Immanuel College

Inspection of a good school: Immanuel College Leeds Road, Idle, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD10 9AQ

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Outcome

Immanuel College continues to be a good school.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Stephen Mulligan. This school is part of Bradford Diocesan Academies Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Carol Dewhurst, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Theresa Mason.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Immanuel College is an inclusive school. Pupils are happy and feel safe at school. A strong Christian ethos runs throughout the school. Pupils learn a curriculum underpinned by the values of perseverance, character and hope.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for all pupils. Most pupils behave well. Occasionally, low- level disruption does occur. When this happens, teachers use the behaviour system effectively and disruption to learning is minimal. Pupils understand the behaviour system and think that it is fair.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have a good knowledge of a range of faiths and beliefs. They are respectful to each other regardless of any differences they have. Pupils learn age-appropriate relationships education. They have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe online and in the community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are well prepared for their future at post-16 and post-18. Students in the sixth form take part in enrichment activities every week, including the extended professional qualification and sports leadership. The head boy and girl spoke with pride about their time at Immanuel College and with ambition and enthusiasm about their future.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school has been on a journey of improvement over the past two years. This has included changes in senior and middle leadership. The school has worked to improve the curriculum in all areas. The school constructed a curriculum that is ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). An increasing 23 and 24 April 2024

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number of pupils follow the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) pathway. Pupils now have the chance to study separate sciences at key stage 4.

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The school has identified the important knowledge they want pupils to learn. They have carefully considered the order in which pupils will learn it. This knowledge builds logically over time. Pupils revisit previous learning to help them remember more. The school has planned opportunities for teachers to check pupils’ learning regularly. Teachers use this information to address misconceptions quickly. Pupils talk confidently about what they are learning and what they have learned previously.

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At the end of key stage 4 in 2023, published outcomes were in line with national averages. In some subjects, such as mathematics and English, pupils did not make as much progress as leaders would like. In other subjects, such as art, pupils achieved particularly well. Current pupils are making good progress through the curriculum. Students in the sixth form achieve well. Students studying applied general qualifications achieve outcomes significantly above national averages.

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The school identifies effectively pupils who are in the early stages of learning to read and need support to read fluently. These pupils receive targeted support to improve their reading skills. The school does not regularly check the progress that these pupils are making. As a result, the school cannot quickly identify when these pupils are ready to move on to the next stage of learning.

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The school identifies pupils with SEND during transition from primary school and through a referral system. Staff work with parents and carers to put together a pupil passport for all pupils with SEND. Teachers use this information to adapt their lessons so that all pupils can access the learning. As a result, most pupils with SEND achieve well.

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A small number of pupils require extra support to access the curriculum. These pupils have bespoke timetables to meet their individual needs. This provision is appropriate for the pupils who access it. These pupils are making good progress and are able to move on to high-quality post-16 provision when they leave school.

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Attendance figures are below national averages. Disadvantaged pupils attend school significantly less than their peers. As a result, they make less academic progress than their peers. This is, rightly, a priority for the school. The school has made recent changes to the attendance strategy. It has added more capacity to the attendance team to address this. It is too early to see the impact of these changes.

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The school provides well for pupils’ wider development. Pupils have access to a wide range of extra-curricular clubs, for example sports, theatre, art and debating clubs. Pupils take part in leadership activities, including sixth-form reading leaders. A group of students spoke with pride about how they represented the school at the Bradford Citizens programme.

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School leaders support staff with their workload and well-being. The local governing body, the trust and the diocese work effectively with school leaders. There is a shared ambition to continue to improve the quality of education for the pupils of Immanuel College. 23 and 24 April 2024

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 A proportion of disadvantaged pupils do not attend school often enough. These pupils are not achieving as well as they might. The school should continue to do all it reasonably can to improve the attendance and achievement of these pupils.  The progress of pupils in the early stages of learning to read is not regularly checked. As a result, the school cannot quickly identify when these pupils are ready to move on to the next stage of learning. The school should ensure that the achievement of these pupils is checked with the regularity needed to swiftly identify when they are ready for the next stage of learning.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in December 2012.

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How can I feed back my views?

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 23 and 24 April 2024

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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). 23 and 24 April 2024

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,668

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form

Date of previous inspection 9 January 2019

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Information about this school

 Immanuel College is a larger-than-average sized secondary school.  Immanuel College is part of Bradford Diocesan Academies Trust.  The school received a Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools on 4 and 5 December 2023.  This school currently uses one registered and six unregistered alternative education 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. 23 and 24 April 2024

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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 met with the headteacher and other senior leaders.  The lead inspector spoke with the CEO of the trust, members of the local governing body and members of the trust board, including the vice-chair of the trust board.  The lead inspector met with a representative from the diocese.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: English, science, art and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with some pupils and teachers and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single

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Information about this inspection

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 observed pupils’ behaviour in a range of situations, including in corridors, at lesson changeover and in lessons. They also spoke to pupils about behaviour and bullying. Inspectors spoke with leaders, teachers and pupils about the school’s programme of personal development and careers provision.  Inspectors considered the responses from parents to Ofsted Parent View. This included the comments submitted via the free-text facility. Inspectors also considered responses to Ofsted’s online pupil survey and staff survey.

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Inspection team

Chris Sergeant, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

James Franklin-Smith Ofsted Inspector 23 and 24 April 2024

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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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