Court Fields School

Inspection of Court Fields School Mantle Street, Wellington, Somerset TA21 8SW

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Requires Improvement 22 and 23 March 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Court Fields is a happy and welcoming school. Leaders are committed to the school’s values for all pupils to ‘achieve, belong and participate’. Pupils are positive about improvements to their school. They feel proud to attend. The majority of parents agree and say their child is flourishing at this school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are ambitious for pupils. They have created a culture where hard work is expected. As a result, most pupils show positive attitudes to their learning. Pupils enjoy good relationships with staff. As they move around the school site, pupils are sensible and polite. Bullying is rare. If any incidents occur, pupils are confident that staff will resolve them quickly. Consequently, pupils feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders provide a varied extra-curricular offer to pupils. This includes public speaking, reading and a range of sports, drama and music activities. The majority of pupils try at least one club, which supports their wider development.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to take on leadership responsibilities, such as being prefects, sports leaders and mentors. These roles allow pupils to develop their confidence and make suggestions about school activities. For example, pupils talk enthusiastically about organising a recent sports day for children at local primary schools.

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better?

Pupils follow a broad and ambitious curriculum. Leaders have considered carefully how to increase the number of pupils who choose to study a modern foreign language at key stage 4. As a result, more pupils in Year 9 are making this choice. Pupils with SEND receive the support they need to follow the curriculum successfully.

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better?

Subject leaders have thoughtfully planned the specific knowledge pupils need to learn in the key stage 3 curriculum. They have organised pupils’ learning so that they build their knowledge successfully over time. The curriculum at key stage 4 is not yet as detailed in its planning. Leaders recognise this and are starting to develop the curriculum beyond the exam specifications.

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better?

In most subjects, teachers check that pupils understand the new ideas presented in the curriculum. However, in some subjects, teachers’ use of assessment is not precise enough. As a result, it does not accurately identify pupils’ misconceptions.

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better?

Pupils at the early stages of learning to read receive help to catch up. Leaders check that this has an impact on improving pupils’ fluency and comprehension. Leaders prioritise encouraging pupils to read for pleasure.

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better?

Since the previous inspection, leaders have raised their expectations of how pupils should behave. Staff apply the school’s behaviour policy confidently. However, a 22 and 23 March 2023

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minority of pupils do not show a consistently positive attitude to learning, or choose to opt out of challenging tasks.

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A small number of pupils attend an alternative provision for part of their curriculum. Leaders review the effectiveness of this provision regularly. They work closely with these providers to ensure that such pupils receive a good quality of education.

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Pupils follow a personal development curriculum known as the ‘Court Fields Experience’. They learn about consent and how to be physically and mentally healthy. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe, including when online. They particularly praise how they learn about their online digital footprint.

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Pupils know about the protected characteristics. They learn about beliefs and cultures different to their own, and say the school is inclusive and tolerant. Pupils receive effective support to plan their next steps in education or employment. This includes mock interviews, work experience and visits from local education and training providers.

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Leaders offer high-quality professional development to staff, including teachers at the start of their careers. Staff say leaders communicate effectively with them and prioritise their well-being. As a result, staff morale is high.

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Local governors and trustees are ambitious for pupils. Since the previous inspection, they have worked closely with leaders to raise standards across the school. They are not complacent, and support and challenge leaders to secure continued improvement.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have created a strong culture of vigilance around safeguarding. They provide appropriate training for all staff. As a result, staff know what to do if they are concerned about a pupil. Leaders take swift and effective action to keep pupils safe. This includes working collaboratively with external agencies.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure staff and pupils have a high awareness of harmful sexual behaviours. The school deals with any incidents appropriately.

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Safeguarding

Pupils say that they feel safe and have a trusted adult in school. Leaders adapt the curriculum for pupils in response to local issues or concerns raised in school. For example, education around vaping has led to a significant reduction in such incidents. 22 and 23 March 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, the assessment of pupils’ understanding of the curriculum is not precise enough. As a result, some pupils develop misconceptions or are unable to follow the next part of the curriculum successfully. Leaders should ensure a consistent and effective approach to checking what pupils know and remember over time.  A minority of pupils do not display a consistently positive attitude to learning. They sometimes opt out of participating in lessons or lack the resilience to persist with a challenging task. Leaders and staff should work together to support all pupils to approach their learning positively and to become resilient learners.

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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. 22 and 23 March 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10256707 Type of school Secondary Comprehensive School category Academy sponsor-led

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School details

Date of previous inspection 29 June 2021, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school uses three registered and six unregistered alternative providers.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 7 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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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 third 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 held discussions with the headteacher, members of the senior leadership team, the special educational needs coordinator, curriculum leaders, a 22 and 23 March 2023

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group of governors, the chief executive officer of the trust, and a group of trustees.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, science, geography, modern foreign languages and art. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors scrutinised the single central record of adults working in the school. The lead inspector met with the designated safeguarding leader to consider how well the school identifies pupils who are at risk and engages with external services. Inspectors also spoke with a range of pupils and staff about safeguarding.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey for parents and carers, Parent View, including free-text comments. Inspectors also considered responses

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to the staff survey and responses to the survey for pupils.

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Inspection team

Kelly Olive, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Tonya Hill Ofsted Inspector 22 and 23 March 2023

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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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