Churston Ferrers Grammar School

Inspection Report Churston Ferrers Grammar School

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113525 Unique Reference Number Torbay LEA 279188 Inspection number 26 April 2006 to 27 April 2006 Inspection dates Valerie Pearson HMI Reporting inspector

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

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Greenway Road School address Secondary Type of school Brixham Foundation School category Devon TQ5 0LN 11 to 18 Age range of pupils 01803 842289 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01803 846007 Fax number 900 Number on roll Mrs Anne Tully Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Stephen Kings Headteacher 13 March 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 279188 26 April 2006 - 11 to 18 27 April 2006 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 one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors and three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Churston Ferrers Grammar School has 901 students, of which 274 are in the sixth form. It predominantly serves the local community with the vast majority of students being recruited from within a five mile radius of the school. The number of students with learning difficulties and disabilities is well below the national average, as is the number of students with a statement of special educational needs (SEN). The number of students eligible for free school meals is well below the national average. Very few students do not have English as a first language. Churston Ferrers Grammar School has specialist school status in humanities with effect from September 2005.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Churston Ferrers Grammar School, 26 April 2006 to 27 April 2006

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Grade: 1

Churston Ferrers Grammar School is an outstanding school. This judgement supports the school’s evaluation of itself. The school successfully balances strong academic performance with outstanding personal development for students. Students enjoy school and highly value the care and support they receive from staff. They make very good progress and attain high standards. A particularly outstanding feature of the school is its work to empower students so that they can fully contribute to its life and work. The school is outward looking and embraces excellent practice and strong partnerships to support the learning and well-being of students. Inspectors judge that the school has an acute understanding of its strengths and areas for improvement and agree with the priorities that the school has identified. The school recognises that giving students more opportunities to follow up ideas and work independently is critical to securing further improvement. It is also working on ensuring

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Grade: 1

that good practice in using assessment to make sure that learning meets the needs of all students is applied consistently across all subjects. A range of good strategies, including teaching and learning initiatives and participation in a new examination course, is being implemented to continue to improve students’ progress in English. The headteacher provides outstanding leadership and sets a clear direction for the school. As a result, excellent progress has been made since the last inspection, particularly the school’s success in raising standards through improved teaching and learning and securing more effective school planning processes. Specialist school status is at an early stage but is having a good impact on enriching students’ learning and personal development. It strongly supports the school’s commitment to the local community. The school manages its resources well and provides excellent value for

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Grade: 1

money. The school is not complacent and will not rest on past achievements but keeps striving to improve. Its capacity to do so is excellent.

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Grade: 1

The sixth form is outstanding, in keeping with the school’s own evaluation. Students make excellent progress and standards are high. Students’ learning is supported through very good teaching. Students are enthusiastic, demonstrate responsible attitudes and provide good role models for other students in the school. They make a strong contribution to the life and work of the school, including providing valued support and help to younger students. There is excellent care and guidance to help students with their studies. Their progress is closely monitored and the information used to help students know what they need to do next to improve. The sixth form provides very good value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

•ensure that priorities to improve students’ ability to develop their own ideas and work independently are rigorously pursued •ensure that the good practice in assessment 2 Inspection Report: Churston Ferrers Grammar School, 26 April 2006 to 27 April 2006 is applied consistently across all subjects •further strengthen provision in English to make sure that all students make the best possible progress in the subject.

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Grade: 1

Students make very good progress and attain high standards in national tests and examinations. They enter the school with standards well above the national average and their results at the age of 14 are high with particularly strong progress in science. High standards continue to be attained by students at the age of 16 with many subjects, including mathematics, combined science, history, geography, business studies, design and technology, and religious studies, performing particularly well. The school’s determination to raise standards and the action it has taken have led to the number of students with results at the highest grades being significantly increased over recent years. Despite high results, students’ progress in English is less robust than in other subjects. The school has a clear understanding of the reasons for this, is implementing good strategies to address it and can demonstrate improvements being made since 2005.

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Grade: 1

It is rightly keen that its priority for improving progress in English remains high profile. Students make excellent progress in the sixth form, particularly in Year 12, and attain high standards in AS and A-level examinations. Students with learning difficulties and disabilities make similar progress to that made by their peers. The school has detailed information on students’ progress and performance and uses it effectively to raise standards. Examples of action taken by the school as a result of analysing performance data can be seen across subjects but notable ones include raising standards in mathematics and science. It sets itself challenging targets and in 2005 met or exceeded them.

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Grade: 1

Students’ personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is outstanding. The school has a strong sense of community and the way in which students of all ages accept responsibility is impressive. They particularly value the many structured opportunities they are given to contribute to the development of the school. Through the school parliament and student groups, for example, on learning for gifted and talented students, their views are heard and taken seriously. Most notable is the value placed on their scheduled contributions to reviews of teaching and learning. The student chair and vice-chair of the parliament play an active role, as regular attendees, in governing body meetings. Students enjoy school and their attendance is very good. Their attitudes to learning are extremely positive and they tackle work with enthusiasm. Behaviour in lessons and around the school is excellent. Students told inspectors that bullying is very rare and

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Grade: 1

3 Inspection Report: Churston Ferrers Grammar School, 26 April 2006 to 27 April 2006 when it occurs, is dealt with promptly. Students report that they feel safe in school and know who they can turn to for help. Sixth form students, who are trained as listeners, play a valuable role in supporting younger students. The school’s good promotion of healthy eating and exercise is helping students to adopt very healthy lifestyles. Students make a very positive contribution to the local community, including involvement with local primary school pupils and charitable work. Activities initiated through the specialist school status are making a significant contribution to students’ understanding of the community, both locally and globally. Students’ experiences in school prepare them very well for adult life.

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Grade: 1

There is a relentless drive to improve teaching and learning in the school and the vast majority of lessons are good or outstanding. The school has an excellent understanding of the strengths of provision and the areas for improvement. In the very best lessons, learning is exceptionally well paced with time for reflection and consolidation of new learning. In these lessons, work is carefully targeted to students’ needs and effectively encourages students to develop their ability to learn through their own research. Assessment of students’ work is strong in most subjects with good feedback to students. Students know how well they are doing and what they need to do next to improve. There are some good opportunities for students to assess their own and other students’ work against clear criteria, but these strategies are not yet consistently applied across all subjects. Students respond very well to appropriate challenge but

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Grade: 1

in the few less successful lessons where activities are insufficiently stretching or pedestrian, their interest is not fully engaged. The school has a clear priority to improve students’ ability to develop their own ideas and work independently building on good practice in the very best lessons. The school’s strategies for improving teaching and learning have been carefully planned and implemented. Significant activities which have supported improvements include students’ involvement in evaluating teaching and learning and teachers learning from each other and from best practice beyond the school.

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Grade: 1

The school offers a broad academic curriculum which meets the needs of its students very well. Provision for citizenship and personal, social and moral education is very strong and being effectively enhanced through specialist school status. Students are being given particularly good opportunities to learn about health and environmental issues. The school offers a very good range of examination courses at GCSE, AS and A2 levels and their availability ensures individual student choices are very well matched. 4 Inspection Report: Churston Ferrers Grammar School, 26 April 2006 to 27 April 2006 Students are well prepared for further stages in their education and there is good provision to develop work-related skills through work experience in Years 10 and 13. There are real strengths in the planning and evaluation of the curriculum with clear links to appropriate training for staff. The range and quality of clubs, visits and other out of school activities are outstanding

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Grade: 1

and the level of student participation excellent. These undoubtedly enrich students’ learning and personal development.

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Grade: 1

The school provides outstanding care, guidance and support to students. There is an excellent focus on each student as an individual and the effective pastoral system makes a significant contribution to students’ sense of well-being. Students’ academic progress is closely monitored and students have a very good understanding of their targets and the progress they are making towards them. Parents and carers receive regular reports on their children’s progress. The school provides excellent support for those with specific learning difficulties and disabilities and for those students who are identified as gifted and talented. Systems for safeguarding students’ health and safety are well established. Students are very well prepared for entry to the school and sixth form students praise the improved arrangements for transition into Year 12. Students receive very good advice and guidance on selecting subjects and courses in the sixth form and for higher

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Grade: 1

education. The school is effectively improving advice on the range of career options open to students following requests from students and parents and carers.

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Grade: 1

Leadership and management are outstanding. The school has a clear commitment to doing the very best for every student both in terms of their academic success and their personal development. The headteacher’s leadership is outstanding and his determination has ensured that the school has gone from strength to strength. The headteacher and the strong senior leadership team have systematically raised expectations of what can be achieved by students through an unswerving commitment to improving teaching and learning. The team has successfully steered through a range of excellent initiatives to tackle identified weaknesses. The school’s understanding of its strengths and areas for improvement is accurate. It is based on a wide range of information, including the perspectives of students and their parents and carers. The school initiates and welcomes external reviews to complement its own processes. The school’s priorities are based on honest questions

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Grade: 1

it asks of itself. It knows what it wants and needs to do to keep improving. The inspectors agree with the priorities the school has identified. 5 Inspection Report: Churston Ferrers Grammar School, 26 April 2006 to 27 April 2006 Members of staff are well qualified and highly committed. Good and outstanding subject and pastoral leaders embrace initiatives to improve teaching and are constantly seeking ways to improve students’ learning. The school is rightly focusing on ensuring that good practice is shared across all areas. The governing body has an excellent understanding of its responsibilities and provides strong support and challenge to the headteacher and senior leaders. The school’s capacity to improve is excellent. This is demonstrated by the impressive progress it has made since the last inspection, particularly its success in raising standards through improving teaching and learning and improving leadership and management at all

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Grade: 1

levels. 6 Inspection Report: Churston Ferrers Grammar School, 26 April 2006 to 27 April 2006 .

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Grade: 1

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 Inspection Report: Churston Ferrers Grammar School, 26 April 2006 to 27 April 2006

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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

1 1 How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? 1 1 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA NA The quality and standards in foundation stage 1 1 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 1 1 How well do learners achieve? 1 1 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Inspection judgements

1 1 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 1 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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Inspection judgements

Personal development and well-being 1 1 How good is the overall personal development and well-being of the learners? 1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The behaviour of learners 1 The attendance of learners 1 How well learners enjoy their education 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 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 1 1 How effective are teaching and learning in meeting the full range of the learners' needs? 1 1 How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 1 1 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 1 1 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

Dear Students Thank you for the warm welcome you gave to me and my colleagues during our recent visit. We enjoyed meeting you and listening to your views about your work and the school. It is our view that your school is outstanding. The school is committed to doing the very best for all of you and it gives you outstanding care and support. This helps you to make very good progress in your studies and to reach high standards in national examinations. Your personal development is outstanding. We are particularly impressed by the significant and mature contributions you make to the life and work of the school. You do this in a number of ways, including through the school parliament and student groups, for example, the gifted and talented group and the careers group. Your headteacher provides outstanding leadership for the school and improving teaching and learning for you has been his, and your teachers’,

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

top priority. The way in which you participate in reviews of teaching and learning is a striking feature of your school. It is clear that your views are taken very seriously and make a difference. You told us that you feel safe and secure in school. You also told us that there are many people in school who will help you if you have a problem. It was particularly pleasing to hear how appreciative you are of support you receive from sixth form students. You enjoy school and participate in excellent numbers in the outstanding range of clubs and out of school activities the school offers you. You also make very positive contributions to activities within your local community. Your school is determined to keep improving. We agree with your school that it needs to continue to improve the opportunities you are given to develop your ideas and work independently. In the very best lessons in your school, teachers use information about how

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

you are doing to make sure you have work that is right for you. We have asked your school to make sure this happens in every lesson. We also agree with your school that it needs to make sure that you always make the best possible progress in English. Yours sincerely Valerie Pearson Lead Inspector

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