Bordesley Green Girls' School & Sixth Form

Inspection of Bordesley Green Girls’ School & Sixth Form Bordesley Green Road, Birmingham B9 4TR

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Sixth-form provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 26 and 27 April 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at this school and want to succeed. They work hard in lessons and enjoy learning. Staff are equally ambitious for pupils. Teachers have a strong understanding of their subject and prepare pupils well for their examinations. In many subjects, pupils achieve extremely well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

In most lessons, pupils show a positive attitude to their learning and behave well. They listen carefully to their teachers and complete work to a high standard. At social times, pupils generally behave sensibly. Many pupils sit and chat with friends or play games together. Pupils say that if incidents of bullying do occur, they are confident that staff will deal with them quickly so they do not persist.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils study a broad range of subjects. At key stage 4 and in the sixth form, there are a range of both academic and vocational qualifications. Leaders have ensured that the curriculum is inclusive and aspirational to meet the needs of those wanting to go on to higher education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many extra-curricular clubs have been disrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Several different sports and subject clubs have restarted this year, including art, Urdu and football. This is appreciated by pupils.

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better?

The headteacher, along with other leaders, has taken the right steps to move the school forward. They have tackled the weaknesses identified at the previous inspection and strengthened the curriculum.

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better?

In many subjects, including those in the sixth form, the curriculum is well planned and sequenced. Subject leaders have thought carefully about the order in which topics are taught and how pupils build on what they already know. Leaders have also considered what key ideas pupils need to remember so that they can make connections in future learning. In history, for example, leaders have identified key themes such as conflict and power, that run throughout the curriculum. This enables teachers to revisit these in different topics so that pupils develop a broader knowledge and understanding of the subject.

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better?

The number of pupils who study modern foreign languages at key stage 4 is high. Leaders offer several different languages for pupils to study. However, the curriculum in languages is not coherently planned or sequenced. Leaders have not considered carefully how pupils develop their knowledge in phonics, grammar and vocabulary. In addition, leaders have not given the subject enough curriculum time at key stage 3 so that pupils can secure their knowledge in sufficient depth.

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better?

Many teachers deliver the curriculum well. They have strong subject knowledge and present new information in a clear and appropriate way. Teachers regularly check 26 and 27 April 2022

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learning in lessons to make sure pupils are secure in what they know. They use questioning effectively to help identify pupils’ errors and misconceptions and address these quickly. Teachers use activities at the start of lessons to check what pupils can recall from their previous learning. This helps pupils to know and remember more over time.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported at the school. Those pupils who are part of the school’s hearing resource base receive particularly effective support so that they can access the full curriculum. Leaders have ensured that pupils’ learning plans are well matched to their needs, and effective strategies are put in place. Teaching assistants provide effective support in lessons so that pupils can access learning. Leaders have ensured that pupils with SEND feel included in all aspects of the school. This includes on sports day where there are activities for para-sports.

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Leaders have identified pupils who arrive at the school with weak literacy skills. A programme of literacy helps those pupils who need additional support with inference, phonics and speech and language. Leaders are clear about the positive impact of this work for pupils who are now in Year 8. However, they are less clear about what difference the literacy interventions are having with Year 7. Leaders recognise that further work is required to evaluate literacy strategies more effectively.

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Leaders have put in place a clear curriculum for personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education. Pupils develop their knowledge and understanding of a wide range of issues, such as legal and illegal drugs. Leaders are responsive to any issues that arise in school and the local community and adapt the curriculum where necessary. Leaders have ensured that pupils are taught about topics relating to sex education. However, some areas of sexual health are left until Year 11 before they are taught. Pupils in key stage 3 therefore do not have a full understanding of some topics.

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Pupils enjoy the opportunity to take up leadership roles at the school. The school council provides an effective way for pupils to understand democracy. It also allows leaders to gather the views of pupils, which they consider before making changes to the school.

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The school provides effective advice and guidance to pupils about further education and careers. A new careers adviser has started to interview pupils about future aspirations and many pupils value the opportunity to complete work experience in Year 10 and Year 12. Pupils in both key stage 4 and the sixth form are made aware of the opportunities available to them, including universities and apprenticeships. The school is rightly proud of the pupils who go on to study medicine and law and many that go on to other successful destinations.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 26 and 27 April 2022

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Leaders have ensured that all appropriate checks are carried out on staff before they begin work at the school. Staff receive safeguarding training on the updates to government guidance at the start of the academic year. They also receive regular information through bulletins and staff briefings. Staff know what to do and where to go if they have a concern about a child or a member of staff. Pastoral leaders ensure that pupils receive help and support in a timely way. Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe through the school’s ‘values’ lessons, alongside the PSHE curriculum. Pupils also learn about e-safety as part of their computing curriculum.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculum in modern foreign languages is not coherently planned and sequenced. In addition, not enough curriculum time has been allocated to the subject to ensure pupils are able to develop their knowledge and skills in sufficient depth. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum in modern foreign languages is well structured and has an appropriate amount of curriculum time.  There are some new leaders in post and some aspects of the school’s work are at an early stage of development. This means that areas such as literacy and careers education have new initiatives in place, but the impact is either beginning to emerge or is yet to be seen. Leaders should ensure that they evaluate all new initiatives carefully so that they continue to have a positive impact on the school’s work.  The relationships and sex education (RSE) curriculum is not sequenced as well as it could be. Some sex education topics are only taught in key stage 4 and

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

therefore younger pupils do not have a full understanding of the issues relating to sexual health. Leaders should strengthen their RSE curriculum so that all year groups understand key sex education topics in an age-appropriate way.

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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. 26 and 27 April 2022

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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. 26 and 27 April 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10211766 Type of school Secondary comprehensive

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,013

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sixth form

Appropriate authority The governing body

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sixth form

Date of previous inspection 22 – 24 May 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher took up her role as acting headteacher in October 2018 and became the substantive headteacher from September 2020.  The school has a specialist SEND hearing resource base on the school site that caters for 13 pupils.  The school does not use alternative provision.

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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. 26 and 27 April 2022

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 The school meets the requirements of the Baker Clause. This means that pupils in Years 8 to 13 receive information about the full range of education and training options open to them. This includes opportunities for a range of education and training providers to speak to pupils about technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.  Inspectors focused on the following subjects: mathematics, science, languages, history and computing. Inspectors examined leaders’ plans, visited lessons, looked at pupils’ work and talked with pupils about the way these subjects are taught. They also looked at other subjects to check how they are planned and taught.  Inspectors reviewed a range of school documents. These included information about behaviour, attendance, the school curriculum, and improvement planning. The school website was also checked.  Inspectors talked to staff and leaders about safeguarding arrangements. They

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examined how leaders make employment checks on staff and scrutinised further safeguarding records. They also asked how incidents reported by pupils are recorded and analysed.  Inspectors observed informal times of the day to evaluate safeguarding and pupils’ behaviour.  Inspectors held meetings with members of the school’s governing body, the headteacher, senior leaders, subject leaders, teachers and pupils. They also talked informally to pupils and staff to gather general information about school life.  Inspectors considered responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and free-text comments. Inspectors also considered responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Mark Howes, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Julie Griffiths Ofsted Inspector 26 and 27 April 2022

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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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