Coppice Performing Arts School

Inspection of Coppice Performing Arts School Ecclestone Road, Wolverhampton, West Midlands WV11 2QE

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Inspection dates: 12 and 13 October 2022

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Good Leadership and management Outstanding Sixth-form provision Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 12 and 13 October 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Coppice Performing Arts School is a welcoming and thriving school. The warm, friendly and respectful school culture greets you as soon as you arrive. Pupils are happy at this school. They get on very well with each other and respect those with different backgrounds and lifestyles. Pupils and staff enjoy extremely positive relationships. Pupils say that staff care about them and help them to do their best. Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have the highest expectations for all their pupils. As a result, pupils work hard in lessons and enjoy their learning. They have very positive attitudes to learning, as they fully participate in lessons and are keen to succeed.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave exceptionally well in lessons and around the school site. They are polite and courteous to visitors and are keen to talk about their learning. Pupils know that staff will not tolerate inappropriate behaviour. If they are worried or experience any of the rare instances of bullying, they know they can speak to someone. Consequently, pupils say they feel safe in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

A very large number of pupils get involved in the school’s extensive range of sporting, arts and other cultural opportunities.

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better?

Senior leaders provide exceptional leadership. They have taken the right steps to move the school forward and have tackled the weaknesses identified at the previous inspection. They have now strengthened the curriculum and the sixth form. Through their principled leadership, they have brought the staff together. This has resulted in a vibrant and forward-looking school community. Their vision and values for pupils’ academic and personal development permeate throughout the school.

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better?

Leaders and governors have created an ambitious and well-thought-out curriculum. This ensures all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), can achieve. The curriculum covers all the requirements of the national curriculum in depth in Years 7 and 8. Pupils choose options from a wide variety of subjects for Year 9. Pupils continue to study a broad curriculum interwoven with enrichment opportunities. A growing number are now choosing modern foreign languages.

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better?

Leaders have planned and sequenced the curriculum across all key stages. Teachers ensure that all pupils, including those with SEND, experience the same challenging curriculum. They adapt learning effectively to make sure pupils with SEND have the support they need. In lessons, pupils are attentive and eager to learn. Teachers provide recall activities to help pupils remember knowledge long term. Teachers explain new concepts very well and ask questions that promote valuable discussions between pupils. They also provide other meaningful activities that engage pupils. 12 and 13 October 2022

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Teachers’ excellent subject knowledge enables them to address misconceptions. They also respond to pupils’ questions effectively, for example in Year 10 history lessons where pupils were learning about the consequences of World War One on Germany. Yet, in science there is still further work to do to bring the quality of learning in line with other subjects. Teachers provide high-quality resources to support all pupils. As a result, pupils are able to develop deep knowledge and understanding.

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Teachers use assessment well. They know whether pupils have understood important concepts, and adapt their teaching accordingly where they have not. Pupils say that teachers’ feedback helps them to improve their work. While the school provides pupils with opportunities to read frequently, developments in the use of phonics to teach reading are at an early stage. Pupils read texts in many subjects, as well as reading for pleasure.

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The personal, social and health education programme is comprehensive, coherent and responsive to pupils’ needs. It is well organised and sequenced to create opportunities to build cultural capital. The ‘Excellence Academy’ offers many opportunities for pupils to extend their education. Pupils take the lead in writing articles for the school's e-magazine, and many participate in dance performances, for example. This is helping to raise pupils’ aspirations. Pupils are also building confidence and taking learning beyond the classroom. In addition, they benefit from learning about different careers and future opportunities from Year 7 onwards.

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The academic curriculum subjects offered in the sixth form reflect students’ preferences. Most students move on to university. The school celebrated its first Oxbridge success last year. Many enrichment activities are provided, including volunteering, leadership or further study. Students have access to impartial careers advice.

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Governors share the leaders’ vision. They bring a wealth of expertise to their roles. Governors know their school very well and hold leaders to account for safeguarding and SEND.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a strong culture of safeguarding. Leaders understand the risks to their pupils. There is regular training for all staff, who know what to do if there is a concern or a disclosure. Where pupils need help or external support, leaders respond appropriately. Leaders make referrals in a timely manner. They take care to provide the support that pupils and their families need.

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Safeguarding

Leaders conduct thorough checks when appointing new staff.

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Safeguarding

Pupils feel safe and know who to go to if have a concern. They know how to keep themselves safe online and learn about maintaining positive relationships. 12 and 13 October 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The delivery of the planned curriculum in science is not always consistently as effective as other curriculum areas. As a result, pupils’ assessment of prior knowledge is not as rigorous as it is in other subjects. Therefore, leaders should embed the high-quality teaching and learning practices seen in other subjects to ensure that all pupils can enjoy their learning and achieve success.  Leaders have only recently implemented the teaching of phonics to support pupils in the early stages of reading. As a result, not all pupils at the early stages of reading are being supported as well as they could be to accelerate their progress. Leaders need to ensure that the teaching of phonics is embedded further so that these pupils can make more rapid progress in their reading and achieve fluency as soon as possible.

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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. 12 and 13 October 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10241492 Type of school Secondary comprehensive School category Academy sponsor-led

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1006

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sixth form

Executive Headteacher Georgetta Holloway

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sixth form

Date of previous inspection 18 December 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Coppice Performing Arts School converted to become an academy and joined the Central Learning Partnership Trust on 1 June 2018.  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.  School leaders use five registered alternative provisions. 12 and 13 October 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

In accordance with section 13(5) of the Education Act 2005, His Majesty's Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires significant improvement.

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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.  Inspectors carried out deep dives into these subjects: English, mathematics, science, history and art. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum planning where they were available, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors met with members of staff individually and in groups, and spoke to pupils at various points during the inspection. Inspectors took account of responses to pupil and staff surveys, as well as Ofsted Parent View.  Inspectors looked at records relating to behaviour, bullying, attendance and safeguarding.  Inspectors reviewed safeguarding arrangements by checking the school’s

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Information about this inspection

approach to staff recruitment, scrutinising policy documents and meeting with the designated safeguarding lead.

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Inspection team

Nicola Walters, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Steve Byatt Ofsted Inspector 12 and 13 October 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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