Cullompton Community College

Cullompton Community College

Dates of inspection: 19 th -22 nd January 2004

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Cullompton Community College

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Cullompton Community College 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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Cullompton Community College

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. Cullompton Community College

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Comprehensive School category: Community Age range of students: 11-16 Gender of students: Mixed Number on roll: 723

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Exeter Road Cullompton Devon Postcode: EX15 1DX

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01884 33364 Fax number: 01884 33364

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing body Name of chair of governors: Mrs Olive Boyes

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 23 rd November 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE COLLEGE

Cullompton Community College is a small mixed comprehensive school in the small town of Cullompton in Devon. It became a community college in 1995. Most of its students come from Cullompton although a minority come from outlying rural areas. The socio-economic background is varied. There is a high proportion of students who come from disadvantaged backgrounds with historically low aspirations and relatively low wage base economy. Almost all 723 students are white. One student has English as an additional language but needs no additional support and none is at an early stage of English language acquisition. The number of students with special educational needs is below the national average. The number of those eligible for free school meals is below the national average. Attainment on entry is below the national average. Cullompton Community College

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

2447 Dr Faysal Mikdadi Lead inspector Citizenship 12775 Judith Goodchild Lay inspector 32173 Barbara Brown Team inspector Modern foreign languages 32209 Jane Burnett Team inspector Geography History 10391 Val du Plergny Team inspector Music 4372 Ralph Fordham Team inspector Religious education 10244 Roger Freeman Team inspector Mathematics 31779 Vivian Harrison Team inspector Design and technology 31765 Ian Hume Team inspector Business studies Information and communication technology 31441 Maggie King Team inspector Science 3162 Philip O’Neill Team inspector English 1964 Patrick Playfair Team inspector Physical education 10288 John Richards Team inspector Art and design

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

The inspection contractor was: Altecq Education Ltd 102 Bath Road Cheltenham GL53 7JX

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be made initially to the inspection contractor. The procedures are set out in the leaflet ‘Complaining about Ofsted Inspections’ , which is available from Ofsted Publications Centre (telephone 07002 637833) or Ofsted’s website (www.ofsted.gov.uk). Cullompton Community College

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 12

Teaching and learning The curriculum Care, guidance and support Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

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This is a good college led by a principal whose vision of an effective learning environment

has begun to be realised . Students’ attainment is average in Years 7 to 9 and broadly above average in Years 10 and 11. Students make good progress in all years. Teaching is good. Students respond well to their teachers. Leadership is good. The college provides good value for money.

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This is a good college led by a principal whose vision of an effective learning environment

The college’s main strengths and weaknesses are: • The principal has succeeded in creating an effective learning environment with the support of good senior managers, effective and supportive governors as well as hard working teachers. • Achievement is good overall and sometimes very good. • Teaching is good and often very good. • Some teachers do not always tell their students what they need to do next in order to improve their work further. • GCSE results are above the national average. • Students in Years 10 and 11 do not receive sufficient opportunities to follow vocational courses. • The wealth of data available to teachers is not readily accessible in order to help them set proper targets for each student and to plan more effectively so that learning is enhanced. • Aspects of the organisation of special educational needs provision are unsatisfactory.

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IMPROVEMENT SINCE THE LAST INSPECTION

Improvements since the last inspection have been good . College development planning is now a great deal better with its strong focus on teaching, learning and student achievement. The college has clear and effective monitoring and evaluation strategies. Schemes of work are at least satisfactory although assessment does not include advice to students on how to improve. ICT provision has improved significantly. Governors now play an effective part in the college’s life. Literacy and numeracy provision has improved although not all subjects make as full a contribution to these areas as they could. There have been insufficient improvements in art and design since the last inspection.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

2001 2002 2003 2003 Performance in GCSE/GNVQ examinations at the end of Year 11, compared with: D D B B

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Key: A - well above average; B - above average; C - average; D - below average; E - well below average Similar schools are those whose students attained similarly at the end of Year 9

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Students’ achievement is good . Attainment in all years is average or above. Students achieve well and make good progress because of the good teaching. Achievement by students with special educational needs is satisfactory.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Students’ personal qualities are developed well . The students’ behaviour is satisfactory. Attendance and punctuality are good. Students’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is well enhanced. Cullompton Community College

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of the students’ education is good .

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

Teaching is good . This leads to students achieving well. Students with special educational needs make satisfactory progress. Teachers do not always tell students what to do next in order to improve further. Assessment results are not always used to help with planning further improvements.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

Curriculum provision is satisfactory. There are insufficient opportunities for students in Years 10 and 11 to follow vocational courses. Currently the timetable occasionally restricts students’ options. The college improvement plan includes strategies to improve on both these issues. Links with the local community and with parents have improved significantly. Students’ views are listened to and acted upon. They are satisfactorily cared for.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership is good . The principal gives strong and purposeful leadership with a particular focus on teaching, learning and achievement and all this has produced results since last year. Governors give good support to senior managers whom they also challenge effectively.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Management is satisfactory . The extensive assessment data available to teachers are not presented in a way that allows them to use data to set targets effectively or to plan for further improvements.

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PARENTS’ AND STUDENTS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents and students think well of the college . Parents speak well of the new effective learning environment introduced by the principal, the improved accommodation and resources and of their happiness with their children’s achievement. Students feel that theirs is a college that has improved significantly over the last two or so years. Both parents and students feel that behaviour has improved a great deal although they are still concerned about a small minority of students who still misbehave. Parents would like to be informed more promptly if their child were discovered to be absent.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the college should do to improve are to: • ensure that the management of special educational needs is focused solely on enhancing provision for, and the achievement of, students with special educational needs; • ensure that assessment is more consistent across all subjects so that students benefit further from being given advice on how to improve and that assessment data are readily and easily available for all who need them; § improve the curriculum so that it more closely matches the aspirations, needs and abilities of all students;

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

and, to meet statutory requirements: • ensure that the college offers all its students a daily act of collective worship. Cullompton Community College

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Achievement is good overall . By the end of Year 9 students’ standards of attainment are well above the national average in German and above the national average in English and ICT. Standards are average in all other subjects. By the end of Year 11 standards are well above the national average in geography and history and above average in English, art and design, ICT and religious education. Standards are average in all other subjects. This indicates good achievement overall in almost every subject. Achievement is very good in English, geography and history all through the college and in Years 10 and 11 in German. It is satisfactory in all years in art and design, business studies and citizenship and in Years 10 and 11 in physical education. Achievement by students with special educational needs is satisfactory. Students do equally well regardless of gender or ethnicity.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Students achieve well overall. • Year 9 National Curriculum test results are good. • Year 11 GCSE results are above average. • The trends in improvement over the last three years have been upwards. • Although students with special educational needs make satisfactory progress, their progress is often hampered by a lack of effective resources aimed at enhancing their literacy skills. • Some subjects do not do enough to improve students’ literacy skills.

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Commentary

1. Key Stage 2 test and Cognitive Ability test results show students’ prior attainment to be below average. Students join the college with below average knowledge and skills. A significant number join Year 7 with low literacy skills and they need considerable support to be able to follow their studies in the required subjects. By the end of Year 9 students have made significant improvements and have reached the national average in most subjects and exceeded it in a few. By the end of their schooling in Year 11 the improvement in their standards is even better. This indicates good value added provision by the college.

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Commentary

2. Standards of attainment by the time students reach Year 9 are well above average in German and above average in English and ICT. They are average in mathematics, science, art and design, business studies, citizenship, design and technology, French, geography, history, music, physical education and religious education.

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Commentary

3. When students reach Year 11 their standards of attainment are well above average in geography, German and history and above average in English, science, art and design, ICT and religious education. They are average in mathematics, business studies, citizenship, design and technology, French, music and physical education.

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Commentary

4. Over time the trend in the National Curriculum test results at the end of Year 9 has been upwards. In the three core subjects test results have alternated between being average to being above average and have improved slightly in 2003 in English and mathematics. In science these test results have been persistently high for several years. All students, including those with special educational needs make at least satisfactory and occasionally, as happens in physical education, good progress over time. This rate of progress is all the more impressive given the low prior attainment on entry into Year 7. Students who have English as an additional language achieve as well as other learners of similar abilities in their age group.

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Commentary

5. On entry to the college students’ literacy skills are low. By the time that students reach Year 11 they have made very good progress and can speak, listen and write in above average standards. The main area of weakness remains reading where students in the upper school Cullompton Community College still read without much expression and often without being heard. Apart from English and opportunities for writing in science and modern foreign languages, most subjects do little to enhance students’ literacy skills. When students join Year 7 their numeracy skills are also below the national average. Fairly quickly such skills are sufficiently improved to enable students to meet the demands of the curriculum. Strategies to enhance students’ mathematical skills are a strong feature of both science and geography but less so of other subjects. Students do not pay sufficient attention to detail in using diagrams and graphs which leads to

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Commentary

some unnecessary errors in their work. The profile of ICT in the college has been enhanced with the acquisition of new hardware and with a stronger focus on the subject. The result has been an increasing confidence in the use of ICT with the best students using it regularly and very effectively. All students are keen to use ICT as often as is possible.

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Commentary

6. Achievement is almost always good. Students’ achievement is good in every subject in Years 7 to 9 except in geography and history where it is very good and in art and design where it is satisfactory. Achievement is good in all subjects in Years 10 and 11 except in geography, German and history where it is very good and mathematics, art and design, business studies, citizenship and physical education where it is satisfactory.

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Commentary

7. The achievement of students with special educational needs is satisfactory. In most lessons they benefit from effective support from teaching assistants. The management of special educational needs lacks sufficiently robust organisation to ensure that provision is even better than it currently is. In some lessons the students’ achievement is hampered by the lack of suitably adapted resources to help students with literacy difficulties. Sensitive inclusion, for example in physical education, ensures that students with special educational needs make good progress in paired and group work.

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Standards in national tests at the end of Year 9 – average point scores in 2003

Standards in: School results National results English 33.6 (33.3) 33.4 (33.3) Mathematics 35.4 (34.3) 35.4 (34.7) Science 34.8 (35.2) 33.6 (33.3) There were 147 students in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Standards in GCSE/GNVQ examinations at the end of Year 11 in 2003

School results National results Percentage of students gaining 5 or more A*-C grades 58% (50%) 52% (50%) Percentage of students gaining 5 or more A*-G grades 90% (84%) 91% (91%) Percentage of students gaining 1 or more A*-G grades 98% (95%) 96% (96%) Average point score per student (best eight subjects) 37.6 (34.7) 34.5 (34.7) There were 148 students in the year group. The percentages include the equivalent GCSE grades obtained in GNVQ assessments. Figures in brackets are for the previous year. Cullompton Community College

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

The attendance and punctuality of students are good. The attitudes of students are good . The behaviour of students is satisfactory. The spiritual, social, moral and cultural development of students is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The attitudes of the majority of students towards their learning are good and sometimes very good. • There is a strong commitment to raising standards of behaviour within the college. • More could be done to enable students to appreciate the rich variety of cultures and tradition that exist in culturally diverse Britain. • Procedures to monitor and improve attendance are good. • The unacceptable attitudes and behaviour of a significant minority of students affect their own and others’ learning.

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Commentary

8. Students’ attitudes to learning are good overall. When stimulated by lively and interesting teaching their attitudes to learning are sometimes very good and on some occasions excellent. In one instance, in a French lesson for a lower attaining group of Year 9 students, youngsters were kept fully engaged throughout the lesson by enthusiastic and dynamic teaching and the attitudes they demonstrated towards their learning, and the progress they made, were excellent. Most students display a keen interest in their studies and sustain their concentration well but some students have underdeveloped listening skills and teachers have to work hard to engage them in lessons at times. On the few occasions where teaching is less engaging and students’ interest is allowed to deteriorate, they demonstrate a lack of enthusiasm for their studies with the consequent lack of progress in learning during the lesson. There are groups of

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Commentary

students throughout the college who show an indifference to education and the college is working hard to motivate these. Students in Year 10 are taking part in a pilot scheme with local further education providers and the success of this is being monitored closely.

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Commentary

9. The majority of students are well behaved and courteous towards others but there are a significant minority who are not. In lessons the behaviour of these students disrupts the learning of others. This reflects the concerns expressed by parents at the meeting prior to the inspection. There is a strong commitment by the college to improving behaviour and new procedures have been introduced this year to move the responsibility for routine behaviour management to subject departments. The number of students excluded from the college last year was high compared with the previous inspection. This is due to the implementation of new standards of expected behaviour, for example complying with the required uniform, ensuring that outrageous appearances relating to body piercing and brightly coloured hair dye are stopped and other issues that the new principal wanted to deal with. The investment by the college in additional pastoral staff to support teachers has been beneficial. They work with

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Commentary

individuals and groups to improve their ability to manage their behaviour and early signs are that this work is beginning to be effective.

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Commentary

10. The spiritual development of students is satisfactory. The religious education syllabus and the teaching provide good opportunities for the spiritual development of students and opportunities exist in some subjects, such as music, to enhance this feature of personal development. Most students have a respect for the beliefs of others. They reflect on issues of belief and form judgements that enable them to develop philosophical insights. The moral and social development of students is good. Students are well aware of right and wrong actions and most have a clear understanding of what is expected of them. Their knowledge and understanding are reflected well in their actions expressing concern for others in both the college and wider community. The college council provides a forum that aims to encourage students to play a more active role in future developments that affect the college community. Students’ cultural

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Commentary

awareness is good. They are aware of their own cultural heritage and that of others. However, Cullompton Community College there are insufficient opportunities for students to develop an awareness and appreciation of the rich variety of different cultures and traditions that exist in this country that will prepare them to live in a culturally diverse society. There is no daily collective act of worship.

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Attendance

11. Attendance levels are above the national average for all schools and are good. There has been a significant improvement in attendance levels particularly over the last two years. Effective use has been made of a computerised registration system to monitor attendance and follow up absences. However, despite the college’s best efforts, last year 25 per cent of students had attendance levels below 90 per cent, which significantly affects their overall levels of attainment and ultimate success in external examinations. There are a few parents who condone their child’s absence and do not work in partnership with the college to ensure high attendance.

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Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data: 6.6 School data: 0.3 National data: 7.2 National data: 1.1 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year for which national figures are available.

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Ethnic background of students Exclusions in the last school year

Categories used in the Annual School Census No. of students on roll No. of fixed period exclusions No. of permanent exclusions

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Ethnic background of students Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British - any other Asian background

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Ethnic background of students Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British - any other background

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Ethnic background of students Exclusions in the last school year

Information not obtained 1 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of students excluded. Cullompton Community College

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education provided by the college is good . Students make good progress and students with special educational needs make satisfactory progress. The main reason for this success is the good quality teaching overall. Another major contributory factor has been the principal’s successful drive to create an effective learning environment over the last year and a half.

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Teaching and learning

The quality of teaching is good and often very good. This quality creates a good learning environment which enables the students to learn effectively and achieve well.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is good and frequently very good. • Teachers do a good job of managing behaviour and of creating an effective learning environment. • Some teachers do not always tell students what they should do to improve their work further. • Teaching assistants offer very good support to students with special educational needs.

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Commentary

12. The quality of teaching was at least satisfactory in almost all lessons seen and at least good in the majority. This is a significant improvement on the last inspection when barely half the lessons seen were good or better. The quality of teaching was very good or outstanding in almost a third of all lessons seen. The very small number of unsatisfactory lessons did not have a particular thread that made them so.

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Commentary

13. Teachers are hard working. They have excellent subject knowledge and most have a genuine passion for their subject. They use resources well. Where incidents of unacceptable behaviour occur, teachers manage them well and sensitively. In almost every lesson the teacher invariably sets clear lesson targets and ensures that the students understand them. This is part of a deliberate and successful policy introduced as part of the college’s focus on enhancing teaching and learning since the principal’s arrival.

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Commentary

14. The major weakness in teaching is in assessment. In the last report subject curriculum planning (schemes of work) was singled out for improvement by focusing on intended learning outcomes and related assessment objectives. Teachers are usually very clear about the intended learning outcomes of each lesson. They mark work promptly and accurately usually using praise quite effectively to enhance students’ self-esteem. What some teachers do not do sufficiently well is to give students very clear instructions on what to do next to improve their work. The results of assessment are also not always effectively used to plan the next piece of work in a way that includes opportunities for improving those areas of work that the students had got wrong.

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Commentary

15. Teaching is very good in English, history, geography, modern foreign languages and in Years 10 and 11 in ICT. It is good in mathematics, science, design and technology, ICT, music, religious education, in Years 10 and 11 in art and design and in Years 7 to 9 in physical education. The quality of teaching is satisfactory in business studies, citizenship, in Years 7 to 9 in art and design and in Years 10 and 11 in physical education.

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Commentary

16. Some parents felt that a minority of students’ unacceptable behaviour related specifically to a few teachers’ inability or unwillingness to control behaviour more effectively. This is only partially true. The overwhelming majority of teachers are effective in controlling behaviour and in managing any arising difficult incidents. The college has effective strategies for dealing with anyone who disrupts the learning of others. Only on two occasions were examples observed of teacher lassitude in dealing with misbehaviour with the result that learning was disrupted. There is absolutely no evidence to support parental claims that teachers praise younger students Cullompton Community College more frequently than they do the older ones. Praise is very much part of the college’s many successful attempts to enhance self-esteem.

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Commentary

17. The creation of a team of highly motivated, confident, skilled and effective teaching assistants has further improved the quality of teaching that students with special educational needs receive. In most lessons positive working relationships ensure that teaching assistants are well briefed, can operate effectively throughout the class and have the opportunity for feeding back to the teacher details of the progress that supported students have made. The teaching of groups withdrawn for literacy support is satisfactory. A variety of learning tasks promote increasing confidence in speaking and listening, reading and word recognition. Less emphasis is given to writing. The teaching given to those students withdrawn in Key Stage 4 is more variable. Where it has a specific focus, for example in supporting examination work in a subject, the students make good progress. Most of the students participating in the personal

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Commentary

development group in Year 11 benefit socially from the course. Teaching offers helpful informal guidance and support. However, the lack of accreditation and the lack of detailed planning of the units making up the course limit achievement and the progression that can be made into post- 16 courses, training and employment. It is unclear how ongoing assessment is used to respond to individual needs in order to adapt the approaches being used and to improve the students' achievement and to raise standards.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 118 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor

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Commentary

6 (5%) 30 (25%) 42 (36%) 35 (30%) 5 (4%)

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Commentary

The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons; figures in brackets show percentages where 30 or more lessons are seen.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• ICT is used well to support learning in subject areas. • Lack of vision in curriculum planning and subsequent timetabling problems have an adverse effect on learning. • The development of the curriculum in citizenship is a strength. • Accommodation difficulties affect delivery in some areas but staff are imaginative in overcoming problems. • No specific lessons have been identified for careers and personal, social and health education. Some coverage occurs in citizenship and through the curriculum.

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Commentary

18. The college meets statutory requirements in all areas except for providing a daily act of collective worship and only partially meeting requirements in art and design.

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Commentary

19. There is a satisfactory range of courses in Years 7, 8 and 9 but there is a lack of adequate planning and opportunities for students in Years 10 and 11 to pursue vocational courses. The subsequent cumulative effects on the timetable for the rest of the college result in unsatisfactory setting arrangements and an inflexibility of student grouping possibilities. Some students attend courses at local colleges, but there are no clear pathways through this area of their education and the college has no industrial links in business studies or young enterprise award schemes.

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Commentary

20. Individual and group education plans are of satisfactory quality. They contain clear targets, suggested activities and details of monitoring and review. They are used well by the teaching Cullompton Community College assistants and by those teachers whose planning takes full account of what is suggested in the plans. In these lessons, for example in mathematics and history, there is an appropriate challenge and students with special educational needs participate and contribute fully to discussions and learning activities. There is a lack of opportunity for students with special educational needs to use ICT to support their work and learning. Although the support for students with special educational ensures that they make satisfactory progress, the lack of rigorous organisation in the management of provision inhibits better progress being made. The special educational needs department has recently been moved to a new and spacious area. It

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Commentary

is now in the process of sorting out its resources, records and paperwork in order to improve its organisation.

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Commentary

21. Provision for activities which further enrich the curriculum in addition to lessons is good. Most departments offer lunch time or after college clubs where students benefit greatly from the opportunities. A good selection of sporting activities leads to the college performing well at national competition level and the college has had Sportsmark awarded for a second time. Students participate well in the music department’s varied groups and bands. In English, students visit the theatre and cinema and make particularly good use of the video conferencing facility. In modern foreign languages excellent exchange programmes are exceptionally well supported and students have work experience abroad. The design and technology club is well attended where industrial challenges are successfully undertaken.

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Commentary

22. There is a careers guidance programme for students from Year 9 to assist them in selecting subjects for GCSE and prepare them for work experience, transition into post-16 education or the world of work. Connexions personal career and further education advisers support the college well and provide individual interviews for students. However, no specific lessons have been identified in the timetable, apart from in Year 11, to teach careers and the quality of provision is also hindered because some teachers have received no training. Lunchtime sessions with speakers representing different careers are open to all.

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Commentary

23. There are sufficient well qualified staff to deliver all areas of the curriculum. The provision of support staff is satisfactory. The provision of teaching assistants to support students who have special educational needs is very good. There is a need for some support within art and design and for a clarification of the role of the ICT technician.

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Commentary

24. Accommodation is good overall. The college has benefited from new buildings and considerable refurbishment since the last inspection. The areas for science, music and geography are very good. The accommodation for English remains unsatisfactory and limits the range of activities undertaken which can occasionally have a negative impact on students’ achievement. The resource area has computers which are used well but students use the library section less often and less effectively. The college has disability access to most areas of the site but not within the humanities and mathematical blocks. Necessary refurbishments are currently under consideration.

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Commentary

25. Resources are good overall with many departments having laptops with projectors to enhance subject teaching. Art currently does not use ICT or three-dimensional facilities which restricts the range of activities that the students can experience and results in aspects of National Curriculum for art and design not being fulfilled. All the issues raised in the last inspection regarding the lack of facilities in the science department have been addressed successfully in the provision for the new laboratories.

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Care, guidance and support

The provision for students’ care, welfare and health and safety is satisfactory. The support, advice and guidance, based on monitoring, students receive are satisfactory. The involvement of students through seeking, valuing and acting on their views is good. The college provides a healthy and safe environment for its students. Cullompton Community College

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The recently introduced annual action planning and target setting interviews with students provide an effective focus for monitoring progress. • Induction arrangements for students coming into the college are very good. • Pastoral teams build strong relationships with students and their families and know their students well. • The growing involvement of students in the college’s work and development is making a positive contribution towards their personal development. • Assessment information is not used effectively to provide for individual student’s specific needs.

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Commentary

26. Pastoral teams stay with their year group throughout their time in college. They are able to build strong relationships with the students and their families that are supportive and promote good learning. This good knowledge of students and their background helps the college to provide support when needed. Students interviewed were confident that they would be able to ask members of staff for help, either academic or personal. Heads of year closely monitor attendance and behaviour. Parents expressed a wish to be more quickly contacted in the event of their children’s absence. Carefully kept records enable close tracking of students’ behaviour and attendance and intervention strategies to be implemented. The induction arrangements for students entering the college in Year 7 are very good. The close tracking quickly identifies any areas of concern. The work of heads of year is of a high quality. The recently appointed pastoral

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Commentary

worker supports their work well by offering counselling sessions and group work in conjunction with a teaching assistant. Pastoral teams are responsible for the overall monitoring of students’ progress and attainment and identifying underachievement. However, assessment information is not used consistently by all staff to ensure that students’ learning needs are specifically addressed. Students causing concern are discussed at weekly pastoral meetings or at the termly meeting of the multi-agency panel.

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Commentary

27. The college is actively promoting students’ involvement in the daily life of the college and this aspect of the college’s work is good. The college council is being encouraged to become more pro-active and involved in the day-to-day life and running of the college. Representatives to both year and college council are elected by their peers. They have been successful in arranging lockers for Year 7 students. They have also carried out a survey amongst students about bullying and an anti-bullying policy has now been devised. Ten Year 11 students have been trained as peer mediators. The annual action planning days involve students in reviewing their work and setting targets for improvement. Students on personal support plans work with both heads of year and parents to identify targets for improvement and evaluate how successful they have been in meeting them. A scheme that enables students in Year 11 to be mentored by

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Commentary

Cambridge undergraduates is being set up to try to raise the aspirations of students and encourage them to enter higher education.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The effectiveness of the college’s links with its parents is satisfactory . The quality of the college’s links with the community is satisfactory . The college’s links with other schools and colleges are good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The commitment of the college to developing an effective partnership with parents. • Links with feeder primary schools and transition arrangements are very good. • Links with other schools, colleges and universities are good. • Recently introduced individual action planning meetings have increased the attendance of parents. Cullompton Community College

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Commentary

28. The college’s partnership with its parents is satisfactory. The college is actively encouraging parents to become partners with the college in managing their child’s learning. However, opportunities for discussions, such as parents’ evenings and a recently held mathematics evening for Year 7 parents, are not well supported. The recently introduced individual action planning meetings have proved to be more successful with about 20 per cent more parents attending. Parents’ views have been sought on a range of issues such as the direction they would like to see the college moving in. A recent initiative has been the attempt to set up parents’ focus groups across all years but the response from parents has been low despite the college’s best efforts. Concerns expressed by parents are usually dealt with immediately by the pastoral team. An interim report and a more detailed annual report are issued to parents.

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Commentary

Annual reports vary in quality between subjects though overall they are good. Academic targets are set for students to improve their work.

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Commentary

29. The quality of the college’s links with the community is satisfactory. The college benefits from effective links with local business and industry that give students experience of the world of work. Applications for sponsorship to support the college’s bid for specialist college status have not met with a significant amount of support from local businesses.

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Commentary

30. There is a good partnership with other schools and colleges. The induction arrangements for Year 6 students coming into the college are very good. An effective partnership has been developed with the primary feeder schools. A programme of lesson observations for college staff is underway to help teachers ease transition for Year 7 students. Primary pupils are regular visitors to the college from Year 5 onwards. Gifted and talented Year 5 pupils have taken part in a design and technology workshop. Links with further education colleges are good and the college is looking to developing these further. Links with Plymouth and Exeter Universities are raising student’s aspirations towards higher education. A representative from Cambridge University has recently visited the college to set up a project of undergraduate mentoring for Year 11 students.

p.16

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The principal has provided strong and purposeful leadership which gives the college a clear sense of direction with a strong focus on improving teaching and learning in order to enhance the students’ achievement. Leadership is good. Management systems are satisfactory . Governance is good .

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The principal has succeeded in creating an effective learning environment which has begun to show significant improvements in the students’ achievement. • Management of the provision for special educational needs is unsatisfactory. • College financial planning is very good. It relates clearly to the college’s priorities. • Monitoring and evaluation are very good.

p.16

Commentary

31. The college’s chair of governors has very good relationships with the principal. Governors know the strengths and weaknesses of the college well. They work hard with the principal in ensuring that the college’s focus remains teaching, learning and achievement. Governors often challenge senior managers in a constructive and helpful way. They have not fulfilled their statutory obligation of ensuring that the college holds a daily act of broadly Christian collective worship.

p.16

Commentary

32. The principal is relatively new to the college having started in September 2002. She is committed to improving the learning environment and has focused a great deal of the college staff energy on successfully doing so. She has high expectations of both staff and students. The senior team members share her vision and work towards realising it. Roles are clear and well understood. The result has been some significant improvements in staff impact on student Cullompton Community College behaviour, uniform compliance and in relationships between the college and its community. College leadership has been particularly successful in inspiring staff and in creating a self critical college that is bent on improving its practice further. Staff generally feel valued and they consider that their hard work is appreciated. Their staff development needs are effectively catered for.

p.16

Commentary

33. There have been many improvements in the college over the last year and a half. Assessment data are now very comprehensive although they are not presented in a manageable and user- friendly way. The result is that departments do not always use data effectively to plan their work or to set individual targets efficiently. The current timetable suffers from some shortcomings that need addressing. There is a lack of sufficient opportunities for Year 10 and 11 students to follow vocational courses. Some unsatisfactory setting arrangements and an inflexibility of student grouping possibilities both limit choices; for example, all single science students have to follow a religious education GCSE course.

p.17

Commentary

34. Monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning are good within a college that has set up some very good self-evaluation strategies. The results of monitoring and evaluation are used effectively to support staff and to enhance their performance through very effective staff development procedures. Monitoring includes regular lesson observations by both senior managers and subject leaders, the scrutiny of students’ work and regular accountability interviews with line managers. Test and examination results are effectively analysed and the resultant data are carefully logged.

p.17

Commentary

35. Leadership is very good in English, geography, history and modern foreign languages. It is good in mathematics, science, citizenship, design and technology, ICT, music, religious education and physical education. It is satisfactory in business studies and in art and design. Management is very good in geography, history and modern foreign languages. It is good in English, mathematics, science, citizenship, design and technology, ICT, music, religious education and physical education. It is satisfactory in business studies and in art and design.

p.17

Commentary

36. Leadership of the provision for special educational needs is satisfactory. Management of the provision is unsatisfactory. The college has responded very well to the need for higher levels of support staffing, improved accommodation and resources. The co-ordinator for special educational needs has a better understanding of how to apply these improvements to improving the achievement of students on the register of special educational needs. The effective team of teaching assistants are well led. Weaknesses in management are evident in disorganised systems, a lack of self-evaluation to inform the deployment of support and the future development of the provision. A baseline assessment of reading and literacy is in place but more assessment information is required against which to regularly measure the students' progress. Insufficient use is being made of performance data to assess the effectiveness of the

p.17

Commentary

individual education plans and in class support and where necessary to modify the provision. The rationale behind some decisions to withdraw students from lessons is also unclear. For example, the decision to withdraw some students from humanities was intended to enable them to work on carefully adapted work that took note of their specific literacy difficulties. The adapted work was regarded as too challenging and failing to take full account of literacy difficulties. This withdrawal time is being used exclusively for literacy work. Students who need extra support but are not deemed to have special educational needs receive effective support from a specialist intervention assistant. Their achievement is tracked and specific targets are set and monitored.

p.17

Commentary

37. Improvements since the last inspection have been good. Development planning is now a strength and focuses primarily on teaching, learning and achievement. It is clearly linked to financial planning. There is a clear cycle of monitoring and evaluation. Schemes of work are at least sound and often better. Assessment still needs improvement in as far as teachers do not always tell their students what they should do to improve their work. The assessment data available are not presented in a way that helps teachers set targets or plan for further improvements. ICT provision has improved significantly. The role of governors has become a Cullompton Community College strength of the college and is now very good. Literacy and numeracy provision is now improved although not all subjects contribute consistently to enhancing students’ skills in these areas. There have not been sufficient improvements in art and design since the last inspection.

p.17

Commentary

38. The college’s development planning strategies are very good. So is its financial planning which relates well to its development planning priorities. Best value principles are effectively used. The college provides good value for money.

p.18

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 2,457,856.00 Balance from previous year 36,699 Total expenditure 2,455,704.00 Balance carried forward to the next 2,152 Expenditure per student 2,583.00 Cullompton Community College

p.18

English

The overall quality of provision in English is very good .

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Overall standards are above average at the end of Year 9 and Year 11. • As a result of very good teaching and some that is excellent, students achieve very well in relation to their attainment on joining the college. • Teaching is occasionally weakened by inconsistencies in the management of behaviour. • Teachers work well with the National Literacy Strategy in sustaining above average standards of attainment. • The use and development of ICT to support learning is a real strength of the department. • Assessment is not always managed well enough to identify how well students are performing. • The department is very well led and well managed.

p.19

Year 9 Year 11

Standards Above average Above average Achievement Very good Very good Teaching and learning Very good Very good

p.19

Year 9 Year 11

Leadership Very good Management Good Progress since previous inspection Very good

p.19

Examination results

39. Students’ speaking, listening and writing are above the standards expected nationally for 14 year-olds. Standards of reading meet national expectations. This represents very good achievement in relation to the students’ below average standards when they joined the college. Students, at all levels of attainment, make considerable gains in knowledge, understanding and skills by the time they leave Year 9. Girls outperform boys to the same extent as nationally. By the age of 16, the gap between the achievement of boys and girls remains at the national level and, overall, above average standards are maintained. Students reach above average standards in both English language and in English literature. Students with special educational needs build very well on their earlier modest attainment as do the few students for whom English is an additional language in the home.

p.19

Standards and achievement

40. Students become increasingly confident and fluent in discussion as they move through the years. They listen to one another’s views and are good at detecting strengths and flaws in reasoning. From demonstrating poor writing on joining the college, students learn quickly to order their thoughts and use well-constructed sentences. The lower-attaining students often struggle with handwriting, but this does not stop them writing extensively for a good range of purposes and readers. Reading is the least well developed aspect of the students’ work. However, there are examples, particularly in Years 10 and 11, of perceptive analysis of set texts. Few students read beyond the requirements of their courses. There is often not enough emphasis on the skills of formal reading to an audience, with the consequence that students are occasionally allowed to read inaudibly and without expression when reading in lessons.

p.19

Teaching and learning

41. At the heart of the students’ above average and very good achievement lies the quality of teaching, which is very good. Lessons are generally very well-prepared and invariably rooted in a very secure knowledge of the subject. This gives the students the confidence to ask demanding questions with the assurance that illuminating answers will be given. The most striking feature of the most inspiring lessons is the imaginative use of group work and the teachers’ skill in providing a progressively challenging sequence of language activities. This was a particular strength in the work in Year 11 in preparation for the GCSE examinations. In these lessons students were left in no doubt about the kind of answers required in order to achieve the higher grades. The emphasis on reasoned argument and structured debate showed itself in the quality of much of the students’ essays. A particularly impressive feature of

p.20

Teaching and learning

the department is the extent to which ICT is used to support learning, despite limitations in accommodation and access to computers. Accommodation is often very cramped and poorly ventilated, with the result that students occasionally have difficulty sustaining attention to their work.

p.20

Teaching and learning

42. Two drama lessons were sampled during the inspection and in both cases the quality of teaching was good. The subject is highly popular with over 50 students studying it in the current Year 10. The drama department has also put on highly successful school productions which involved a significant number of students.

p.20

Teaching and learning

43. The students respond with enthusiasm and enjoy the challenge of the lessons, often producing written work that is confident and fluent. A strength in many lessons is the quality of the teachers’ reading and the students’ intense attention. A significant factor in improvements in the quality of teaching is the college’s effective involvement in the National Strategy for the development of literacy. This has led to more structure in lessons and greater emphasis on making clear to the students the point of the lesson. The subject makes an effective contribution to the students’ moral, social and cultural development.

p.20

Teaching and learning

44. Lessons are occasionally weakened by inconsistency in the management of classroom behaviour and learning, with the consequence that some students feel free to disengage and set their own modest pace. There are times, too, when there are missed opportunities to extend students’ ideas. This results from asking questions that require a limited response.

p.20

Leadership and management

45. The department is very well led and management is good. The head of department has done much to focus the teachers’ attention on the measures required to sustain good standards. In most respects he has been very successful. The management of assessment has not always been refined enough to support learning, with the consequences that there are inconsistencies in marking and in recording attainment.

p.20

Language and literacy across the curriculum

46. Although the college has worked hard to raise standards of literacy, not all departments take their responsibility in this matter seriously enough. Teachers in science and modern foreign languages, however, do much to encourage the use of writing and of the appropriate technical language in discussion.

p.20

Modern foreign languages

Provision in modern languages is very good.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Very good teaching has resulted in sharply rising standards in German. • Very effective leadership and management have a positive impact on raising standards. Cullompton Community College • The implementation of new initiatives enhances achievement but the use of ICT needs further development. • Students have very good contact with speakers of both French and German but students need to hear less English in the classroom.

p.20

Year 9 Year 11

Standards Average Well above average in German, above average in French Achievement Good Very good in German, good in French Teaching and learning Very good Very good

p.21

Year 9 Year 11

Leadership Very good Management Very good Progress since previous inspection Very good

p.21

Examination results

47. Results in the GCSE examinations in 2003 were well above average in German and above average in French. The trend has remained broadly stable in French over recent years and has risen sharply in German.

p.21

Standards and achievement

48. Now that the staffing is stable, standards of work are average in Years 7, 8 and 9 and well above in German and average in French in Years 10 and 11. Students’ achievement is good overall, once again being slightly better in Years 10 and 11. This discrepancy between the year groups and also between the languages is a result of staffing instability in the past which has had an irregular impact on learning.

p.21

Teaching and learning

49. Teaching in the department is usually very good with some excellent features. Staff use their very thorough knowledge of students’ needs to plan and deliver work which is well matched to the learner’s ability. This ensures that students are well motivated and make very good progress as a result. A particularly strong element of teaching is the management of both behaviour and learning and therefore all students are actively involved in their own progress. The very clear feedback about how students can improve their work is also a key factor in the very high quality of both teaching and learning. While the foreign language is used well with more able groups, the use of English occasionally means that not all learners have the benefit of maximum practice in German or French.

p.21

Leadership and management

50. The department is very well led and managed by a team leader who has a clear vision for further developments and a good understanding of how to continue to improve standards. Very good implementation of national initiatives is having a positive impact on the quality of teaching and on students’ progress. Clear priorities have brought about improvement in Years 10 and 11. The head of department plans very well strategically for similar progress in Years 7, 8 and 9. Teachers clearly understand how to improve their own practice due to the constructive feedback they receive via very good monitoring procedures. The development of ICT remains a priority, as do assessment procedures in Years 7, 8 and 9.

p.21

Leadership and management

51. Strong features of the department are the highly successful exchange programmes and opportunities for work experience abroad. These enable students to have realistic communication with speakers of both languages and improve their own language accordingly. The contribution the team makes to students’ literacy skills is very positive. Cullompton Community College 52. Overall, improvement since the last inspection has been very good. Standards in German have risen from below average to well above average and the quality of teaching, accommodation and resources has also improved. Schemes of work are now clearly focused on student progress.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good leadership and management enable good teaching by a committed team. • Carefully structured schemes of work help to meet the needs of all students and to raise standards. • Poor timetable construction has an adverse impact upon teaching and learning. • Assessment procedures need to inform students of where they are and how they can improve. • The use of ICT enhances the teaching of appropriate topics.

p.22

Year 9 Year 11

Standards Average Average Achievement Good Satisfactory Teaching and learning Good Good

p.22

Year 9 Year 11

Leadership Good Management Good Progress since previous inspection Good

p.22

Examination results

53. National Curriculum test results for 14 year olds in 2003 continued the rising trend and are in line with the national averages for both boys and girls. Results in the GCSE examinations improved in 2003 to 45 per cent gaining grades A*-C from 31 per cent but still remained below the national average. Girls performed better than boys, particularly in gaining a higher proportion of A* and A grades than the national average.

p.22

Standards and achievement

54. The standard on entry is below average. Standards of work seen during the inspection generally reflect the improving examination results with higher attaining Year 9 students matching the expertise of some above average Year 11 students when attempting loci problems. The Year 11 higher attainers demonstrate a good understanding of exponential growth when determining the most appropriate strategy to donate money. Students with special educational needs benefit from the teamwork of teachers and teaching assistants who strive to raise their confidence levels. However, on the evidence of Year 11 students, the appropriateness of the courses for the lowest attaining students needs to be reviewed. The good achievement, evident in Years 7 to 9 and the satisfactory achievement in Years 10 and 11 would be improved even further if all students paid more attention to detail. Students need to explain the steps taken towards their solutions and to improve the quality of diagrams and

p.22

Teaching and learning

55. The quality of teaching and learning is good overall and occasionally it is very good. This is the product of careful lesson planning which endeavours to meet the needs of all students and is strongly supported by developing and informative schemes of work. Students benefit from knowing the lessons’ objectives and the challenging starters, which set the tone for the lesson. Cullompton Community College Plenaries are not always used effectively to reinforce how much students have learnt. ICT equipment adds impact and interest to lessons. For example, the demonstration of an angle in a circle on the large screen prompted students’ questions and clarified their understanding. All teachers have good questioning techniques and listen carefully to responses which they build upon. The very good teacher/student relationships enable students to work in a productive atmosphere enhanced by touches of humour. This builds students’ confidence to ask

p.22

Teaching and learning

questions to gain further understanding. Despite the best efforts of the teachers, poor timetable design has an adverse effect upon teaching and learning. For example, when some Year 10 classes have two lessons on the same day, the second is considerably less productive than the first.

p.23

Leadership and management

56. The head of department leads and manages the department well. The department benefits from the innovation and ideas he has gathered as a leading mathematics teacher. Good progress has been made since the previous inspection although, if learning is to be a partnership, assessment procedures need further development to enable students to know where they are and how they can improve.

p.23

Mathematics across the curriculum

57. Standards are satisfactory enabling students to have sufficient numerical skills to meet the demands of the curriculum. The teaching staff are benefiting from a full day’s training and in some subjects from additional support from the mathematics department ensuring a greater consistency in expectations and teaching methods. Students in the science department, where numeracy strategies are embedded into schemes of work, are good at interpreting data displayed in graphical form. Similarly, Key Stage 4 geography students demonstrate very good skills when collecting, displaying and analysing data whilst researching settlement patterns.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Girls’ standards of achievement are well above those in similar schools. • Teachers prepare and plan very well, using a range of resources to provide a variety of activities. • Middle and lower attaining boys’ standards of achievement are less good than girls’ are. • The department is well led and staff work together as a team to secure improvements in provision. • There are variations in the quality of classroom management. • Curriculum provision lacks coherence.

p.23

Year 9 Year 11

Standards Average Above average Achievement Good Good Teaching and learning Good Good

p.23

Year 9 Year 11

Leadership Good Management Good Progress since previous inspection Good

p.23

Examination results

58. In 2003 results in national tests at the end of Year 9 and in GCSE examinations were above average and continue a rising trend. Girls performed better than boys, especially at GCSE. Cullompton Community College

p.23

Standards and achievement

59. By the end of Year 9 almost half of students are working above the nationally expected level and their achievement is good. They understand concepts such as energy and can write word equations for chemical reactions. About one quarter are working below the expected level. Progress from below average standards on entry is good. Standards in Years 10 and 11 are above average and represent good achievement. By the end of Year 11, students can write and talk with confidence about science. Their investigative skills are well above average and they can critically question and evaluate their own and others’ findings. Boys’ work is not of such a high standard as that of girls.

p.24

Teaching and learning

60. The quality of teaching varies from excellent to unsatisfactory. It is good overall and is underpinned by very thorough preparation and planning, very good use of resources and a variety of activities. Staff are very committed to students as individuals and work very well together to find different approaches which will help them all to learn. Teaching assistants are used well to provide additional support for students with special educational needs who make progress comparable with their peers. Teachers pay particular attention to scientific investigation. For example, in a Year 7 lesson to establish the link between speed and stopping distances, the students explored this through a very well planned investigation and their skills developed rapidly. Within topics, some lessons also develop literacy, numeracy and an appreciation of the social, environmental and moral implications of science. For example, in a

p.24

Teaching and learning

Year 10 lesson on the chemistry of limestone, students were also asked to debate a proposal for a limestone quarry in a national park. They articulated the benefits and disadvantages with confidence. The variability in teaching quality is mainly due to variations in teachers’ success in securing students’ attention and engagement. In the better lessons, teachers maintain very good pace and interest. In unsatisfactory lessons, students are not so committed to their learning and work slowly. This particularly affects the achievement of those who have less self- motivation, mainly boys. Very innovative approaches to assessment and use of constructive feedback helps students to know how well they are doing and how they can improve.

p.24

Leadership and management

61. The head of department provides good leadership by example and has established a highly effective team. Strengths and weaknesses are identified and action is taken to sustain improvements. Good progress has been made since the previous inspection. After an initial dip, standards have been improving for the last three years and the quality of teaching has improved. The department now has very good accommodation equipped with high quality resources, including ICT. Some staff use this well. However, students do not yet routinely use ICT as a tool to enhance their work. Curriculum provision lacks coherence so that students are not always in the best groups for their needs and interests. For example, in Year 10 all single science students must also study GCSE religious education.

p.24

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision in information and communication technology is good.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards throughout both key stages are good. • There is good use of data for target setting. • Skilled teaching uses modern hardware and software. • There is now a full ICT experience which constitutes an entitlement for all. • There are good elements of independent work and constructive peer work. • Progress since the last inspection has been very good. • There is some lack of clarity regarding the availability of technician resources. • Student work often uses data from secondary sources rather than primary data. • There are some restrictions to teaching styles and curriculum owing to minor deficiencies in equipment stock. Cullompton Community College

p.24

Year 9 Year 11

Standards Above average Above average Achievement Good Good Teaching and learning Good Very good

p.25

Year 9 Year 11

Leadership Good Management Good Progress since previous inspection Very good

p.25

Examination results

62. The college figures for the attainment of students at the end of Year 9 are somewhat below the national average, with no students gaining above Level 5. These figures are based on teacher estimates, with no external assessment available to verify this figure. However, work scrutinised during the inspection indicates that attainment is at or somewhat above national averages.

p.25

Examination results

63. The first cohort of the new GCSE will complete their course at the end of this academic year. On the basis of work seen during the inspection, and marking of examination board assignments, students in Years 10 and 11 are working in aggregate at levels above 2003 national averages.

p.25

Standards and achievement

64. There are clear schemes of work for Years 7 to 9. Evidence for the success of the college’s Key Stage 3 strategy comes from the consistency in teaching, learning and attainment in Years 7, 8 and 9. The progress shown within and between Years 7, 8 and 9 is good. This has occurred against a background of the recent introduction of discrete ICT lessons for the whole key stage for the first time

p.25

Standards and achievement

65. Students work well both independently and in groups, showing increasing confidence in the handling of software. They show skill in gathering data, processing data and in creating and interrogating databases. They can manipulate, format and edit both text and graphics. They are skilled in the use of spreadsheets and from Year 7 they begin to use and understand formulae. In Year 9 they have completed good work on flat file databases, including creating tables and queries. In each year they have completed good work on control. In classes in Years 8 and 9 their oral work shows a very good knowledge of the meaning of logic and sequence and their practical work with control software shows a very good understanding of how to create and control sequences. The best students regularly and consistently produce work meeting the requirements of National Curriculum Level 5 and occasionally above that level.

p.25

Standards and achievement

66. Students’ achievement is good overall. In Years 10 and 11 students are working well toward the requirements of course work for GCSE. Completed work indicates that final results will in aggregate be at or above national standard averages. They build upon their ability gained in the first three years to use a wider range of software, with good presentational work being completed using Microsoft Publisher and some using the database construction and query features of Microsoft Access.

p.25

Standards and achievement

67. Year 10 and 11 projects are produced to good standards using modern commercial software. However, the data used are usually from secondary sources and the value of the work would benefit from the introduction of primary data collected by the students.

p.25

Standards and achievement

68. Students progress well in their use of industry standard software and deepen their knowledge and understanding of the formulae functions of spreadsheets, the creation and querying of databases. Their written work and practical work in class show good ability to use presentation Cullompton Community College software to fit data to the needs of a range of audiences. In all years students are generally keen to learn and show positive attitudes toward the subject which results in good progress being made.

p.25

Teaching and learning

69. Teaching overall is good in Years 7 to 9 and very good in Years 10 and 11. All lessons have good pace and provide a clear framework for students to follow. Teachers are skilled and at ease with the latest developments in ICT and plan into lessons the visible and effective use of modern ICT hardware and software. Effectively teachers are ICT role models which students see value in emulating. However, the lack of some peripheral equipment, such as scanners and digital cameras restricts somewhat the teaching approaches. Their expertise is complemented by a skilled technician. However, there is a lack of clarity as to her responsibilities and some uncertainty regarding her availability.

p.26

Leadership and management

70. Leadership and management are good. The department has a hard working and enthusiastic leader who ensures effective teamwork. The departmental monitoring of students’ progress is regular and rigorous, enabling the setting of challenging and achievable targets. There is regular review of teaching strategies but this is impaired by the infrequency of team meetings. The department is heavily reliant on the teaching input of the head of department, with three other colleagues also making an input. However, these latter colleagues are based in other departments and often find it difficult to liaise effectively and systematically regarding their ICT roles. With the ambiguity as to role of the technician, who has other calls on her time, this gives a considerable challenge to the leadership structure. The head of ICT is regarded as a leader by colleagues throughout the college and has organised valuable whole-staff development

p.26

Leadership and management

sessions. However, the translation of the college’s ICT ambitions into systematic plans requires a re-evaluation of the current dependence on the head of ICT as a class teacher and a reconsideration of his sphere of influence. Evaluation of teaching techniques is regular, as is the evaluation of student progress. The department holds regular lunchtime and after college activities and individual developmental sessions for students according to their needs.

p.26

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

71. Since the last inspection there have been clear advances in investment in hardware and software and good leadership has helped to raise the profile of ICT in the college as a whole. The college has reached a stage where decisions need to be made regarding how to make further advance on this firm base. Other subjects of the curriculum make variable use of ICT. There is very good use of equipment such as electronic whiteboards, video conferencing, digital cameras and related resources in areas such as English, mathematics and religious education. In areas such as science and design and technology there is good use of control and modelling software, which adds considerably to students’ overall experience and capability. However, some areas, such as music and art and design remain in the very early stages of ICT usage.

p.26

Geography

Overall, provision in geography is very good .

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards in Years 10 and 11 are well above average. • ICT is not embedded as a teaching and learning tool. • The head of department provides very clear direction and is a very good role model to the staff in the faculty. • Teaching and learning are very good. Cullompton Community College • The lack of centralised planning of the use and analysis of pupil data is inhibiting the work of the department’s monitoring of the progress of all pupils. • The relationships between students, teachers and learning support staff are very good, leading to a real improvement in standards. • The management of the use of learning support staff and the lack of time given to planning with teachers impacts on the quality of support given to students with special educational needs. • Timetable constraints lead to uneven staffing and lesson patterns which impacts upon the quality of teaching and learning. • The displays in the department create a stimulating learning environment.

p.26

Year 9 Year 11

Standards Average Well above average Achievement Very good Very good Teaching and learning Very good Very good

p.27

Year 9 Year 11

Leadership Very good Management Very good Progress since previous inspection Very good

p.27

Examination results

72. The percentage of pupils gaining A*-C is well above national average. In the 2003 teachers’ assessments at the end of Year 9, the percentage of students gaining the expected Level 5 was above the national average. Evidence from lessons shows that student achievement is very good

p.27

Standards and achievement

73. Standards at the end of Year 9 are at national standards and at the end of Year 11 are above national averages. GCSE results in the A*-C range in 2003 was very good compared with the national average. Passes in the A*-G range were above the national average. This quality has been sustained over several years. Lessons seen during the inspection in Years 7 to 11 were at least good and often very good. Achievement is very good because teachers are very imaginative and create a successful, challenging and supportive atmosphere in which students thrive. Learning support assistants are deployed effectively and are very successful in supporting the work of students with special educational needs. The use of formative assessment enables pupils to evaluate their work and target improvement.

p.27

Teaching and learning

74. Learning seen during the inspection was very good due to very good teaching. The contributory factors of the very good eaching include teacher planning, teaching strategies used and resources. The teaching is very innovative; teachers are prepared to use leading-edge learning skills such as mind mapping to extend learning. A strength of the teaching is that students develop independent learning skills. However, there is a lack of sufficient development of ICT as a teaching and learning tool. The impact of timetable constraints upon staffing and lesson patterns has implications for the quality of teaching and learning when, for example, some year groups are taught by two teachers during the two week timetable. Systems for monitoring and evaluating the work of the department are in place, but are limited by the constraints of the lack of centralised data collation. Homework is used very effectively to challenge pupils and is a

p.27

Teaching and learning

successful extension of what is learned in the lesson. Fieldwork is well developed in all year groups and is integrated into the schemes of work extremely well. Monitoring of progress is good especially in the classrooms.

p.27

Leadership and management

75. Leadership and management of the department are very good. The head of department has a real vision of teaching and learning for the faculty and is full of drive and enthusiasm. She Cullompton Community College manages the day-to-day running of the faculty and department very efficiently. She is an excellent role model for the rest of the faculty and has worked hard to bring about change and to introduce various excellent initiatives including the development of assessment profiling, thinking and learning skills and related resources. Displays in the geography areas are extremely stimulating. It is an attractive and exciting teaching and learning environment for all students and staff and it enhances the students’ learning.

p.27

History

Overall, the quality of provision in history is very good .

p.28

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are above average and achievement is very high. • The quality of teaching and learning is very good and provides a challenging environment for all. • Timetable constraints lead to uneven staffing and lesson patterns which impacts upon the quality of teaching and learning. • The review of schemes of work to include tasks that match students’ varying capabilities has had a huge impact upon students’ achievements. • The lack of centralised planning of the use and analysis of student data is inhibiting the work of the departments monitoring of students’ progress. • The displays in the department create a stimulating learning environment. • Standards at the end of Years 9 are at the national average and at Year 11 are well above the national average. There has been a remarkable improvement in the results in the last three years.

p.28

Year 9 Year 11

Standards Average Well above average Achievement Very good Very good Teaching and learning Very good Very good

p.28

Year 9 Year 11

Leadership Very good Management Very good Progress since last inspection Very good

p.28

Examination results

76. Girls and boys achieved a higher proportion of A*-G grades than the national average in 2003. In the 2003 teachers’ assessments at the end of Year 9, the percentage of students gaining the expected Level 5 was above the national average. Evidence from lessons seen during the inspection shows that student achievement is very good

p.28

Standards and achievement

77. Lessons seen during the inspection in Years 7 to 11 were very good. Achievement is very good because teachers are very imaginative and challenge the students in all lessons. The teaching is well planned and creative and so develops historical skills, knowledge and understanding from an early stage well. Teachers are prepared to apply a variety of strategies in lessons to ensure that all students are able to achieve their very best.

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Teaching and learning

78. Teaching and learning are very good in Years 7 to 11. Teaching is very clearly structured, students are challenged by teachers’ enthusiasm for the subject and their high expectations for learning. Students quickly acquire the facility to make critical use of a wide range of historical sources and become increasingly skilled in analyzing, interpreting and evaluating them. A strength of the teaching is that students develop independent learning skills and the ability to Cullompton Community College evaluate their work. Student preparation for GCSE is very effective due to the concentration on historical skills and review of their own work. Nevertheless, the lack of ICT use and the difficulty of black out facilities in the history room limit the full development of teaching and learning resources. Peer assessment is used well as a learning strategy and is a strength in the department. However, the impact of timetable constraints upon staffing and lesson patterns

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Teaching and learning

has implications for the quality of teaching and learning when, for example, some year groups are taught by two teachers during the two week timetable.

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Leadership and management

79. Leadership and management of the department are very good. The improvement since the last inspection in teaching and learning, and the subsequent results, has been very good. The review of schemes of work to include teaching strategies, resources and different tasks to match the students’ different capabilities has had a huge impact upon learning success. Systems for monitoring and evaluating the work of the department and student progress are in place, but monitoring and review of student progress and teaching and learning are limited by the constraints of the lack of centralised data collation. The work of the learning support team is very good, although time spent planning with the department is likely to enhance student learning.

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Religious education

Provision in religious education is good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is good and contributes well to student achievement. • The subject makes a good contribution to the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of students. • The good leadership and management of the subject ensure that students receive a rich curriculum. • Not enough attention is given to the monitoring of the work of teachers.

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Year 9 Year 11

Standards Average Above average Achievement Good Good Teaching and Learning Good Good

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Year 9 Year 11

Leadership Good Management Good Progress since last inspection Good

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Examination results

80. Standards in the GCSE short course were above average in 2003 where 77 per cent of students gained A*-C. In the GCSE full course, students gained 38 per cent A*-C which is below the national average. The short course results compare well with similar schools and represent good student achievement.

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Standards and achievement

81. Standards in Years 7 to 9 are average in relation to the Devon Agreed Syllabus. Given students’ below average standards on entry to the college, this represents good achievement. Students are able to link their knowledge of religion with their everyday experiences. The standards of work seen were average in Years 7 to 9 and above average in Years 10 and 11.

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Teaching and learning

Cullompton Community College 82. The quality of teaching is good overall. Students develop their knowledge and understanding of religious language, principles and concepts through the teachers’ effective use of discussion and questioning. The achievement of students with special educational needs is satisfactory, because students are provided with good support and with work to match their specific needs. The use of key words and technical language enable students to improve their speaking and listening skills. Students make good progress as a result of the teacher’s good knowledge of the subject and an awareness of individual student needs. Assessment procedures provide a clear basis for assessing what students know and understand. However, there is no specific assessment on learning from religion. Not enough work is done to set detailed targets and so, students are unclear about the standards they are reaching and what they need to do to

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Teaching and learning

improve. Information and communication technology is well used to enhance students’ learning and for research purposes.

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Leadership and management

83. Curriculum leadership is good with a clear sense of purpose and direction. The head of the department has a clear view of the needs of the subject. The subject is managed well with good planning and effective monitoring of students’ work. However, not enough is done to monitor the work of teachers, seven of whom are not specialists. Students’ spiritual and moral awareness is good. They demonstrate a respect for the views, faiths and traditions of each other.

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Leadership and management

84. Since the last inspection improvements have been made in planning and in the schemes of work. The hard work of the curriculum leader has achieved credibility for the subject. Overall, improvements have had a good impact on students’ achievement and their progress.

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Design and technology

Provision in design and technology is good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good teaching leads to good achievement. • Good use of ICT and computer-assisted design is helping to raise standards. • The good assessment practice in Year 7 needs to be extended. • Monitoring requires a sharper focus for consistency of practice. • There are insufficient curriculum opportunities in Years 10 and 11.

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Year 9 Year 11

Standards Average Average Achievement Good Good Teaching and learning Good Good

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Year 9 Year 11

Leadership Good Management Good Progress since previous inspection Good

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Examination results

85. Results in the GCSE examinations were average overall with a marginal improvement shown from the previous year. Girls performed better than boys. The results have been in line with the national average over recent years. Cullompton Community College

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Standards and achievement

86. Current standards in Year 9 are average overall. Attainment on entry is below average and pupils make good progress from Year 7 to Year 9. This shows good achievement for all students including those with special educational needs. Good work is seen in the automata project where good research and drawings, making good use of colour-improved presentation, and a range of good ideas in the balancing toy project used ICT and the Internet suitably. Weaker work is shown by sketches not labelled, work incomplete, use of pen and not pencil including felt tip pens, and spelling errors. Homework is regularly completed.

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Standards and achievement

87. Current standards in Year 11 are average overall and match the 2003 GCSE results. There is good work in resistant materials and food technology and improving standards in graphics. Achievement is good overall and girls usually do better than boys in most areas. Higher attainers produce good quality work as seen in the CD rack project in resistant materials and good use of the Internet for research into a cook chill product in food technology. In graphics, work is improving as seen in the project looking at logo designs for surfing equipment. Work by lower attainers can show over use of commercial material for research, drawings not in proportion, or ideas not developed in any depth. Standards of practical work are good and often very good.

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Standards and achievement

88. Literacy skills are well supported and numeracy skills are satisfactory. ICT is used well in students’ work including computer assisted design packages for generating ideas, and the Internet for research. Students’ attitudes are usually good but on occasion students are slow to respond to teacher requests for attention. Listening skills are weak for some students.

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Teaching and learning

89. The quality of teaching and learning is good overall with some very good and satisfactory teaching seen. In the better lessons learning is increased because of the good teaching strategies used. Good subject expertise, good use of resources, good planning and good student management are some features of most lessons seen. Some lessons, however, do not challenge students sufficiently and there are instances of inattention and distraction which can affect student progress. A Year 10 lesson where students were using computer-assisted design to generate ideas for a clock project and a Year 9 lesson where students were learning about food products from other cultures were lessons where considerable gains in learning were achieved because of the good teaching. In a Year 11 lesson students developed their practical skills to a high level when producing good quality products in food technology.

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Leadership and management

90. Leadership and management are good overall. There is good direction for the subject, staff are well qualified and show expertise across different specialisms. Increase in the use of ICT and computer assisted design in students’ work is helping to raise standards but there are difficulties in accessing suitable equipment for effective delivery of control technology. The use of open-ended tasks suitably challenges students of all attainment levels in Years 7 to 9. Currently only half of Year 8 can benefit from textiles lessons. The good assessment practice used in Year 7 is not used so well in Years 8 and 9. Monitoring of teaching and learning and that of student progress is undertaken but needs a sharper focus for consistency of practice. Students are not always clear about how well they are performing.

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Leadership and management

91. Accommodation is good but the rooms can be cramped when full classes are present and there is very little storage facility particularly in resistant materials. There is a good display of students’ work in all rooms and in entrance areas. There is no external extraction fan in the materials preparation room which makes the room somewhat stuffy.

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Leadership and management

92. Improvements since the last inspection are good and ICT and computer-assisted design are now used more in students’ work: standards have been maintained or improved. New assessment procedures in Year 7, tasks set to suit all ability levels and extra-curricular clubs continue to be offered. Cullompton Community College

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Art and design

Provision in art and design is satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Currently the lack of the use of ICT, and resources for three-dimensional work prevent National Curriculum requirements from being fully met. • The GCSE results in 2003 were above the national average. • Students’ achievement in all years, is predominantly satisfactory, and is very good for a minority of students, although there is some underachievement among low attaining boys. • Teaching and learning are overall satisfactory; there is some good and some unsatisfactory teaching. • The monitoring of standards and teaching, assessment procedures and curriculum planning are underdeveloped.

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Year 9 Year 11

Standards Average Above average Achievement Satisfactory Satisfactory Teaching and learning Satisfactory Good

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Year 9 Year 11

Leadership Satisfactory Management Satisfactory Progress since previous inspection Unsatisfactory

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Examination results

93. Standards overall are broadly in line with national expectations at the end of Year 9. The 2003 GCSE results show good improvement from previous years, and standards are above the national average overall by the end of Year 11.

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Standards and achievement

94. Students have an average understanding of the basic art elements and their use. Strengths are in pattern work and the use of colour. Three-dimensional work, ICT, and computer aided design are not used to enhance and develop students’ skills, consequently understanding of these areas of the subject are insufficiently developed. Year 7 students use line, tone, colour, and shape in an imaginative way to create interesting compositions that symbolise their ideas, and Year 10 students express various emotions through their paintings of abstract images. They use hot and cold colours, very effectively. Students’ achievement is predominantly satisfactory, and the work of a small number of students in all years demonstrates good achievement. The majority of students are working up to their individual capabilities, although there is some underachievement amongst low attaining boys. Attitudes to the subject and to the tasks set are

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Standards and achievement

generally positive. Students with special needs are willing to learn, and persevere to develop their drawing and painting skills. A minority of students, mainly boys, are inattentive, and do not concentrate in lessons. However, the department makes a contribution to students’ personal development through the study of artists and movements past and present, through visits to art galleries, and curricular links with the environmental, social and moral considerations promoted through project themes.

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Teaching and learning

95. Teaching and learning are overall satisfactory; there is some good and some unsatisfactory teaching. Teaching is best where tasks are well planned to stimulate interest, where question and answer sessions are used effectively to hold attention and develop learning, where aims Cullompton Community College and objectives are clearly stated and demonstrated and where classes are well managed and pupil participation is encouraged. As in a Year 11 lesson, where good use of interesting reference resources, including the teacher’s own art work, promoted high achievement. Teaching is unsatisfactory where a significant minority of students are not listening to teachers’ introductions and become disengaged from the lesson, resulting in wasted time, and where weaknesses in class management result in insufficient whole class teaching and student participation.

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Leadership and management

96. Leadership and management of the department are just satisfactory. There is some lack of vision, and rigour in all areas of the departments’ work. The monitoring of standards and teaching is underdeveloped. Plans are insufficiently prioritised and focused on raising attainment. Resources, especially resources for three-dimensional work and computer aided design, should be used effectively to meet National Curriculum and examination requirements. Other areas for development are the greater use of assessment, target setting and the use of national data for the evaluation of standards. National Curriculum levels and level descriptors are insufficiently used or shared with students. There has been unsatisfactory improvement since the previous inspection, although GCSE standards have risen, the quality of teaching has not significantly improved, and many of the issues remain unresolved.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Relevant curriculum, including good extra-curricular provision. • Improving examination results. • Good teaching ensures good achievement throughout. • Good leadership provides a clear vision for the integration of the expressive arts. • Management of this effective department is good. • Lack of specific ICT programs prevent higher results in GCSE. • The bad behaviour of a minority impedes learning in Years 7 to 9.

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Year 9 Year 11

Standards Average Average Achievement Good Good Teaching and learning Good Good

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Year 9 Year 11

Leadership Good Management Good Progress since previous inspection Very good

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Examination results

97. Results in the most recent GCSE examination were within the average band and maintain the rising trend of the last three years.

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Standards and achievement

98. Students’ achievement is good. Most students enter the college with almost no knowledge or experience of music making. By the end of Year 9 they understand the purpose and construction of a ground bass, and play this, together with melodic lines, to an average standard. They understand the need for rehearsal, practice and performance. They experience music from a wide range of styles and cultures, and Djembe drumming is often used as a warm-up exercise in GCSE classes. By the end of Year 11, students’ practical skills are well Cullompton Community College developed, but their compositional skills are inhibited because of the lack of any ICT composition program within the department. Students’ attainment in Years 10 and 11 is average.

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Teaching and learning

99. Teaching and learning are good overall. All students are regularly reminded of what they know, and what to do to improve. Similarly all students appreciate being taught by a subject specialist. Lessons are well-planned and prepared. All tasks and experiences involve the students at their individual level and this is reinforced by the careful and precise use of question and answer to ensure and extend knowledge and understanding. Students with special educational needs achieve at the same rate as others. Gifted and talented students achieve well. Instrumental lessons and performance opportunities, such as ‘Thursday’s Child’, and the Carol Service, benefit many students.

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Teaching and learning

100. In Year 10, students work very hard to develop their compositions and use all their technical knowledge to devise interesting ways of illustrating the idea of an alien planet or galaxy. They have a very good sense of musical form and manipulate sounds on the keyboard very well. Students in Year 11 give elegant performances on the guitar, drums and in a 1960s’ song. They work well together, but do not generally take responsibility for their own learning.

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Leadership and management

101. The department is well managed. There is a clear vision and direction for development of the increasingly strong link between art, music and drama. Very good progress has been made since the previous inspection.

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Physical education

Provision in physical education is good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The management and leadership are good and provide a clear sense of purpose. • The students achieve well because the overall quality of teaching and learning is good. • Detailed planning of the curriculum and productive assessment procedures contribute to effective lessons. • The attitude of some boys in Years 10 and 11 is less than helpful to the teacher and to learning. • Other than in GCSE theory lessons there are no opportunities for boys and girls to work together. • The size of some teaching groups that results from the structure of the timetable, especially in Years 7 to 9, can affect the achievement of some students. • Greater development and use of ICT is needed to support the evaluation of students' performance.

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Year 9 Year 11

Standards Average Average Achievement Good Satisfactory Teaching and learning Good Satisfactory

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Year 9 Year 11

Leadership Good Management Good Progress since previous inspection Good

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Examination results

Cullompton Community College 102. Results in the GCSE examination are above average and continue a rising trend. The higher proportion of students achieving a grade D highlights the need for continued targeting of these students in their theory work.

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Standards and achievement

103. As part of their GCSE course students show good skill in gathering information, recalling facts and applying their knowledge and understanding. Girls in a Year 10 netball lesson have above average skills and can contribute to fluent passages of play involving excellent teamwork, precise skills and quick thinking. Through well structured skill based activities lower attaining boys in a Year 10 football lesson make very good progress in ball control, passing into space and shooting on target. Attainment in Years 10 and 11 is average. In a well taught Year 9 boys' hockey lesson the students' prior learning was used to good effect to devise penalty corner routines and to develop some sophisticated stick work and ball control. Girls in Year 9 are quickly applying their netball skills into learning the basic skills of basketball. Girls perform inventive gymnastic sequences with poise and precision in Year 7, although their linking

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Standards and achievement

movements are not so well defined and balance is not always maintained. Overall students achieve well, although their capacity to develop skills and techniques and to improve their practical performance is more sustained and has greater depth in Years 7 to 9 than in Years 10 and 11.

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Teaching and learning

104. Overall teaching and learning are good. Teachers model skills well, prepare carefully planned sequences of learning activities to develop skills, and use effective assessment and evaluation to ensure that weaknesses in performance are quickly identified and dealt with. The inclusion of students with special educational needs is both unobtrusive and highly effective. Relationships are generally very good. There are times when skill activities would benefit from being broken down into more easily assimilated tasks, and when questioning could probe more deeply the students' knowledge and understanding with greater attention being given to recap and review of progress during the lesson.

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Teaching and learning

105. The match of teachers to groups for some classes in Years 10 and 11 reduces the impact of teaching. The unhelpful attitude of some boys who lack attention and wish to work to their own agenda places too much emphasis on behaviour management rather than on the teaching of skills.

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Leadership and management

106. The clear sense of purpose that is evident in the department has resulted in a positive response to the issues raised in the last inspection. Better balance has been achieved in the curriculum and schemes of work for Years 7 to 9 are now of high quality. The pupils' achievement has improved because the overall quality of teaching is better. There is a clear desire to raise the students' expectations and to make learning enjoyable. There is an impressive set of aims and objectives to promote better teaching and learning, planning and the development of personal and practical skills. This enhances the determination of the department to raise achievement and for students to experience success. The improved outdoor facilities and the continued strong commitment to extra curricular activities have been recognised in the college once again being awarded the Sportsmark.

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Business studies

Provision in business studies is satisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Students are familiar with the key models and methods of the subject area. • Students make good use of ICT software packages to progress and illustrate their work. Cullompton Community College • Most students apply themselves satisfactorily and create a good volume of work. • Co-operative working is encouraged and constructive peer help aids achievement. • There is little contact with the world of work, either for the subject leader or for students. • Some students were unaware of the demands of the subject when making their option choices. • A small number of students lack concentration, have poor listening skills and cause minor disruption in class, which affects the progress of others.

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Year 9 Year 11

Standards Not applicable Average Achievement Not applicable Satisfactory Teaching and learning Not applicable Satisfactory

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Year 9 Year 11

Leadership Satisfactory Management Satisfactory Progress since last inspection Not applicable

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Examination results

107. There is a relatively large entry to this subject. Amongst these, a significant proportion find the subject somewhat difficult to follow. In part this explains why the results in the GCSE examinations are well below national averages. However, last year’s results were a significant improvement on those of the previous year.

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Standards and achievement

108. Students’ attainment in Years 10 and 11 is average. They have a satisfactory knowledge and understanding of key business models and of the vocabulary needed for studying the subject. They make satisfactory use of ICT to progress and illustrate their work. Because of the clear structure and good English of the departmentally-produced resources, they make gains in their abilities to communicate in business English and enhance their literacy skills. They make satisfactory use of number, making comparative analysis of data, for example through the use of calculators and through the formula functions of spreadsheets. A small number are slow to respond to the requests of the teacher and have poorly developed listening skills. However, overall and in view of their initial profiles this represents satisfactory progress and achievement for the majority.

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Teaching and learning

109. Overall, the quality of teaching is satisfactory. Lessons are planned well, and the key concepts, models and distinctive vocabulary of the subject are clearly presented. This enables the students to make satisfactory use of these in their project work and homework. The teacher is well informed about the requirements of the course, but has had little opportunity to extend his practical knowledge of the world of work, and until recently has had no significant and planned contact with teachers of the subject in other educational establishments. This restricts the range of examples and material that are placed before students. The pace of teaching is brisk and learning objectives are clearly set, but on occasion incidences of minor misbehaviour disturb the pattern. Most students have a commitment to the subject, and work co-operatively but despite the energetic efforts of the teacher a small number remain relatively disinterested.

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Teaching and learning

The potential of individual students is well known to the teacher, which allows realistic individual targets to be set and monitored. Marking and assessment are accurate, with comment designed to assist improvement.

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Leadership and management

110. Subject leadership is satisfactory. However, the role is constrained by the fact that there is only one teacher of business studies and few opportunities within the college for developmental work with other teachers with relevant expertise. Further, the subject leader has received few opportunities to develop the role in the wider community. Management is satisfactory. National Cullompton Community College and local education authority data are used to analyse cohort progress; individual progress is well recorded and knowledge of students is used to set clear targets for all.

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Citizenship

The quality of provision in citizenship is satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The citizenship scheme of work covers the statutory requirements. • Provision in citizenship is enhanced by the contributions made in other subjects. • Students benefit from some effective sessions on aspects of British politics. • The schemes of work lack a clear assessment strategy that would help to promote students’ achievement. • Some teachers teaching citizenship are not fully qualified such as to make their lessons interesting or to give students sufficient opportunities to reflect, analyse and discuss.

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Year 9 Year 11

Standards Average Average Achievement Satisfactory Satisfactory Teaching and learning Satisfactory Satisfactory

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Year 9 Year 11

Leadership Good Management Good Progress since last inspection Not applicable

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Standards and achievement

111. When given opportunities, students are willing and generally able to take part in discussions of some difficult issues such as damaging the environment and racial discrimination. In most lessons students are able to talk about basic knowledge of the British political system although a great deal of what they discuss is somewhat basic. Students enjoy the tasks set and work quite hard on them producing some good work. Achievement is satisfactory overall.

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Teaching and learning

112. Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall with some good features. Lesson plans are good and they are based on the very good scheme of work recently produced by the new citizenship co-ordinator. There tends to be some teacher control of discussions. When given the opportunity, students respond well and show a little bit of independence such as working on matching political ideals with political parties. In subjects other than citizenship there are some opportunities for independent discussions and some interesting debate on difficult issues. In these cases teachers bring out the best in the students. There are some teachers who feel ill equipped to teach citizenship and they tend to play things safe by relying too much on worksheets. The use of teacher assistants is very effective in enhancing all students’ achievement.

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Leadership and management

113. The leadership and management of the department are good. The person who co-ordinates citizenship has produced a very good scheme of work which is helpful to teachers having to teach a subject new to them. The scheme of work complies with legal curriculum requirements. However, it lacks sufficient guidelines to help teachers assess students’ work in a way that would help them improve their achievement further. Cullompton Community College

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The overall effectiveness of the school 3

How inclusive the school is 4 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 3 Value for money provided by the school 3

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Students’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 3

Attendance 3 Attitudes 3 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 4 Students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3

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The quality of education provided by the school 3

The quality of teaching 3 How well students learn 3 The quality of assessment 4 How well the curriculum meets students’ needs 4 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 3 Accommodation and resources 3 Students’ care, welfare, health and safety 4 Support, advice and guidance for students 4 How well the school seeks and acts on students’ views 3 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 4 The quality of the school’s links with the community 4 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 3

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The leadership and management of the school 3

The governance of the school 3 The leadership of the headteacher 3 The leadership of other key staff 3 The effectiveness of management 4

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The leadership and management of the school 3

Inspectors make judgements on a scale: excellent (grade 1); very good (2); good (3); satisfactory (4); unsatisfactory (5); poor (6); very poor (7).

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