Iveshead School

Inspection Report Hind Leys Community College

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120274 Unique Reference Number Leicestershire LEA 280781 Inspection number 22 February 2006 to 23 February 2006 Inspection dates Stephen Abbott HMI Reporting inspector

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

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Forest Street School address Comprehensive Type of school Loughborough Community School category Leicestershire LE12 9DB 14 to 18 Age range of pupils 01509 504511 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01509 650764 Fax number 726 Number on roll Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Yvonne Lee Headteacher 17 January 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 280781 22 February 2006 - 14 to 18 23 February 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

Hind Leys serves the towns of Shepshed, Castle Donington, Kegworth and some surrounding villages. Students join the school at age 14, mostly from two local high schools. The sixth form is similar in size to the national average, but the school as a whole is smaller than average. Fewer students than average are from minority ethnic backgrounds and only two students are in the early stages of learning English. The school is developing a specialist centre to support students with autistic spectrum disorders but the proportion with learning difficulties or disabilities is below average. Few students are eligible for free school meals. Boys outnumber girls in Years 10 and 11, but the situation is reversed in the sixth form. The school provides registered childcare provision for children between the ages of 0 and 4 years. The inspection report on this provision is attached as Annex C.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Hind Leys Community College, 22 February 2006 to 23 February 2006

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Grade: 3

Hind Leys provides a satisfactory quality of education. This judgement reflects the school’s own view of itself. It forms effective partnerships to promote students’ interests. The sixth form is effective: it is inclusive and meets the needs of learners well. The provision in Years 10 and 11 is satisfactory but has some areas that need further improvement. Students make good progress in the sixth form and satisfactory progress in Years 10 and 11, where achievement is lower in mathematics and science than in English. The pattern of achievement reflects variations in the quality of teaching and some past recruitment issues.

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Grade: 2

This is an effective sixth form that has a deservedly high reputation. The school’s judgement is more generous but the inspection evidence does not fully support this view. The sixth form provides good value for money. A high proportion of Year 11 students stay on into the sixth form, and praise the level of guidance they are given. There is a high retention rate on courses, which are predominantly academic, although the range of vocational courses is under review. Students reach above average standards, make good progress and achieve well. This is in response to good teaching and the very positive attitudes they bring to learning and indeed to the entire sixth form experience. Students feel that most teachers encourage them to develop independent learning skills. They also receive excellent advice when they seek it. Sixth formers play a full part in the school and the life of the community. The sixth form is

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Grade: 2

led well, with well-developed links with other local post-16 education providers.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Raise achievement in mathematics and science in Years 10 and 11. • Improve the quality of teaching and learning in the main school to develop students’ independent learning skills and to motivate disengaged learners more effectively. • Make better use of assessment and improve marking so that teachers and students are better informed about how to improve learning.

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Grade for sixth form: 2

Achievement and standards are satisfactory. In four of the last five years, standards at the end of Year 11 have improved broadly in line with the national picture and are close to the national average. However, the school fell short of its challenging targets for five or more GCSE passes at grades C and above in 2005. Standards are above average in the sixth form, even though an inclusive access policy means that some students begin their GCE courses with below average prior attainment. Sixth-form 2 Inspection Report: Hind Leys Community College, 22 February 2006 to 23 February 2006 students make good progress across a range of subjects. Students with learning difficulties and disabilities make satisfactory progress in Years 10 and 11 and good progress in the sixth form. Students’ progress from age 11 to 16 is satisfactory overall. Hind Leys is responsible for Years 10 and 11, covering the last two years of this progress, but it is difficult to

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Grade for sixth form: 2

quantify because there is conflicting evidence about the level of students’ attainment at the point of transfer. Shortly before they join the school, they obtain above average results in the national tests at age 14. On the other hand, a standardised test administered immediately after they join the school indicates that their prior attainment is a little below average. What is clear is that many students do not make the expected progress in Years 10 and 11. The school has detected a degree of underachievement by boys and girls whose previous attainment is average or below average. Students also make better progress in English than in mathematics or science. The school is beginning to identify ways of improving these areas of its performance.

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Grade for sixth form: 2

The personal development and well-being of students are satisfactory. Students with learning difficulties and disabilities make good gains in confidence and basic skills. Most students enjoy school and attendance is good. Behaviour in lessons and around the school is satisfactory overall. However, both parents and students feel that there is a degree of immature behaviour which disrupts learning. This is associated with a significant minority of students whose enthusiasm for learning has waned and who therefore do not achieve to their capabilities. Students in the sixth form enjoy their education and develop very well as individuals. They play a significant role outside the sixth form, for example, in mentoring students lower down the school. Students in the sixth form believe that ’the college is a great place, and we get out of it as much as we put in’. The school develops students’ cultural awareness well, for example, through visits,

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Grade for sixth form: 2

vibrant art displays and an enthusiastically received performing arts programme. Most students enjoy the good range of out-of-classroom activities such as sports clubs. They also develop a sense of moral and community responsibility, for example, through fund raising activities and work with groups of disabled children. Spiritual development is satisfactory. During the inspection, spirituality was addressed well in an assembly on the theme of people’s reactions to a natural disaster. However, opportunities to develop this awareness further in lessons are sometimes missed. Students generally relate well to each other socially. They mostly feel safe in school, and report that the college adopts a suitably rigorous approach to dealing with bullying. Students understand the importance of a healthy lifestyle, for example, supporting initiatives to introduce healthier eating into school. They acquire a satisfactory range

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Grade for sixth form: 2

of workplace skills, especially when opting for vocational courses, but they make limited progress in developing some core skills, particularly in mathematics. 3 Inspection Report: Hind Leys Community College, 22 February 2006 to 23 February 2006

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Grade for sixth form: 2

Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall. In the most successful lessons relationships are good and students are fully engaged in the learning activity. Expectations are high and there is some good use of assessment to help students improve their learning and progress well. In group work, students are cooperative and help each other to learn. In the less effective but satisfactory lessons, students’ individual learning needs are not always met because work is not sufficiently well matched to the full range of abilities. The unimaginative nature of some lessons and the failure to engage all students during whole-class activities result in students losing their concentration. Consequently, some students do not achieve as well as expected. In some cases, disengaged students distract others from learning, and this particularly affects some mathematics and science lessons. In the sixth form, teaching and learning

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Grade for sixth form: 2

are good. This is due to the encouragement of independent learning and the students’ more positive attitudes. Generally, teachers do not make effective use of assessment to improve learning. For example, students’ progress in meeting the learning objectives is not routinely reviewed during the lesson and teachers do not ask enough probing questions to check what has been understood. The marking of students’ work is inconsistent and often does not identify sources of error or give students sufficient advice on how to improve. Marking in the sixth form demonstrates fewer shortcomings.

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Grade for sixth form: 2

The curriculum is satisfactory overall and good in the sixth form. It provides satisfactorily for students’ differing aspirations and needs, and students with learning difficulties and disabilities are well catered for. Many courses, for example, in the performing arts, inspire students to high levels of commitment and enjoyment. There are high levels of participation in a good range of additional learning opportunities, performances, sporting fixtures, clubs and visits that take place outside the school day. Recent changes have meant that a wider range of options is now being offered in Years 10 and 11, with a greater focus on vocational courses. Additional options, taught in partnership with local colleges, provide well for a small group of students who respond better to a more practical approach. Other students are keen to see this provision offered more widely. Religious education and citizenship are taught through

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Grade for sixth form: 2

a course that covers aspects of both but with insufficient time to meet statutory 4 Inspection Report: Hind Leys Community College, 22 February 2006 to 23 February 2006 requirements. The arrangements for a daily act of collective worship do not meet requirements. The sixth form curriculum offers a good range of GCE subjects and a smaller number of vocational courses. The school recognises a need for a foundation course for vulnerable post-16 students but so far has not been able to attract a viable group. Sixth form students also take a full and active part in extra-curricular and community based activities.

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Grade for sixth form: 1

Care, support and guidance for younger students are satisfactory overall but there is insufficient attention to developing independent learning skills in some lessons. Staff are committed to promoting students’ welfare. Arrangements for safeguarding students, including child protection procedures, are fully in place. Students with learning difficulties and disabilities receive very good guidance and support throughout the college, and achieve better than average. Younger students get good advice on how to follow their interests through to the next phase of education. Students’ academic progress is tracked and analysed regularly to identify those in needing support. However, insufficient use is made of this information to improve classroom teaching. The quality of support and careers guidance in the sixth form is outstanding, both for students going on to higher education and those seeking employment or other avenues.

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Grade for sixth form: 1

Sixth formers also greatly appreciate the quality of the regular monitoring and personal guidance given on their academic progress.

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Grade for sixth form: 2

Leadership and management of the school are satisfactory overall and good in the sixth form. The headteacher has set a clear direction for the school to develop as an inclusive learning community with opportunities for all to achieve. Consequently, there has been a strong emphasis on developing a more appropriate curriculum and on working with teachers to improve learning rather than a narrow focus on improving results. The school development plan identifies priorities for improvement but does not always make clear how the improvements will be measured. There is also too much detail about routine developments which masks the key priority areas. The plan correctly highlights mathematics and science as subject areas requiring additional intervention. Good systems are in place for senior managers to support and challenge the work of middle managers and to agree targets for improvement. This, however, needs to be

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Grade for sixth form: 2

used more rigorously to secure improvement in standards. Self-evaluation is satisfactory overall with a strength in the evaluation of teaching and learning, where accurate judgments are well backed by evidence. Regular lesson observation and student 5 Inspection Report: Hind Leys Community College, 22 February 2006 to 23 February 2006 questionnaires are used to highlight good practice and areas for improvement. Judgements on other aspects of self-evaluation are not as well supported by data. For example, the school considered that its sixth form provision was outstanding rather than good, but the inspection evidence to support this view was not strong enough. Governors are supportive and well informed. They are aware that GCSE results at the end of Year 11 are not high enough but have yet to ask sufficiently challenging questions to help secure improvement. Equal opportunities are well promoted through

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Grade for sixth form: 2

an inclusive curriculum. The school works effectively with parents and others to promote students’ well-being. Resources are well managed and the college has now recovered from a significant budget deficit through prudent management. 6 Inspection Report: Hind Leys Community College, 22 February 2006 to 23 February 2006 .

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Grade for sixth form: 2

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 Inspection Report: Hind Leys Community College, 22 February 2006 to 23 February 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

2 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 3 3 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 2 3 How well do learners achieve? 2 3 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Inspection judgements

2 3 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 2 3 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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Inspection judgements

Personal development and well-being 2 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 2 The attendance of learners 2 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 2 3 How effective are teaching and learning in meeting the full range of the learners' needs? 2 3 How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 1 3 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 2 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 insufficient evidence 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, your school was recently inspected and this letter is to tell you the results of the inspection. I would like to thank you all for your politeness and co-operation during our visit. The inspectors appreciated your comments and opinions. We found the school to be satisfactory in Years 10 and 11 and good in the sixth form. We were pleased that the school had put on more vocational courses that suit some of you better than traditional subjects. Those of you in Years 10 and 11 learn well in some lessons but we think you should be getting better results. Your best lessons include a variety of approaches and make it clear what you need to learn. Some teachers help you learn for yourselves, especially in the sixth form. However, in some lessons the same few students answered nearly all of the questions. We heard from students and parents that a few of you prevent others from learning, especially in some mathematics

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

and science classes. This is not fair and it is time for a fresh start. Those of you in the sixth form are taught well and are successful in examinations and your personal development. You told us that most teachers encourage you to develop independent learning skills and provide excellent advice when you need it. You play a full part in the school and the life of the community. The headteacher has a good understanding of the issues facing the school. She and the subject leaders regularly watch lessons to see what is good and what needs to be better. The senior staff are confident that they can make Years 10 and 11 as good as the sixth form. We have asked the school to: Improve GCSE results in mathematics and science. Make better use of assessment during lessons and through the teachers’ marking so they can help you to understand better how to improve your work. Teach more of the sorts of lessons where you learn well – lessons that involve all of you in

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

learning and give you plenty to do and think about. We wish you and the school staff well in the future

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