De Lisle College Loughborough Leicestershire

Inspection of a good school: De Lisle College Loughborough Leicestershire Thorpe Hill, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE11 4SQ

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Inspection dates: 14 and 15 September 2022

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Outcome

De Lisle College Loughborough Leicestershire continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils understand that leaders have high standards and expectations. Pupils and students in the sixth form know that their teachers want the very best for them. This is reinforced in every aspect of school life. The school motto, ‘together in faith, inspiring achievement’, is evident throughout the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a well-planned curriculum. They said that they know what is expected of them in lessons. Pupils respond well to leaders’ high expectations.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of the school. They behave well and display positive attitudes to their learning. The atmosphere in lessons is positive and purposeful. Pupils get on well together and show respect. They are polite and well mannered to both adults and their classmates. Pupils trust that their teachers will resolve any concerns about bullying.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have opportunities to take part in extra activities outside lessons, including sports and music. Older pupils are given good opportunities to develop their leadership skills. For example, sixth-form students support younger children with reading and mathematics.

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

Leaders have put a curriculum in place that is well planned and carefully sequenced. The curriculum is broad and covers the full national curriculum. It is ambitious in its scope and aims to build pupils’ knowledge over time. As a result, pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, develop the knowledge and skills they need to move on to the next stage of their education, training or employment successfully.

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

Teachers’ subject knowledge is good. The majority of teachers implement the curriculum precisely. However, sometimes, teachers do not adapt the curriculum sufficiently to enable all pupils to achieve as well as they could. 14 and 15 September 2022

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Leaders have prioritised the development of reading. Pupils enjoy reading a range of texts and are given good opportunities to read for pleasure. They said that they enjoy sharing books together as a class.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive good support, both within lessons and in the dedicated learning support unit. The systems and procedures to support pupils with SEND are secure and effective.

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Students in the sixth form are offered a good range of subjects. Their courses build well upon the curriculum further down the school and, as a result, students achieve well. Sixth-form students play a full part in the life of the school and are given good leadership opportunities, for example by acting as mentors to younger pupils.

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Pupils’ behaviour in lessons is excellent. There is no low-level disruption of pupils’ learning. Leaders have introduced systems that make expectations clear. Teachers use these systems consistently well. Expectations are reinforced in ‘standing assemblies’ at the start of each day. There is an effective balance between rewards and sanctions. However, leaders have not communicated the rationale for the new behaviour policy to all parents and carers effectively.

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Pastoral leaders provide good support to pupils. They know the pupils well. The school’s Catholic ethos permeates the school’s work. The recently introduced personal development programme helps to prepare pupils for their lives outside school. Pupils reported that they receive detailed and timely advice about their next steps.

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Leaders provide high-quality professional development for teachers. Teachers value this training and say that it has helped to develop the quality of provision. They feel well supported by leaders, who have taken steps to reduce unnecessary workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders responsible for safeguarding have established systems for reporting and tracking concerns that are thorough and robust. Staff training is effective and timely. Staff understand their responsibilities and know how to identify and report concerns. Appropriate checks are carried out when staff join the school.

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Safeguarding

Pupils feel safe in school. They know who to talk to if they have a concern. Pupils are taught how to recognise risks, including when online. They know that inappropriate behaviour, including disrespectful and derogatory behaviour, would be challenged by staff, should it occur. 14 and 15 September 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school has developed an ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum which is delivered consistently across most subjects. Sometimes, the curriculum is not adapted to meet the needs of all pupils. Leaders should now ensure that all teachers adapt the curriculum to enable all pupils to achieve highly.  The rationale for the school’s approach to behaviour has not been communicated successfully to all parents. Leaders should engage effectively with parents to build understanding and support of the school's behaviour policy and systems.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called an ungraded inspection and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in December 2013.

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How can I feed back my views?

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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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. 14 and 15 September 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10240815 Type of school Secondary comprehensive

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1282

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form

Date of previous inspection 27 June 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Multi-Academy Trust.  The school uses seven unregistered alternative providers.

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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 carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, science, physical education and history. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders to discuss the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. 14 and 15 September 2022

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 Inspectors met with a wide range of senior leaders, including the special educational needs coordinator and leaders responsible for attendance, behaviour and the pupil premium strategy.  Inspectors met with a selection of those responsible for governance.  Inspectors looked at information about behaviour, attendance and enrichment opportunities.  Inspectors spoke to a range of staff about workload and leadership.  Inspectors talked to the leaders in charge of safeguarding arrangements. They met with a range of staff and pupils and looked at documentation to evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding procedures.  Inspectors considered the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, the responses to the staff survey and the responses to the pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Paul Heery, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Richard Vasey Ofsted Inspector 14 and 15 September 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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