Penwortham Girls' High School

PENWORTHAM GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL

Short inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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PENWORTHAM GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. [Penwortham Girls High School] - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Penwortham Girls’ High School Cop Lane Penwortham Preston Lancashire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr Richard Watts

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 22 April 1996 [Penwortham Girls High School] - 4

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Team members

15109 Mr T Comer Registered inspector 11077 Mrs J Harrison Lay inspector 4193 Mr C Radley Team inspector 11975 Mrs McIntosh-Clark Team inspector

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Team members

North West Education Services Cheshire House 164 Main Road Goostrey Cheshire CW4 8JP

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Team members

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be raised with the inspection contractor. Complaints that are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED by writing to:

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Team members

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE [Penwortham Girls High School] - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

Information about the school How good the school is What the school does well What could be improved How the school has improved since its last inspection Standards Pupils’ attitudes and values Teaching and learning Other aspects of the school How well the school is led and managed Parents’ and carers’ views of the school

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Penwortham Girls’ High School is a small comprehensive school, which educates 760 girls aged 11-16. It has a very good reputation and is regularly oversubscribed. The school is situated in the southern outskirts of Preston though the pupils come from a much wider area, including the town centre. The proportion of girls entitled to a free school meal is below average. The annual intake of pupils to Year 7 includes the full range of attainment but the proportion of pupils with special educational needs, including those with formal statements, is below average. The results of standardised tests of the annual intake administered by the Local Education Authority (LEA) are average though the results of the 2000 National Curriculum tests taken by the present Year 7 pupils indicate that the ability of the pupils on entry to the school is broadly average. An above average proportion of the pupils are from

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

ethnic minority backgrounds and have English as an additional language but very few of these girls are at an early stage of learning English and all are reasonably fluent in English.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The inspection of this school included a detailed inspection of its provision for pupils with special educational needs.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a very good and effective school, which is very well led and managed and has high expectations of its pupils. Very good teaching ensures that the girls make very good progress and achieve high standards. The girls’ personal qualities are very well developed and they have very good attitudes towards school and their work. The school is efficient and gives good value for money.

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What the school does well

• The leadership and management are very strong and effective. • The teaching is very good. • The girls achieve very well and their GCSE results are well above national averages. • The school looks after its pupils very well. • The girls’ attitudes and behaviour are very good and their personal qualities are very well developed.

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What could be improved

• The GCSE results are very good overall but could still be even higher in some subjects. • The use of information technology to enhance the girls’ learning in lessons. • The provision for girls with special gifts and talents. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Since the previous inspection in April, 1996, the school has sustained its very good examination results and has taken satisfactory action to deal with most of the issues for improvement which were set for it. However, the teachers still need to exploit the pupils’ information technology skills in lessons more than they do at present, and more work still needs to be done to ensure the highest attainers achieve their potential. [Penwortham Girls High School] - 7

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by 16 year olds based on average point scores in GCSE examinations.

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similar

schools Well above average A 1998 1999 2000 Above average Average B C GCSE examinations A A A A Below average well below average D E

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Pupils aged 11-14 in Years 7,8 and 9

Pupils make very good progress over the first three years of secondary school and achieve very well. By the age of 14, their overall standards are well above average. Standards are well above average in English, mathematics and science, and these high standards are reflected in the results of the national tests taken by pupils at the end of Year 9, which are well above the national average.

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Pupils aged 14-16 in Years 10 and 11

The girls make good progress and achieve well, and by the age of 16, their standards of work are again well above average. These high standards are consistent with the very good GCSE results, which have been consistently well above the national average over the past four years and meet appropriate targets set by the governors. Standards are well above average in English, mathematics and science and the GCSE results in French and music indicate even higher standards in those subjects. There are no weak subjects but GCSE results are only average or a little above in art and design, German (though improving), in design and technology (Resistant Materials), information technology, and in geography. In some subjects, pupils achieve a smaller proportion of GCSE A* and A grades than would be expected.

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Pupils aged 14-16 in Years 10 and 11

Standards of literacy and numeracy are well developed throughout the school. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress and succeed in their GCSE examinations.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school The girls’ attitudes towards their work are very positive and are important reasons for their very good progress and high achievement. The girls enjoy school; they are highly motivated, conscientious, co-operative and keen to succeed.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. Exclusion rates are very low.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Very good. The girls are courteous towards one another, their teachers and to visitors. Relationships between the girls and with staff are very good. The girls become increasingly assured and confident as they progress through the school. They learn to exercise responsibility in many ways and are thoughtful, mature and poised young people by the age of 16. Attendance Well above average. [Penwortham Girls High School] - 8

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Teaching of pupils: Aged 11-14 years Aged 14-16 years

Lessons seen overall Very good Good Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses.

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Teaching of pupils: Aged 11-14 years Aged 14-16 years

Overall, the teaching is very good and meets the needs of most of its students very well and accounts for their good achievement. Pupils with special educational needs are very well taught.

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Teaching of pupils: Aged 11-14 years Aged 14-16 years

Of the 48 lessons visited during the inspection, 35 per cent were very good or excellent, 50 per cent were good, and 15 per cent were satisfactory. No lessons were less than satisfactory. A high proportion of lessons are very good or excellent, especially in Years 7, 8 and 9, and the teaching in the first three years of school accounts for the pupils faster progress during this time.

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Teaching of pupils: Aged 11-14 years Aged 14-16 years

The teaching is very good in English, mathematics and science. The teaching of literacy is very good and numeracy skills are well taught but teachers do not exploit the girls’ information technology skills enough in most subjects.

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Teaching of pupils: Aged 11-14 years Aged 14-16 years

The strengths of teaching are teachers’ high expectations, their hard work and meticulous planning of lessons, and their very good and constructive relationships with the girls. Consequently, the girls respond very well in lessons and make very good progress; they are diligent and keen to learn; they take pride in their work, which is accurate and exceptionally well presented. The thoroughness of the teaching and the girls’ diligence and very good attitudes ensure success. However, in Years 10 and 11, the girls experience few open-ended tasks which would call for investigation and analysis, and which would present more of a challenge for the highest attaining pupils.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good overall and meets all statutory requirements. Girls take ten or more subjects to GCSE.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. These pupils attend the same lessons and enjoy the same activities as other pupils outside of lessons. The assessment of their needs is very effective and very good teaching and effective support ensure that they make good progress. On occasions, however, learning support assistants are not fully prepared in advance of the lesson.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language The teachers adapt their lessons to ensure that these girls make the same progress as others.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good, overall. The school does a great deal to develop the girls’ personal qualities and to enable them to become mature and responsible. The provision for moral, social and cultural development is especially good.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils The school cares for its pupils very well and this is one of the school’s strengths. Arrangements to ensure the girls’ welfare, health and safety are effective. The school’s expectations are high. The girls’ personal development [Penwortham Girls High School] - 9 and academic progress are carefully monitored. Discipline is very effective.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage-ment by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher’s leadership and management of the school are very good. She is ably supported by her senior staff and provides clear educational direction for the school. Consequently, staff morale is high and the climate for learning is very good.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governors discharge their duties very well. All legal requirements for the governance of the school are met. The governors have a clear understanding of the school’s performance. The school benefits from the governors’ professional expertise, for example, in financial management and in placing contracts.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance A system to manage the performance of the teaching staff is in place. The headteacher and governors compare the school’s performance with that of other schools and set realistic targets for achievement.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Very good. When placing contracts for goods and services the school always takes appropriate action to ensure that money is spent wisely.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The teaching is good • Expectations are high • Their daughters make good progress • The school is very well led and managed • The school is approachable • Their daughters become mature and responsible young people • A minority of parents would like a stronger partnership with the school. • A minority would like better information on their daughters’ progress.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspectors agree with all of the parents’ positive views and they also agree that reports could be improved and should evaluate standards more clearly, for example, in relation to National Curriculum levels. The inspectors cannot agree that the school does not do what it should to establish and maintain an effective partnership with parents. The school provides a good range of information; it canvasses parents’ opinion when there are proposals to introduce new procedures or to make changes, for example, in the curriculum. Parents’ meetings are well attended and parents find the school approachable. [Penwortham Girls High School] - 10

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

1. The headteacher provides very effective leadership and clear educational direction for the school. In this she is ably supported by her senior management team. The headteacher and senior staff manage the school very well, focusing clearly and consistently on improving the quality of education.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

2. The school achieves considerable success with its aims, which emphasise equality, tolerance and caring, choices and values, self-discipline and self-esteem. However, more could now be done to identify talented and gifted pupils and to develop their special abilities.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

3. The school’s planning for development is very thorough. A five-year strategic plan for improvement includes annual development plans covering three main priorities: to maintain and improve further the girls’ learning and progress; to enhance further the teachers’ professional skills; and to improve the learning environment, especially the accommodation. Action plans include deadlines, appropriate success criteria, accountability and evaluation.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

4. The school monitors and evaluates its performance very thoroughly. It has a system of performance management in place to evaluate systematically the work of all teachers. The senior staff analyse the school’s performance through an assessment system which has improved considerably since the previous inspection.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

5. Middle managers generally fulfil their responsibilities well. Teaching and learning are being monitored in six subject by their respective heads of department who undertake first-hand observation of the quality of lessons and thus have a thorough understanding of the strengths and weaknesses in the teaching of their respective subjects. The outcomes of this monitoring have been very positive; for example, the presentation of the girls’ written work and the marking of it have greatly improved and are now excellent.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

6. The headteacher ensures that her staff are well prepared to undertake wider responsibilities, for example, for the school-wide literacy and numeracy strategies. Staff morale is high and is clearly shown in the teachers’ confidence in the quality of their work. Teachers give very generously of their time to run an impressive range of extra-curricular activities, which greatly benefit the pupils and which they appreciate.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

7. Test and examination results are used to compare performance with that of other schools and to help to identify where improvements are necessary in curriculum planning and teaching. They also enable the governors to set appropriate targets for GCSE examinations.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

8. The governors are aware of the strengths of the education provided by the school and areas which could be improved and they fulfil their duties very well. All statutory requirements are fully met.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

9. The school does all that it should to ensure a healthy and constructive partnership with parents. Nevertheless, some parents expressed the view, in questionnaires returned to the registered inspector in advance of the inspection, that the partnership could be strengthened.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

10. There are sufficient appropriately qualified teaching and support staff. The accommodation is generally in very good order but is inadequate in some respects. The science accommodation is out of date, the music accommodation is cramped, there is no drama studio, and the accommodation for [Penwortham Girls High School] - 11 physical education is inadequate. Resources for learning are satisfactory though there are some shortages of computers. The library is small but it is well stocked and managed effectively.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

11. Financial management is very efficient. The recommendations of the most recent auditors’ report have been implemented. Spending is monitored carefully; the budget is in balance with a sizeable fund earmarked for improvements in resources and accommodation. It is remarkable that this has been achieved with an income per pupil considerably below the national median for similar 11-16 secondary schools. Specific grants are spent appropriately, for example, money for training.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

12. The school is efficient and ensures that it always gets value for money. Considerable savings have been made, for example, in renegotiating catering and reprographics contracts.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

13. Training is carefully planned to meet the school’s needs. Funds allocated for training are spent appropriately and the effective professional development makes a considerable impact on the work of the teaching staff. However, the planning and provision of training for the learning assistants, who support the pupils with special educational needs, is less well developed.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

14. The high quality of the school’s leadership and its management, the quality of its teaching and the pupils’ high overall achievement, make this a very effective school. The school gives good value for money.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

15. Of the 48 lessons observed during the inspection, 35 per cent were very good or excellent, 50 per cent were good, and 15 per cent were satisfactory. No lessons were less than satisfactory. Because the proportion of very good and excellent teaching is high and because the teaching is never less than satisfactory, the teaching is judged to be very good overall, and is the main factor responsible for the girls’ very good progress and achievement. Though the teaching is very good overall, it is better in Years 7, 8 and 9, than in Years 10 and 11, and this accounts for girls’ faster progress in the first three years of school.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

16. The teaching meets the needs of most of the girls well. Though the teaching accounts for their good achievement, more still could be done to raise the proportion of pupils achieving the highest GCSE grades in a number of subjects.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

17. Pupils with special educational needs are generally very well taught and they are usually well supported in lessons. Occasionally, however, the learning support assistants are not fully briefed about their role in the lesson. Individual education plans for pupils with special educational needs are well constructed and reviewed and regularly updated. Teachers are keenly aware of these plans and the targets expressed within them and adapt their lessons effectively to meet the pupils’ individual needs.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

18. The strengths of teaching are teachers’ high expectations and their very good relationships with the girls. In consequence, girls respond very well; they are diligent and keen to learn; they take pride in their work, which is accurate and exceptionally well presented. There are no consistent weaknesses in the teaching, which is highly structured and well planned; however, in Years 10 and 11, the higher attaining girls could benefit from more opportunities for investigation, for example, in mathematics.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

19. The teaching is very good in English, mathematics and science, and some excellent teaching was seen in music. The English teaching shows strengths in the teaching of literacy and literacy skills are also well developed in other subjects, especially religious education and history. Teaching in mathematics is consistently well organised and well planned. Numeracy is well developed and mental arithmetic at the start of mathematics lessons helps to consolidate knowledge and to keep skills sharp. [Penwortham Girls High School] - 12 However, most teachers do not exploit the pupils’ good information technology skills well enough to enhance their learning in lessons.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

20. Pupils with special educational needs are well taught and make good progress, and this is shown in their national tests and GCSE results. However, on occasions, the learning support assistants could be better prepared for the lesson.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

21. Most of the girls who have English as an additional language are fluent bilinguals though some need careful attention to ensure their full understanding of the subtleties of the use of English. The teachers are alert to this, as was seen, for example, in the individual attention given to girls to ensure their understanding of the language used in a religious education lesson about the effectiveness and moral justification of passive resistance to colonial rule.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

22. Homework is set regularly and is sufficient. A small minority of parents believe that the girls are asked to do too much at home, but discussions with the girls revealed that the homework is about right though it is acknowledged that some girls do spend a very great deal of time on redrafting and perfecting their work.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

23. The marking of pupils’ written work is excellent and very effective throughout the school. Work is always marked; it is evaluative and usually includes comments which help the girls to improve the quality of their work.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

24. The annual intake of pupils to Year 7 includes the full comprehensive range of attainment though the proportion of pupils with special educational needs is below average. The results of reliable and nationally standardised cognitive ability tests administered by the Lancashire Local Education Authority (LEA), and which are used by the LEA and by schools to predict attainment at GCSE, indicate that the ability of the girls is broadly average. However, the latest Year 7 pupils did very well in the National Curriculum tests in English, mathematics and science at the end of their primary school and the results are above average, indicating that they were well taught. The pupils begin secondary school with good literacy and numeracy skills.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

25. Overall, pupils achieve very well and this is generally reflected in the results of National Curriculum tests and of the GCSE examinations.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

26. Pupils make very good progress in Years 7, 8 and 9. Standards of work of the Year 9 pupils seen during the inspection are well above average. They are well above average in English, mathematics and science and this, together with their good basic skills, gives the girls a secure foundation for achievement across the full range of subjects.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

27. The findings of the inspection are similar to the results of the national tests in English, mathematics and science over the recent past. In 2000, the results were well above the national average, both for all schools and for similar schools. However, the results of the English tests were much lower than usual, and fell slightly below the national average for girls. The results of the school’s own assessments, which have consistently matched the test results in previous years, were well above average. The school doubts the accuracy of the marking of the tests and the teachers’ assessments are considered, in this instance, to be more reliable than the test results. Over time, the English results have been much the best of those for the three core subjects. The five-year trend of results, because of the 2000 English test results, did not match the national trend of improvement. [Penwortham Girls High School] - 13

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

28. Pupils make good progress in Years 10 and 11. Pupils achieve well and standards of work of the Year 11 pupils are well above average. Standards are well above average in English, mathematics and science and are highest in music and French. The high standards seen during the inspection are similar to those indicated by the results of the GCSE examinations, which are consistently well above the national average.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

29. The school has sustained its very good GCSE results since the previous inspection. The average points scores were consistently well above the national average for the past four years. In 2000, they were again well above the national average. The proportion achieving A*-C grades in five or more subjects has been consistently well above the national average and was in the top five per cent of similar schools in 2000.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

30. The proportion of pupils achieving A*-G grades in five or more subjects has also been well above the national average for the past four years and well above average for similar schools. This indicates that the lower attaining pupils and those with special educational needs succeed in their examination courses.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

The school looks after its pupils very well.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

31. This is a small school and the teachers know their pupils well. The pastoral organisation ensures that pupils benefit from continuity and consistency of care and this is appreciated by the girls. All pupils are issued with a small handbook, which is kept by parents and contains general guidance and a wealth of useful information about the school and its procedures.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

32. The school constantly evaluates the effectiveness of its systems to monitor pupils’ progress, attendance and behaviour, and to ensure pupils’ welfare and guidance, and for child protection. Pastoral and subject teachers react immediately to absence. The school has only one pupil whose attendance is persistently unsatisfactory.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

33. Discipline is firm and pupils accept the school’s rules and its systems of rewards and sanctions as fair and just. Discussions with pupils showed that they appreciate the need for a consistent policy for behaviour and approve of it. Pupils receive positive encouragement whenever it is deserved and respond well.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

34. The school’s assessment system is used effectively to track all pupils’ progress, and to identify underachieving pupils so that they can be helped to make better progress. When reported to parents, standards are not evaluated clearly enough and are not linked to national criteria. The arrangements to monitor the progress of pupils with special educational needs are good. The national Code of Practice is in place.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

35. Parents are immediately contacted when their child is underachieving. The progress of all pupils in Years 7-9 is assessed termly and the outcomes of the assessment gives the form tutors a clear overall picture for each pupil. Former Year 11 pupils, now college sixth-form students, act as mentors for Year 7 pupils, after appropriate training. All Year 10 pupils are given minimum target GCSE grades in each of their examination subjects. Year 11 pupils performing below their potential are targeted for special help by pastoral and subject teachers.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

36. Effective links with primary schools enable the teachers to plan appropriate support for individual needs, for example, the teaching of those girls whose first language is not English. [Penwortham Girls High School] - 14

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The girls’ attitudes and behaviour are very good and their personal qualities are very well

37. The girls’ very good attitudes to their work and learning are key factors in their very good progress and high achievement. Pupils work hard in class and on their homework assignments and are keen to succeed. Their positive response to lessons can be seen in the excellent presentation of their written work. They take part enthusiastically in extra-curricular activities such as team games, musical events. and drama.

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The girls’ attitudes and behaviour are very good and their personal qualities are very well

38. The girls’ behaviour is very good and the rate of exclusions is low. They are keen to earn merits and commendations for good behaviour, effort and achievement. Attendance is well above average.

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The girls’ attitudes and behaviour are very good and their personal qualities are very well

39. Relationships are very good, both amongst the girls and with their teachers. Pupils are courteous and considerate towards one another and to visitors. They are attentive, co-operative and collaborate effectively with one another.

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The girls’ attitudes and behaviour are very good and their personal qualities are very well

40. The girls’ personal qualities develop very well throughout the school. The girls accept responsibility easily and use their initiative. Many girls serve as School Council members, form and vice form captains, librarians, peer counsellors, buddies and hosts. Their spiritual, moral and cultural development is good. By the age of 16, pupils have become mature, confident and poised young people, well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

GCSE results could be higher still in some subjects.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

41. Though the GCSE results are well above average overall, they could still be higher in some subjects. In art and design, design and technology, information technology and geography the results were a little above average in 2000 and the proportion achieving grades A*-C was a little below average in German.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

42. The proportion of GCSE examination grades A* and A could also be higher in some subjects. The results for 2000 show that the proportion of girls achieving A* and A grades in modern languages was twice the national average, nearly twice the average in science and was a little above average in history and mathematics. However, in art and design, design and technology, geography and information technology, the proportion achieving the higher A* and A grades was below average.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

The use of information and communications technology (ICT) in lessons.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

43. Since the previous inspection, the resources for ICT and the pupils’ basic skills have both improved in Years 7-9. A department has been set up, with a manager, to oversee the development of the pupils’ information technology capability, especially in years 10-11.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

44. In response to these changes, teachers are increasingly making use of computers in lessons. Though the teachers are applying and consolidating the pupils’ ICT skills, they are not extending them and pupils make little further progress beyond their achievement at the end of Year 9, unless they take a GCSE examination course in information technology.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

45. At present, the school lacks a planned programme of work which will challenge pupils and lead to achievement of the higher levels of the National Curriculum in ICT by Year 9, and to apply their skills more consistently throughout the school to deepen their knowledge and understanding both of ICT and of other subjects, especially design and technology, science, mathematics, art and design, and music. [Penwortham Girls High School] - 15 The school does not identify pupils with special gifts and talents.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

46. At present, the school has no formal means of identifying its most gifted and talented pupils. In some activities, such as team games or music, talented girls identify themselves through the evident quality of their work. However, the assessment system does not set out to identify these girls on entry to the school and they do not appear on the school’s register of special educational needs. For that reason, they do not have special teaching; subject planning does not specifically cater for those with special gifts and lessons do not generally provide the opportunities for investigative, analytical or divergent thinking which youngsters with special abilities are likely to need.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

47. In order to improve the work of the school and raise standards further, the governors, headteacher and staff should take the following action:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) improve the GCSE results further q particularly in art and design, design and technology, geography and information technology, q and more generally, paying particular attention to the achievement of A* and A grades; (paragraphs 16, 41, 42)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) improve the effectiveness of the use of ICT in lessons by q planning and assessing work across subjects throughout the school to enable pupils to reach the higher National Curriculum levels in ICT by age 14, and q continue to develop their computing skills to the benefit of their work in all subjects in Years 10 and 11; (paragraphs 19, 43, 44 and 45)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) improve the provision for gifted and talented girls, by q identifying them formally through the assessment system; q planning for their accelerated progress and to meet their special needs in particular subjects; q ensuring that lessons and tasks are sufficiently demanding for them. (paragraph 46) [Penwortham Girls High School] - 16

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and students 24

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

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Information about the school’s students

Students on the school’s roll Y7 – Y11 Sixth form

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Information about the school’s students

Number of pupils on the school’s roll 760 n/a

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Information about the school’s students

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 70 n/a

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Information about the school’s students

Special educational needs Y7 – Y11 Sixth form

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Information about the school’s students

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 14 n/a

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Information about the school’s students

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 84 n/a

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Information about the school’s students

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s students

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 130

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Information about the school’s students

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s students

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 12

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Information about the school’s students

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 7

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Attendance

National comparative data 7.7 National comparative data 1.1

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. [Penwortham Girls High School] - 17

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 3

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 3 for the latest reporting year 2000 n/a 150 150

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 3

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 3

Boys n/a n/a n/a Numbers of pupils at NC level 5 and above Girls 115 122 106

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 3

Percentage of pupils School 77 (92) 81 (72) 71 (66) at NC level 5 or above National 63 (63) 65 (62) 59 (55)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 3

Percentage of pupils School 30 (67) 54 (52) 43 (39) at NC level 6 or above National 28 (28) 42(38) 30 (23)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 3

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 3

Boys n/a n/a n/a Numbers of pupils at NC level 5 and above Girls 121 117 109

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 3

Percentage of pupils School 81 (86) 78 (73) 73 (68) at NC level 5 or above National 64 (64) 66 (64) 62 (60)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 3

Percentage of pupils School 42 (62) 42 (52) 39 (44) at NC level 6 or above National 31 (31) 39 (37) 29 (28)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 3

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 4

Number of 15 year olds on roll in January of the latest reporting year 2000 n/a 158 158

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 4

GCSE results 5 or more grades A* to C 5 or more grades A*-G 1 or more grades A*-G

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 4

Boys n/a n/a n/a Numbers of pupils achieving the standard specified Girls 108 154 156

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 4

Percentage of pupils achieving School 68 (61) 97 (92) 99 (98) the standard specified National 47.4 (46.6) 90.6 (90.9) 95.6 (95.8)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 4

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 4

Average point score School 45 (41.0) per pupil National 38.4 (38.0) [Penwortham Girls High School] - 18 Figures in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. [Penwortham Girls High School] - 19

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 1 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 2 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 1 Other minority ethnic groups 1 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

This table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and classes: Y7 – Y11

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 43.1 Financial year 1999-2000

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 17.6

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: Y7 – Y11 Total income 1701520

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 6.0 Total expenditure 1700251

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 142 Expenditure per pupil 2238

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance brought forward from previous year 155032

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Deployment of teachers: Y7 – Y11 Balance carried forward to next year 156301 Percentage of time teachers spend in contact with classes

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Key Stage 4 20 [Penwortham Girls High School] - 20

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Percentage of responses in each category

Strongly agree Tend to agree Tend to disagree Strongly disagree Don’t know

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Percentage of responses in each category

My daughter is making good progress in school. 44 50 3 0 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 36 53 7 1 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

My daughter gets the right amount of work to do at home. 31 54 12 1 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my daughter is getting on. 25 48 20 5 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 50 43 4 0 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my daughter to work hard and achieve her best. 69 28 2 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 28 46 18 1 7

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 44 48 1 0 7

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my daughter become mature and responsible. 47 49 2 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 43 47 4 1 5

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