Archbishop Temple Church of England High School

Inspection of Archbishop Temple School Church of England High School St Vincent's Road, Fulwood, Preston, Lancashire PR2 8RA

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 September 2022

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

This school was last inspected 12 years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between inspections. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last inspection. 21 and 22 September 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils feel happy and safe at Archbishop Temple School Church of England High School. They told inspectors that, typically, pupils get along with each other and have good relationships with staff. Most pupils are confident that they can approach staff for help if they have a problem, although some do not feel this way. Pupils told inspectors that bullying occurs sometimes. Most pupils are confident that staff will deal with any bullying incidents effectively, but some pupils do not agree.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils generally behave well in lessons and around the site. However, a small minority of pupils have struggled to adapt to leaders’ raised expectations for pupils’ behaviour, uniform and appearance.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Governors and leaders have high expectations of what pupils should achieve. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), have equal access to a suitably ambitious curriculum. They progress well through the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have introduced changes to widen pupils’ knowledge of life in modern Britain. These are beginning to show benefits in the way pupils behave, but some pupils still do not understand the importance of respecting and appreciating difference.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many pupils are confident and articulate young people who are happy to share their views with adults. Pupils benefit from a wide range of extra-curricular opportunities, including local and national competitions with other schools.

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better?

Over time, leaders and governors have overseen a decline in the school’s effectiveness. In particular, pupils’ behaviour and their personal development are not good enough.

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better?

There have been several recent changes within the school’s leadership team. With the support of staff, leaders have successfully reviewed the curriculum to ensure that it is sufficiently broad and ambitious for all pupils, including those with SEND. In key stage 4, pupils choose freely from a wide range of mainly academic subjects. Almost two thirds of pupils study the English Baccalaureate suite of subjects.

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better?

In many subjects, leaders have designed their curriculums effectively. They ensure that pupils develop their knowledge in a logical order. Teachers know their subjects well. They share their extensive knowledge clearly and enthusiastically during lessons. Most teachers design learning carefully. They check that pupils have remembered and understood earlier topics before introducing new learning. However, in a small number of subjects, leaders are still developing their curriculums. The content of these subject curriculums is not as ambitious as it 21 and 22 September 2022

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should be. Even so, leaders are fully committed to strengthening these curriculums so that pupils’ learning is not unnecessarily hindered.

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Teachers typically select appropriate activities in lessons to help pupils apply new learning to what they already know. Teachers use technology well to enhance pupils’ learning. Overall, teachers use a wide range of assessment information well. This enables them to identify misconceptions and to adapt the curriculum to address any gaps in pupils’ learning.

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Leaders have recently raised expectations about what is acceptable behaviour in school. They have improved the systems for managing behaviour. However, some pupils told inspectors that staff do not apply the new systems consistently well. Some pupils are not confident that effective action will be taken when they report concerns such as bullying or the use of discriminatory language.

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Leaders have taken steps to improve pupils’ attendance. However, these changes are still relatively new. Although there are some improvements in pupils’ overall attendance, the attendance of disadvantaged pupils remains poor.

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Leaders and teachers identify the individual needs of pupils with SEND accurately. Leaders ensure that these pupils receive appropriate support. They provide staff with the information that they need to design learning which meets the needs of these pupils. This enables pupils with SEND to progress through the same ambitious curriculum as their peers.

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Most pupils read with fluency and confidence. Pupils are encouraged to read widely. In lessons, they learn many examples of subject-specific vocabulary. Leaders have systems in place to identify the small number of pupils with insecure reading knowledge. However, leaders are at the early stages of identifying the specific barriers that stop pupils at an early stage of reading from catching up.

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Leaders have recently developed a more robust personal development curriculum. They have given more time in the school week to this area of the curriculum. Pupils now learn more about relationships, health and sex education in an age-appropriate way than they did in the past. Pupils are beginning to remember and understand more about what they learn in their personal development lessons. However, because these changes are only in their early stages, the impact on pupils is limited. Pupils are not as well prepared for life in modern Britain as they could be.

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The school prepares its pupils well for their future careers. Pupils receive age- appropriate careers education, information, advice and guidance. This includes receiving independent advice about future careers. Some wider opportunities to experience the world of work had to be reduced during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, these are now being revived.

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Until recently, governors have not challenged leaders robustly enough. Lately, they have had greater impact through their role in strengthening the senior leadership of 21 and 22 September 2022

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the school. Governors’ and leaders’ actions are starting to have a positive effect on the quality of education that pupils receive.

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Staff are proud to work at the school. They appreciate leaders’ consideration of their workload. Staff value the training opportunities that they receive to develop their subject and pedagogical knowledge.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a culture of vigilance at the school. Recently, leaders have acted quickly to resolve issues with the security of the school site. Staff receive regular safeguarding training. They know what to look out for that may indicate a pupil is at risk of harm.

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Safeguarding

Leaders manage information about safeguarding concerns appropriately. They work effectively with external agencies to ensure that pupils and their families get the help that they need.

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Safeguarding

Pupils know how to keep themselves safe online. The personal development curriculum provides pupils with the knowledge that they need to stay safe outside of school.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school behaviour policy is not applied consistently well by staff. As a result, some pupils do not behave as well as they should. Some pupils are not confident that when they report concerns to staff, the issue will be dealt with effectively. Leaders and governors should ensure that the school behaviour policy is applied consistently and effectively by all members of staff.  Some pupils have not had the opportunity to benefit from a well-delivered personal development curriculum. This is because staff have received insufficient training to ensure that they are confident and competent in delivering the curriculum effectively. This means that pupils are not as well prepared as they should be for life in modern Britain. Leaders and governors must ensure that the recent improvements to the personal development curriculum provide all pupils with the knowledge that they need to be happy and safe in school and in their

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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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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. 21 and 22 September 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10242390 Type of school Secondary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 8 May 2009, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher was appointed in January 2021. A new deputy headteacher took up post in September 2022.  Currently, no pupils attend alternative provision.  The school meets the requirements of the Baker Clause. This means that pupils in Years 8 to 16 receive information about the full range of education and training options open to them. This includes opportunities for arrange of education and training providers to speak to pupils about technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.  This Church of England school is voluntary aided. It last received a religious education inspection carried out under section 48 of the Education Act 2005 in March 2019. 21 and 22 September 2022

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection that 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.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, senior leaders and subject leaders.  The lead inspector met with governors and spoke with representatives of the local authority and the diocese.  Inspectors reviewed the school’s records of safeguarding checks and referrals to the local authority. Inspectors spoke with staff about how they keep pupils safe. Inspectors also asked the pupils how they keep themselves safe and what to do if they have concerns.  Inspectors held discussions with staff and considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff.  Inspectors spoke with pupils from all year groups and considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for pupils.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors considered the views of the parents and carers who responded to Ofsted Parent View. This included the free-text responses.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in English, mathematics, science, history and technology. Inspectors met with subject leaders, discussed the curriculum, visited lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.

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Inspection team

Timothy Gartside, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Sally Kenyon Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 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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