Beauchamp City Sixth Form

Further education and skills inspection report

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Inspection dates: 12 to 14 December 2023

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Education programmes for young people Outstanding Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this provider

Beauchamp City Sixth Form (BCSF) is part of the Lionheart Educational Trust, which has a number of schools in Leicestershire. BCSF opened in September 2020.

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Information about this provider

Leaders provide full-time education courses for young people. They offer 16 A-level subject choices and valuable academic enrichment courses. A large proportion of students choose to study A levels in mathematics, science subjects, or psychology.

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Information about this provider

At the time of inspection, there were 962 students, all of whom were aged 16 to 18. There were 44 students with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), a small number of whom had an education, health and care plan. 12 to 14 December 2023

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What is it like to be a learner with this provider?

Leaders and staff are unwavering in their pursuit of academic excellence and holistic development for all their students. Consequently, students are very satisfied with the outstanding quality of education they receive. Their teachers both challenge and support them to achieve highly. Students immensely enjoy attending BCSF, as they are surrounded by like-minded peers who are all equally dedicated to their academic studies.

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What is it like to be a learner with this provider?

Leaders work very effectively with stakeholders. They hold parents’ events such as ‘Year 12 aspirations evening’ and exam revision forums. Leaders have well- established links with other prestigious schools on key initiatives such as preparation for medicine interviews. Leaders organise employer visits to promote local progression opportunities in sectors including engineering and pharmaceutical.

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What is it like to be a learner with this provider?

There is a very strong focus on ways to develop students’ character and confidence, including the development of oracy skills in lessons, student-led activities, and assemblies. Many students compete in a wide range of esteemed skills competitions such as the British Mathematical Olympiads, the Senior Physics Challenge, and Oxford University’s Anthea Bell prize for young translators.

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What is it like to be a learner with this provider?

Leaders and staff ensure that students are very well prepared for their futures. They provide a wealth of support and experiences, so students develop the academic, social and life skills they need to be successful.

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What is it like to be a learner with this provider?

Students feel safe when they attend BCSF. They describe the environment as caring, safe and secure. Students value measures such as the wearing of lanyards and the swipe-in access system. They learn about the wider risks in the community, such as going out alone and recent civil unrest.

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better?

Leaders are ambitious for their curriculum and the role it plays within Leicestershire’s post-16 landscape. BCSF was opened to address the low proportion of local students who progress to Russell Group universities. Leaders and teachers successfully provide the highest quality of education for their students. They rightly focus closely on academic success and progression to higher education.

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better?

The curriculum is exceptionally well thought out. Leaders offer a broad range of subject choices and valuable enrichment courses, so students have the widest possible range of progression pathways. For example, they offer mathematics and further mathematics to support students who aspire to progress to higher education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects. A significant majority of students undertake academic enrichment courses such as extended project, core mathematics, academic literacy, and financial planning. 12 to 14 December 2023

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Leaders and teachers sequence the content and order of the curriculum very effectively. For example, psychology students learn first about research methods so they can critically analyse data and interpret statistics in preparation for more complex subjects such as psychopathology.

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Teachers are very well qualified and inspiring. They consistently have very high expectations for all their students. Teachers use their excellent subject knowledge to plan and teach interesting and challenging lessons. Students apply themselves diligently to the demanding work set by teachers and make rapid progress.

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The curriculum is taught logically and helps students to retain new knowledge very well. Teachers expertly help students to make links in learning. For example, biology students can recall previous learning about genetic mutations, which allows them to master topics such as translocation, substitution, and inversion with proficiency.

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Teachers use detailed explanations, activities, and resources to help students to understand key topics well. For example, teachers of English literature pose questions about the similarities and differences between the settings described by authors such as Crabbe and Browning. As a result, students can confidently recall previous literary approaches and justify their answers in detail.

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Teachers’ use of assessment is excellent. They use transition activities and topical tests to gain an in-depth understanding of students’ starting points. Teachers use this understanding very well to plan teaching. During the year, teachers use assessment, including retrieval quizzes, weekly homework, and formal mock examinations twice a year, systematically to check students’ understanding and consolidate knowledge.

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Support for students with SEND is exceptional. Teachers are familiar with students’ support plans and follow these carefully. They adjust teaching and examination conditions to meet student’s needs, providing, for example, extra time, rest breaks and smaller rooms. Students benefit from additional study sessions and a weekly meeting with support mentors.

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Leaders and staff create an aspirational culture with a strong work ethos. They support students to do their very best. As a result, students’ attendance, punctuality, and behaviour are excellent. Students are respectful, highly motivated, and consistently work hard to achieve their goals.

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All students experience a rich, varied, and thought-provoking personal development curriculum. Consequently, they successfully develop their wider knowledge and gain a broader understanding of societal issues. Students have a very good recall of the topics taught, including inequality, food poverty, democracy and safeguarding. Leaders and staff promote healthy relationships in a very appropriate and useful way. Students benefit from assemblies and lessons on topics such as toxic behaviours, consent, and misogyny. 12 to 14 December 2023

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Leaders and staff prepare students very well to become active and responsible citizens. The ‘Beauchamp City Citizen scheme’ gives students the opportunity to demonstrate key characteristics that are essential for being an outstanding citizen. Students undertake a wide range of other activities, such as community projects about palliative care and mental health and fundraising for local food banks.

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A high proportion of students take part in after-school activities that help them to discover new interests and gain important life skills. Activities include netball, boxing, public speaking, debate club, and forensic science murder mystery club. Students rightly value these opportunities. They gain an appreciation of different hobbies and build their confidence.

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The careers and work-related learning programme is very well designed. Students explore and understand the different post-18 progression and career routes available to them. They benefit from individual appointments with qualified careers advisors, careers workshops, transition meetings with senior leaders, mock interviews and ‘dragon’s den’ competitions.

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Leaders and staff provide extensive support for students’ progression readiness. There is a very effective focus on wider skills development, such as resilience, self- motivation, personal finance, and budgeting. Many students aspire to progress to top universities. They benefit from valuable opportunities such as residential summer schools and ‘competitive courses’ workshops.

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Students develop their subject knowledge to a very detailed and high level. They produce work of exceptional quality. This supports their readiness for university study. All students achieve very highly, and around half secure top grades. Students successfully progress on to high-quality destinations such as Russell Group universities or prestigious degree apprenticeships with leading companies.

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Leaders undertake highly effective quality assurance and improvement. They undertake folder checks, observations, learning walks, work scrutiny, and curriculum reviews. As a result, leaders have a firm grasp of the quality of provision. They ensure that teachers’ professional development is very well focused. Consequently, the quality of education is outstanding, and students consistently make strong and swift progress.

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Governors are highly experienced and bring this expertise to their roles. They know the school and understand its purpose. Governors are well versed in the strengths of provision and current priorities. They meet quarterly and undertake link role activity. Governors receive pertinent information that helps them present appropriate challenge and support to senior leaders.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 12 to 14 December 2023

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Provider details

Address 1 South Albion Street Leicester LE1 6JL

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Provider details

Principal, CEO or equivalent James McKenna

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Provider details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Provider details

Main subcontractors None 12 to 14 December 2023

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the principal, as nominee. Inspectors took account of the provider’s most recent self-assessment report and development plans, and the previous inspection report. The inspection was carried out using the further education and skills inspection handbook and took into account all relevant provision at the provider. Inspectors collected a wide range of evidence to inform judgements, including visiting learning sessions, scrutinising learners’ work, seeking the views of learners, staff and other stakeholders, and examining the provider’s documentation and records.

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Inspection team

Vicki Locke, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Angela Twelvetree His Majesty’s Inspector Sue Martin Ofsted Inspector Nikki Brady His Majesty’s Inspector 12 to 14 December 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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