Lealands High School

109686 Unique Reference Number LUTON Local Authority 288476 Inspection number 4 °5 October 2006 Inspection dates Mark Sims HMI Reporting inspector

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

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Sundon Park Road School address Secondary Type of school Luton Community School category Bedfordshire LU3 3AL 11 °16 Age range of pupils 01582 611600 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01582 612227 Fax number 931 Number on roll (school) Mrs Barbara Butler Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Christopher Ginns Headteacher 8 October 2001 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 288476 4 °5 October 2006 11°16 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

Lealands is an average sized high school to the north of Luton. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is slightly higher than the national average. There is a higher than average percentage of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds of whom nearly all have been identified by the school as having a first language other than English. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities including those with statements of special educational needs is lower than average. The school has very recently become a specialist sports college.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Lealands High School, 4 °5 October 2006

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Grade: 3

Lealands High School provides a satisfactory quality of education. In recent years the school has worked hard to improve the climate for learning and has succeeded in winning the support of students for what it is trying to achieve. The school has already established its vision of having a culture 'based on a strong ethos of mutual respect'. The school is passionate about wanting to ensure students enjoy learning and has created a curriculum at Key Stage 4 that excites many in the school, particularly when option choices are made in Year 9. As yet it has not fully achieved its vision of being a school with a 'focus on attainment, underpinned by strong and effective monitoring.' Achievement is satisfactory although insufficient attention has been given to ensuring students achieve their potential and this has resulted in recent disappointing below average results at GCSE. Some students have taken inappropriate courses and the

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Grade: 3

monitoring of progress was insufficient to remedy the situation. Students' personal development is good and behaviour has improved significantly, resulting in a substantial reduction in exclusions. Students responded very well to the inspectors' visit, behaving very well both in and outside lessons, and during a fire drill. This improved behaviour enables everyone to focus even more on ensuring targets are achieved in the future. Overall the quality of teaching is satisfactory and ranges from outstanding to a small amount that is inadequate. The school's monitoring of lessons is thorough and accurate but this process has not led to the levels of consistency required for all students to achieve their full potential. Difficulties recruiting staff have not helped. Outstanding teaching was observed that provided good evidence of how well less able students respond to teaching that is appropriately challenging. This combination of enjoyment

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Grade: 3

and challenge is not provided consistently enough, particularly at Key Stage 4. The school has just achieved specialist sports college status and is planning to use this as another lever to raise standards. It has already resulted in increased participation in Physical Education (PE), contributing to healthy living and enhanced links with feeder primary schools. Leadership and management are satisfactory overall. Issues from the last inspection have been addressed and there has been a satisfactory rate of improvement. Students and staff have confidence in the leadership of the school and recent restructuring has improved its capacity to improve. However, the current school improvement plan has too many priorities and insufficient attention is given to the impact on student progress. Capacity to improve is therefore satisfactory, although current circumstances are such that there is considerable potential for significant

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Grade: 3

improvement. Although the school's overall effectiveness is satisfactory, its performance in a few respects is inadequate. Before its next section 5 inspection, Ofsted inspectors may visit the school to monitor the progress it has made in remedying these weaknesses. The school would receive two to five days notice of such a visit.

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What the school should do to improve further

- The headteacher, senior managers and governing body need to ensure there is a greater priority on raising standards. - Ensure that students are guided towards courses that enable them to achieve their full potential. - Establish consistent procedures for 2 Inspection Report: Lealands High School, 4 °5 October 2006 tracking and monitoring pupils' progress to ensure speedy and appropriate intervention can take place.

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Grade: 3

Achievement is satisfactory. Attainment of students when they start school is about average, although recently there have been slightly fewer higher-attaining students. In recent years standards in tests at Key Stage 3 and examinations at Key Stage 4 rose significantly so that they were in line with national averages. They have remained consistent at Key Stage 3 but recent examination results at Key Stage 4 have been below average. The main causes have been shortcomings in how the school checks students' progress, and changes to the curriculum leading to fewer accredited courses being available. There have also been difficulties in recruiting staff, although currently there is more stability. There has been consistently satisfactory progress at Key Stage 3 for all learners in recent years, including pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities, and in 2006 the boys' performance in mathematics was good. Progress

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Grade: 3

from when students enter the school through to when they leave has generally been satisfactory, with the exception of the most recent tests, when it was below average. Evidence from the observation of lessons, work scrutiny and information relating to progress towards targets, indicates that achievement is now satisfactory. The climate for learning has improved significantly resulting in just above average attendance and good behaviour. However the school's targets for Key Stage 4 are not sufficiently challenging given that achievement at the end of Key Stage 3 is close to average.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development and well-being are good. They are supported by the school's clear focus on respect for oneself, for others, for learning and for the environment. This has led to mature attitudes towards drug taking and alcohol abuse. Through personal, social and health education (PSHE) lessons and participation on the school council, pupils develop an understanding of what it means to be a citizen who respects the views of other cultures and acts responsibly. Older pupils develop a sense of responsibility through teaching sport to younger pupils and helping with the paired reading scheme. Pupils have time for spiritual reflection in assemblies and in religious studies. Pupils enjoy their lessons and their behaviour is good, especially when they are engaged and challenged. This is not consistent in all lessons, however. Pupils move safely around the school and say that there is little bullying or racism.

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Grade: 2

Attendance is satisfactory and improving. The school's specialist sports status provides many opportunities for pupils to adopt healthy lifestyles through physical education and pupils speak highly of the sporting and extra-curricular opportunities open to them. The school canteen provides a healthy choice of food. Pupils make a positive contribution to the community through their drama and catering activities, many of which equip them for their future careers. 3 Inspection Report: Lealands High School, 4 °5 October 2006

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Grade: 3

Teaching and learning are satisfactory. There is inconsistency in the quality which ranges from outstanding to a small proportion that is inadequate. The best teaching is well planned to build upon what pupils have previously learnt. Learning objectives are shared with pupils and reviewed at the end of the lesson. Classroom management is good, which leads to good standards of behaviour and attitudes amongst learners. Pupils are highly motivated because they find the work challenging and interesting. Relationships between teachers and pupils are good. Teachers engage pupils well in discussions and peer assessment but outcomes are not always fed back to the whole class. Where the pace of lessons is slower, pupils are not as engaged as they could be. Provision for different groups of learners is less apparent in lessons. Pupils have fewer opportunities to work independently or conduct their own research and in one instance

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Grade: 3

they were copying from a text book. Pupils know how well they are doing and what their targets are for improvement. They are able to say what they can do and know what they need to do to achieve the next level. However there is inconsistency in marking and recording of this information across subjects.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum is satisfactory. At Key Stage 4 students undertake a wide range of courses and speak positively about how this compares to their Key Stage 3 experience. The increased curriculum choice has had a beneficial effect on attendance which has improved. Incidences of poor behaviour are few and there are no permanent exclusions. The school's management of pupils' options in Year 9 has led to some students taking courses that do not enable them to achieve their full potential. This has contributed to lower achievement at Key Stage 4. Year 11 students considered some of the 'easy options' as ways to fill the week. Recently the school has embarked on vocational courses that offer exciting and rigorous alternatives to an academic curriculum. Students were very enthusiastic about the new catering option that has been developed in collaboration with neighbouring schools. Students have access to a wide range of

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Grade: 3

enrichment and other activities but the school has not evaluated the impact of this provision. PSHE is delivered well in the school.

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Grade: 3

Care, guidance and support are satisfactory overall although pastoral care of pupils is good. Pupils say they feel safe and looked after well and that their views are taken seriously. A pupil survey has led to a wider range of after-school activities. Child protection arrangements are fully in place. Pupils know their individual targets and a 'traffic light' system helps them understand how well they are doing. However, not 4 Inspection Report: Lealands High School, 4 °5 October 2006 all teachers use this system in the same way or are able to track pupil progress effectively. The school is working hard to reorganise pupil support to improve opportunities for all pupils, including providing training for all staff in planning work for pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities. More able pupils have the opportunity to enter for some subjects early. Although there is a clear careers programme, older pupils say they are given little guidance in selecting their options.

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Grade: 3

The school provides study clubs for all pupils and a range of catch-up activities such as 'Toe by Toe' for pupils who find work hard.

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Grade: 3

Leadership and management are satisfactory. Discontinuity in leadership and a change of almost half the teaching staff since the last inspection have impeded improvements. Provision for personal development has been developed well. As a result, attitudes of students have improved significantly. Whilst the behaviour observed during the inspection was good, a significant number of parents reported behaviour as an issue for concern for them. The school has had difficulty in recruiting and retaining suitably qualified teachers. A third are either newly qualified, under training or unqualified. Satisfactory action to improve the quality of teaching has been taken. Senior managers monitor teachers' performance every term and provide personal development plans where necessary. The quality of the school's self evaluation is satisfactory. The monitoring of students' performance is developing well but practice is not consistent

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Grade: 3

enough across the school. The income of the school is effectively deployed to support its development plan. Financial control is strong and the school provides satisfactory value for money. The governing body discharges its responsibilities satisfactorily but its overview of attainment and progress is not sufficiently challenging. Governors and senior staff know the strengths and weaknesses of the school and have the capacity to bring about further improvements. 5 Inspection Report: Lealands High School, 4 °5 October 2006 .

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Grade: 3

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Lealands High School, 4 °5 October 2006

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Inspection judgements

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

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 3 The capacity to make any necessary improvements Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

3 How well do learners achieve? 4 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 3 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 The behaviour of learners 3 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 3 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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and interests of learners?

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

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and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 7 Inspection Report: Lealands High School, 4 °5 October 2006

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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 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, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 8 Inspection Report: Lealands High School, 4 °5 October 2006

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

6 October 2006 Dear Students Lealands High School, Sundon Park Road, Luton, Bedfordshire, LU3 3AL Thank you for making us so welcome during our recent visit to you school. Your behaviour was impressive and you gave thoughtful and honest responses to our questions. Your willingness to try hard told us that you are proud of your school. The spontaneous applause at the end of the Year 11 assembly was just one example of your loyal support for Lealands High School. We agree that there are good things about the school, such as the more exciting curriculum at Key Stage 4 and the fact the adults in the school genuinely treat you with respect. Behaviour in the school has improved a lot since last year. We also think the school wants you to enjoy your education, listens to you well and takes good care of you. There are some aspects of the school that could be better. Last year not everyone did as well as they might have done

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

in examinations in Year 11. We think those of you in Year 9 could have better guidance to ensure you take the best courses for you to achieve well. The school has more to do to check how well you achieve your targets in all subjects. You can help the school by focussing on doing your very best to achieve these. When you choose your options for Year 10 listen carefully to the advice of your teachers The staff of the school have accepted our findings and will work with you to make these improvements. We think Lealands has a good positive atmosphere and has a tremendous opportunity to become a very good school. Once again thank you for the tremendous part you played in making our visit pleasant. Mark Sims HMI 9 Inspection Report: Lealands High School, 4 °5 October 2006

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