Clevedon School

Inspection of Clevedon School Valley Road, Clevedon, Somerset BS21 6AH

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Inspection dates: 30 April and 1 May 2024

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Sixth-form provision Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Jim Smith. This school is part of Futura Learning Partnership, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Andrea Arlidge, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Malcolm Broad.

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Overall effectiveness Good

Ofsted has not previously inspected Clevedon School as an academy under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 as, until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between inspections. 30 April and 1 May 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s motto, ‘Be kind, be brilliant’, is at the heart of Clevedon School. Staff are ambitious for all. The curriculum is broad, with some bespoke programmes where appropriate. Staff inspire learning beyond merely preparing pupils for examinations. Consequently, pupils achieve well and go on to meaningful destinations.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are friendly and welcoming at this inclusive school. They have strong relationships with staff and feel safe. Sixth-form students are positive role models and support younger pupils well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils understand the ‘Clevedon Way’ expectations well. They demonstrate them throughout the school day. Pupils stay focused in lessons and understand what is expected of them as they move around the school. On the rare occasion that learning is disrupted, pupils respond well to teachers’ quick reminders.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The house system underpins the school’s warm and friendly ethos. Pupils feel a strong sense of identity with their house. They develop a sense of belonging through the house championship and enjoy the range of opportunities and competitions. Pupils and parents value the many extra-curricular opportunities. These let pupils explore their talents and interests. Pupils speak enthusiastically about the strong performing arts provision. There are multiple opportunities for pupils to perform, including the school’s annual production.

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better?

The curriculum is well designed and ambitious. Subject leaders have thought carefully about the content they want pupils to know and remember. They have also considered the coherent order in which to teach the curriculum content. The wide range of courses, including those in the sixth form, are well structured. As a result, pupils connect their knowledge to what they have learned before. For example, in English in Year 9, pupils learn about ‘Victorian monsters’, which supports their understanding when reading ‘Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ for their GCSE studies.

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better?

Teaching staff have strong knowledge of the subjects and courses they teach. They use their deep interest in their subject to inspire pupils and sixth-form students. The school now has a consistent approach to teaching and learning. Teachers use this approach to plan well-structured lessons. They also regularly assess pupils’ understanding and correct misconceptions. Typically, teaching motivates pupils to learn and results in most pupils achieving well.

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better?

Some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and some disadvantaged pupils do not get the precise help they need to learn the curriculum well. While pupils’ needs are identified, the curriculum is not broken down appropriately for them. When this occurs, pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils do not build new learning on what they already know. The school recognises 30 April and 1 May 2024

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that it needs to support these pupils to progress more successfully through the curriculum. In contrast, pupils who attend the school’s specialist provision, Bridge and Gateway, learn well. In this setting, teachers appropriately adapt the curriculum to meet pupils’ needs. Similarly, in the sixth form, teaching provides a tailored curriculum for students as needed.

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There are a number of pupils who struggle with reading. Some of those pupils are supported successfully to improve their reading. However, this work is not yet securely embedded and its impact not yet evident. During weekly tutor sessions, pupils have the opportunity to read widely. However, the delivery of this is inconsistent. This means that not all pupils enjoy reading or have regular opportunities to develop their reading further.

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Pupils and students in the sixth form understand the importance of being inclusive and respectful to all members of the school community. The school has well- established routines and expectations. This leads to a calm and purposeful learning environment. The school is insistent and persistent in promoting high attendance. The school analyses attendance carefully and strives to remove barriers to pupils’ attendance. For pupils who miss school too often, there is intensive support for them and their families. The school continues to rightly focus on those pupils whose attendance needs to improve further.

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Pupils are successfully prepared for their next steps. The well-thought-out careers provision helps pupils to link subjects with careers. Pupils and sixth-form students learn how to navigate real and online worlds and relationships. For example, sixth- form students recently learned about vehicle maintenance and driving safety. Pupils eagerly take up roles of responsibility. These include house leaders, head students and student librarians.

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Working closely with the trust has greatly benefited the school. This is exemplified by the recent support offered when the main school building was deemed unsafe. The trustees and governors have accurate insight into the school. They support the school well and challenge it to be even better. Staff, including early career teachers, feel that leaders have carefully considered their workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculum is not always adapted well enough to ensure that all pupils learn effectively, particularly those who are disadvantaged and those with SEND. Therefore, some pupils do not achieve as well as they could. The trust should 30 April and 1 May 2024

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ensure that the curriculum and teaching methods support all pupils to achieve well.  The school’s strategies to support pupils who need additional help with reading are not effective for all. This means that some pupils do not develop their confidence, fluency and enjoyment of reading. The trust should develop its approach to reading to ensure that all pupils read widely and often.

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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). 30 April and 1 May 2024

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,366

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sixth form

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 This school is part of the Futura Learning Partnership.  The school currently uses two unregistered provisions and one registered provision.  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. 30 April and 1 May 2024

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 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school has 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 held discussions with school leaders at all levels. Inspectors also spoke with teaching and support staff, governors, trust executive leaders and trustees.  Inspectors met with groups of pupils, including representatives from the student council and sixth form.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: mathematics, English, science, history and religious 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. Sixth-form lessons were visited as part of

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the deep dives.  Inspectors also visited additional lessons and tutor periods to consider the effectiveness of the wider curriculum.  Inspectors met with leaders responsible for pupils with SEND and considered the support provided to meet these pupils’ needs.  Inspectors viewed a range of school documentation, including minutes of the local governing body meetings, the school’s self-evaluation documents and improvement plans.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the lead inspector: 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 responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, as well as responses to the staff survey and pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Frances Bywater, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jerry Giles Ofsted Inspector 30 April and 1 May 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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