RhyddingsOfsted inspection, 6 Oct 2005

Inspection Report Rhyddings Business and Enterprise School

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119721 Unique Reference Number Lancashire LEA 280644 Inspection number 5 October 2005 to 6 October 2005 Inspection dates Beverley Barlow Reporting inspector

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

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Haworth Street School address Comprehensive Type of school Oswaldtwistle Community School category Accrington, Lancashire 11 to 16 Age range of pupils 01254 231051 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01254 393242 Fax number 1080 Number on roll Mr Malcolm Binns Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Barry Burke Headteacher 1 September 1999 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 280644 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 one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors and three additional inspectors.

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Description of the school

Rhyddings Business and Enterprise School is an 11–16 mixed comprehensive in Oswaldtwistle, North East Lancashire. The school has 1,076 students, most of whom come from the immediate localities, which have areas of social disadvantage. A high proportion of students are from Asian heritage backgrounds and many speak English as an additional language. The number of students entitled to free school meals is much higher than the national average. Just over half the students have been identified as having special educational needs. The number of students with statements of special educational needs is above average. Students enter the school with levels of literacy and numeracy that are well below average. The school achieved specialist status in September 2005 and has developed very good links with the local community and businesses.

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Key for inspection grades

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

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Grade: 2

This is a good and improving school with some outstanding features. The headteacher is highly effective and he is well supported by all staff in realising the school’s vision of being at the heart of the local community. Students make good progress in their time at the school. In 2005, the proportion of students gaining five general certificate of secondary education (GCSE) A* to C grades was well above the national average. However, the standards are broadly average in English and mathematics but below average in science. Effective teaching and a carefully planned curriculum contribute to the school’s good performance. The school works exceptionally well with its local community and external partners. Students enjoy being at the school, have positive attitudes and feel safe and valued. They are courteous to each other and to adults they meet in school. Students’ progress is assessed and monitored but this process is

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Grade: 2

inconsistent. Senior staff have an accurate view of what the school does well and what needs to be improved. The school gives a high priority to ensuring equality of opportunity. Parental views of the school are good. The capacity to improve is good.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Raise standards in English, mathematics and science. • Ensure that all students understand their learning targets and know how to achieve them.

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Grade: 2

The school correctly believes that achievements are good and standards are satisfactory. When students enter the school in Year 7 their standards are well below average as indicated by national test scores at the end of Year 6. Students build on this and make satisfactory progress in Years 7 to 9, and very good progress in Years 10 to 11. The proportion of students who get five or more higher GCSE grades is well above the national average. A high percentage of students gain five or more graded GCSE results, demonstrating the way the school does well for all its students. The school recognises that too few students achieve five A* to C grades including English and mathematics. Standards in science are below average. The school is aware that results in some subjects are lower and has, with some success, put in place a series of measures to raise standards. Students from minority ethnic groups and those with learning

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Grade: 2

difficulties and/or disabilities do well and make good progress. The school sets itself challenging targets which it generally meets.

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Grade: 1

The school judges personal development to be good, but inspectors found it to be outstanding. Students enjoy school and develop very positive attitudes towards 2 Inspection Report: Rhyddings Business and Enterprise School, 5 October 2005 to 6 October 2005 learning. The students behaved very well both in and outside the classroom. Students feel safe in school. They know who to go to if there is a problem and have every confidence that the school deals quickly and effectively with any incidents of bullying or racial harassment. Attendance rates have improved as a result of the new measures of monitoring and following-up absences. The school’s provision for the students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. Students respond well to the wide range of opportunities for their personal development. They develop self-confidence and a very good range of skills to prepare them for employment or their next stage of education. Older students, in

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Grade: 1

particular, are very proud of the support they give to those who need help with their reading. The students commented that the staff listen to them and ensure they have a say in decisions about running the school. Students support the school’s initiatives that help them to adopt a healthy lifestyle and have made suggestions for improving school meals. A very well planned programme of assemblies, learning activities in lessons and extra-curricular sessions provides very good opportunities for them to experience and appreciate the cultural diversity of their community. Students make a very positive contribution to the local community, for example in providing support for elderly people and raising money for charity.

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Grade: 2

Inspectors agree that teaching is good overall. It varies from satisfactory to outstanding. Students work productively with each other, their teachers and other adults in the school, and make good progress in acquiring new knowledge and skills. The school’s focus on improving teaching and learning is having an impact, particularly in the much improved GCSE results. Lessons are well planned and have a clear structure. In the best lessons, students respond enthusiastically to dynamic and varied teaching. Teachers in these lessons use a range of carefully planned activities to ensure that all students engage in learning and that their needs are met, including challenging activities for the most able. Students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities receive good support in lessons. Students have many opportunities for independent learning. For example, in Years 10 and 11 they undertake detailed desk and field research of business

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Grade: 2

organisations. In less effective lessons, although teaching is satisfactory, the pace of learning is slower; the teacher talks too much and provides insufficient time for students to solve problems for themselves. Students are given targets for their work but the targets are not used consistently across all subjects to improve students’ performance and they have been less effective in raising standards in Years 7 to 9. In English and drama, students assess their own and each others’ performance highly effectively. The school recognises that good assessment practices are not consistently applied and there is some variation in the quality of marking and feedback to students. 3 Inspection Report: Rhyddings Business and Enterprise School, 5 October 2005 to 6 October 2005

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Grade: 2

The school rightly judges its curriculum to be good with a number of strengths reflecting the school’s specialist business and enterprise status. In Years 7 to 9 the curriculum meets the needs of all students. They have good opportunities to develop ICT skills and provision for citizenship is good. The school agrees that opportunities to develop students’ competencies in literacy and numeracy are sometimes missed. In Years 10 and 11 the curriculum is innovative, flexible and includes a very good range of vocational choices, both in school and at the local further education college. All students value the choices available to them. The school’s impressive links with local business give students very good direct experience of the workplace, which clearly contributes to their success in vocational courses. Students enjoy the interesting extra-curricular activities, including sport and music and participation rates are good.

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Grade: 1

Care, guidance and support for students are outstanding. The school’s commitment to ensure that all students achieve the best they can is very well demonstrated by the high status given to the manager of the students’ support services. Year 7 students value the way in which the school prepared them for their new school and, in particular the support provided by the ‘e-buddy’ system. The school’s own excellent arrangements for identifying and supporting vulnerable students and those who have a learning difficulty or disability are enhanced by its liaison with a wide range of local support agencies. For example, mentors from the local Asian heritage community provide support for students who are not doing as well as they should. The impact of the school’s work to support these groups of students is carefully monitored. Teachers have up-to-date knowledge and understanding of child protection arrangements and ensure they are followed. Exemplary risk assessment procedures

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Grade: 1

enable students to participate in a wide range of activities in and out of school. Careers education, and particularly the arrangements for providing students with work experience, including those who are vulnerable or have particular needs, prepares students well for adult life.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. The values and vision of the headteacher and his deputies drive the school’s commitment to continuous improvement so that all learners have the chance to do well. These values underpinned the school’s successful bid to become a specialist business and enterprise college. The headteacher’s high expectations are communicated well and shared by all staff. Senior staff take difficult decisions that benefit students. They are very effective in helping subject leaders use data to analyse students’ progress. The school’s 4 Inspection Report: Rhyddings Business and Enterprise School, 5 October 2005 to 6 October 2005 improvement plan is based on thorough evaluation and clear actions to raise standards. However, it does not include criteria to help the school know how successful it has been. Middle managers receive very good support to help them acquire better leadership skills. They are developing a good range of methods to improve the

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Grade: 2

effectiveness of their teams and to deal with some variance in the quality of assessment, marking and teaching. The governing body is committed to the success of the school and its students. Governors challenge the head and his senior team. They are very supportive and played a key role in the bid for specialist status, gaining good support from the community. Staffing, accommodation and resources are managed effectively. The school has recruited teachers who reflect the diversity of the local community and they are good role models for students. New facilities and good access to excellent ICT equipment support students’ learning. Financial management is secure and the school offers good value for money. 5 Inspection Report: Rhyddings Business and Enterprise School, 5 October 2005 to 6 October 2005 .

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Grade: 2

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Rhyddings Business and Enterprise School, 5 October 2005 to 6 October 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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Overall effectiveness

NA 2 How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? NA 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 NA 2 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 2 How well do learners achieve? NA 3 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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Personal development and well-being

NA 1 How good is the overall personal development and well-being of the learners? NA 1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 2 The behaviour of learners NA 3 The attendance of learners NA 1 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 1 How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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The quality of provision

NA 2 How effective are teaching and learning in meeting the full range of the learners' needs? NA 2 How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? NA 1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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The quality of provision

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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Leadership and management

NA 2 How effective are leadership and management in raising achievement and supporting all learners? NA 2 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 2 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 1 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 2 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 2 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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Leadership and management

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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Leadership and management

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

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE T 0207 421 6800 F 0207 421 6707 www.ofsted.gov.uk Rhyddings Business and Enterprise School Haworth Street Oswaldtwistle Accrington Lancashire BB5 3EA 10th October 2005 Dear students, Thank you for welcoming the Ofsted inspection team into your school last week. We enjoyed our visit to your school. You made us very welcome and it was very interesting to talk to you and find out your views. These are our main findings from the inspection: Rhyddings is a good school and we found that some aspects of the school are outstanding. The school is well led, the headteacher, staff and governors are working hard to encourage you to do the very best you can. They have been very successful in helping you to improve your exam results and you make good progress in your time at the school. Your behaviour is good. We saw this not only in your lessons but also as you went around the school between lessons and during breaks. You are polite, courteous and friendly towards one

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

another and to adults in the school. Much of the teaching is good and those of you who need extra help receive it, both in class and in the learning centres. You told us that you enjoy coming to school and appreciate the hard work of your teachers. There is a wide range of courses for you to choose from in Years 10 and 11. Your teachers have developed a curriculum which is preparing you well for your future choices in life. The contribution you make to your community is outstanding. Your teachers care for you well, guiding you and supporting you as you make important choices. You told us that you are grateful for this help and that you know exactly what to do if there is a problem. Overall your attendance has improved but quite rightly some of you have individual targets to improve it further. We asked your parents and carers for their views of your school. The majority of them have great confidence in the work of the school in leading you to success.

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Annex B

In order to make the school even better, the staff and governors are going to: Ensure that each of you are clear about your learning targets in all subjects and that you know what you need to do to achieve them. Support you further in improving your performance in English, mathematics and science. You may want to think about ways in which you could assist in this. Once again, may we thank you all for your openness and support during this inspection. There is much for you and your teachers to be proud of at Rhyddings Business and Enterprise School and we wish you every success for the future in all that you do. Yours faithfully Bev Barlow Her Majesty’s Inspector Annex B

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