Longcroft School and Sixth Form College

Inspection of Longcroft School and Sixth Form College Burton Road, Beverley HU17 7EJ

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Good Sixth-form provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 8 and 9 November 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and safe at this improving school. Leaders have high aspirations for all pupils. Leaders have worked to strengthen the quality of education since the last inspection. The curriculum is now broad and well sequenced. It builds on pupils’ knowledge from key stage 2. As a result, pupils achieve increasingly strong outcomes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well at Longcroft. They enjoy coming to school. In lessons, there is a purposeful and calm environment. Bullying is rare. When it does happen, staff deal with it effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have access to a number of extra-curricular activities. There are a range of sports clubs available after school, as well as other activities, including music and board games. Leaders share information about pupils’ successes with the local community. This helps pupils to feel a sense of pride in their achievements.

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What is it like to attend this school?

An increasing number of students are choosing to attend the sixth form. Students enjoy the sixth form. They value the positive relationships that they have with teachers. Sixth-form students support pupils in the secondary school by acting as young leaders.

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better?

The school’s curriculum is ambitious. The curriculum meets and, in some areas, for example history, exceeds the breadth of the national curriculum. The number of pupils entered for the English Baccalaureate is increasing. The curriculum offer in the sixth form is well designed to meet the needs of students. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported.

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better?

Leaders have planned a well-sequenced curriculum that builds pupils’ knowledge over time. Teachers use the ‘Longcroft learning cycle’ to deliver the curriculum. This helps pupils to consolidate knowledge through regular retrieval activities. In some subjects, such as mathematics and physical education, leaders have designed the curriculum together with feeder primary schools to build on learning from key stage 2. Sometimes, teachers miss opportunities to assess pupils’ learning during lessons. As a result of this, some pupils move on to new learning before they are ready.

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better?

Developing a love of reading is a priority for the school. Leaders have introduced strategies to support this. These include a form time reading competition and developing the provision in the library. The school identifies pupils who need additional support to read confidently. These pupils receive catch-up sessions to improve their reading. Leaders know that there is still some work to do to improve the quality of these interventions.

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better?

Leaders have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Incidents of poor behaviour have reduced significantly. The number of pupils who receive a suspension is low. 8 and 9 November 2023

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Sometimes, low-level disruption does occur. When this happens, teachers deal with it quickly. This enables learning to continue. Attendance is above the national average. The school has employed a member of staff to work with pupils and families to help remove any barriers to attendance. This has helped to improve attendance over time. Leaders have prioritised attendance and have set ambitious targets for the future.

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Pupils receive relationship education that is appropriate for their age. They understand consent and how to stay safe online. However, some pupils do not have an age-appropriate understanding of the protected characteristics. The school does not fully develop pupils’ understanding of fundamental British values such as individual liberty. As a result of this, some pupils are not fully prepared for life in modern Britain. Leaders have recently introduced debates into tutor time to improve pupils’ understanding of fundamental British values.

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Pupils in all year groups receive some careers advice and guidance. This advice is not delivered in logical order based on pupil age and experience. As a result, some pupils do not have all the information needed to make informed decisions about their future. Leaders have identified personal development and careers as an area to improve. A new post has been created for a careers leader. Work experience has recently been introduced for Year 10 and plans are in place to introduce it for Year 12 this year. A plan to ensure that all pupils receive timely and effective personal careers guidance is being enacted.

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Longcroft provides a good sixth-form offer for its students. This offer concentrates on academic subjects. This is appropriate for the students. Students receive a personalised experience in the sixth form. Teachers know the students extremely well. This allows them to offer focused support to the students. If students fall behind, teachers put targeted interventions in place to help students catch up. Students are ambitious for their futures.

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Leaders are ambitious for the school and its pupils. They have led the school on a journey of improvement since the last inspection. Governors have strategic oversight of the school proprieties and effectively hold leaders to account when necessary. Leaders have reduced teacher workload with the introduction of new policies. There is capacity and ambition at all leadership levels to improve the school further.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Pupils do not receive careers advice in a logical order based on their age and experience. As a result, some pupils do not have all the information needed to 8 and 9 November 2023

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make informed decisions about their future. Leaders should ensure that the new careers curriculum is embedded across the school as soon as possible.  Some pupils do not have an age-appropriate understanding of protected characteristics or fundamental British values. As a result, some pupils are not fully prepared for life in modern Britain. Leaders should continue with their plans to strengthen the personal development offer and ensure that pupils know and fully understand protected characteristics and fundamental British values.  Some opportunities to check pupils’ understanding during lessons are missed by teachers. As a result, some pupils move on with their learning before fully understanding what they are currently being taught. Leaders should ensure that assessment opportunities are built into lessons so that teachers regularly check pupils’ understanding before moving on to independent work or new learning.

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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). 8 and 9 November 2023

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School details

Local authority East Riding of Yorkshire

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School details

Type of school Secondary Comprehensive School category Maintained

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sixth form

Dates of previous inspection 14 and 15 January 2020, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is maintained by the East Riding Local Education Authority.  The school is currently receiving support from a multi-academy trust under a memorandum of understanding.  The school uses two alternative providers of education. One is a registered provider subject to inspection by Ofsted. One is not an Ofsted registered provider.  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. 8 and 9 November 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.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and other senior leaders.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in mathematics, history, science and physical education. As part of the deep dives, inspectors visited lessons, reviewed curriculum plans and spoke with curriculum leaders and teachers. They also talked to pupils about their learning and looked at the work they have completed.  Inspectors met with the special educational needs and/or disabilities coordinator, reviewed education, health and care plans and other support plans for pupils with SEND. They visited lessons to see how pupils with SEND are supported to learn.  Inspectors met with the leader responsible for reading to discuss the support for

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Information about this inspection

pupils at the early stages of reading.  Inspectors met with leaders responsible for professional development to discuss staff training.  The team 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 chair of the local governing body and other governors.  Inspectors met with a representative from the local education authority.  Inspectors scrutinised records relating to attendance and records of pupils who have joined or left the school roll.  Inspectors met with the leader responsible for alternative provision to discuss the rationale for its use and to review the checks that leaders carry out to ensure that

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Information about this inspection

pupils are safe. Alternative provision settings were contacted and visited as part of this inspection.  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 considered the views of parents and staff through Ofsted surveys, as well as additional communication from parents during the inspection. The views of pupils were considered through a range of inspection activities. 8 and 9 November 2023

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Inspection team

Chris Sergeant, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Gordon Watts Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 November 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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