Inspectors also considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.

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Inspection team

Gabrielle Reddington, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Kieran McGrane Ofsted Inspector 22 and 23 March 2022

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