Brixham College

Inspection of Brixham College Higher Ranscombe Road, Brixham, Devon TQ5 9HF

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Sixth-form provision Good Previous inspection grade Good

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The principal of this school is Mark Eager. This school is part of the Thinking Schools Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Stuart Gardner, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Gerard Newman. 10 and 11 October 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of what all pupils can achieve. However, the teaching that pupils receive does not always enable them to learn effectively. Some pupils struggle to remember what they have learned. Pupils cannot always apply what they know in new contexts.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school knows it needs to improve the behaviour of pupils. Expectations of pupils are now higher. New systems are in place to manage poor behaviour. Nevertheless, low-level disruption continues to interrupt learning. This is not always well managed. Pupils’ conduct around the school site is loud and disorderly. As a result, a significant minority of pupils do not feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s values are integral to all it does. Leaders are committed to helping pupils to develop their characters and become good citizens. Pupils learn about other faiths and views that differ from their own.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Extra-curricular opportunities enable pupils to develop their talents and interests. Some pupils have leadership roles. Pupils are proud of the support that they give to charities. Sixth-form students have the support and opportunties they need to develop personally, as well as academically.

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better?

The curriculum is well planned. The school is clear about what pupils need to learn, and when. The key stage 3 and sixth-form curriculums are broad and ambitious. There has been a significant decrease in the proportion of pupils who continue to follow a strongly academic curriclulum in key stage 4.

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better?

The ‘Brixham Way’ has led to a more consistent approach to teaching the curriculum. This particularly supports pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). However, the approaches taken to teaching, particularly at key stage 3, do not always help pupils to learn as much as they could. Pupils struggle to remember what they have learned. This prevents them building their knowledge and deepening their understanding. Pupils’ gaps in knowledge and misconceptions are not always identified. Pupils with SEND attending mainstream lessons do not get the precise support they need to learn the curriculum. The specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND (special resourced provision) helps pupils to integrate well with the rest of the school.

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better?

The curriculum is taught more effectively in key stages 4 and 5. Students in the sixth form recall what they have learned and can apply this learning in different contexts.

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better?

Pupils who have fallen behind with their reading get help to become more fluent readers. Pupils in key stage 3 read regularly in tutor time. However, this is not done 10 and 11 October 2023

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consistently well and so does not ensure that all pupils learn new vocabulary and develop their confidence as readers.

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The school identified that pupils’ behaviour was not good enough. There are now clear systems to help teachers to manage pupils’ behaviour. However, not all staff use these systems to ensure that pupils meet the expectations set for them. Pupils’ learning is disrupted by the behaviour of their peers, including those who arrive late to lessons.

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The school adapts the curriculum to ensure that it prepares pupils for life in modern Britain. For example, there has been a recent increase in the time pupils have to study different religions. Pupils learn about personal, social, health and citizenship (in PSHCE), partly delivered through ‘values’ lessons. The school helps pupils and their parents understand how to stay safe.

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Pupils learn about careers and further education. Sixth-form students are supported well in planning their destinations after they leave school. Younger pupils would appreciate more information on careers options and how subject choices link to them.

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The school has already made significant changes, with the aim of improving the quality of education and pupils’ behaviour. This work is at an early stage. It has not yet brought about the improvements that leaders intend.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Low-level disruption is not managed well enough. As a result, it persists and learning time is lost. The school and trust must ensure that staff manage low- level disruption consistently.  The curriculum is not taught consistently well. Pupils do not learn well. Many cannot remember what they have been taught. The school and trust need to make sure that teaching is effective so that pupils know and remember more.  Staff do not always adapt learning well enough to meet the learning needs of pupils with SEND. Pupils with SEND do not achieve as well as they could. The school and trust must ensure that staff know how to successfully adapt the curriculum to meet pupils’ needs.  The school’s monitoring and evaluation of the quality of provision is not yet strong enough. As a result, it does not always have a clear and coherent picture of all aspects of the school. The trust needs to develop systems that enable the school

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

to have a more thorough view of all aspects of its provision. 10 and 11 October 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). 10 and 11 October 2023

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,091

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sixth form

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

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Thinking Schools Academy Trust.  The school uses nine unregistered alternative providers and two registered alternative providers.  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.  The school has a specially resourced provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This provides education for 22 pupils with autism. 10 and 11 October 2023

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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.  This was the first routine inspection the school 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.  Inspectors carried out deep dives into these subjects: English, mathematics, science, geography, 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.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors spoke to pupils who attend alternative provisions, to a local authority representative and to some of the unregistered providers used by the school.  Inspectors met with senior leaders from the school and the trust, including the chief executive officer.  An inspector met with the chair of trustees and members of the local governing bodies.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and the views of staff and pupils in Ofsted’s online survey. Inspectors also spoke to pupils and staff in meetings and around the school site.  Inspectors also visited PSHCE lessons, reading time and lessons in the specially resourced provision.  Further sixth-form lessons were visited in subjects beyond those included in the six deep dives.

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Inspection team

Sarah Favager-Dalton, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Iain Freeland Ofsted Inspector 10 and 11 October 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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