CranbourneOfsted inspection, 6 Oct 2005

Inspection Report Cranbourne Business and Enterprise College

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116432 Unique Reference Number Hampshire LEA LEA 279828 Inspection number 5 October 2005 to 6 October 2005 Inspection dates Steffi Penny HMI Reporting inspector

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

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Wessex Close School address Comprehensive Type of school Basingstoke Community School category RG21 3NP 11 to 16 Age range of pupils 01256868600 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01256868601 Fax number 1153 Number on roll Mrs Kathy May-Miller Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Ann Morrison Headteacher 11 October 1999 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 279828 5 October 2005 - 11 to 16 6 October 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 two of Her Majesty's Inspectors and three additional inspectors.

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Description of the school

Cranbourne is a mixed 11-16 community comprehensive that has a profile similar to most secondary schools, except that it is slightly larger than average and the authorised absence is higher. It became a specialist Business and Enterprise College in 2004. The vast majority of students have English as their first language with 80% being White-British. Although 15 languages are now represented in the college, few students are at the early stages of acquiring English. The percentage of students eligible for free school meals is below average and a few students are looked-after children. Students enter the college with above average attainment and the current Year 7 intake came from 25 different primary schools. The college continues to have a difficulty in recruiting and retaining staff, partly due to the high cost of living in the area.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Cranbourne Business and Enterprise College, 5 October 2005 to 6 October 2005

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Grade: 3

The College rightly judges itself to be effective. After several years in which students did not do as well as they should, the head teacher and her leadership team have put a strong emphasis on enabling them to achieve better. These improvements are now evident, but much work still needs to be done to sustain them. The accurate and candid self-evaluation is a good starting point. Governors and leaders are working well together to tackle some of the challenges they have identified and which inspectors agree are critical. These include improving the consistency with which teachers use assessment, monitoring and marking; involving parents more in the learning of their children and the communal life of the college; and continuing to implement the various initiatives they have introduced.The college has already done much to redefine its identity and revalue its strengths. Its particular specialist status is exploited effectively to embrace

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Grade: 3

a business ethos and nurture enterprise activities. Good links have been made with local businesses and other agencies. Teaching is at least satisfactory and there is imaginative revising of the curriculum to reflect the commercial application of much of what students do, and this is stimulating them to learn. Students are already contributing very well to the lively community of their college by a wholehearted commitment to such initiatives as a peer anti-bullying group and interview panels for staff appointments. Many of them relish this greater ownership of their college. They are also able to thrive because they are very well cared for by leaders, teachers, a full-time welfare officer and the new college-parent partnership team. The support for vulnerable children is exemplary. The college uses its resources well and represents satisfactory value for money and its capacity to improve is satisfactory.

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What the school should do to improve further

* Improve the consistency in the way that teachers use assessment, monitoring and marking to help students make progress.* Further develop ways in which parents can contribute towards helping their children take more responsibility for their own learning. * Continue to implement the various initiatives introduced to try and raise achievement and improve attitudes to learning.

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Grade: 3

Results in external examinations at Key Stages 3 and 4 have shown a steady improvement over the last few years and are now around the national average. However, in some year groups this represents underachievement and in 2004 GCSE achievements were unsatisfactory; the analysis of results in 2005 demonstrates that this is no longer the case. In 2005 standards overall rose and students now make better progress within and between key stages.Staff turbulence and the number of major crises affecting the college buildings had a detrimental impact on standards and achievement of all students. Although incidents are well managed, accommodation issues still remain and have a negative influence on learning. The college now has a full complement of 2 Inspection Report: Cranbourne Business and Enterprise College, 5 October 2005 to 6 October 2005 staff and those new to their roles are coached and mentored by senior and more

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Grade: 3

experienced staff. This has helped the college to produce a concerted upward trend in standards over the last year so that all students now make satisfactory progress including those with learning difficulties and disabilities and those who have been disaffected. Some new initiatives are having a demonstrable impact on improving student attitudes to learning and motivation to do well. The effect of the care provided by the college for vulnerable children is such that they are in a position to be able to learn and when settled into the life of the college do well.

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Grade: 2

The majority of students enjoy attending the college. The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of students is good. The attitude, behaviour and attendance of students have improved particularly in the last year. The Alternative Learning Programme has had a positive impact in the way that students with behavioural and other difficulties are supported. This has helped to reduce the number of exclusions and has meant that lessons now have fewer disruptions due to this small minority of students.Students adopt safe practices and healthy lifestyles through taking advantage of the sporting opportunities in and outside the curriculum and the healthy options in the canteen. Many students demonstrate that they have benefited from the advice and encouragement they have received, for example in summer 2004 in response to the surveyed concerns of students and staff, vending machines were removed and

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Grade: 2

more water fountains installed.Students make a highly significant contribution to their own community by acting as trained mentors and mediators, members of year and college councils, subject and college prefects. These and other roles and responsibilities are eagerly sought and competition is fierce. Many students are keen to help others as well as themselves and give generously of their time in anti-bullying initiatives and in individual mentoring. Charitable and fund raising activities are also well supported. For example, despite only having been in the college for four weeks Year 7 students and staff are effectively working together to help raise money towards buying a new boat for a small village devastated by the Asian Earthquake Tsunami.A wide variety of good opportunities exist for students to develop their economic and business awareness. For example, they use their marketing and advocacy skills well as

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Grade: 2

ambassadors of the college in primary school liaison work, while as part of the annual Country Fair, students successfully devise and run their own stalls and activities.

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Grade: 3

Inspectors agree with the school that teaching and learning are satisfactory. In discussions, students reported that relationships with teachers are good and that they enjoy learning. This was confirmed in the lessons that inspectors saw, where students were attentive and interested, responding well to their teachers' good questioning in 3 Inspection Report: Cranbourne Business and Enterprise College, 5 October 2005 to 6 October 2005 class discussions. Teachers know their subjects well and plan carefully. However, there are missed opportunities to get students to take more responsibility for their own learning as in lessons teacher-led activities are predominant. As a result, students are often willing to let the teachers do most of the work.In most lessons, students know how well they are doing and what they need to improve but in some they have little idea of the progress that they are making. Some teachers mark work very helpfully

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Grade: 3

and involve students in assessing their own learning but this practice is not yet sufficiently consistent. This and the lack of consistency in the marking and assessing of students' work act as barriers to improving standards in the college. Teaching assistants support subject teachers and students with learning difficulties and disabilities effectively in lessons, but these students are often not sufficiently aware of their specific subject targets for improvement because subject teachers do not refer to them enough.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum provides well for the wide range of students' needs. In Years 7 and 8 the Learn To Learn course enables students with social and emotional difficulties to develop their confidence and literacy skills well. Similarly, in Years 10 and 11, the Alternative Learning Programme motivates disaffected students to learn. The college's specialist status is beginning to increase students' understanding of business, finance and the local community through enterprise days, a business German course and business related courses in Years 10 and 11. These new courses supplement the good range of vocational and enrichment opportunities for older students through well-established links with the local further education college and sixth form college.The Personal, Social and Health Education course covering relationships, sexual health and drug awareness combined with aspects of Key Stage 3 food technology, physical

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Grade: 2

education and religious studies courses are organised well to reinforce information on what constitutes a healthy life-style. These messages are reinforced through special activity days and assemblies.Many students take part in the wide variety of opportunities for extra activities after school. They especially appreciate the range offered in expressive arts and sport. Many older students contribute well to their own college community by volunteering to help teachers with coaching and supervision.

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Grade: 2

Those students who are the most vulnerable or going through a difficult period in their lives receive excellent care, guidance and support. The work, enthusiasm and commitment given by the full-time Welfare Officer are regarded extremely highly by all members of the college community. Students and parents were eager and determined that inspectors understood and knew the major positive impact that she had on their lives. The creation of this post along with the other support structures, behind the scenes, in the college is exemplary. There is very close liaison with external agencies. The social skills groups using the new Rights, Respect and Responsibility programme 4 Inspection Report: Cranbourne Business and Enterprise College, 5 October 2005 to 6 October 2005 and the involvement of older students are used as key ways to raise student esteem allowing them to be in a position to be able to learn. All students take advantage of

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Grade: 2

the good levels of medical support, individual counselling and social skills development.Students reported that they felt safe at the college. Many students take part in the Anti-Bullying Crew scheme where they are trained in mediation and mentoring. These older students are deployed voluntarily around the college at break time and there is also an additional drop-in facility. Students reported this as a successful way of discussing incidents and for effective action at the appropriate level to be taken.The introduction of Monitor Days rather than parents' evenings has been a successful method to encourage a greater number of parents to be involved in the education of their children. The college communicates regularly with parents but the introduction of the new College Parent Partners is in response to the criticism of some parents that communication from the college was too slow. The college is an open

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Grade: 2

community and listens well to its members; students in particular have a strong voice in their college.

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Grade: 3

Leadership and management are satisfactory. Leaders are determined to help students fulfil their potential. The head teacher and her senior team were aware that there was some underachievement, and took strong action to address it. This action is paying off but heads of department still need to do more to ensure that assessment, monitoring and marking are used consistently by all teachers to help students do as well as they can. The college knows its strengths and weaknesses well and has a candid and accurate self-evaluation record. Governors also know the college well and are committed to its improvement. They have a range of useful experience and skills which they bring to the open, frank, challenging dialogue they have with college managers. Since the school became a specialist Business and Enterprise College in 2004, much has happened to build a communal sense of purpose and to revitalise the curriculum. The institution

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Grade: 3

has been effectively re-branded along business lines and a spirit of enterprise is being fostered: for example, both teachers and students are encouraged to apply for bursaries to support training or commercial initiatives. Critical staff vacancies have been filled. Students now play a much more prominent role in the management of their college, and enjoy a growing sense of ownership. Close links have been forged with local businesses. Many partnerships have been established with other organisations that have the development and welfare of young people at their heart; the multi-agency team meetings are particularly opportune. Communications with parents are becoming stronger but they need to become more involved in the daily life of the college. 5 Inspection Report: Cranbourne Business and Enterprise College, 5 October 2005 to 6 October 2005 .

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

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Cranbourne Business and Enterprise College, 5 October 2005 to 6 October 2005

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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 1 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 2 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 2 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

My colleagues and I greatly enjoyed inspecting your college. Many of you told us how the good relationships between you and the staff meant that you enjoyed learning and felt safe. Many of your parents/carers agree with you. We encourage you to read the report but this letter is to let you know what your college does well and how you can help to make it even better. The main strengths of your college are that students:* who have learning difficulties or disabilities achieve as well as other students* who are vulnerable or going through a difficult period in their life are extremely well cared for, guided and supported by the school * actively take on responsibilities and make a good contribution to their community, for example through acting as mentors and mediators* take part in a number and range of activities available. To make your college even better we have asked the staff to improve three main things: *

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

improve the consistency in the way that teachers use assessment, monitoring and marking to help students make progress. You can help staff improve this for all students by asking for more help and clearer guidance from the teacher when you do not know what you need to do to improve your work.* further develop ways in which parents can contribute towards helping their children take more responsibility for their own learning. * continue to implement the various initiatives introduced such as OWL, ABC, and RRR.The senior teachers and the governors know what needs to be done to improve the college and have got plans to do it. We believe that if you help the teachers to put these plans and our recommendations for improvement in place, standards will go up.

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