Bideford College

Bideford College

Address: Abbotsham Road, Bideford, Devon, EX39 3AR Unique reference number (URN): 142540

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Achievement Expected standard

Pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, typically achieve well. This is reflected in their progress through the curriculum and their performance in examinations. For instance, pupils at key stage 4 achieve in line with national averages in examinations. Post-16 students achieve well in examinations, with some performance measures above the national average. Overall, pupils are well prepared for their next steps in education, employment or training.

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Achievement Expected standard

Pupils generally secure the foundations that they need in English and mathematics. This is demonstrated by the average proportions of pupils securing at least a grade 4 in these subjects at GCSE. Disadvantaged pupils typically achieve in line with disadvantaged pupils nationally in these, and other, measures. However, for a small minority of pupils, including some who face barriers to their learning, their absence hinders their achievement. Occasionally, these pupils develop gaps in their learning which do not close quickly enough.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have an accurate understanding of the quality of curriculum and teaching. They provide professional learning that helps staff to make improvements where they are needed. As a result, teachers typically have the subject knowledge they need to implement the curriculum effectively. For example, teachers generally present new information clearly and provide pupils with opportunities to develop their spoken language.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Pupils follow an ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum in most subjects. In a few subjects, leaders are continuing to refine the curriculum and strengthen teachers’ practice. For example, teachers generally use assessment to identify and remedy gaps in pupils’ knowledge. However, some teaching is not effective enough at picking up pupils’ misconceptions or errors. This means that some pupils do not deepen their understanding as well as they could.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders ensure that pupils who need support to improve their reading ability receive timely and appropriate provision. Staff who deliver the reading programme have the expertise they need to build pupils’ competence and confidence. Consequently, pupils gain the foundations that they need for learning across the curriculum.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

On the whole, teachers make suitable adaptations for pupils who face barriers to learning, such as those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils have a suitable range of opportunities to develop their talents and interests. For example, some pupils participate in drama performances or creative writing club. Others enjoy sports, such as volleyball, netball or football. Leaders track pupils’ participation in extra-curricular activities and take steps to remove barriers for pupils, including pupils who are disadvantaged. The school’s ‘character curriculum’ is a well-cohered programme which builds pupils’ understanding of life in modern Britain. Pupils develop their knowledge of fundamental British values, such as promoting tolerance and tackling discrimination, for example. The school council and 'parliament week' develop pupils’ understanding of democracy. Pupils learn about different faiths, religions and world views and the value of charity work.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Through the character programme, pupils build their wider knowledge and skills. Residentials, and outdoor activities such as 'Ten Tors', develop pupils’ teamwork and resilience. There are a range of leadership roles, through which pupils learn how to have a voice and represent their peers.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils gain knowledge about healthy, respectful relationships and how to keep themselves safe off and online. Leaders ensure that the school’s personal development programme is tailored to the school’s local context, such as teaching water safety. It covers important topics, such as mental health and other aspects of healthy lifestyles.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders have designed and implement an effective careers education, information, advice and guidance programme. Pupils learn about their different post-16 options, and post-18 choices for those in the sixth form. They learn about academic and vocational routes, including apprenticeships. Pupils participate in useful work experience opportunities and benefit from a careers fair attended by local employers. Leaders keep the programme under review and make changes to enhance it in light of local and national trends.

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Post 16 provision Expected standard

Leaders ensure that the post-16 programme of study is suitable and meets the needs of students. Post-16 subject curriculums are carefully planned and sequenced, and teachers implement them effectively. Teachers typically use assessment well to close any gaps in students’ knowledge and skills.

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Post 16 provision Expected standard

Post-16 students achieve well. This is reflected in their examination performance, which is at least in line with national averages, and above in some measures. In lessons, students deepen their understanding and apply their learning confidently.

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Post 16 provision Expected standard

Students are well prepared for their next steps. They benefit from a wide-ranging programme of talks and visits. These useful opportunities build students’ understanding of their options when they leave school. Students participate in meaningful work experience and receive tailored support to prepare them for their destinations. For example, the post-16 ‘Aspire’ programme provides students with valuable knowledge and skills.

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Post 16 provision Expected standard

Students benefit from opportunities to enrich their wider experiences. For instance, they gain skills through charity work, sporting activities and leadership roles. Leaders track students’ participation in these opportunities and generally use this information to ensure all students benefit.

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Post 16 provision Expected standard

Leaders reduce barriers to learning for students with special educational needs and/or disabilities or who face disadvantage. As a result, these students typically flourish.

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

Pupils’ rates of absence are consistently significantly above the national average. Overall attendance has started to rise, but it remains low, particularly for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders have made raising attendance a priority. However, while their actions are broadly appropriate, they are at an early stage. For example, there has not been enough improvement over time to the attendance of pupils with SEND.

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

Leaders have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Pupils generally behave well in classrooms and have positive attitudes to learning. A minority of pupils, however, do not meet leaders’ expectations of behaviour. Leaders have started to implement more effective approaches to support pupils to improve their behaviour. The impact of this support is reflected in reducing the number of suspensions. However, leaders’ support for pupils who face barriers to learning, such as those with SEND, is limited in impact. This is reflected in continued higher rates of suspensions of these pupils.

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

Leaders and staff usually deal with incidents of bullying quickly and effectively. However, some pupils and parents lack confidence in the school’s actions. This sometimes undermines partnerships between home and school.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders typically identify and assess the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) accurately. However, until recently, leaders have not taken effective enough action to reduce barriers to some pupils’ learning and/or wellbeing. For example, there are high levels of absence among pupils with SEND, and leaders’ actions to improve these pupils’ attendance are in their infancy. Rates of suspension of pupils with SEND are high. These are beginning to drop as a result of leaders’ actions. However, it is too soon to evaluate fully the impact of this work.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders have designed an appropriate strategy to support disadvantaged pupils. For example, the school use pupil premium funding effectively to support those pupils who need to read more fluently. Leaders reduce barriers to disadvantaged pupils’ participation in extra- curricular clubs and visits. This supports their personal development and wellbeing.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Children in care, and other pupils known to social care, receive appropriate support. Leaders typically work effectively with external partners to plan and evaluate this support. Leaders generally work in partnership with parents but, in a minority of cases, leaders do not work as closely with parents as they could.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders ensure that alternative provision is commissioned and use appropriately.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

In some areas of the school’s work, leaders’ actions do not lead to quick enough improvement, particularly for pupils who face barriers to learning and/or wellbeing. For example, the school’s work to raise the attendance of pupils with special education needs and/or disabilities, and/or pupils who are disadvantaged, has not been as effective as raising other pupils’ attendance.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders do not gain sharp enough insights into the impact of some of their actions on pupils. For example, until recently, they have not evaluated well enough the support to improve the behaviour of pupils who face barriers to learning and/or wellbeing. Leaders’ understanding of the school’s impact is impeded by poor relationships with some parents. This hinders building trust and limits some pupils’ feeling of belonging to the school.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders typically have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths in other areas. For example, they have identified and made improvements to the quality of the curriculum. This has resulted in pupils performing better in examinations, including pupils who disadvantaged. Leaders improve the quality of teaching through effective professional learning, including for those newest to teaching. On the whole, they support staff wellbeing and take appropriate actions to manage their workload.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Trustees and local governors ensure that the school fulfils its statutory responsibilities. In some areas of the school’s work, trustees and local governors ensure that there is suitable oversight, such as safeguarding. However, they do not hold leaders strongly enough to account in some other areas. This results in some pupils not having as positive an experience as they could.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

While most pupils enjoy coming to school, a significant minority do not feel a strong sense of belonging. This is particularly the case for some pupils who face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing. For example, attendance among pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is low and has only recently started to show signs of improvement. Some parents lack confidence in the school’s actions to meet the needs of pupils who face barriers to learning. Where these partnerships with parents are weaker, it hinders pupils’ feeling of belonging.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils are safe and most behave well. However, pupils who need support to improve their behaviour are only recently beginning to receive the support that they need. The school typically resolves bullying incidents effectively. Nonetheless, pupils and parents do not always feel that the school communicates clearly about resolutions to bullying issues.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils generally receive effective teaching and make progress through the curriculum. As a result, most achieve well and are prepared for their next steps. In the post-16 provision, students achieve well.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils benefit from a range of wider experiences and opportunities. Extra-curricular clubs provide pupils with the chance to develop different interests, such as model making or textiles. The school’s ‘character curriculum’ prepares pupils for the future by developing their knowledge of healthy lives and important skills, such as managing money. However, those pupils whose absence is high do not participate or thrive in this wider programme as much as those who attend more regularly.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure that they gain rigorous insights into the impact of the school's work to support pupils who face barriers to learning and/or wellbeing, so that they can make swift and effective improvements when they are needed. Leaders should improve pupils' attendance, particularly pupils with SEND and pupils who are disadvantaged. They should ensure that teaching closes the gaps in pupils' knowledge and skills which result from missed learning. Leaders should ensure that teachers use assessment effectively across all subjects, so that they check what pupils know and adapt teaching accordingly. Leaders should build constructive relationships with all parents, so that parents have confidence in the school's work, and pupils are supported to belong and thrive.

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About this inspection

The school is part of Athena Learning Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the interim executive lead, Mark Blackman, and overseen by board of trustees, chaired by Elaine Marshall.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty's Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with school leaders, teachers, pupils and trustees during the inspection.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

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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About this inspection

The school makes use of two alternative provisions, including one which is unregistered.

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Team inspectors:

Mark Burgess, Ofsted Inspector Claire Thomson, Ofsted Inspector Jan Woodhouse, Ofsted Inspector Sarah Wilson, His Majesty's Inspector Tanya Coleman, Ofsted Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England. National average: 1,154

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational support needs at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English Indices of Deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced Provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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English and maths GCSE

Percentage of pupils who achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSE.

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national average

2024/25 (final) 50.4% 45.4% Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (final) 41.9% 45.9% Close to average

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Attainment 8

A measure of pupils' point scores across 8 subjects including maths (double weighted), English (double weighted if both language and literature are taken), 3 EBacc measures and 3 GCSE or technical measures.

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national average

2024/25 (final) 45.7 46.1 Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (final) 42.5 45.9 Close to average

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Progress 8

How much progress pupils made between the end of primary school (key stage 2) and the end of secondary school (key stage 4), compared to pupils across England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2.

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national average

2023/24 (final) -0.24 -0.03 Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

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Disadvantaged pupils' English and maths GCSE grade 5 or above

Percentage of disadvantaged pupils achieving grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSE.

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national average

2024/25 (final) 25.7% 25.8% Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (final) 27.9% 25.8% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (final) 25.0% 25.2% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' Attainment 8

A measure of disadvantaged pupils' point scores across 8 subjects including maths (double weighted), English (double weighted if both language and literature are taken), 3 EBacc measures and 3 GCSE or technical measures.

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national average

2024/25 (final) 34.7 34.9 Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (final) 33.4 34.6 Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' Progress 8

How much progress disadvantaged pupils made between the end of primary school (key stage 2) and the end of secondary school (key stage 4), compared to pupils across England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2.

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national average

2023/24 (final) -0.68 -0.57 Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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Disadvantaged pupils' English and maths GCSE grade 5 or above

Percentage of disadvantaged pupils who achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSE.

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Disadvantaged pupils' Attainment 8

A measure of disadvantaged pupils' point scores across 8 subjects including maths (double weighted), English (double weighted if both language and literature are taken), 3 EBacc measures and 3 GCSE or technical measures.

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Disadvantaged pupils' Progress 8

How much progress disadvantaged pupils made between the end of primary school (key stage 2) and the end of secondary school (key stage 4), compared to pupils across England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2.

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Destinations after 16

Percentage of pupils staying in education or employment for at least 2 terms after the end of secondary school (key stage 4).

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A-level average point score

The average points that students achieved per A-level entry.

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national average

2024/25 (final) 32.40 35.00 Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (final) 34.21 34.38 Close to average

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A-level value added

A score showing students’ progress between the end of key stage 4 and the end of their academic qualification studies.

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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