Meadow High School

MEADOW HIGH SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 24 – 27 November 2003

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MEADOW HIGH SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Meadow High School - 2 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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MEADOW HIGH SCHOOL

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Special School category: LEA maintained community special school Age range of students: 11 to 18 years Gender of students: Mixed Number on roll: 181

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Royal Lane Hillingdon Uxbridge Postcode: UB8 3QU

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01895 443310 Fax number: 01895 420925

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body Name of chair of governors: Mrs Janet Ryerson

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 1 June 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Meadow High School is an 11-18 day community special school for 190 students. There are 180 students on roll, 109 boys and 71 girls, including 23 students in the Sixth Form. Every student is designated as having moderate learning difficulties and so attainment on entry is well below national averages. There are 113 students of White British origin, 16 of Asian–Indian origin and 14 from a mixture of other ethnic groups. The ethnic origins of 37 students have not been identified. Sixteen per cent of students speak English as an additional language, but most are fluent English speakers. Forty per cent of students receive free school meals and their socio-economic background is well below national averages. Student mobility is high.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The school is part of a local consortium of special and mainstream schools, which includes joint out- of-hours learning. The school makes joint post-16 provision and is part of the Young Enterprise initiative. The nature and role of the school is currently under review as part of the LEA inclusion strategy.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The school has recently been subject to LEA intervention, and they, together with governors, appointed an interim headteacher in April 2003. This was in response to a growing budget deficit and other management irregularities. The governing body was not legally constituted and many issues have had to be addressed for the school to operate efficiently and effectively. This has caused some stresses in the short term, but all the issues are being addressed and are on course to being resolved. Meadow High School - 4

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

21765 Mrs Patricia Pothecary Lead inspector French 9619 Mr Robert Miller Lay inspector 21899 Mrs Gillian Lawson Team inspector English as an additional language Special educational needs English Design and technology 20024 Mr Paul Wright Team inspector Geography Personal, social and health education Religious education 23412 Mr Alvin Jeffs Team inspector Mathematics Art Music 30142 Mr John T Morris Team Inspector Citizenship History Physical education 32874 Mr John Raho Team Inspector Science Information and communication technology Sixth Form

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Demeter House Station Road Cambridge CB1 2RS

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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). Meadow High School - 5

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY STUDENTS 8

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY STUDENTS 8

Students’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 11

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

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Meadow High School offers a satisfactory standard of education with many good features, including good achievements for pupils, a good quality of teaching and learning and strong leadership and management of the school. Value for money is unsatisfactory. The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are: • A large budget deficit, which has a negative impact on planning the pace of future school development. • The achievements and qualifications gained by most students are good. • High quality relationships between staff and students lead to good behaviour in the majority of lessons and generally around the school. • The good quality of teaching, overall, means that students learn well in the majority of lessons. • The curriculum is enriched through a wide range of visits and extra-curricular activities to enhance learning further. • The interim headteacher and new governing body, well supported by the deputy headteacher, have

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OVERALL EVALUATION

ensured effective direction and drive towards appropriate school improvement. • Inconsistency of behaviour management during the day leads to a small amount of regular disruption. In addition, a lack of effective strategies, such as a sufficient staff presence during lunch-times, leads to incidents of bullying being experienced by a significant minority. • There are insufficient opportunities for pupils to learn and socialise alongside their mainstream peers in local schools and colleges. This is particularly concerning for those pupils who have many equivalent skills to those of their mainstream counterparts. • Financial constraints have restricted development of the curriculum and associated resources. This is particularly evident in limits to the 14 to 19 curriculum and in the lack of up-to-date information and communication technology in all subjects. • The high number of recent staff changes has had a negative impact upon several aspects of the

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OVERALL EVALUATION

running of the school in the short term. In addition, the inherited staffing structure and staff responsibilities no longer fully meet the current needs of the school and students. • School performance management is unsatisfactory. A lack of suitable data prevents full analysis of student progress and too few staff are involved in monitoring teaching and learning. Improvement since the last inspection has been unsatisfactory. The overall effectiveness of the school declined until very recently. This was mainly because the governors and senior management lost control of the budget over the last two years. Since April 2003, new management has made many improvements. With a new governing body, a new interim headteacher and 50 per cent new teaching staff, it is in many respects a fresh beginning for the school. Recent improvements include improved budget control, improved curriculum planning and the beginnings of workforce reform. There is much still

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OVERALL EVALUATION

to be done. Developing systems to monitor the effectiveness of the work of the school is a major issue not addressed since the last inspection.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

in relation to individual targets in: Students’ achievement at the end of: Subjects of the curriculum personal and social education Year 11 Good Good Sixth Form Good Good Inspectors make judgements in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. Students achieve well in all age groups, including the Sixth Form. This is the same for all students regardless of ability, gender, special educational need or ethnicity. In English, students achieve well particularly in speaking and listening skills, which are fostered in all subjects. Students also show good achievements in mathematics and science. Achievements in art and French are exceptionally high, but in design and technology achievement is unsatisfactory, due to staffing issues. The majority of students leave school with a good range of qualifications.

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Students’ personal qualities, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, are

good. Students’ attitudes are also good and very good in the Sixth Form. The school is a well-ordered community and behaviour is satisfactory, overall. Students usually behave well in their lessons and Meadow High School - 7 around the school, showing consideration and respect for others. However, a minority of students are bullied, especially at lunch-times. This is linked to a lack of sufficient teaching staff on duty at these crucial times and inconsistency in following incidents through. Attendance and punctuality are both satisfactory. Students are helped to become independent.

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The quality of education provided by the school is satisfactory. The quality of teaching and

learning is good in most subjects, including English, mathematics, science and ICT. Teaching and learning is particularly good in art and in French in Year 11, but unsatisfactory in design and technology. Students of all ages and abilities learn well, overall. Good teaching motivates students with a varied range of activities, and good assessment ensures that individual students’ know what to do to improve. Although expectations of behaviour are inconsistent, behaviour is usually managed very well and students show very good concentration. The work of teaching assistants contributes substantially to the good learning and behaviour but, in a minority of lessons, their role is not always well defined. Some teachers do not plan effectively for individual differences. The quality of the curriculum is satisfactory. It is strong in the core subjects, and also in art, French and extra-curricular enrichment. Opportunities to use ICT in subjects of the curriculum are too few,

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The quality of education provided by the school is satisfactory. The quality of teaching and

because equipment is outdated. For students aged from 14 to 16 years, vocational education is too limited. Opportunities for students to be included in other local schools and colleges are unsatisfactory. In the Sixth Form, students have good opportunities for work-related learning, although Sixth Form accommodation is unsuited to its purpose. Homework is inconsistent and does not support parents sufficiently in help their children’s learning. The school provides sound levels of care, guidance and support for students and most feel they are involved in school life and can express their views. The school has a satisfactory partnership with parents and the local community but unsatisfactory links with other schools. Leadership and management of the school are good. The new leadership by the interim headteacher, supported ably by the deputy headteacher is effective in directing the school, and leadership

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The quality of education provided by the school is satisfactory. The quality of teaching and

teams are evolving well. School management is good, overall, and has taken many steps to rectify previous shortcomings. School performance management is not yet satisfactory, but improving. The staffing structure and responsibilities do not fully meet the current needs of the school and students. The work of the new governing body is currently satisfactory and developing well. A new headteacher has been appointed for January 2004. The great majority of parents are satisfied with the school, especially the quality of teaching, the care shown to students and the fact that their child enjoys school. However a significant minority express concerns about communication, information provided, homework, behaviour and incidents of bullying. Parents’ views are supported by the inspection findings. The majority of students enjoy school, feel that they are achieving well and think that school helps them to become mature and gain confidence.

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The quality of education provided by the school is satisfactory. The quality of teaching and

Concerns from a minority of students are similar to those of parents regarding a lack of homework and incidents of difficult behaviour and bullying. The most important things the school needs to do to improve are: • Continue to address the budget deficit as a matter of some urgency. • Continue to consolidate staffing to improve stability and restructure staff responsibilities to better meet the current needs of the school and the changing student cohort. • Seek to improve school performance management by: § Developing a database which will enable better analysis of pupil performance. § Involve more staff in monitoring the quality of teaching and learning. • Ensure that difficult behaviour and bullying are addressed by: § Implementing a consistently applied behaviour management system in all classes. § Taking measures, such as increasing staff presence during lunch-times, to address bullying. • Increase the opportunities provided for all students to learn and socialise alongside their mainstream

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The quality of education provided by the school is satisfactory. The quality of teaching and

peers in local schools and colleges, particularly those who demonstrate equivalent skills to those of their mainstream counterparts. • Continue to identify and prioritise key curriculum areas for development and secure improvement in the 14-19 curriculum and the provision of up-to-date ICT in the subject areas. and to meet statutory requirements: • Ensure that all requirements for inclusion and reporting to parents are met. Meadow High School - 8

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Students achieve well throughout the school. They achieve well in both key stages and the Sixth Form. Different groups of students achieve well regardless of ethnicity, gender, ability or special educational need. Achievement in all the core subjects is good, and, for French in Year 11 and art throughout the school, achievement is very good. Good achievement is evident in the majority of other subjects. No whole-school targets were set for the last academic year.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Achievement in English, mathematics, science and ICT is consistently good for the majority of students, including Sixth formers. • Achievement is also good in geography, physical education, religious education, music and French. • Most students gain good accreditation in a variety of subjects, but accredited achievement for those with the lowest academic ability is too limited. • Students achieve especially well in art and in French in Year 11. The artwork of older students is outstanding. • Achievement is unsatisfactory in design and technology, although food technology is good. • There is good achievement for students aged 14 to 19 in the courses studied. Students aged 14 to 16 do not achieve widely in vocational courses, which are too limited. • The school did not set whole-school targets for the last academic year and so performance cannot be judged against them.

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Commentary

1. Students make good progress through Years 7, 8 and 9 and, at age 14, achieve well in the Statutory Assessment Tasks. Standards of achievement improve each year. Science is the strongest subject in Year 7, but English shows good gains and the gap closes between science, mathematics and English as students progress through the school. By the age of 16, the majority of pupils gain some GCSE entry-level certificates, plus other qualifications in basic and life skills.

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Commentary

2. Students progress well against their individual targets. The school also failed to set annual, whole-school targets with the governors and local education authority as required. The interim headteacher has now set targets in mathematics.

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Commentary

3. In English, students’ good achievement steadily improves as they progress through the school, and they all leave with some accreditation. Students’ skills in speaking and listening develop particularly well, including those with speech and language difficulties. Most students are able to read and write with confidence by the age of 16 and in the Sixth Form. In mathematics, good progress in all attainment targets is evident as students move through the school and into the Sixth Form. All students gain an accreditation in mathematics and respond confidently to the approaches of the National Numeracy Strategy. Achievement is also good in science. However, the lowest achieving students do not have an opportunity to gain accreditation, other than in English and mathematics, which makes it harder for them to demonstrate their good learning.

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Commentary

4. Achievement in the majority of other subjects, including ICT, is also good throughout the school. In French, students’ achievement is above that found in similar schools, with a very high level of French speaking, reading and listening skills by the time they reach Year 11. In art, 96 per cent of students achieve GCSE and Sixth Formers gain AS level certification, which is Meadow High School - 9 outstanding. The very high quality of artwork around the school testifies to some exceptional achievements in this subject and is linked to the quality of teaching. In personal, social and health education students achieve satisfactorily. In design and technology, there has been unsatisfactory achievement in the resistant materials element, due entirely to staffing issues and a new design and technology teacher is being sought. However, students do well in food technology.

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Commentary

5. There is a limited range of opportunities, and therefore achievement, in the 14-16 curriculum, especially of work-related and vocational courses. Achievement in history, for example, for students in Year 11, is unsatisfactory owing to limited provision. This is linked to curriculum development, budget, staffing and leadership issues, which the school now seeks to address.

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Commentary

6. Achievement is, generally, equally good for pupils of different abilities and additional special educational needs, overall, However, in a few lessons, where teachers lack experience of special education, those with the highest and lowest abilities do not progress as well as might be expected.

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Sixth Form

7. Achievement is good in all the subjects studied by Sixth Formers and they achieve a good array of suitable accreditation. Students continue to improve their basic and higher level skills and some even take AS-level art. However, owing to fewer opportunities, achievement in college-based vocational courses, sport and physical education is more limited.

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Students’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

8. Students’ attitudes are generally good and very good in the Sixth Form. Students’ behaviour is satisfactory, overall, and good in the Sixth Form. Provision for their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is also good. Attendance and punctuality are both satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The majority of students have good attitudes to learning because lessons are interesting and this helps most students to learn well. • Students often support each other in class and appreciate one other’s differences. Relationships between students and staff are of a high quality and behaviour in most lessons and around the school generally is good. • All students contribute ideas and suggestions for improvements through the school forum. • There are some incidences of difficult behaviour and bullying, especially at lunch-times, when there are too few teaching staff on duty to support the duty teaching assistants, headteacher and deputy. • Students increase their knowledge of their own and other cultures well, through subjects such as art, music, English and religious education. • Older students on work experience and those who attend college, behave responsibly and are good ambassadors for the school.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good efforts are made by most parents to ensure their child’s punctual attendance at school. Absences are usually followed up effectively by the school and attendance has improved recently.

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Commentary

9. Attendance is satisfactory and broadly in line with the national average for similar schools. Unexplained absences are not always followed up conclusively by the school and this has resulted in a high unauthorised rate. Most parents try to ensure their children attend school punctually. Registers are kept well and meet statutory requirements. This is an improvement on the previous inspection.

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Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 6.0 School data 4.2 National data 8.4 National data 2.4 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

10. Many lessons are interesting and stimulating so that students are keen to do well and are pleased by their success. Relationships between students and with teaching staff are of a high quality and this supports the good attitudes seen. Students often support one another in class and are respectful of those with different abilities and aptitudes. Students respond well to the good opportunities provided to work independently and are keen to take responsibility. All students have the opportunity to contribute ideas and suggestions for improvements through the school forum and all vote for tutor group representatives. The majority of students report that they enjoy school and feel trusted to do things on their own, which is supported by the inspection findings. Students also feel that staff treat pupils fairly and with respect. The majority of students in the Sixth Form feel that they are helped to study independently.

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Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

11. Students’ behaviour is satisfactory, overall. Students know right from wrong and they behave well in the majority of lessons where staff set high expectations of conduct. However, not all staff apply the behaviour management system consistently and this leads to a small amount of regular disruption from a few students with behavioural difficulties. This is partly because several teachers are new and are just becoming familiar with the system. Teaching assistants know the students well and often follow through when behaviour is difficult, and help to support teachers well with the usually good behaviour. Several students and parents raised concerns about behaviour and bullying and during the inspection some students were observed picking on others. These occasions are not always noticed or tackled effectively because of insufficient staff presence in corridors and around the school, especially during lunch-times.

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Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

Older students on work experience and those who attend college, behave responsibly and are good ambassadors for the school. The number of students excluded for a fixed term in the last academic year had significantly increased compared with the previous two years. The 94 fixed-term exclusions represented only 7 boys and 5 girls, with the girls being significantly prominent. This was due largely to a minority of students reacting to significant staff changes and the loss of several highly experienced teachers. This has now reduced since September as the new staff have settled and more incidents are managed within the school. However, not all instances of exclusion are dealt with in accordance with the school’s procedures and the school is working to rectify this. There have been no permanent exclusions.

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Exclusions

Ethnic background of students Exclusions in the last school year

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Exclusions

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of students on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 113 94 0 Mixed – White and Black African 1 5 0

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Exclusions

12. Students increase their knowledge of their own and other cultures well through art, music, English and religious education and there are frequent outings to places of interest, including art galleries, museums and local places of interest. These visits are celebrated with a good range of displays Meadow High School - 11 around school. PSHE lessons contribute well to students’ understanding of what it is to live in a multicultural society. Students’ social and moral awareness and awareness of the needs of others are also developed well through opportunities to support charities and through discussion in class about how to behave sociably. Social skills are developed well through the school forum and students of all ages enjoy the responsibility of speaking for their classmates. Lunch-times are pleasant occasions where students learn to improve their social skills by example and encouragement from staff. They sit in groups and talk amiably to each other and staff, but listen

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Exclusions

quietly during the daily lunch-time moment for reflection. There is high regard for spiritual development; teachers successfully encourage students to reflect on the impact of their actions on others, and thoughtful moments are created in form tutor time, at lunch-time and during the different assemblies. In one of the assemblies, the atmosphere was electric as the students listened intently to a quietly told story of the difficult but inspiring life of a former student.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education provided by the school is satisfactory. The quality of teaching is usually good and students learn well in all age groups. The curriculum is sound, with several good features, but there are limits to the range of opportunities offered. The quality of care, guidance and support given to students is currently satisfactory. The school has sound links with parents and the wider community but is seeking to develop these further.

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Teaching and learning

The quality of teaching and students’ learning is good. The majority of subjects are taught well and students of all abilities learn well, overall.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching and the quality of students’ learning in almost all subjects are good, including English, mathematics, science and ICT. • Teaching and learning are good for students of all ages and abilities, including the Sixth Form. Students apply themselves well and often work well in groups and on their own. • Many lessons have a varied and interesting range of activities to keep students motivated. • Teaching assistants contribute substantially to student learning through good student and subject knowledge. • The majority of teachers and teaching assistants support behaviour well and students respond by being good-natured in taking note of what is said to them. • Assessment in lessons is usually good and used to plan effectively to support individual needs, so that students know what to do to make progress. • Most new teachers are settling in well and contribute positively to the good standards seen.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The management of behaviour in a few classes is weak owing to inconsistent use of the behaviour management systems and low expectations of behaviour. • The role of teaching assistants is not clearly defined in a few lessons, overlapping with that of the teacher. This leads to confusion for students over learning objectives and expected behaviour and so slows learning. • Too many lessons are without the support of the allocated teaching assistant, sometimes because they are required to follow up behaviour and other issues. This leads directly to slower learning, where students are without the support they need. • A few teachers do not understand fully the techniques required for meeting different individual needs during a lesson, leading to slower learning for some pupils. Meadow High School - 12

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 61 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

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Commentary

0 (0 %) 13 (21 %) 23 (38 %) 23 (38 %) 2 (3 %) 0 (0 %) 0 (0 %)

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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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Commentary

13. The good quality of teaching is consistent in almost all subjects. This leads directly to the good learning and achievement for students in all age groups. This is holds true for students of all abilities regardless of gender, ethnicity or special educational need. In English, high quality teaching in speaking and listening skills is supported in all subjects and students speak confidently in lessons and to visitors. In mathematics, students are quick to learn how to use numbers and measurement in everyday life. In French, in Year 11, and in art, teaching and learning are very good and the work produced is clearly of a much higher standard than that found in other similar schools. Students do not learn well in the resistant materials element of design and technology, due to unsatisfactory teaching, and the teaching post is very recently vacant. In PSHE and history, teaching and learning are satisfactory rather than good. In these

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Commentary

two subjects, the change in staffing has led directly to a fall in the quality of teaching and learning and new co-ordinators have been appointed who are beginning to address the issues.

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Commentary

14. In most lessons it is the interesting and motivating range of activities that help students to enjoy what they are doing and want to learn more. For example, in English, role-play, writing frames and overhead projector displays lead to some exciting learning. In French a wide number of games enliven all lessons, creating fun and competition as students try to match words to pictures, or call out the number from a dice. Lessons are well organised and this helps students to work independently and in groups, showing a mature attitude to learning. Almost all teachers are also using assessment well to plan how to take individual learning forward and so students of all abilities know what they need to do to make progress. A few teachers do not do this and are unclear as to how to support the most and least able in the classroom. In these lessons students are not clear how to make expected progress and learning is slowed as a

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Commentary

result. However, most of the teachers who lack these skills are very keen to acquire them. They generally have a good relationship with the students and already show improvement in their ability to teach effectively. This is why teaching is good, overall, despite the large number of recent changes.

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Commentary

15. The work of teaching assistants is pivotal in many lessons. They know the students and often the subject matter very well, as in art. Their presence and knowledge of how to manage behaviour have supported stability for students during this time of change very well. In many lessons good individual support, well-timed intervention and reinforcement of expected behaviour, by teaching assistants, leads directly to good learning by students. In one lesson, the teaching assistant took note of how students had behaved and reminded them about their targets. They seemed pleased about this and agreed about what they should do. There are, however, some issues with regard to the role of teaching assistants. In a few lessons this is not clearly defined and overlaps with, or inadvertently undermines, the work of the teacher. This causes confusion about what is expected from students in terms of learning objectives

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Commentary

and behaviour and this hinders the teacher’s ability to take learning forward clearly. In addition, in several lessons where students needed additional support, there was no teaching assistant present and student learning was slower as a result.

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Commentary

16. Some teachers do not follow the behaviour system consistently and in a few lessons a casual attitude towards behaviour means that students are unclear as to what is expected. Others focus on the negative behaviour, lacking the skills to emphasise good conduct sufficiently. This leads to occasional disruption in lessons where the learning of others is hindered. This is a Meadow High School - 13 direct result of staff changes and difficulties in keeping staff development up-to-date. However, the behaviour in the great majority of lessons is good or very good, due to good management, and the school is aware of the issues to be addressed.

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The curriculum

Overall, the quality of the curriculum for all age groups, including the Sixth Form is satisfactory. Enrichment through extra-curricular provision is good, in particular, participation in activities linked to the arts. Some curricula and inclusion opportunities in all age groups are too limited. Accommodation and resources largely meet the needs of the students aged 11 to 16, but not in the Sixth Form.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The quality of provision in English, mathematics and science is good throughout the school, ensuring a good strong basis to students’ overall education. • The curriculum for students aged 11 to 14 years is good and supports their basic skills well in all subjects. • The curriculum provision in art and French is very good and adds considerably to the development of self-esteem and the confidence of the students. • Good enrichment, through extra-curricular activities, educational visits and expertise from outside the school, enhance learning and improve motivation for many students. • Opportunities for students to be included in community schools and colleges are too limited. • The breadth of the curriculum for students aged 14 to 16 years is unsatisfactory. It restricts opportunities for all students to experience a wider range of relevant courses and limits accreditation. • The quality and range of ICT used in the subject areas is too limited, restricting some

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Main strengths and weaknesses

opportunities in the subject areas. • The number of teachers and support staff, their qualifications, experience and responsibilities, largely meet the needs of students, overall. However, their expertise is not well balanced to provide the full range of courses and support required in different subjects and for different age groups, especially for students aged 14 to 16 years. • Parents are not sufficiently enabled to be involved in their childrens’ learning programmes. • Accommodation is satisfactory, overall, with some very good facilities for art and design and technology, but the Sixth Form accommodation is unsatisfactory. • The curriculum for students in the Sixth Form is satisfactory, with a strong vocational element, which prepares them well for the next stages of their career. The range of college courses available to them is too limited.

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Commentary

17. The satisfactory curriculum meets all statutory requirements. The curriculum is organised well for almost all subjects to make sure that students can build upon their learning from year to year.

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Commentary

18. The curriculum in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science is good for all age groups providing a strong basis for their overall education and literacy and numeracy are promoted well in other subjects. ICT has a good curriculum for discrete lessons, but it is not used sufficiently in the subject areas. In addition, for students aged 11 to 14 years, a good programme to improve basic skills helps them to develop literacy skills and to understand time and money well. Students are encouraged to develop interest and skills in the use of money by using everyday situations, such as tuck shop price lists. Teachers are encouraged to use vocabulary lists within all lessons, although examples have not been formally produced by the basic skills co-ordinator yet. There has been a recent mismatch between provision for new students, with English as an additional language (EAL) in the Sixth Form, but provision is

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Commentary

suitable in the rest of the school. Meadow High School - 14 19. Most subjects are organised well, including religious education. The school provides a daily act of collective worship. French and art stand out as very good. Signs in French around the school promote the awareness and use of French, which students speak well with confidence. Almost all students achieve a GCSE in art and, in the Sixth Form, five students are studying for the Advanced AS level examination, which is exceptional. Although the food technology curriculum is good, the resistant materials element of design and technology is unsatisfactory, mainly because staffing has been a problem.

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Commentary

20. Extra-curricular activities and educational visits contribute substantially to students’ learning. For example, during the inspection, students in Year 8 visited the local mosque and a post-16 group did a workshop at a local bank to support their lessons. Students are helped to develop their skills and interests at lunch-time, including choir practice, ICT club, and a range of other activities organised by the teaching assistants. High standards and student motivation in art are helped through trips to art galleries. The physical education department organises day trips, and students in Year 9 develop a host of personal, social and physical skills through a week’s residential course at an outdoor activity centre. Visiting specialists are invited to widen students’ experience; for example, science museum staff held a drama workshop on gravity and students from the local university performed live music. Good displays of this work show

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Commentary

how learning is brought alive and enjoyed by the students.

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Commentary

21. Opportunities for students to be included in activities at local schools and colleges and to gain mainstream academic, vocational and social experiences, are currently unsatisfactory. There are no opportunities for higher achievers to access additional accredited courses within local mainstream schools and no students have an inclusion plan. The school is beginning to address this and the out-of-hours learning project is an example where links with neighbouring schools provide joint activities in food technology, drama, ICT and art.

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Commentary

22. The wider curriculum for students aged 14 to 16 years is unsatisfactory. There is accreditation for several subjects at GCSE entry level. However, this does not meet the educational needs of the wide range of ability and personal aptitudes of students. There is a lack of accreditation for vocational and life skills courses in the 14 to 16 age range. There are, currently, no accredited courses in personal and life skills, independent living, work skills or learning skills for this age group. Accreditation for students of lower academic ability is limited to the unit awards in English and mathematics. Students do not have access to college vocational courses or community projects and some students do not have access to conventional work experience due to their additional learning and behaviour difficulties. Provision, and therefore progress, for students in Year 11 history is also unsatisfactory. Changes in staffing have

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Commentary

restricted curriculum development for students aged 14 to 16 years and, in particular, the development of individual curricular plans linked to personal profiles.

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Commentary

23. Staffing is an issue, which has a negative impact on the curriculum in other ways. There are sufficient teaching and support staff, but recent teaching staff changes have meant that several teachers are new, and new to special schools or to the English school system. Management has organised the timetable to balance the range of staff skills, but this means that some courses, such as ICT in Year 11, were late to run, and some courses do not have sufficient time allocated to help students do as well as they can. In addition, teaching assistants are not in all the groups that need them. There is room for manoeuvre; teaching groups are often smaller than in similar schools and new staff skills are quickly developing with support from senior managers. Senior management recognises the need for change and are instigating workforce reform better to address the needs of both the school and the students.

p.14

Commentary

24. Parents do not feel that they are sufficiently involved in their child’s learning programmes and feel that they are given too few opportunities to support school learning targets at home. The Youth Award Scheme, where parents are actively involved in monitoring progress in the option on Home Management, indicates that many parents are keen to be involved as partners in learning. Meadow High School - 15 25. Accommodation and learning resources are satisfactory, overall. There have been some good improvements and refurbishment in the school accommodation since the last inspection. The school continues to provide very good accommodation for the teaching of art, and outdoor games now takes place on the very good neighbouring sports field. Much of the school is well appointed. The Sixth Form accommodation, however, remains unsatisfactory. Students’ lessons mainly take place in temporary classrooms, there are no areas for private study and

p.14

Commentary

no common room for Sixth Formers to congregate socially. This has a negative impact on the culture and definition of the Sixth Form as distinct from younger students in the school. The school office is badly situated and toilet facilities for female staff are insufficient for their number. All of this, has a negative impact on the quality of education offered.

p.15

Commentary

26. Resources are good in several subjects including English, art and French, and in the Sixth Form. However, they are unsatisfactory in science, ICT and history, with a negative impact on learning in those subjects.

p.15

Sixth Form

27. The overall Sixth Form curriculum is satisfactory and the courses taken are well organised. Work-related learning at 16 to 19 is good. However, the lack of inclusion in other college courses and the lack of a distinct Sixth Form identity in the school, limits the experience for many students. Students enjoy their half-day at a local college but the range of courses to suit individual preferences is limited because they are taught as a separate group. Several elements of their curriculum are good. The life skills and vocational studies sections of the Youth Award Scheme give them the confidence and skills for the future. The one-week work experience placement each term, followed by a continuation day each week, is very good. In some lessons there are good cross-curricular links with the students’ work experience placements. Support from the Connexions adviser with regard to their future placements is

p.15

Sixth Form

good. The school is keen to develop current practice. There are good links with the Hillingdon Education Business partnership, which supports their Team Enterprise initiative. For this, students set up a company called ‘Giggles’ and have-made and sold Christmas decorations and craft items.

p.15

Care, guidance and support

The school provides sound levels of care guidance and support for students and most feel they are involved in school life and can express their views.

p.15

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Induction arrangements are good for students entering the school for the first time. • Relationships between most students and most staff are good. • Newly appointed staff and governors have not yet been made fully aware of child protection procedures or the guidelines accompanying them.

p.15

Commentary

28. Parents and students alike consider this to be a caring school where staff treat them fairly and with respect. The school encourages students to become mature and independent.

p.15

Commentary

29. Relationships between most students and most staff are good. This ensures that students are comfortable about approaching individual teachers or support staff for help or guidance. The students are also able to share happy moments and events in their lives. The PSHE programme, together with satisfactory systems for monitoring students’ progress, enable staff to provide targeted support for individual students and groups of students. This is effective and is a key to the overall good progress that students make. The newly revised individual education plans, student targets and annual review systems are well placed to support the Meadow High School - 16 necessary guidance given to individual students and their parents. Systems for analysing whether different groups of students do equally well are not in place. This is a significant shortcoming, recognised by new management and is being addressed.

p.15

Commentary

30. A high number of students join the school at different times of the academic year. Their induction programme is good, particularly for those joining the Sixth Form - who receive a two- day familiarisation programme. These induction arrangements enable students to settle in quickly. Over three-quarters of all students believe that the school is interested in their views and actively seeks and responds to them.

p.16

Commentary

31. The school has sound procedures in place for child protection and there is a designated teacher whose brief is to ensure all recently appointed staff and governors receive up-to-date awareness training. This training is not yet complete because the system is very new.

p.16

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The school has a satisfactory partnership with parents and the local community. The links with other schools and colleges are unsatisfactory.

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

• End-of-year academic reports are very good. • Procedures to deal with complaints and parental concerns are good. • The school prospectus is out-of-date. • Links with other schools are underdeveloped. • Parents are not supported sufficiently well in helping students with school work at home.

p.16

Commentary

32. The vast majority of parents are satisfied with the work of the school and what it provides. They say their children like school and that they are making good progress. They think that teaching is good and that staff expect their children to work hard and do their best. The school seeks parents’ views and takes account of their suggestions and concerns and deals with them well. However, there is a significant minority of parents which believes that not all students behave well and that there is bullying in the school. A number also think that the school could do more to enable them to help their child at home.

p.16

Commentary

33. Inspection findings are that there is an inconsistency of behaviour management during the day that leads to a small amount of regular disruption. In addition, there are insufficient senior staff present during lunch-times, which, in the absence of other measures, leads to incidents of bullying experienced by a significant minority of students.

p.16

Commentary

34. Homework is not given consistently and has continued to be a problem since the last inspection. Because of this, parents do not find it easy to help with their child’s learning at home. A new-style home-link book has recently been issued to students as a way to begin to address this difficulty.

p.16

Commentary

35. The information provided for parents is satisfactory, overall. Around three-quarters of all parents consider they are kept well informed as to how their child is getting on. The end-of-year academic reports provided for parents are very good. They are written in a personal style, contain targets for students to achieve and describe what they can and cannot do. The governors’ annual report to parents is comprehensive and meets legal requirements. The school prospectus, on the other hand, is out-of-date. Newsletters keep parents informed of events and contain other useful information but are not always timely or regular enough. There is a Friends Of Meadow School Association, but parents are not actively encouraged to come and help with their child’s learning in school. Meadow High School - 17 36. The school has yet to develop effective links with feeder secondary schools and colleges whereby students’ inclusion into mainstream education can become a reality. There are

p.16

Commentary

currently insufficient opportunities provided for all students to learn and socialise alongside their peers in the mainstream. This is a particular issue for students who have many similar skills to students in the mainstream.

p.17

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are good . The interim headteacher has provided good leadership and very good direction for the school over the past nine months, well supported by the deputy headteacher. Governance is satisfactory. The newly constituted governing body is in the early stages of setting up processes and financial procedures to rectify the serious mistakes of the past.

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is a large budget deficit, which restricts the pace of planning for future school development and improvement. • The interim headteacher has taken a firm and very effective lead in guiding the staff and governors through a difficult period. • The interim headteacher and chairman of governors, have prepared a relevant and detailed plan for improvement. • The large number of recent appointments has led to a significant change in staffing. This has had a negative effect in the short-term on several aspects of the running of the school. • Members of the senior management team are now implementing new policies well and show very good commitment to inclusion. However, not all senior staff are fully involved in the implementation of a whole-school approach to behaviour management. • Performance management is unsatisfactory, as the system has halted recently. Apart from the headteacher and deputy headteacher, too few staff monitor and develop teaching. In addition,

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

useful data has not yet been analysed to give a clear view of how well different groups of students are doing, and so cannot help subject leaders adapt their curriculums to better suit the needs of current students. • Action to rectify the large, inherited, budget deficit has resulted in constraints on curriculum and resource development, particularly with regard to ICT. • Good financial procedures are now in place to monitor spending and to begin to address the budget deficit, although this will remain for some time.

p.17

Commentary

37. Governance of the school is now satisfactory. Until the new governing body was formed, at the end of the summer term, school governance was very poor and the body was not legally constituted; governors were not aware of the issues and had no effective financial control. Many of the school’s current problems stem from this, which allowed a large financial deficit and inappropriately high salary levels to develop. In this context, the newly constituted governing body, guided very well by the interim headteacher, has now begun to address the issues. They have successfully undertaken a large number of tasks since the summer term, including appointing the new deputy headteacher and a new headteacher for the spring term, 2004. The governors have a clear idea of the strengths and weaknesses of the school and feel increasingly able to challenge as well as support senior management. They meet all their

p.17

Commentary

statutory duties except for ensuring suitable inclusion plans and reporting up-to date- information in the prospectus. .

p.17

Commentary

38. Leadership is good, overall. The interim headteacher has been charged with overseeing substantial change and renewed direction. This has been a difficult brief, which he has carried out firmly and effectively. The clarity of the headteacher’s vision, with its emphasis on high standards both of achievement and behaviour is very good. This has, for example, resulted in Meadow High School - 18 the development of more effectively led teams within the school and a spirit of shared leadership by staff. However, communication with parents, pupils and staff has been complicated by the inherited situation and the speed of necessary change. This has contributed to some short-term confusion and dissatisfaction amongst students, parents and staff. There has been a high turnover of teaching staff. This situation is now more stable. The majority of parents are appreciative of the school and think well of the management.

p.17

Commentary

39. Many departments and year groups are well led, but not yet all. Senior staff understand their role in managing behaviour at all times during the school day. However, they are not around at crucial times, such as lunch-time, to set an example to other staff and to respond effectively to incidents of difficult behaviour and bullying as they occur. Difficult behaviour is often managed by teaching assistants, who cannot follow every issue through without suitable support. The headteacher and deputy headteacher are the only teaching staff on duty at this time and they are pulled in many directions at once.

p.18

Commentary

40. School management is now good, overall. Self-evaluation is highly accurate and most of the necessary steps have been taken to run the school efficiently and as required. For example, policies and schemes of work are now written and individual education plans have been reviewed. Not all of these steps have had time to take effect. As a result, performance management is unsatisfactory because it was halted temporarily. The monitoring of teaching and learning is undertaken by too few staff and has not yet resulted in a consistent approach in lessons, particularly towards behaviour. However, both headteacher and deputy headteacher have been actively involved in monitoring and developing teaching and are now well placed to identify appropriate targets in conjunction with staff. Similarly, there has been little progress in the analysis and use of the large amount of data that the school has collected. This means that

p.18

Commentary

there is no satisfactory process for monitoring how well different groups of pupils are achieving so that the strengths and weaknesses in planning and curriculum can be identified. As there has been an increase in the complexity of need amongst students, this means that the learning needs of a few students in some classes are not yet being met.

p.18

Commentary

41. The many new staff have received good induction to the school and are already making a positive contribution to students’ learning. Staff development is ongoing and appropriate, but is limited by the inherited budget deficit. There is a significant problem with regard to staff roles and responsibilities, including the role of teaching assistants, because of the many changes of staff. This has also resulted in the inefficient deployment of teachers, and especially teaching assistants, at certain times during the day and has led to some timetabling issues which have a negative impact on student achievement. This is in addition to the inconsistency over behaviour management discussed previously. The interim headteacher and governors have recognised the need for workforce reform and are planning to overhaul the staffing structure, roles and responsibilities within the school as a matter of some urgency.

p.18

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 1,460831 Deficit from previous year -22,739 Total expenditure 1,518176 Deficit carried forward to the next -80,084 Expenditure per student 8,317

p.18

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

42. Expenditure per student is high compared with schools of a similar type. An unacceptably large deficit remains, which still needs to be addressed. Staffing costs constitute 91 per cent of the overall budget and were over 93 per cent in the previous year. This is far too high and represents very poor management in the past. It has meant that funding for curriculum and resource development was very limited at only 1 per cent of the total budget and, inevitably, has a negative impact on student achievement. Meadow High School - 19 43. The school seeks best value wherever it can, but is not yet doing enough to consult parents on possible improvements. Funds for training have been used appropriately and financial processes are now in place to ensure that all monies are used for the purpose intended.

p.18

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

44. The most significant aids at Meadow High School to good school improvement and to raising achievement are the willingness and commitment of all staff and governors and the good teaching skills of teachers and teaching assistants. This is supported by knowledgeable and clear direction by the interim headteacher to take the school forward. A testament to this has been the maintenance of good overall learning by students despite the recent problems.

p.19

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

45. A major barrier to raising achievement has been the very recent history of mismanagement and linked budget and staffing issues. In addition, the school has been receiving students with some higher-level skills similar to those in the mainstream on the one hand and yet has had an increase of students with more significant learning difficulties on the other. This has meant that all staff are having to adapt their approach and develop new skills in teaching this wider range. Meadow High School - 20

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching in English is good throughout the school and, as a result, learning and achievement are good . • The National Key Stage 3 Strategy for English is generally well developed . • Good development in planning has enabled most teachers to develop the full breadth of students’ literacy understanding and skills. • A good range of accreditation, which meets all needs, means that all students leave school with suitable external qualifications. • The high number of recent staff changes has created difficulties in staffing and timetabling. This has resulted in some inconsistency in teaching and has had a negative impact on learning and achievement in a few lessons. • Assessment is now central to the teaching process . As a result, students’ performance is carefully tracked and the majority of work is matched effectively to individual needs and students are enabled to work at the right level. • There are very good resources compiled by the English co-ordinator, with the exception of the

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

limited ICT resources, to support learning in English.

p.20

Commentary

46. Overall, students’ achievements in English are good throughout the school. Students show particularly good achievement in speaking, with some of the younger students in Years 7 and 8 expressing themselves clearly. The strong focus on developing students’ speaking and listening skills is well planned to help students with different needs. For example, drama and role-play were used in one lively Year 7 lesson, where students discussed a news article about an angry exchange between local residents and the council over an infestation of rats. The teacher linked the lesson effectively to previous work they had done on the story of the Pied Piper of Hamlin. Students played the parts of the angry residents or placatory councillors with great gusto, practising and improving their skills effectively. Although speaking skills are more developed than listening skills in younger students, as students move through the school, both

p.20

Commentary

these skills develop rapidly because of the good opportunities provided in all subjects for students to listen and speak actively. Even those students with quite severe speech and language difficulties, through careful monitoring and assessment, and an effective level of structured support in the classroom, make good progress. By the time students leave school, they have clarity and confidence in speaking and use active listening skills well.

p.20

Commentary

47. Achievements in reading are good. Higher-attaining students in Years 10 and 11 are confident readers, although their understanding sometimes lags behind their reading ability. Teachers use a range of strategies, including very good, well illustrated worksheets, to develop students’ skills of comprehension. They place great importance on checking that students understand the main elements in their texts. Lower-attaining students read, at a simple level, age- appropriate texts. There are good opportunities for students to practice their reading skills in daily form periods where volunteer older students, teaching assistants and teachers hear students read. Students in the Sixth Form, working for their examination module, respond to their Shakespeare text, Romeo and Juliet , with enthusiasm and good understanding. In one Meadow High School - 21 good lesson, students showed emotion at the vivid vocabulary, and were enthused by the

p.20

Commentary

tension and excitement of the play. The very good resources, stimulating pictures and high quality mock newspaper articles, helped to bring the text to life and the students made good progress. Lessons in English, through these good resources and the excitement and delight good teachers bring out in the texts, provide effective opportunities for students’ spiritual, social, moral and cultural development. Carefully selected visits to the theatre and cinema greatly enhance the curriculum and give students great pleasure in live performance.

p.21

Commentary

48. Teachers pay good attention to the Key Stage 3 strategy and framework for teaching English and most lessons in English are active and engaging. Students achieve well in writing and have made good progress in this area in the last two years. Although most students enter the school with very limited writing ability, and have low levels of attainment, they make good progress in writing because of skilled and effective teaching, which is well-matched to individual needs. Older high-attaining students write in cursive, well-formed script and spell simple vocabulary accurately. Many students write at length and are beginning to use more interesting vocabulary in their descriptive writing. Some lower-attaining students, who have difficulty in forming letters neatly, are beginning to use ICT to produce very attractively presented work. Students are encouraged to use ICT to support their work in English, to word

p.21

Commentary

process and publish. However, the lack of ICT resources, software and computers, hampers this development both in ICT and English.

p.21

Commentary

49. The quality of teaching is good, overall. No unsatisfactory teaching was seen and, in several lessons, the teaching was very good. Most teachers tell students exactly what they are going to learn and lessons have a clear focus. The best teaching placed emphasis on explaining effective ways of working and using a high quality and inspiring range of resources to bring lessons to life. For example, in one Year 9 lesson, the teacher introduced atmospheric music and pictures to help students understand elements of setting and how authors introduce atmosphere in writing. Although the teacher’s expectations were high she showed students, in small steps of development, how to reach their targets. Teachers balance praise with challenge very well, and the high quality of relationships between students and staff ensure that students grow in self-confidence and maturity. In some lessons, where teachers are

p.21

Commentary

temporary or new, the pace is slower, and students lose interested and are distracted at times. The teacher then spends some time on managing students’ behaviour. Some teachers are not used to working with students with such a wide range of special educational needs and have difficulty in pitching the lesson at the right level for everyone. Therefore students do not always learn at a pace best suited to their needs. However, the strong planning and the support of some very skilled and experienced teachers in the department, gives these teachers good support and this enables the majority of students in these lessons to make at least sound progress.

p.21

Commentary

50. Assessment is good and is central to the work in English. Students’ progress is systematically recorded through end-of-module assignments, teacher assessment and moderated writing assignments. The introduction of ‘P’ levels has enabled the department to record more accurately the small steps of progress of students. A new and comprehensive system of monitoring and tracking enables the school to record students’ performance accurately and, taking into consideration the nature of each student’s SEN, matches work and targets effectively to individual needs so that students are enabled to work at the right level. Targets are realistic but challenging and students know them and work to them.

p.21

Commentary

51. The management of English is very good. The co-ordinator has a clear and appropriate development plan and has worked hard to develop assessment systems and to provide a good range of accreditation for all students so that they leave school with some external recognition of their achievement. In Years 10, 11 and 12 students take the COA Accreditation course, GCSE English or GCSE Literature, with increasingly successful results. She is gradually managing to overcome the difficulties presented by a recent high staff turnover and difficulties in timetabling. These have meant that some classes are taught by more than one teacher, not all of whom are subject specialists. She runs weekly ‘drop in’ sessions where she shares Meadow High School - 22 planning and teaching strategies with new teachers and they are encouraged to watch model lessons. The subject manager regularly attends National Literacy Strategy meetings and there

p.21

Commentary

are regular training sessions on the appropriate strand of the Key Stage 3 Strategy. Lessons and planning are carefully monitored and this is gradually having an impact on standards of achievement. There has been good improvement since the last inspection in planning, curriculum development and assessment, with a positive impact on standards.

p.22

Language and literacy across the curriculum

52. Language and literacy are promoted effectively within other subjects, with a strong emphasis on speaking and listening in all lessons. For example, students discuss their work, extend their vocabulary, and develop their reading and writing skills in geography, PSHE, religious education and food technology.

p.22

French

53. The quality of provision in French is good and achievements are very good for older students. French has always been a very successful area of the school curriculum, with high quality levels of teaching and learning and exceptional levels of accreditation.

p.22

Commentary

54. Since September a new co-ordinator, who is French, has taken over. The students continue to achieve well in most of the school and very well in Years 10 and 11. Students aged 16 are on track to gain very good examination results in the entry level GCSEs. The quality of teaching is good, overall, and very good in Years 10 and 11. The new co-ordinator, is very well organised and had an enthusiasm for the subject that has helped to continue the high standards set in previous years. Teaching is skilled and knowledgeable and students speak French with confidence, showing good knowledge of a wide range of words and phrases. The main strengths in teaching is that lessons are very well organised, linked to good assessment and they have a very broad range of fast-paced and interesting activities to reinforce what is being learned. The main two weaknesses in teaching are: a limited knowledge of positive behaviour

p.22

Commentary

management techniques with some very difficult groups, and a limited knowledge of how to present information to the widest ability range of students with special educational needs. The co-ordinator is active in improving her skills and French is in good hands. Although the majority of resources are very good, a lack of ICT equipment prevents more up-to-date lesson presentation that the co-ordinator has prepared.

p.22

MATHEMATICS

Provision in mathematics is good for students of all ages.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards of individual achievement at 14, 16, and by the end of the Sixth Form, are good. • Teaching ranges from satisfactory to very good and is good, overall. It is typified by good knowledge and understanding of the subject and the needs of the students. • Some lessons do not make the best use of time or techniques available within the National Numeracy Strategy. • Current timetabling and lack of new resources restrict the mathematics curriculum and, thus, the achievement of students. • The programme and achievement for students aged 16 and18 in accredited courses are good. Meadow High School - 23 • Some assessment procedures are good, but they vary from teacher to teacher. • The subject is well led, but the monitoring of teaching is not carried out sufficiently well to enhance the classroom skills of newer and less confident staff.

p.22

Commentary

55. There is a very wide range of attainment when students enter the school. Some are still at an early stage of counting to ten, recognising simple patterns and identifying a few basic shapes, while others are already developing a basic knowledge of addition, subtraction and multiplication, with some experience of two- and three-dimensional shapes. By the age of 14, 90 per cent of students have made progress, with 80 per cent improving by between one and three full National Curriculum levels. By 16, both top and middle sets are entered for Welsh Board accreditation. All of these students pass, a significant majority with Level 2 and Level 3 passes. The small group of lower-attaining students sit National Skills Profile assessments and receive recognition for that.

p.23

Commentary

56. Overall teaching in mathematic is good. Teachers have a good knowledge of the subject and have a range of techniques for making it interesting for the students, whose needs they understand very well. Thus, in a very good Year 7 lesson, the teacher used overhead projector slides to model completion of the worksheet. Clear language was used to give helpful memory aids and explain the processes involved in calculating change from £5. The very effective use of the Numeracy Strategy three-part lesson, meant that students experienced a mathematical ‘warm-up’, with mental calculation activities, a solid central element, with worksheets and individual help, and a final, whole-class session, where calculators were used to check answers. Teachers and teaching assistants work well within classes and the wide range of needs is usually well catered for by suitably adapted activities.

p.23

Commentary

57. However, there a few weaknesses within teaching that have not been addressed. Students worked best when clear behaviour boundaries were set and time was well used. In too many lessons initial poor behaviour was left unchecked and no consistent approach to behaviour was seen within the lesson or across lessons. Students had different behavioural expectations from each teacher and this confused them. Although the three-part lesson has been well implemented in some lessons, this is not always the case. A number of lessons would have benefited from a tighter structure which, when explained to students, would have given them time targets and limited tasks which, in turn, would have assisted in more focused working by all students.

p.23

Commentary

58. Leadership is good. The co-ordinator has very good mathematical skills and has already delivered a number of demonstration lessons to assist other staff. However, the reticence to observe and advise other teachers is a weakness at present and a more rigorous monitoring of teaching is required to further enhance the good mathematical progress seen. There are good assessment processes developing, but, again, these are not seen in all lessons.

p.23

Commentary

59. The timetable does not allow enough time for mathematics or sensible blocking to allow setting in some years. In addition, lack of money for resources has had a negative impact on teaching by restricting the purchase of multiple sets of materials and equipment.

p.23

Mathematics across the curriculum

60. Numeracy skills are developed well in some subjects, for example, physical education, music and art, but this reinforcement is not yet consistent across all lessons. Meadow High School - 24

p.23

SCIENCE

Provision in Science is good, which is an improvement on the satisfactory progress identified by the last inspection.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The curriculum is good and is based on well-established published schemes of work. • Despite only being in post for three months the subject leader has organised the curriculum well but does not monitor teaching sufficiently. • Teaching and learning are good, overall. • Accommodation is of a good, standard with good laboratory facilities available. • Accreditation in Year 11 is unsatisfactory, with one-third of students not receiving any form of recognition. • Resources are poor, particularly for students aged 14 to 16 years, not allowing independent learning and full use of the laboratory facilities. • The use of ICT is at a very basic level and was not used in the lessons observed to reinforce learning nor to prepare worksheets and lesson plans, etc. • Individual learning targets are not set, only behavioural targets.

p.24

Commentary

61. Achievement is good, overall. For example, students make good progress in understanding fossil fuels and the characteristics of materials to allow the passage of light. Achievement in one lesson showed that students could solve problems mentally using real objects, but, overall, this aspect is not as strong as others because of resource restrictions. Students improve their understanding and their speaking and listening because great emphasis is placed on using scientific vocabulary, which was revised as the lesson, progressed. Support for numeracy was observed in one lesson when the teacher explained what a million was. Accreditation in Year 11 is unsatisfactory, however. Students do achieve good qualifications in the GCSE entry level examinations, but one-third of students do not receive any form of recognition to show what they have achieved, despite this being available in the form of completion certificates from the Welsh Board.

p.24

Commentary

62. Teaching is good, overall. All teachers are clear about what students will learn in each lesson, making sure that new learning builds on previous understanding. Most lessons are well planned, but resources such as worksheets lack colour or impact and do not always capture students’ interest, leading to some loss of concentration. In a few lessons, teachers failed to question and check whether students had understood and so some were left behind. Teaching assistants are usually deployed well and are well briefed. They encourage students to feel secure, so enabling students to achieve equally well. They also deal effectively with individual needs, for example, using sign language with a student with hearing difficulty. Although teachers mark students’ work regularly, there are few comments to indicate what is needed for each student to improve. Good assessment is used consistently when planning further

p.24

Commentary

lessons. However, although individual behavioural targets are set and monitored, individual learning targets are not set.

p.24

Commentary

63. The new subject leader organises and manages the curriculum well and is carrying out satisfactory monitoring and planning of the schemes of work. The adoption of the ‘QCA’ and ‘WJEC’ examination schemes of work and good overall organisation of the curriculum are contributing to the good achievement observed. However, there is too little monitoring of teaching and this results in variations in quality. A regular pattern of lesson observation to identify and share good practice is not established. Resources are poor. In Years 10 and 11 students do not have the facilities to study independently and they do not have full use of the laboratory facilities for lessons. Students rarely make use of computers to practise or support Meadow High School - 25 science. A limited range of software was available, but not enough or sufficiently appropriate, and this has reduced the use students can make of the technology.

p.24

Commentary

64. Science has improved soundly since the last inspection when teaching was satisfactory. However, there does not appear to be any improvement in monitoring teaching, resources, or target-setting.

p.25

Commentary

65. While students have some opportunities to improve their understanding in science in other lessons, these occasions tend to occur coincidentally rather than as part of systematic planning.

p.25

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Overall, provision for ICT in the school is satisfactory.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The ICT curriculum is well organised and the school is piloting the Key Stage 3 strategy adapted for students with special educational needs. • The quality of teaching and the way students learn in the discrete lessons are good. • In the Sixth Form and in English, religious education art, music, history and some mathematics lessons, ICT is used well to produce effective teaching and learning. • There is no accreditation for students in Year 11 but there is in the Sixth Form. • Assessment is not used to match lessons to individual needs, but the network has been updated so that a school-wide planning and assessment system is ready to be used. • The majority of equipment is out-of-date and cannot run more sophisticated software such as sound cards and access devices, which prevents independent learning in some subjects. • A minority of subject leaders do not use ICT effectively and some teachers have not taken

p.25

Commentary

66. Students achieve well in their discrete lessons, developing and building on skills as they progress through the school. Good use is made of the Internet to gather information; for example, a group of Sixth Form students investigated ‘Technology’ on the Internet and were able to use search engines with help. Students are enthusiastic about the subject and clearly enjoy their lessons. Students are able to use word processing in English and can produce data in mathematics. All students grasp the basics of using a computer in their ICT lessons. Students in the Sixth Form gain good accreditation in the National Skills Profile, but there is no opportunity to gain qualifications in Year 11, which means that students cannot demonstrate their good achievement.

p.25

Commentary

67. Teaching and learning are at least good. An enthusiastic and exciting approach motivates the students to do well. In most lessons, the teacher’s subject knowledge was used well to give clear, succinct explanations and demonstrations, for example, by using a projector to help students to learn the steps in using a piece of software. Furthermore, skilful questioning encourages all students to become involved. One group of students was highly motivated and excited by the prospect of a PowerPoint presentation about themselves. Targets are not matched to individual needs in lessons and this slows progress for a minority, although a level of achievement is recorded for each student. On occasions, however, lack of up-to-date equipment to allow individual working hinders further progress.

p.25

Commentary

68. Despite only being in the post since last September, the new subject co-ordinator has organised the curriculum well and is managing the subject to take it forward effectively. There is a good curriculum in place, which is well organised, and based on the Key Stage 3 strategy adapted to suit children with special educational needs. Assessment is not yet in place, but it is organised and the documents are ready to be used. However, these are not yet sufficiently Meadow High School - 26 simple to maintain in the long term. Resources are unsatisfactory. The majority of equipment is out-of-date and cannot run more sophisticated software. Equipment does not enable independent learning in some lessons, through a lack of sound cards or scanners for example. During the inspection, ICT was not taught to students in Year 11 as a result of recent staffing and timetabling problems. However, Year 11 lessons were planned to run immediately after the

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Commentary

inspection and so these students will receive suitable cover of the subject during the year. The school, therefore, does fulfil the statutory requirements. Since the last inspection planning has improved and is now good, but lessons are still not planned to meet students’ individual targets.

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Information and communication technology across the curriculum

69. The use of ICT in the school is satisfactory and the majority of staff make maximum use of the outdated ICT equipment available. A minority of subject leaders do not use ICT sufficiently and lack skills to plan lessons using the technology. The network has now been updated and is ready to use ‘The Skills Factory’, a central system for teacher planning, students’ records and assessment including P scales. Teachers are not yet taking advantage of the training offered. In many classes, most notably in the Sixth Form and in English, religious education, art and some mathematics lessons, ICT is used well and appropriately to produce work-sheets, teaching and learning resources and to interact with students in many cases. It is not used sufficiently in science to prepare resources and reinforce learning interactively. There is no equipment to support French, although the co-ordinator has the materials and skills to use it. In

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Information and communication technology across the curriculum

addition, teachers are not all taking advantage of the weekly training offered by the ICT subject leader. Good use is made of new technology to provide symbols for students who have communication difficulties. In addition, digital cameras are used well to record individual achievement and in producing displays to support learning and celebrate achievement. Though some use is made of new technology for research and in the presentation of work, students have too few opportunities to improve their ICT skills in other lessons.

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HUMANITIES

Subjects in the humanities were sampled, with two lessons being seen in each subject, work was scrutinised and staff and pupils interviewed.

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History

Provision in history is, overall, satisfactory.

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Commentary

70. The scrutiny of students’ work and lesson observations indicate that teaching, achievement and progress in the 11 to 14 age group are satisfactory. Students are gaining an understanding of a broad range of historical issues, and learning skills to use a range of sources for information, including the Internet. In Year 7, students are learning about types of armour worn by soldiers and its use in warfare. Students in Year 9 are researching the development of the motorcar and gaining skills of teamwork and using a range of information. Provision and progress of students in Year 11 are unsatisfactory. The students following an accredited course for the Certificate of Achievement have not been registered for the accreditation by the previous co-ordinator. The marking of work did not promote learning or guide the students on how to develop basic skills. The new co-ordinator has been in post for two months and is keen to move teaching and learning forward from the reliance on

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Commentary

worksheets. Teaching encourages individual and group learning well and students gain skills of accessing information from a variety of sources. For example, students in Year 8 have produced brochures about imaginary villages, as they research the growth of towns and bring their learning alive. The co-ordinator is enthusiastic to take the subject forward, but her previous inexperience and lack of training to differentiate work restricts the speed of progress Meadow High School - 27 in the subject. Progress since the last inspection is not satisfactory as provision does not meet the previous high standards. Meadow High School - 28

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Commentary

71. Students make good progress in geography. This is because teaching is at least good and sometimes very good. The subject is well led and managed. Geography is taught during Years 7 to 9. Students study the British Isles and the growth of settlement and villages. They can distinguish between different types of settlements, for example, a market town and an industrial town. The subject is well led and managed. Much thought has been given to the topics that are covered and, as well as being relevant to students, the co-ordinator ensures that the requirements of the National Curriculum are covered.

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Commentary

72. The teacher’s approach is very successful at maintaining students’ interest in their work. Students have good attitudes to geography, linked to the teacher’s high expectations for them to achieve and behave well. The practical approach taken by the teacher is successful in generating students’ interest in the topics being covered. In a very good Year 7 lesson the teacher used questions very effectively, challenging students to think carefully. The teacher used her very good relationships with the class to encourage them to work hard to link together what they had learned. By the end of the lesson, students could identify river features. There has been satisfactory progress since the previous inspection.

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Religious education

Provision in religious education is good.

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Commentary

73. The provision for religious education, including the quality of the teaching, is good. This results in good progress and achievement by students throughout the school. Students follow the local agreed syllabus in religious education and are given the opportunity to meet people from different faiths in the local community. They visit different places of worship and share stories about the traditions, ceremonies and artefacts of different faiths. The subject makes a good contribution to students’ spiritual, moral and cultural development.

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Commentary

74. As students get older the emphasis moves more towards moral and social issues. There is good development of students’ listening, speaking, and reading skills during lessons. Students in Years 12 and 13 discuss ways in which society can help those living below the poverty line. The specific vocabulary of different religions is promoted very well. Discussions on topics such as these help to develop students’ speaking and listening skills. Each lesson begins with a review and consolidation of key words associated with the religion being studied. However, they do not use computers well enough to search for information themselves and so improve their independence in learning. There has been good improvement since the previous inspection.

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TECHNOLOGY

Three lessons were seen in food technology in Years 9, 10 and 11. In addition, a small sample of students’ work and teachers’ planning was analysed. Meadow High School - 29

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Design and technology

Provision in design and technology, particularly in resistant materials, is unsatisfactory; there is good provision in food technology.

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Commentary

75. No overall judgement is made about teaching and learning but the teaching seen in food technology lessons was skilled and effective. Students enjoyed these lessons and made good progress. Analysis of students’ work shows that they achieve well. Students in Years 10 and 11 complete well-ordered course work folders successfully as part of a module for an externally accredited course. The majority of Year 11 students are expected to reach level 3 of the Certificate of Achievement, showing steady improvement over the last three years. Students in Year 10 understand the processes of making bread and enjoy choosing different ingredients and changing textures and flavours to produce a variety of breads. They evaluate their work carefully. The teacher in charge of food technology has developed a good scheme of work for food technology and encourages the use of ICT to support students in their learning.

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Commentary

76. At present, there is no co-ordinator for design and technology and there is no teacher qualified to work with students with resistant materials. During the inspection no teaching other than that in food technology was going on and there was very limited evidence of students’ work, or teachers’ planning in this area. The accommodation for design and technology is good and resources are sound.

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Art

Provision for art is outstanding and a very real strength of the school. Achievement of all students is very good, as is the subject’s contribution to their social and emotional maturity.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The curriculum is a very rich one that provides the full range of art experiences • It is enriched by a wide range of visits that students value and from which they learn a lot. • The art room provides a base within the school where students grow visibly in their skills and self- esteem, both within lessons and over the length of their school career. • Results are very good and success rates in GCSEs, at O, A/S and A level are outstanding for this type of school. • The very good leadership and exceptional teaching assistant support provide a stable atmosphere in which students laugh, think, discuss, but above all blossom. • All students value art and speak highly of the teaching they receive, the opportunities they are given and the very good boost in confidence they receive. • Assessment and the monitoring of individual progress are very good indeed and contribute to students’ development as artists and learners.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The current timetable does not allow some older students enough time or flexibility to make the most of the opportunities. • Financial pressures have restricted the purchase of materials, and students report that this has placed constraints on some aspects of their work.

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Commentary

77. Art was identified as a strength of the school in the previous inspection report. There has been improvement on even this high standard, thanks to the commitment of both co-ordinator and specialist teaching assistant. This is a subject that all students value and which underpins much of the emotional and social development seen in many of the students. The curriculum Meadow High School - 30 provides the full range of art experiences, from the use of a wide range of media to experimentation with inks, textiles and plaster. This is enriched by many visits to national galleries. Students are encouraged to look at, and comment on, the work of the widest range of artists and images from the Chapman brothers to Van Gogh, and from Clive Barker to film posters. As a result, they all attest to the way in which they have matured both as artists and people through their involvement with this subject. Observation of lessons indicated a very high

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Commentary

level of teaching, characterised by expertise on the part of the staff and a very deep understanding of students and their needs. In addition, the environment within the art room, with laughter, music and in-depth discussions, provides an area of tranquillity and reflection in which all students can think both about the subject and their learning in general.

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Commentary

78. During the inspection, a number of students identified two constraints on the art curriculum, which they felt limited their achievement. Timetabling does not give older students enough choice, which means that some talented artists are following courses they do not feel are helpful for them. In addition, they identified the restriction on materials as a result of financial problems in the school as limiting the quality of their examination submissions.

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Example of outstanding practice

An art lesson with a Year 9 group who have moderate learning difficulties. The start of the lesson is noisy. The group is unsettled. The teacher jokes and appears to be ignoring difficult behaviour. The group are then asked to focus on the teacher’s demonstration of developing colour contrasts in paint. His emphasis is on a journey, “You don’t know where this will take you.” Instructions are clear and students settle quickly to their own washes of paint. The teaching assistant works alongside students, but gradually moves around the group, quietly discussing and comparing. In the background, Elliot Carter’s ‘Adagio’ is playing and the concentration of students is impressive. Occasionally, a student is frustrated by a difficulty. This is immediately discussed in a low-key and positive way. The last three minutes of the lesson are taken up with the teacher feeding back to the group his perceptions of how far each student has come during the lesson.

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Example of outstanding practice

He indicates that the journey is not over, but everyone is now further along the road than an hour previously. They are and will happily tell you so.

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MUSIC

Provision for music is good as the result of very good leadership and an imaginative curriculum, which provides many opportunities for students to perform and discuss music.

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Commentary

79. The teaching is usually very good, as is the achievement of students. Students enjoy singing and show a good knowledge of musical structures and vocabulary. Overall, standards of performing and evaluating music are below national expectations, but students demonstrate good understanding of pitch, dynamics and beat. They progress well in their control of sounds, co-operate in performance and develop a keen interest in basic composition skills, using keyboards and percussion instruments. They have, and take, many opportunities to listen to a wide range of music, from Mozart to Julian Lennon, from ‘Jingle Bells’ to West Indian calypso music. In all of these aspects they are experiencing musical development and achieving appropriately for their age.

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Commentary

80. This enthusiasm and success results from very good leadership in the subject. This has ensured that a broad and exciting curriculum is in place and that performance is a large element of students’ experience. ICT is used well in the form of recording performances and composing using keyboards. However, not enough attention is given to the potential of computers in composition and assessment. The co-ordinator has plans to develop this during the current year. The subject also has a very profound effect on the emotional and social maturity of students thanks to the respect and guidance given them by the co-ordinator. Meadow High School - 31

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Physical education

Provision for physical education is, overall, satisfactory.

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Commentary

81. Achievement and the quality of teaching in the physical education lessons seen was good, although provision, is satisfactory overall. By the age of 14, most students have experienced swimming, gymnastics, cross-country, team sports, and limited participation in a range of outdoor pursuits activities. Students in Year 8 go for one day to the Hillingdon Outdoor Activities Centre, where they experience water skills and climbing activities to develop personal and physical awareness. In Year 9, students have the opportunity to attend a residential week at the outdoor education centre at Llangorse in Brecon. Last year, approximately 75 per cent of Year 9 students attended. The current programme for enabling students to gain experience and develop self-esteem by regular participation in outdoor activities is limited. Good displays of photographs indicate the positive response of students.

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Commentary

82. By the age of 16 students have developed skills in trampolining, badminton, personal fitness, athletics, basketball and rounders. Students are encouraged to take the Certificate of Educational Achievement and there is a good success rate. At post-16 level, four students are studying for the GCSE examination in physical education. There are currently no options available for National Vocational Qualifications in leisure, leisure and tourism or community- based coaching awards. At the present time, only students studying physical education have access to practical activities at the local leisure centre. This restricts access to leisure pursuits for the full range of students. Teaching develops co-operation through well chosen activities, for example in badminton, where students respond well to the good level of support by learning the new skills of overhead and drop shots. Teaching assistants provide well

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Commentary

targeted support such as praise to encourage students to join in with ball handling skills. However some lessons do not use the students sufficiently to demonstrate good practice to others.

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Commentary

83. Current provision and access to swimming for two Year 7 students in wheelchairs is unsatisfactory . During discussion, both students said they enjoyed swimming at their primary school but had not been able to go swimming since transfer, because the swimming pool used has no hoist. The parents were not happy with the lack of suitable arrangements. However, the school had not expected the admission of two students with wheelchairs and was working to resolve the issue as soon as possible. Co-ordination of physical education is satisfactory. The temporary co-ordinator is very keen and is aware that the current range of activities and accreditation offered do not meet the learning needs of the less able students and those with additional needs. Resources and, in particular, user-friendly equipment to develop skills and confidence for the full range of students, are currently limited. The on- site fitness centre is an

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Commentary

example of positive team-work by the staff to improve facilities. However, the centre now contains equipment that is not suitable for use by students with additional needs or, in particular, those who are wheelchair users. During the period of the inspection the centre was unfit to use due to several leaks in the roof.

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Personal, social, and health education

Provision for personal, health and social education is satisfactory. No judgements were made about this aspect of the curriculum in the last inspection.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Students learn how to cope in a range of settings. Meadow High School - 32 • Overall, there are good relationships with the teachers and this encourages students to contribute well in lessons. • Displays illustrate the pride that students take in their achievements. • The quality of teaching is not checked sufficiently. As a result, lessons are not always pitched at the right level. • The Year 10 and 11 course is not externally accredited. • Some staff lack confidence in teaching certain areas of the subject.

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Commentary

84. Students’ progress and achievement are satisfactory, overall. Students study a wide range of topics, which cover areas such as sex education, school and class rules, health and nutrition, as well as topics covering the importance of behaving responsibly and of respecting themselves and others. Students learn how to cope in a range of settings. For example, Year 7 students learn about what to do in dangerous situations. Students take part in college links and work experience. These help to develop their independence and initiative, as well as their social skills. Scrutiny of work in Years 7 to 11 shows students achieving satisfactorily as they analyse their personal qualities and decide what things about themselves they would like to improve.

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Commentary

85. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Eight teachers are involved in the subject and some staff lack confidence in teaching certain areas of the subject. In Years 7 to 11, teachers were not always successful in finding the right level to match the limited ability of the lower-attaining students. Overall, there are good relationships with the teachers and this encourages students to contribute and provide a range of answers. In the more effective lessons students were able to extend their knowledge of how to use the emergency services and were able to talk about relationships sensitively. Students in a good Year 9 lesson willingly contribute in a discussion involving the community liaison police officer. Most students are able to listen to the views of others and make sensible contributions in lessons. Students are able to assess their own progress. Wall displays are very well presented and illustrate the pride that students take in their achievements.

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Commentary

86. The leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. A new co-ordinator has begun to make some changes to the curriculum. There is a clear plan of how the subject is to be developed in the future. The teaching is not yet monitored formally and the co-ordinator has not had sufficient opportunities to check the work of all teachers. The current management team have made good progress in redrafting policies on key issues such as sex, drugs, alcohol and personal safety. These policies are at the consultation stage with governors and parents. The course followed by students in Years 10 and 11 is not externally accredited.

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Citizenship

87. The development of citizenship is still in its early stages and is satisfactory, overall.

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Citizenship

88. The school sees students’ personal development as citizens as an important part of its work. The overall co-ordination by the deputy headteacher is good and she sets a good role model by her efforts, particularly during the breakfast club and lunch breaks. One Year 11 student who helps on a daily basis with the school breakfast club was the regional winner of the Tesco ‘Every Little Helps’ award. The school forum, is active in the 11 to 16 age group with fund- raising and developing a ‘caring for others’ attitude. The Sixth Form committee encourages students to take more responsibility and to increase their self-confidence. The chairperson and vice chairperson of the Sixth Form committee spoke enthusiastically of how talking and listening in the committee helped them to work with others, increase their self-confidence and encourages them to take responsibility. Meadow High School - 33

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SUBJECTS AND COURSES IN THE SIXTH FORM

The subjects and courses of the Sixth Form were sampled and contribute to the overall picture of teaching and learning in the school. Where relevant, subjects such as English and mathematics are reported in the main body of the report. Sixth Form provision is satisfactory, overall.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is good accreditation for all students in the Sixth Form. • Teaching is usually good and students learn well. • Sixth Form students have very good attitudes and behaviour and become increasingly mature. • There is a strong, appropriate, emphasis on life skills and progress to employment - with good work experience opportunities for the majority and an active Team Enterprise initiative. • The curriculum management in the Sixth Form is good with the curriculum and records well organised, including good self-assessment systems used by students. • The curriculum is rich with trips and visits, but lacks opportunities for involvement in the wider community. • Resources are adequate, except for ICT equipment, which is not sufficiently up-to-date. • Accommodation is unsatisfactory because there are no spaces for independent study and no student common room to support students’ growing study and social skills.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Leadership is sound, with many good initiatives, but the drive to develop the Sixth Form as a distinct entity within the school and wider community, and where students are actively involved in making choices about their own learning, is more limited. • Students in the Sixth Form lack opportunities to mix and study with their mainstream peers. This limits their social experience and wider opportunities for vocational studies. • There are opportunities not open to all, including recreational studies, which is limiting to some students.

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Commentary

89. The range of Sixth Form subjects is broad and provides a good structure to build upon. Students study the basic subjects of English, mathematics, ICT and religious education as well as PSHE and some physical education. Students take part in a Team Enterprise, take vocational studies and have good work experience, including, for example, working in a shop. Students achieve some good qualifications in, for example, GCSE, Certificate of Educational Achievement, the Youth Award Scheme and AS-level art.

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Commentary

90. The quality of teaching in all these subjects is good and so achievement and the way students learn, overall, is also good. Mathematics and English are taught well, at levels appropriate to the ability of the students. Lessons are linked to life skills; for example, reading and writing are related to travel with links to mathematics through distances and timetables. Religious education supports the students understanding of multicultural issues and includes visits to places of worship used by different religions. Moral issues were discussed in some lessons, such as the members of society who live below the poverty line. In one very good ICT lesson progress between Years 12 and 13 was evident in the students’ ability to use a desktop publishing program. Achievement is satisfactory rather than good in classes where questioning does not include everyone and concentrates on the more able. Physical education is

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Commentary

satisfactory, providing a sound range of activities but the breadth of activities is too limited to develop many of the skills and interests of students. Only students who study physical education, get the opportunity to be taught recreational subjects which further limits opportunities for some. In all lessons, students in the Sixth Form behave very well and show initiative in helping others and in voicing their opinions.

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Commentary

91. There is a strong emphasis on life skills and progress to employment, with very good work experience for the majority and an adapted programme for a few. An active Team Enterprise initiative enables students to learn how to run a company, produce a variety of goods and sell Meadow High School - 34 them. There is clear evidence that students gain in confidence and self-esteem from these extended vocational experiences. One student said “I have gained confidence in using money, checking stock, and being helpful and polite to customers. It has taught me the importance of good time-keeping, following instructions, listening to others and following the basic rules. In particular I was glad that I did the health and safety course at school because this has helped me at work. Work experience has really helped me as a person.” However, the college links are too narrow with students taught as a discreet group unable to learn and socialise alongside

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Commentary

their mainstream peers, because the college cannot meet their needs in this way. This is particularly concerning for those students who have many equivalent skills to their mainstream peers and limits their opportunity to study a wider range of courses suited to their varied interests and aptitudes. There is a good programme of enrichment, with a cultural week, visits to retail outlets, theatres, after-school clubs, for example; but there are no opportunities for students to become involved in community-based activities.

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Commentary

92. Management of the Sixth Form is good, with well-organised systems for student self- assessment and record keeping. Leadership is sound, with a good drive to provide worthwhile experiences. Sixth Formers are helped to take a role in the school, for example, by helping younger students regularly, but their presence as Sixth Formers is not well defined and they do not have enough choice in directing their own learning. The Sixth Form curriculum leader is aware of the areas needing development. He is looking to expand college provision and is discussing further work experience links. Organised provision for new students with limited English language skills is not yet in place and this is causing some short-term problems.

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Commentary

93. The accommodation for the Sixth Form is unsatisfactory; there is no student common room and few opportunities for independent study or socialising. Spending on up-to-date ICT equipment and accommodation has been severely restricted by budget issues and this is a major factor in limiting the Sixth Form culture.

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Commentary

94. Since the last inspection, improvement is satisfactory. Accreditation has improved and is more appropriate, with a greater range for all students. Students are now using good self- assessment systems. Meadow High School - 35

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Inspection judgement Sixth form grade School grade

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The overall effectiveness of the sixth form and the school 4 4 How inclusive the school is 4 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 5 5 Cost effectiveness of the sixth form / value for money provided by the school 5 5

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 3 Pupils’ achievement 3 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 3 Attendance 4 4 Attitudes 2 3 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 3 4 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The quality of education provided by the school 4 The quality of teaching 3 3 How well pupils learn 3 3 The quality of assessment 2 3 How well the curriculum meets pupils’ needs 4 4 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 3 Accommodation and resources 4 4 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 4 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 4 4 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 4 4 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 4 The quality of the school’s links with the community 4 4 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 5 5

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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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