Beckfoot Thornton

Inspection of Beckfoot Thornton Leaventhorpe Lane, Thornton, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD13 3BH

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Inspection dates: 13 and 14 September 2023

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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

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Sally Trusselle. This school is part of Beckfoot Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Shirley Watson, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by John Winkley. 13 and 14 September 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has a mantra of ‘No child left behind’, and this is evident in the day-to- day experience of pupils. The school takes great care to support pupils’ academic development and wider personal needs. The conduct of pupils is impressive. Pupils welcome visitors and are keen to talk about their pride in their school. While pupils say that bullying occasionally happens, they are confident in the school’s ability to deal with it properly. Pupils feel safe in school and have an adult to speak to should they need extra support.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils’ achievement. Leaders make sure that pupils experience a broad curriculum that enables them to learn important knowledge across a range of subjects.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is developing a wider extra-curricular offer. There are many sporting opportunities open to all pupils, such as rugby, football and trampolining. The breadth of opportunities includes drama club, radio club and LGBTQ+ club. These opportunities broaden horizons for many pupils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is proud of the legacy left by others. It has recently opened a memorial garden where pupils and staff can reflect on the significant contribution others have made to the school and to themselves.

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better?

The school has developed a well-sequenced curriculum that helps pupils to experience a high-quality education. The curriculum has been planned to ensure that there is comprehensive coverage of the national curriculum alongside opportunities to explore wider concepts. The key stage 3 curriculum has been enhanced to enable pupils to experience a broad range of subjects. The school has significantly increased the number of pupils studying the English Baccalaureate suite, with an increasing number of pupils studying a modern foreign language. This reflects the school’s high academic aspiration for all pupils.

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better?

The school has high ambition for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to do well. Some pupils with SEND study a bespoke curriculum that is very well suited to their needs. This helps them to progress to their next steps. This support is not consistent for all pupils with SEND. In some cases, support is less clearly specified, and this limits achievement for some pupils.

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better?

Leaders have prioritised reading. Staff read to pupils during ‘Book Club’. The books they read have been carefully chosen to give pupils access to a broad range of ambitious texts. The school has a well-planned reading programme for pupils who are at the earlier stages of reading. This is helping pupils to read increasingly well. The school’s actions to develop pupils’ subject-specific literacy and vocabulary are starting to support pupils in these areas. 13 and 14 September 2023

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Staff have high expectations of behaviour. Pupils respond well to this and move around the school calmly. They are polite and courteous. Lessons have very little disruption, allowing pupils to focus on their learning. Pupils understand the behaviour system and value the use of praise and consequences.

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The school has strong procedures in place to support pupils to attend regularly. There is now a clear strategy to help those pupils who struggle to attend. This means that there is proactive support in place for these pupils. Some pupils do not attend school regularly enough, particularly disadvantaged pupils. Those pupils who are absent do not achieve as well as their peers who attend regularly.

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Staff teach pupils about values such as respect and tolerance. This is evident in the calm and welcoming environment. There are positive relationships between members of the school community. However, the careers programme is not implemented in a way that gives pupils a clear enough understanding of future pathways, particularly at key stage 4.

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Leaders support staff and are mindful of their workload and well-being. Staff are proud to work at the school. The school and trust work very closely together to secure improvement. The trust, the local schools committee and school leaders all know their role in supporting school improvement. Leaders are proud of the school and its place in the community.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Persistent absence at the school is too high, notably for disadvantaged pupils. The school should intensify actions to secure better rates of attendance, particularly for some disadvantaged pupils.  There is variation in the support provided for pupils with SEND. The high-quality support available for some pupils is not consistently in place for all pupils with SEND. Support plans are not used to consistent effect. The school needs to work with staff to ensure that all pupils with SEND get the support that they need.  The school’s careers programme is not implemented well enough. This means that some pupils do not have a good understanding of careers. The school should increase opportunities for pupils to build a better understanding of future pathways. 13 and 14 September 2023

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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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 13 and 14 September 2023

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School details

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,301

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School details

Date of previous inspection 17 September 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of Beckfoot Trust.  The school uses four alternative provisions. One of these was unregistered. The inspection activities checked the suitability of these provisions for the pupils attending them.  The school has recently closed its sixth form.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 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

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision. 13 and 14 September 2023

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This was the first routine inspection the school had received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in English, mathematics, history, modern foreign languages and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, 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, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors met with the SEND coordinator, reviewed education, health and care plans and support plans for pupils with SEND, visited the provisions the school has in place for these pupils and visited lessons to see how pupils with SEND are supported to learn.  Inspectors met with the leader responsible for reading to discuss how reading is

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promoted in the school.  Inspectors considered the views of parents and carers through the responses to Ofsted Parent View. Inspectors considered the views of pupils through responses to Ofsted’s online survey for pupils and through meetings held with pupils.  Inspectors scrutinised the school’s records of bullying, reviewed the actions leaders take when bullying occurs and spoke to several groups of pupils, including some single-gender groups, to understand their experience of school.  Inspectors met leaders to discuss pupils’ behaviour and reviewed the school’s data on suspensions and internal suspensions.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and other senior leaders over the course of the inspection. An inspector met with the chief executive officer, members of the trust board and members of the local schools committee.  Inspectors spoke with the providers of alternative provision that the school was

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using.  Inspectors scrutinised records relating to attendance and the number of pupils who have joined or left the school roll.

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Inspection team

Andrew Gibbins, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Richard Jones His Majesty’s Inspector 13 and 14 September 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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