Lift Tendring

Inspection of Tendring Technology College Rochford Way, Frinton-on-Sea, Essex CO13 0AZ

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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Overall effectiveness Good

The principal of this school is Tom Burt. This school is part of Academies Enterprise 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), Rebecca Boomer-Clark, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by David Hall. 21 and 22 May 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending Tendring Technology College. They are safe and can learn in a productive environment. Pupils have seen dramatic improvements to their educational experience since the school’s last full inspection in November 2021.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils achieve increasingly well. Staff expect pupils to work hard, and they consistently apply these expectations in lessons. Most pupils respond eagerly. Sixth- form students speak highly of the school’s ethos, the range of opportunities it provides and the support they receive from both their teachers and pastoral staff. They feel challenged to achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff expect pupils to be kind and they respond to this well. Pupils know to report any form of unkindness and how to report it. This has improved significantly since the last full inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The range of wider opportunities available to pupils, such as sporting clubs, enables them to develop their character. This is reflected through the positive way in which school staff and visitors are treated. Pupils and students have also had the chance to attend cultural experiences, such a seeing live performances from the British Chamber Orchestra, broadening their horizons.

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better?

In most subjects at key stages 3, 4 and 5, curriculum plans are carefully considered and sequenced. These plans are ambitious. Teachers have specialist subject knowledge and use this very effectively. They ensure pupils use and can explain subject-specific terms. Pupils’ knowledge is usually systematically assessed by staff. In a small number of subjects, pupils’ knowledge is not always checked effectively. Equally, some pupils do not always respond to the feedback they receive. As a result, some pupils in these subjects do not understand how to refine their skills further.

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better?

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are provided with effective support in lessons. Teaching is adapted well to meet their needs. This support is increasingly focused on the individual needs of each pupil with SEND. The school has a specialist hub for pupils with autism. Support for pupils in this hub is of a high standard. With a well-considered and bespoke curriculum offer, pupils achieve well in an environment that is purposeful and encouraging.

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better?

The school has invested a significant amount of time in developing a comprehensive programme that supports pupils who struggle with reading. Pupils are regularly assessed and give additional tuition to ensure they become increasingly fluent and confident readers.

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better?

Pupils behave well during lessons and unstructured times. They are respectful to their teachers. They participate well and engage positively in learning. 21 and 22 May 2024

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Incidents of bullying are rare. Sixth-form students speak highly of the atmosphere and work ethic at the school. While the number of suspensions is high, it is falling dramatically because of the school’s actions. Pupils now understand more fully the consequences of their decisions.

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Pupils’ attendance is broadly in line with other secondary schools. However, the number of disadvantaged pupils missing school frequently remains high. This means these pupils miss out on the good standard of education provided by the school. While action is being taken, further work is needed to improve these pupils’ attendance.

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Pupils have a full programme of personal, social, health and economic education. The programme provides pupils with the opportunity to learn how to keep themselves safe online, and how to be healthy both mentally and physically. There is a variety of opportunities for pupils to engage in extra-curricular activities, including, for example, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. Visits abroad are also an important and popular component of the school’s offer.

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The careers programme is a strength of the school. Pupils have a clear understanding of their employment and further education options. Sixth-form students have high aspirations in areas such as medicine and biomedical science. They are well supported in their higher education application process. The school is increasingly providing opportunities to encounter the world of work in Years 10 and 12.

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Since the last full inspection in November 2021, leaders at all levels have created an environment in which pupils can learn. It is a calm and purposeful community. Leaders are tenacious in their drive to bring about improvement. The changes the school has been through have, understandably, been unsettling for some members of its community. However, staff and pupils agree that the school has improved dramatically during the last 30 months. The trust has played an integral part in this. Staff feel well supported in managing the challenges they have faced.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 While attendance is improving, too many disadvantaged children do not attend school often enough. As a result, they miss out on the opportunity to engage in the good quality of education and structure provided by the school. The school should ensure that its systems for tackling absence are sufficiently precise to improve levels of attendance further for the most vulnerable pupils. 21 and 22 May 2024

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 In a small number of subjects, the way teachers use assessment and feedback is not always effective. Pupils do not always act on the feedback they get. As a result, in these subjects, some pupils do not make the improvements needed to move their learning on. The school should ensure that the existing system for assessing pupils understanding is consistently applied by teachers and used by pupils.

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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 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). 21 and 22 May 2024

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,650

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Chair of trust

Date of previous inspection 14 March 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school was judged to have an overall effectiveness of inadequate in November 2021.  The new principal has been in post since September 2022.  The school makes use of eight unregistered 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. 21 and 22 May 2024

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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

In accordance with section 13(5) of the Education Act 2005, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires significant improvement.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.

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Information about this inspection

 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 school’s senior leaders, governors, CEO and members of the school’s interim standards board.  The inspection team carried out deep dives in English, mathematics, music, history and art. 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.  The inspection team considered the views of parents through responses to Ofsted

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Information about this inspection

Parent View. Inspectors gathered the views of pupils and staff through Ofsted’s pupil and staff surveys, as well as interviews and discussions conducted throughout the inspection.

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Inspection team

Jonathan Rockey, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Caren Earp Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 May 2024

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