Carr Manor Community School

Inspection Report Carr Manor High School

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108059 Unique Reference Number Leeds LEA 277891 Inspection number 28 November 2005 to 29 November 2005 Inspection dates Mrs Christine Harrison CfBT Lead Inspector Reporting inspector

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This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Carr Manor Road School address Secondary Type of school Leeds Community School category West Yorkshire LS17 5DJ 11 to 18 Age range of pupils 0113 268 8352 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0113 288 8365 Fax number 677 Number on roll Mrs Kinnon North Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr S Flowers Headteacher 16 October 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 277891 28 November 2005 - 11 to 18 29 November 2005 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report 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.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by four additional inspectors.

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Description of the school

Carr Manor High School is a mixed comprehensive school. It is smaller than the average secondary school and has 677 pupils on roll, of whom 36 are in the sixth form. Pupils come from a wide area, including localities close to Leeds city centre. The number of pupils eligible for free school meals is well above average and many pupils come from homes experiencing significant economic hardship. Almost half the pupils come from a wide variety of minority ethnic backgrounds and one fifth speak English as an additional language. The number of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is above average. Almost a quarter of pupils who complete Year 11 joined the school after the beginning of Year 7; many of these pupils come from families of refugees and asylum seekers. The school was under threat of closure for two years but is now awaiting completion of a new school building on the same site.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Carr Manor High School, 28 November 2005 to 29 November 2005

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Grade: 3

The school provides a satisfactory quality of education, a judgement that agrees with its own self-evaluation. Although standards are well below the national average, pupils make satisfactory progress in relation to their attainment on entry to the school. Teaching and learning are satisfactory, with teachers planning their lessons carefully to reflect the school's insistence on consistent procedures so that pupils know what to expect and what is expected of them. Pupils behave satisfactorily in lessons but they do not always expend as much energy as they might in learning for themselves. Their attendance is below average, though improving steadily. Too many pupils arrive late for school in the morning. The curriculum has several strengths, particularly in the new vocational courses, but is inadequate overall because it does not meet statutory requirements for information and communication technology (ICT) or religious

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Grade: 3

education in Years 10, 11 and in the sixth form. The school gives all aspects of 'Every Child Matters' a high priority and provides good care and support for its pupils. It provides satisfactory value for money. Since it was previously inspected, the school has made satisfactory progress, with some improvement in test and examination results. Since the appointment of the new headteacher, there have been many innovations and the school has made good progress over the last year. The school is therefore well placed to make further improvements.

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Grade: 3

The overall effectiveness of the sixth form is satisfactory. Leadership and management are satisfactory. Students enjoy being part of this community and benefit from supportive relationships with fellow students and teachers. The sixth form provides a clear route to higher education for many students who otherwise would not have such a chance. Students learn and mature in a familiar, reassuring environment. Their behaviour and attitudes to learning are satisfactory. Students make satisfactory progress, though they both enter and leave the sixth form with standards that are well below average. Overall, teaching is satisfactory, though students express concern over inconsistencies in the quality of teaching and in the feedback on their work. Most students have plenty of study time available to them and some provide a valued support service for younger pupils. However, students do not always make best use of their study time because they have not developed the

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Grade: 3

skills required to work independently. The curriculum adequately meets students' needs, with vocational courses such as leisure and tourism and health and social care. Students benefit from regular progress reviews where both they and their parents are told how well they are doing. Targets are set and teachers give students good guidance on what to do to improve.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Raise standards, particularly in Years 10 and 11. 2 Inspection Report: Carr Manor High School, 28 November 2005 to 29 November 2005 • Improve the quality of teaching by increasing the emphasis on how well pupils learn. • Ensure that all pupils study information and communication technology and religious education, in line with statutory requirements. • Improve attendance and punctuality at the start of the school day.

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Grade: 3

In the national tests in Year 9, pupils' results are well below the national average. Pupils do not do as well in science as they do in English and mathematics. Test results have risen steadily over the last few years and, in 2005, girls' results in English were close to the national average. The school met its 2005 target for test results in English but not in mathematics and science. General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) results are well below average but improved significantly in 2005 for pupils of all levels of attainment. The school did not meet its targets for GCSE results but this was largely the result of 11 pupils having been placed in the incorrect year group when they arrived from overseas. In GCSE examinations, pupils do better in physical education, French and drama than they do on average in their other subjects. However they do worse in design and technology, science and information and communication technology (ICT).

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Grade: 3

Pupils arrive at the school with test results that are well below the national average. They gain appropriate results in the national tests in Year 9 and so progress in Years 7 to 9 is satisfactory. The 2004 GCSE results showed that pupils did not do as well as they should have done, given their standards when they entered the school. The improvement in GCSE results in 2005, together with the satisfactory progress that pupils now make in lessons and in their written work, shows that most pupils are now achieving satisfactorily. Nevertheless there are still some pupils who do not do as well as they should because they do not attend school regularly and their learning is disrupted. The school analyses carefully the results for different groups of pupils in school. However the findings vary from year to year with no particular pattern for the relative achievement of boys and girls or pupils from different ethnic groups. Pupils who speak

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Grade: 3

English as an additional language and those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities receive effective support and are enabled to make satisfactory progress alongside others in their groups. Standards in the sixth form are also well below average but they represent satisfactory achievement for these students.

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Grade: 3

Most pupils enjoy school. Attendance, though still below average, has improved significantly in recent months. Too many pupils arrive late at the start of the day, 3 Inspection Report: Carr Manor High School, 28 November 2005 to 29 November 2005 disrupting the start of first lesson for others. Most pupils behave satisfactorily in lessons and around the school. As a Year 10 pupil said: 'behaviour has improved a lot since Year 7'. It is clear, when talking to pupils, that they feel safe and are particularly proud of the positive relationships between different groups. A comprehensive mesh of support means that pupils who have difficulty coping with school are increasingly able to handle their problems and distractions. Pupils respond well to the strong emphasis on keeping healthy which is consistent with the school's bid to become a specialist sports college. They make a good contribution to the community and the

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Grade: 3

school council is an effective partner in improving behaviour and planning for the new building. Although the majority of pupils are keen to fit in with the school's behaviour code, many show little real drive to learn. Pupils' moral development is satisfactory. They are considerate and support each other well in lessons. They enjoy exploring and appreciating the different backgrounds and cultures represented within the school. The extra-curricular programme is much appreciated by pupils and enhances both their social and cultural development. However, pupils are less accustomed to reflecting on spiritual issues, or discussing ideas with less immediate day to day relevance.

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Grade: 3

The school is accurate in judging the quality of teaching and learning to be satisfactory. Most teachers possess good classroom management skills. They pace their lessons well and hold the attention of pupils; this helps to maintain good relationships and a satisfactory standard of behaviour. Lessons are well planned and the school has made good use of the national strategy to improve the quality of teaching. Learning objectives are stated clearly and shared with pupils. Virtually all lessons follow a similar pattern, which includes a starter, development of the main theme and a final summing up, or plenary. Pupils value this, because they know what to expect. In many of the better lessons, teachers use plenaries to good effect to review and reinforce learning. Teachers' skills in questioning pupils are variable. In some cases questions are not used to appropriately challenge pupils, but in others they are very well targeted at individual

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Grade: 3

pupils and used to give the lesson a particular relevance and vitality. In Years 10 and 11 there is less independent learning than might be expected and the work set often does not provide opportunities for it. The quality of marking and the teaching of basic skills, particularly literacy, are inconsistent. Too many books are marked superficially, with many errors overlooked and little or no attempt to use level descriptors to explain to pupils what they need to do to improve. In some lessons seen, teaching assistants present were not effectively deployed to support learners. 4 Inspection Report: Carr Manor High School, 28 November 2005 to 29 November 2005

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Grade for sixth form: 3

Overall the school's curriculum is inadequate. It does not meet National Curriculum requirements to provide, for all pupils, ICT in Years 10 and 11 or religious education in Year 11. Pupils learning Punjabi or Urdu do not receive their full entitlement to the National Curriculum because they have to miss some lessons in other essential subjects. The improving vocational curriculum meets pupils' needs well, while still enabling many pupils to take nine GCSE subjects. Higher ability pupils benefit from early entry for GCSE examinations in some subjects. Similarly, lower ability pupils take early entry in English, where they do reasonably well; they are then able to study subjects such as construction and hair and beauty in Year 11. In Years 10 and 11, pupils who are in danger of becoming disengaged from school can study alternative courses through a local school and college partnership. Pupils benefit from work experience. However,

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Grade for sixth form: 3

work-related learning is rarely a feature in non-vocational lessons. The school's personal and social development programme provides good sex education and drugs awareness education, together with satisfactory opportunities to learn about citizenship and participate in activities which benefit the community. A wide range of extra-curricular activities caters for all interests from chess and revision classes to kick boxing. The quality of provision for pupils speaking English as an additional language is very good. Pupils who join the school at the early stages of speaking English are promptly assessed and provided with good quality, relevant support. Those who can communicate in English, but not effectively, are also identified and well supported.

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Grade: 2

The school provides a good level of care for all its pupils. Arrangements for child protection are properly in place and there is careful attention to health and safety. There are sophisticated and effective arrangements to support pupils with all sorts of learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Staff show a high level of commitment to pupils' welfare, so that vulnerable pupils are well supported to overcome a range of barriers. The school has good arrangements for monitoring pupils' progress but is not yet making enough use of this information to plan really effective support for those who are not doing as well as they should. Pupils feel well informed about their choices for the future and the school works effectively with a range of external agencies, and with parents, to ensure pupils' welfare. The quality of care for pupils who speak English as an additional language is very good. The school makes every effort to support

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Grade: 2

refugees and asylum seekers, to get to know their families and to use its contacts with other local families to welcome them to the community. 5 Inspection Report: Carr Manor High School, 28 November 2005 to 29 November 2005

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Grade: 3

The school says that both leadership and management of the school are good; inspectors judge leadership to be good and management to be satisfactory. The school's self evaluation is thorough and generally accurate. Examination results are carefully analysed. The school conducts surveys to determine the views of parents and pupils. The senior management team monitors teaching and learning regularly and rigorously and is well aware of where strengths and weaknesses lie. The initial emphasis has rightly been on getting consistency in the procedures that teachers follow and this has produced a significant improvement in the proportion of teaching that is satisfactory or better. The school is aware that the next step is to work towards increasing the pace and quality of learning and has planned an imaginative programme of coaching to develop teachers' skills. The recent improvement in the leadership and management provided by the senior

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Grade: 3

team is not yet fully reflected in the management of subject departments. This leads to inconsistencies in pupils' experience, for example in marking and the setting of homework, both within and across the various subjects. The Governing Body provides good support for the school and is now well informed so that governors are in a better position to challenge the school when necessary. However governors have not ensured that the school meets all its statutory obligations. The school's curriculum does not fully meet the requirements for ICT and religious education and the school does not provide a daily act of collective worship for all pupils. The new headteacher provides clear and effective leadership and is establishing a senior management team that shares both his vision and his energy and skill in bringing about improvement. The changes that have been introduced so far have been imaginative, well judged and sensitively handled. The result is that school has made

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Grade: 3

significant progress in the last year, leading to further improvements in test results in Year 9 and much needed improvement in GCSE results. In the light of the progress over the last twelve months, together with the detailed plans for future developments, the school has good capacity for further improvement. 6 Inspection Report: Carr Manor High School, 28 November 2005 to 29 November 2005 .

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Grade: 3

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 Inspection Report: Carr Manor High School, 28 November 2005 to 29 November 2005

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Inspection judgements

16-19 School Overall Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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Inspection judgements

3 3 How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? 2 2 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA NA The quality and standards in foundation stage 2 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation Yes Yes The capacity to make any necessary improvements Yes Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Inspection judgements

Achievement and standards 3 3 How well do learners achieve? 4 4 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Inspection judgements

3 3 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 3 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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Inspection judgements

Personal development and well-being 3 3 How good is the overall personal development and well-being of the learners? 3 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3 The behaviour of learners 4 The attendance of learners 3 How well learners enjoy their education 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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Inspection judgements

The quality of provision 3 3 How effective are teaching and learning in meeting the full range of the learners' needs? 3 4 How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 2 2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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Inspection judgements

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low.

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Annex A

Leadership and management 3 3 How effective are leadership and management in raising achievement and supporting all learners? How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Yes The adequacy and suitability of staff to ensure that learners are protected

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Annex A

The extent to which schools enable learners to be healthy Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to eat and drink healthily Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to take regular exercise Yes Learners are discouraged from smoking and substance abuse Yes Learners are educated about sexual health The extent to which providers ensure that learners stay safe Yes Procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements Yes Risk assessment procedures and related staff training are in place Yes Action is taken to reduce anti-social behaviour, such as bullying and racism Yes Learners are taught about key risks and how to deal with them The extent to which learners make a positive contribution Yes Learners are helped to develop stable, positive relationships Yes Learners, individually and collectively, participate in making decisions that affect them Yes Learners are encouraged to initiate, participate in and manage activities in school and the

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Annex A

wider community The extent to which schools enable learners to achieve economic well-being Yes There is provision to promote learners’ basic skills Yes Learners have opportunities to develop enterprise skills and work in teams Yes Careers education and guidance is provided to all learners in key stage 3 and 4 and the sixth form Yes Education for all learners aged 14–19 provides an understanding of employment and the economy

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

As you know, we have just finished inspecting your school and I am writing to tell you our findings. First of all, I would like to thank you all for welcoming us to the school and for talking to us so openly and honestly. The inspection team agrees with the school's own view that it is providing a satisfactory quality of education for you. The best features of the school are - The school provides good care and support for you, particularly in encouraging you to stay safe and healthy and helping you to overcome any difficulties. - Most pupils enjoy coming to school and, as you told us, all the various groups of pupils get on well together. - Teachers plan their lessons carefully so that you know what to expect in lessons and what you need to learn. - The headteacher and his senior team provide good leadership for the school. The areas that could be improved are - GCSE results, although they improved in 2005, could still be better.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

- The school does not make sure that all pupils in Years 10 and 11 study ICT and religious education. - Too many of you arrive late for school in the morning, disrupting the learning of other pupils in the first lesson. Overall, inspectors judge that the education you receive is getting better and that the school is well placed to improve further in the future.

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