The Toynbee School

116411 Unique Reference Number Hampshire LEA LEA 279820 Inspection number 26 April 2006 to 27 April 2006 Inspection dates Samantha Morgan-Price HMI Reporting inspector

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

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Bodycoats Road School address Secondary Type of school Chandler's Ford Community School category Eastleigh SO53 2PL 11 to 16 Age range of pupils 02380269026 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 02380251086 Fax number 1048 Number on roll Mr Arthur Hewitt Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr David Jones Headteacher 4 April 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 279820 26 April 2006 - 11 to 16 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 two of Her Majesty's Inspectors and two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Toynbee school is an 11 - 16 comprehensive that gained specialist physical education (PE) and Sport College status in 2003. This had involved the school working closely with its local community to provide sporting facilities. Over ninety-six per cent of students are white British. The school has a lower than average percentage of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities as well as a low mobility rate. The portion of students entitled to free school meals is low.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: The Toynbee School, 26 April 2006 to 27 April 2006

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Grade: 3

The school evaluated its overall effectiveness to be good; the inspectors' view is that it is satisfactory. Toynbee School provides a satisfactory standard of education. The headteacher and senior team have a vision that is understood and shared by the school community. The focus on school curriculum improvement is beginning to raise standards in most subject areas. Overall attendance is good and is higher than the average for similar schools. The development of students' personal, social and health education (PSHE) is good. Students enjoy coming to school and feel safe. There is an effective anti-bullying policy that involves Year 11 students working alongside staff to support the process. Vulnerable students are well supported and the school works closely with other agencies to support these children. Part of the funding derived from the school's designation as a Sports College is used very effectively to provide a wide range of sporting, leisure and academic activities

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Grade: 3

after school. A good range of community activities during the evenings are also provided. Some pupils with learning difficulties do not make as much progress as they should. Staffing difficulties and illness have resulted in more emphasis being placed on learning support for these pupils in Years 10 and 11, to the detriment of the development of their basic literacy and numeracy skills in Years 7-9. There is too much satisfactory teaching, which has resulted in students making satisfactory progress overall. Progress in Years 10 and 11 is below the national average. In some lessons, teaching is not planned well enough to meet the needs of all the students, particularly those students in the lower and higher ability ranges. The progress of students attaining below or around National Curriculum level five in English especially, in both key stages 3 and 4, is below the national average. The school has taken measures to improve progress of students with learning difficulties and disabilities

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Grade: 3

by providing alternative national vocational qualifications (NVQs). This appears to be making some improvement. The school's self-evaluation is satisfactory. Whole school target setting is beginning to impact on standards. Currently there is inconsistency in the leadership and management of subjects. There is evidence of effective practice in some areas. Subject self-evaluation indicates a need to raise standards through improved assessment and target setting for individual pupils. The school has made some improvement on the key issues since the last inspection and demonstrates a satisfactory capacity to improve. The school has made progress in improving its provision for visually impaired students. Resources are adequately deployed and the school offers satisfactory value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

• raise standards in English in both key stages 2 Inspection Report: The Toynbee School, 26 April 2006 to 27 April 2006 • improve students' progress especially in Years 10 and 11 • increase the proportion of good or better teaching • improve assessment for learning for all students

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Grade: 3

Achievement and standards are satisfactory. Students enter with average standards. By the end of Year 9, standards, as shown by national test results, are consistently above average. In 2005 this was largely because of good results in science, as those in English and mathematics were average. Achievement in these years is satisfactory overall and most pupils meet suitably challenging targets. However, some pupils with learning difficulties do not make as much progress as they should. Staffing difficulties and illness have resulted in more emphasis being placed on learning support for these pupils in Years 10 and 11, to the detriment of the development of their basic literacy and numeracy skills in Years 7 to 9. By contrast, visually impaired students make good progress because of the good support provided in all years. GCSE results fell from above average in 2004 to average in 2005. Students did very

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Grade: 3

well in drama, music, dance, media studies and ICT but gained poor results in French, Spanish and religious education. English standards declined to well below average and this had a very significant impact on students' overall achievement. As a result, progress overall in Years 10 and 11 was unsatisfactory. In particular, girls and boys who began the course with level 5 or below in their National Curriculum tests did not do as well as they should. The school is responding effectively to the challenge of improving achievement. For example, the new head of the English department is helping teachers to make better use of available data. They now identify, support and mentor those students who are at risk of underachieving, especially at the borderline of C and D GCSE grades. There is now no unsatisfactory teaching in this department, with the result that the progress of current students is satisfactory in these years.

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Grade: 2

Inspectors agree with the school's judgement that students' personal development and well-being are good. Students are generally happy in school, enjoy their lessons and work effectively with their teachers. They feel safe and know that any concerns and issues will be addressed. Health and safety are taken seriously in lessons. There is an effective anti-bullying policy that involves year 11 students working alongside staff to support the process. Vulnerable students are well supported and the school works closely with other agencies to support these children. There is good support for students to progress to further education or employment when they leave school. The support for students' economic well-being in Years 7, 8 and 9 is less well developed. Plans are in place to run activities such as enterprise days to address this issue. Students are polite, confident and mostly well behaved. They attend regularly and are

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Grade: 2

generally punctual. Overall attendance is good and higher than the average for similar 3 Inspection Report: The Toynbee School, 26 April 2006 to 27 April 2006 schools. The development of students' personal, social and health education (PSHE) is good. The PSHE programme and citizenship are used well to promote healthy lifestyles. Part of the funding derived from the school's designation as a Sports College is used very effectively to provide a wide range of sporting, leisure and academic activities after school. Participation in these activities is very high. A good range of community activities during the evenings are also provided. Students are well prepared for taking responsibility, through opportunities such as the school council, supporting younger students through the mentoring scheme and prefect duties in Year 11. Assemblies, which are based on the 'thought for the week', provide a good opportunity for reflecting on issues and thereby contribute to students'

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Grade: 2

spiritual development. Plans are in place to extend this approach to registration time in September 2006, so that the school is fully complaint with the requirement for a daily act of worship.

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Grade: 3

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory but inconsistent both within and across subjects. There is not enough good teaching. As a result students make satisfactory rather than good progress. The best teaching was seen where classroom management was effective and there was an appropriate level of challenge and engagement for the students. The school recognises that strategies for improvement in teaching and learning have not yet been fully implemented. In some lessons, teaching is not planned well enough to meet the needs of all the students, particularly those students in the lower and higher ability ranges. Generally students know how well they are doing; many can talk about their National Curriculum targets. In some lessons, expectations for the amount of work that students should achieve are too low. Poorly presented and incomplete work sometimes goes unchallenged. Teachers have a range of information about achievement to help them check students'

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Grade: 3

progress. Some make good use of it but others do not. Some teachers mark work very well so that students understand exactly what they have to do to improve whilst others do not give clear guidance to students. Learning support assistants are effective in lessons but students with additional learning needs in Key Stage 3 do not always have sufficient access to learning support. Parents and carers are adequately involved in the progress made by students.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum is satisfactory and meets statutory requirements. The school provides additional curriculum opportunities for more able students outside of timetabled classes as well as a new alternative vocational curriculum for students with special 4 Inspection Report: The Toynbee School, 26 April 2006 to 27 April 2006 educational needs. It is too early to assess the full impact of these initiatives. All the compulsory elements of the curriculum are in place. The provision for information and communication technology (ICT) is adequate whilst support for literacy and numeracy is not always available to aid students' progress. The school has successfully catered for individual students' needs in Year 11 by providing alternative qualifications for students who want to pursue non-traditional pathways. Students take advantage of the good range of extra curriculum opportunities available to them which are offered before and after school. Learners in Year 10 and 11 are well

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Grade: 3

prepared for their future economic well-being by having access to a number of programmes that encourage them to be enterprising and support the development of life skills.

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Grade: 3

The school provides satisfactory care, guidance and support for students. Every effort is made to ensure that students feel secure and cared for. The school has reduced the instances of bullying by providing a zero tolerance environment as well as email support that allows students to raise concerns about any oppressive behaviour. Health and safety procedures are adequately reviewed. Arrangements for child protection are in place and adults are made aware of their responsibilities. The school has effective systems for safeguarding vulnerable children. Students have trusting relationships with adults in the school and most enjoy coming to school. The school provides a range of support programmes for all year groups which include revision workshops and after school support for literacy and numeracy needs. The school recognises that its assessment systems do not help all students to do as well as they could. New systems are beginning to make better use of information about

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Grade: 3

students' achievement to set targets for improvement. However, their use is inconsistent.

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Grade: 3

The leadership and management are satisfactory. The headteacher and senior team have a clear vision that is understood and shared by the school community. The focus on raising standards is beginning to have an impact. Whole school target setting is proving an effective facet of this strategy but inconsistency in the leadership and management of some subjects is slowing progress. Effective self-evaluation in other subjects rightly indicates a need to raise standards through improved assessment and target setting for individual pupils. The school has sports college status and the very good leadership in this area has resulted in a high number of pupils participating in sporting activities. Links with other support agencies are good. 5 Inspection Report: The Toynbee School, 26 April 2006 to 27 April 2006 The staff are well qualified and there are effective processes for recruitment and selection. Staff professional development is closely linked to the school improvement

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Grade: 3

plan. Governors are involved closely in aspects of monitoring teaching and learning but need to provide a greater challenge to the management on whole school issues. Consultation with parents resulted in improved communication of information and a more consistent approach to the setting of homework. The school is committed to promoting an inclusive school through, for example, the wide range of curriculum opportunities. Equality of opportunity is promoted well. Resources are adequately deployed and the school offers satisfactory value for money. The school has made some improvement on the key issues since the last inspection and demonstrates a satisfactory capacity to improve. 6 Inspection Report: The Toynbee School, 26 April 2006 to 27 April 2006 .

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set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 Inspection Report: The Toynbee School, 26 April 2006 to 27 April 2006

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Overall

Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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learners?

NA 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 NA 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation NA Yes The capacity to make any necessary improvements NA Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

NA 3 How well do learners achieve? NA 3 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

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

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learners?

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

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needs and interests of learners?

NA 3 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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needs and interests of learners?

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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and supporting all learners?

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

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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

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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

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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 wider community

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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

Students Thank you for your help and for telling us about your school when we visited recently.We were pleased to find that you attend school regularly and that you get on well with each other, and with the staff. Your Teachers look after you well and are working hard to reduce bullying throughout the school. The headteacher and the other adults in the school are doing a lot of work to make sure that you enjoy your time at school and stay safe and healthy. A good range of activities has been provided for you before and after school. We have put in our report that the school needs to continue to improve exam results especially in English. We have asked teachers to match teaching closer to your needs and to check your performance regularly and to provide helpful feedback so that you all make better progress. We have asked some senior teachers to watch teaching carefully to help it to improve. We wish you success in working with the teachers to help the school improve. We hope you

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

enjoy the rest of your time in school and do well. Samantha Morgan Her Majesty's Inspector

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