Cambridge School

CAMBRIDGE SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 2 nd – 3 rd December 2002

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CAMBRIDGE 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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CAMBRIDGE 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. Cambridge School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Cambridge Grove Hammersmith London Postcode: W6 0LB

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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: Mrs. Elizabeth Redpath

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 16 th March 1998 Cambridge School - 4

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Team members

21137 John Byrne Registered inspector 14324 Michael Hudson Lay inspector 20536 Sarah Mascall Team inspector 20024 Paul Wright Team inspector

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Team members

Ibsley 4 West Cliff Road Dawlish Devon EX7 9EB

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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 Cambridge 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

Cambridge School currently educates 90 boys and girls between the ages of 11 and 16. Pupils live in Fulham and Hammersmith and nine surrounding boroughs. On entry their levels of attainment are below average and all have a statement of special educational need. Although catering for moderate learning difficulties a small number of pupils do have associated behavioural and emotional needs. There is a ratio of two boys to every one girl. A significant number of pupils come from an ethnic minority background and a quarter speak English as their second language. Pupils are admitted from a socially mixed area of London; currently just under two-thirds of pupils are eligible for free school meals. Cambridge is designated as a Beacon school; recently its status has been renewed for a further three years.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Cambridge is a very good school. There is an exceptionally strong team spirit amongst staff that has a direct and positive impact on all aspects of the school’s work. The quality of teaching is high and the impressive range of exams taken by pupils in Year 11 and the results gained demonstrate good and very good standards of achievement. The school is very well led by the head teacher and it provides very good value for money.

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What the school does well

• The very good leadership of the head teacher, well supported by a committed staff and governors, has ensured the continued success of the school. The excellent projects that have been developed through Beacon Status have enhanced the provision available to pupils. • Very good teaching ensures that pupils learn effectively and make very good progress in science, information communication technology (ICT), design and technology, art, physical education and personal and social education (PSE). • The very good attention given to the development of pupils’ personal and social skills ensures that the majority of pupils leave school as confident and independent young people . • The very effective support systems for pupils, particularly those experiencing difficulties, make a very positive contribution to the ethos of the school and the quality of the care and education provided.

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What the school does well

There are no significant areas for improvement. A number of minor issues are referred to in the report that relate to the monitoring of the literacy session, inconsistencies in school reports to parents, variation in the preciseness of pupil learning targets and attendance. These will form the basis of an action plan prepared by the appropriate authority.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Improvement since the last inspection in 1998 has been good. Although judged as an excellent school at that time, the need for improvement was identified in the strategic role of the governing body and in the way pupils’ work was marked. These issues have been dealt with successfully. Indeed the governing body is now an effective group who fully understand its roles and responsibilities. At the time of the last inspection teaching and pupils’ progress was judged to be good. Since then improvements have taken place and now in the majority of subjects teaching and progress is very good. In addition, the range of external examinations that pupils take at the end of Year 11 has increased. The high standards evident in all other aspects of school provision have been maintained since the last inspection. Cambridge School - 7

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STANDARDS

The table summarises inspectors’ judgements about how well pupils achieve in relation to their individual targets.

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11

Mathematics B unsatisfactory D Personal, social and health education A poor E Personal targets set at annual reviews. A

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11

Standards achieved by all pupils, including those whose first language is not English, are very good. Although they vary from good to very good in English and mathematics the standards that pupils achieve against their personal targets and in the majority of subjects are such that overall pupils make very good progress. The high quality of teaching and the understanding that all staff have of pupils’ additional needs and background has a significant impact on their confidence and ability to learn independently as well as on the progress they make across all areas of the curriculum. The range of accredited courses pupils follow and the successes they achieve reflect the impressive standards that most pupils reach prior to leaving school. The school has successfully implemented the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies and as a consequence pupils’ standards in English and mathematics have improved since

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11

the last inspection. Similarly improved standards in ICT lessons are a direct result of better staff expertise and significant investment in the subject over the last few years. Available data is used to set whole school targets related to examination results and these are achieved.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Nearly all pupils enjoy school and are interested and motivated in their lessons. They remain on task very well and are keen to achieve success.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. The behaviour of the majority of pupils is very good both in and out of lessons. However, a very small number of pupils with emotional and behavioural needs find concentration difficult and as a consequence exhibit challenging behaviour.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Very good. Pupils in Year 7 join the school lacking in confidence and with low self-esteem. By Year 11 they are confident, have pride in their achievements and are looking forward to leaving school.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Unsatisfactory. When compared with schools locally and nationally the school’s authorised absence rate is high. Unauthorised absence is broadly in line with other schools and is satisfactory.

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Aspect Comment

The way in which all adults relate to pupils is a strength of the school. Pupils’ views are valued and sensitive staff responses raise self-esteem and help pupils re-establish their confidence in adults. The Cambridge School - 8 quality of relationships makes a positive contribution to the very good atmosphere evident in the school and has a significant impact on work in the classroom. Although authorised absence is high the school should be given credit for the considerable efforts it is making currently to address the problem.

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Teaching of pupils: Years 7 – 11

Quality of teaching Very 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: Years 7 – 11

Overall the quality of teaching is very good. This is due to a number of factors that, when all are evident in the same lesson, have a very positive impact on learning and the very good progress pupils make. These factors include excellent subject knowledge and the ability of teachers to use information on where pupils are in their learning to plan further learning experiences and opportunities that extend and challenge. In the subjects where teaching is consistently very good pupils know what they are expected to achieve by the end of the lesson. They respond to interesting activities, stay motivated and produce very good work in their science, art, design and technology and physical education lessons. All teachers teach personal and social education and a feature of the work in all the areas of the curriculum is the way teachers make use of every opportunity to develop the pupils’ skills in this important area.

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Teaching of pupils: Years 7 – 11

This impacts on learning and is evident in the way the majority of pupils conduct themselves around the school and in the sensible and mature approach pupils adopt when given opportunities such as involvement in the school council. Teaching in English and mathematics is consistently good and teachers have obviously benefited from the structure that the National Strategies have brought to their teaching. Scrutiny of records indicate that a minority of targets set for a minority of pupils are sometimes not precise enough and as a consequence it is difficult for teachers to judge the extent of their progress.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Very good. It provides, for all pupils, a wide and relevant range of learning opportunities, both in and out of school. The range of extra curricular activities has been enhanced by the school’s Beacon status activities. Provision for careers education and guidance, work experience and college links are very good.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Good. Despite the fact that twenty different languages are spoken fluently by pupils at the school their levels of achievement are comparable with other pupils. The school celebrates this diversity of cultures through, for example, pupil led school assemblies.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good. The ethos of the school is one that values each individual pupil. All staff provide pupils with good role models in terms of behaviour and relationships. The curriculum is very effective in supporting pupils’ personal and social development and their spiritual and cultural awareness are well promoted through a wide range of activities and experiences.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Very good. Procedures in place for pupils who are vulnerable, in need or a cause for concern are of a high quality. Very effective arrangements ensure that child protection, health and safety and the care needs of pupils are catered for extremely well. Cambridge School - 9 There have been improvements since the last inspection, most notably in the increased opportunities that pupils have to take a wider range of examinations before leaving school. A main focus of the school’s recent work has been more effective use of ICT in all subjects. This has been successful and is now used more extensively to support pupils’ learning. The systems in place to monitor, track and support pupils at risk are very impressive.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Very good. The head teacher leads by example and inspires in staff a sense of loyalty and support, which has a very positive impact on the work of the school. She has been particularly successful in promoting the school through Beacon Status activities. She is very well supported in her work by senior staff.

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Aspect Comment

How well the appropriate authority fulfils its responsibilities Good. The school is well served by a committed and supportive governing body that is very well led by a knowledgeable chair of governors. They have a thorough knowledge of the school’s work and a good understanding of its strengths and areas for development.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. The monitoring and evaluation of the work of the school by senior staff is effective. However, there are minor inconsistencies in the quality of subject monitoring particularly where more than one teacher teaches a subject. Recent initiatives, supported by borough inspectors, involving comparison of performance with other schools should have a very positive impact on this aspect of the school’s work.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Very good. Very effective use is made of staff, learning resources and accommodation to support pupils’ learning. There is a very clear link between the school development plan and the school budget and as a consequence resources are appropriately targeted at educational priorities. The quality of management, administrative and support systems in place ensures an efficient and very well run school. The high levels of support offered by all staff to each other is very impressive and provides pupils with first class role models that have a considerable impact on their personal and social development. The school is committed to ensuring it receives best value for money.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The understanding that teachers have of their children’s special needs. • The very good teacher ratio and the quality of teaching provided. • The level of support provided to pupils which supports the development of social and independence skills. • The very effective systems in place to modify pupils’ behaviour. • The fact that the school provides a safe and caring environment for pupils. • A minority would like more information about the progress that their child is making in relation to National Curriculum requirements. Cambridge School - 10 The findings of the inspection fully support the positive views of the parents, which show clearly that they have a very good knowledge of what the school does for their children. Generally speaking school reports do clearly use National Curriculum indicators to show at what levels pupils are working. In only a very small number of instances was this not the case.

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projects that have been developed through Beacon Status have enhanced the

1. The high quality of leadership demonstrated by the headteacher at the last inspection has been maintained and extended upon. Since then the school has achieved Beacon Status. This has recently been renewed for a further three years because of the considerable success that has been achieved in the Beacon activities promoted and developed by the head teacher and her management team. The inspection fully endorses the views of parents, expressed at the meeting prior to the inspection, who feet that the school is very well led.

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projects that have been developed through Beacon Status have enhanced the

2. The headteacher leads by example and, by maintaining a high visible presence in the school, she ensures her knowledge of pupils and staff is excellent. She uses this to good effect in her day-to-day dealings with parents and professionals associated with the school. It is very clear that during her time in post she has developed an exceptionally strong team ethos amongst all the staff that impacts very positively on pupils’ learning and progress. Her desire to achieve the very best for pupils inspires loyalty in her staff and ensures that quality of relationships and the support that all staff are prepared to provide for each other and pupils is excellent. It is apparent, from the quality school documentation and evidence from meetings, that the views of staff are valued and appropriate emphasis is placed on their professional development through a well thought out staff training programme. Over the years this

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projects that have been developed through Beacon Status have enhanced the

approach has ensured an experienced and stable staff.

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projects that have been developed through Beacon Status have enhanced the

3. When the school was last inspected it was described as having well established systems for judging the impact of teaching and the curriculum on pupils’ learning and progress. The head teacher continues to understand the importance of this in maintaining standards and has recently introduced changes to the way she tracks the effectiveness of teaching on standards. Now, rather than observing teachers, she actually takes their classes for a morning so that she can question pupils about the work and has first hand experience of their planning and recording. She then feeds her findings into the school performance management process. It is too early to judge the effectiveness of this change in practice and it is important that it is evaluated carefully to ensure it is successful in raising teaching standards. However, the head teacher can cover curriculum monitoring effectively. Taking lessons has the potential

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projects that have been developed through Beacon Status have enhanced the

to provide her with a good overview of the subject across the school.

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projects that have been developed through Beacon Status have enhanced the

4. At the last inspection weaknesses were identified in the extent of the governors’ involvement in the development of the school. This is no longer the case and the governing body is now an effective group that has a good understanding of itsrole and responsibilities. The chair of governors is very supportive, meets on a weekly basis Cambridge School - 11 with the head teacher and has ensured that all governors are involved in the committee structure that exists. In addition to information gained from individual visits governors’ knowledge is enhanced by the regular presentations that staff give at their meetings. It is evident that the systems that are now in place to increase greater participation and understanding have been successful. Governors interviewed were able to discuss confidently school issues and their views as to the school’s strengths and weaknesses were similar to those arrived at by the inspection team.

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projects that have been developed through Beacon Status have enhanced the

5. The school is justifiably proud of its Beacon Status and what it has achieved over the last few years. Its recent successful renewal of Beacon Status indicates the quality and quantity of the projects that it has undertaken and emphasises the very good and mutually beneficial links that have been made with partner institutions. The main areas of focus have included leadership advice and support, teaching assistant training programmes, curriculum delivery, classroom management, involvement with national initiatives and publication of materials.

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projects that have been developed through Beacon Status have enhanced the

6. Despite the obvious commitment to work in this area by the headteacher and co- ordinator they are both clear on the importance of ensuring that the considerable success achieved in Beacon activities is not at the expense of developments in school. It is to their credit that they have maintained a very good working balance between the two strands and ensured that their work beyond the school has had very positive spin offs for staff and pupils at Cambridge. The opportunities provided for staff development have been excellent and have included teachers getting involved with Literacy training and The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. Evidence from lesson observation indicates the excellent contribution that many of the teaching assistants make to pupils’ learning and demonstrate how much they have benefited from the school’s involvement in the training programmes. The range of extra curricular activities available to pupils has also been extended and through Beacon

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projects that have been developed through Beacon Status have enhanced the

activities they have been involved in an Arts Week, a Dance project and a small number of pupils are involved in a very exciting DJ project as part of the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme.

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Very good teaching ensures that pupils learn effectively and make very good

progress in science, ICT, DT art, physical education and PSE.

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Very good teaching ensures that pupils learn effectively and make very good

7. Although the quality of teaching is good across all curriculum areas observations and scrutiny of work and planning indicates that it is very good in the above subjects. This is due to a number of factors that together have a very good impact on pupils’ learning and their progress. This is an improvement since the last inspection when in all but one of these subjects teaching was judged to be good. The exception was physical education, which was deemed to be very good. The impact that teaching has on progress is evident in the impressive external examination results achieved across a range of subjects.

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Very good teaching ensures that pupils learn effectively and make very good

8. A feature of the teaching in all of the above subjects is the excellent subject knowledge that teachers possess. This is used to good effect to provide stimulating activities that enthuse pupils and encourage them to respond to advice and remain on task for appropriate periods of time. In a Year 7 art lesson on silhouettes the teacher achieved a very good balance between recognising the value of pupils’ efforts yet, through perceptive questioning, making them think about how they might improve their work. They responded very well to the teaching points made and as a consequence improved the quality of their work. In an ICT lesson introducing a programme called PowerPoint to Year 9 pupils specific vocabulary is used with confidence. Very good Cambridge School - 12 teacher demonstration indicates to pupils what it is they should aim to achieve by the completion of lessons. In science Year 11 pupils whilst preparing for investigative

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Very good teaching ensures that pupils learn effectively and make very good

work benefit from the teacher’s ability to ask questions such as “tell me” or “what did we find” in order to judge pupils’ understanding of the concepts involved. In this way he is able to suggest individual targets that might help pupils achieve a higher mark for their coursework.

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Very good teaching ensures that pupils learn effectively and make very good

9. The ability that teachers have in putting quality planning into practice is very evident in all subjects where teaching is judged to be very good. There is a clear pattern to each lesson, which is followed closely. Teachers make it clear to pupils what is expected of them by the end of the session. Year 8 pupils involved in an activity to design a mug in design and technology understand exactly what is required because the teacher keeps them focused by constantly sharing with them what the purpose of the activity is. As a consequence of being involved in their own learning pupils remain motivated, work with enjoyment and enthusiastically “brainstorm” symbols that can be used to represent aspects of school life. In a Year 7 science lesson, that introduces pupils to the Bunsen burner, because the purpose of the lesson is made explicit from the outset pupils show the ability to explain what they are learning and why. The

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Very good teaching ensures that pupils learn effectively and make very good

focus on the learning outcome rather than the activity is an approach that will have a very positive effect on their progress as they move through the school.

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Very good teaching ensures that pupils learn effectively and make very good

10. Very good teaching is characterised by the quality of the information that teachers have to determine where pupils are in their learning. This enables work to be set at a level that provides appropriate and suitably challenging tasks for pupils. Where this is combined with an approach that is sensitive to pupils’ social and emotional needs, such as in art, science and physical education, learning is particularly effective. The systems in place for judging progress in physical education are comprehensive and provide a clear and concise picture of where pupils are in relation to attitude and acquisition of skills. Similarly recording and monitoring of progress in art, design and technology and science is particularly strong and good use is made of written comments on pupils’ work as a basis on which to assess progress. At the time of the last inspection there was an issue surrounding the marking of pupils work. This has

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Very good teaching ensures that pupils learn effectively and make very good

11. Teaching in English and Numeracy is good and consequently pupils make good progress in these subjects. This is an improvement since the last inspection when progress overall was judged to be satisfactory in both subjects. Although pupils progress in English is regularly recorded information available to parents does not always specify the level that pupils are working at and there are inconsistencies in the preciseness of the learning targets set for a minority of pupils. Teaching has benefited from the adoption of the National Literacy and Numeracy strategies and the support that has been provided by the Key Stage 3 Strategy team. In particular the structure and planning of lessons in both subjects have improved. As a consequence pupils are more focused on their learning and consequently achievement levels are higher. The practice of timetabling daily literacy sessions for pupils based on ability is

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Very good teaching ensures that pupils learn effectively and make very good

a good one. The head of English models a lesson at the start of the year and provides teachers with lesson packs. Although reading tests indicate that progress is being made it would be good practice for these sessions to be monitored more closely in order to judge more effectively the effect that this provision is having on standards.

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Very good teaching ensures that pupils learn effectively and make very good

12. A main focus of the school’s work identified in whole school planning has been more effective use of ICT by all staff. Evidence from lesson observation and scrutiny of planning indicates that ICT is now used more extensively to support pupils’ learning. Cambridge School - 13 The opportunities that staff have been provided with to develop their skills through New Opportunity Fund (NOF) training, coupled with the support provided by the co- ordinator has had an impact. ICT modules are now included in curriculum plans and pupils are now able to use and reinforce the skills learnt in discrete ICT lessons whilst studying other subjects

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social skills ensures that the majority of pupils leave school as confident and

13. The school’s value statement makes clear the importance that it attaches to developing the personal qualities that pupils will need in life. It underpins the work of the school and, as a consequence, the high standards achieved in this area of provision at the time of the last inspection have been maintained. This is because the discrete lessons, based on very good whole school planning, are effectively supported by all school staff who willingly take responsibility for developing pupils’ positive relationships, attitudes and behaviour in all aspects of school life. The success of these approaches is evident in the transformation that takes place in pupils during their time at school. Pupils in Year 7 are lacking in confidence and have low self-esteem. In complete contrast pupils by Year 11 are confident, have pride in their achievements and are looking forward to leaving school. This level of support

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social skills ensures that the majority of pupils leave school as confident and

and the impact that it has in terms of developing social and independence skills was highlighted as a strength by parents prior to the inspection.

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social skills ensures that the majority of pupils leave school as confident and

14. The school’s specific personal, social and health education curriculum is based on four key areas that effectively incorporate appropriate sex and drug awareness and the recently introduced topic of citizenship. The quality of teaching in these lessons is very good and it is clear that planning is based on a programme of work that revisits the key areas on a regular basis. In this way as pupils progress through the school their learning is reinforced and new activities and concepts are introduced, that are designed to extend understanding. The success of this approach is very evident in the way the subject of “rules” is approached for different groups of pupils. In a Year 8 lesson pupils, during circle time, are beginning to understand the importance of rules and how necessary they are for the class activity to proceed smoothly. They are encouraged to think of new rules and pupils even have the confidence to remind

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social skills ensures that the majority of pupils leave school as confident and

others when they are breaking the rules. In a Year 11 lesson the same topic has been extended and pupils confidently discuss “Law and Order in the Community”. The teacher very effectively encourages pupils’ to use existing knowledge to inform their views.

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social skills ensures that the majority of pupils leave school as confident and

15. A feature of school provision that contributes so positively to the very good ethos evident in the school is the way in which all adults know and relate to pupils. The systems in place in the school, for example daily briefings, ensure that they have a thorough knowledge of pupils’ current circumstances and factors that might impact on relationships, attitude and behaviour. This enables adults to respond sensitively and appropriately to issues that might arise in or out of the classroom. They can focus on raising self-esteem and for those pupils who need it this has the effect of helping them re-establish confidence in adults. Pupils’ views are valued and listened to and many examples were observed where, even in difficult circumstances when pupils’ behaviour was challenging, they were given the opportunity to explain their difficulties and feelings. The School Council provides pupils with an excellent forum

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social skills ensures that the majority of pupils leave school as confident and

to express their views and elected representatives from each class do so with enthusiasm and confidence. It provides them with the opportunity to influence school decisions in areas such as playground facilities and tuck shop prices. It is clear that Cambridge School - 14 they value these opportunities and take their responsibilities as form representatives seriously.

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social skills ensures that the majority of pupils leave school as confident and

16. The provision made for pupils who are about to leave school is very good. Careers lessons are relevant and focused and are very well supported by the input of a specialist careers advisor. In Year 11 the quality links with the local college and the opportunities for work experience enable pupils to put into practice all the learning that has taken place to develop their personal and social skills. Pupils in Year 11 are very well prepared for the day placement at the local college, which provides them with opportunities to study courses not available to them at school. It is an indication of the progress that pupils have made during their time at Cambridge school that they have the ability and confidence to access successfully the facilities available to them in a busy and often crowded college. The preparation that pupils receive for work experience placements and the benefits they receive from these opportunities are

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social skills ensures that the majority of pupils leave school as confident and

evident from the work experience portfolio that they are all required to keep. By the time that they leave school pupils are very proud of their successes as recorded in their National Record of Achievement. It is an indication of their feelings for the school that even pupils who had left were willing to return during the inspection to share information with the inspectors.

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difficulties, make a very positive contribution to the ethos of the school and the

quality of the care and education provided.

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difficulties, make a very positive contribution to the ethos of the school and the

17. The quality of support systems in place and the focus that the school has on educating pupils in a positive, secure and caring environment ensures that the high standards evident at the time of the last inspection have been maintained. The co- ordinated approach, overseen by the head teacher, adopted for pupils who are vulnerable, in need or a cause for concern is very effective and ensure that wherever possible pupils whose primary educational need is learning are maintained within the school setting. The key to the success of the school’s approach to supporting pupils is good communication and the flexibility within the system to work with an individual at a number of different levels.

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difficulties, make a very positive contribution to the ethos of the school and the

18. Good communication is a priority for the school and it starts prior to the pupil’s admission when an entry profile is drawn up. This provides valuable information that can be used to support teaching, learning and behaviour management. Procedures once the pupil is admitted are very effective and involve minuted, daily meetings with all teachers where pupils giving cause for concern are discussed. At these information is provided on current circumstances that might impact on their learning or behaviour. It is impressive the way all contribute to these meetings in order to build up a useful profile of how things are developing. During the day all classes carry around a daily record sheet that identifies class and individual targets. When these are used in a way that involves the pupils in making judgements on their learning or behaviour, for example at the end of an art lesson, they are an extremely useful tool

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difficulties, make a very positive contribution to the ethos of the school and the

for developing personal and social skills.

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difficulties, make a very positive contribution to the ethos of the school and the

19. In order to track individual pupils more effectively the school has a very detailed system of referrals, on different coloured forms, that provides important information in relation to child protection, classroom behaviour, playground behaviour and bullying. The information is collated weekly onto a pupil information profile and this provides a very useful record of incidents or issues that can be used to help understand the causes of problems that might be emerging and support the implementation of Cambridge School - 15 strategies that might resolve these. These procedures are successful for the majority of pupils but for a small number additional support is required. It is to the school’s credit that by thinking creatively this has been provided at a number of levels.

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difficulties, make a very positive contribution to the ethos of the school and the

20. The head teacher effectively co-ordinates this additional support which can take the form of the appointment of a key worker, involvement with the school mentor or access to the school nurse. Although inevitably there is slight overlap in terms of their involvement with pupils the roles are clearly defined and they certainly enhance the way in which the school manages the education and care of pupils. The mentor is a relatively new appointment and in the short time in post has made a very valuable contribution to school provision. In addition to working collaboratively with the speech and language therapist he supports individual pupils very effectively and also acts as the link with parents, outside agencies and professionals such as the youth offending team and child psychiatrists. The school nurse is equally effective in her role, which involves acting as the contact point for social services and hospital referrals. She

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difficulties, make a very positive contribution to the ethos of the school and the

runs a fortnightly group for parents where such things as bullying, drugs and crime are discussed. A good number of parents attend these sessions, which provide a very good forum for parents to discuss their concerns.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

21. In order to improve further the already very good education the school provides, the head teacher, senior management team and governors should address the following minor issues by:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Ensuring a good system exists whereby the school can make valid judgements about the impact of the daily Literacy session on raising pupil standards

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Providing clear guidelines on the setting of pupils’ learning targets in those areas where they are imprecise. In this way evaluation of pupil progress will be more meaningful to parents.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) Monitoring end of year reports more carefully to ensure that all parents are informed of the National Curriculum level their child is working at.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(4) Continuing with the very good effort currently being made to improve pupil attendance. Cambridge School - 16

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 22

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents more than four percentage point.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll 90

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 55

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 22

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 3

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 1

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Cambridge School - 17 Cambridge School - 18

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Attainment at end of Key Stage 3 (Year 9)

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 3 for the latest reporting year was 24

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Attainment at end of Key Stage 3 (Year 9)

National Curriculum Test/Teacher Assessment results

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Attainment at end of Key Stage 4 (Year 11)

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 4 for the latest reporting year was 18

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Attainment at end of Key Stage 4 (Year 11)

Subject Pupils entered Passes English 14 13 Mathematics 11 8 Art (art and technology) 17 16 Portuguese 1 1

p.18

Attainment at end of Key Stage 4 (Year 11)

Subject Pupils entered Distinction Merit Pass English 17 9 4 3 Mathematics 17 13 4 0 Science 17 4 10 1 ICT 15 6 4 3 Physical Education 14 4 8 2 Cambridge School - 19

p.18

Exclusions in the last school year

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions

p.19

Exclusions in the last school year

White – any other White background 7 1 1

p.19

Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 4 2

p.19

Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 1

p.19

Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – any other Black background 2

p.19

Exclusions in the last school year

The table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. It gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded. Cambridge School - 20

p.19

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 13.6 Financial year 2001-2002

p.20

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 9.7

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Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Total income 861894

p.20

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: Y7– Y11 Total expenditure 846964

p.20

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 13 Expenditure per pupil 8732

p.20

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 388 Balance brought forward from previous year 37800

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 14930

p.20

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 2

p.20

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 2

p.20

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 1.6

p.20

Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 2

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 1

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Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Cambridge School - 21

p.20

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 56 28 6 0 10

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 44 40 10 0 6

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 40 32 25 3 0

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 72 16 3 6 0

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 68 19 10 0 3

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 65 32 3 0 0

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 65 20 6 6 3

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 62 25 3 3 3

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 62 22 0 6 10

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 50 32 6 0 12

p.21