The Cottesloe School

110533 Unique Reference Number Buckinghamshire Local Authority 288706 Inspection number 15 °16 November 2006 Inspection dates Sheila Nolan 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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Aylesbury Road School address Modern (non-selective) Type of school

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Wing Foundation School category Leighton Buzzard LU7 0NY 11 °18 Age range of pupils 01296 688264 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01296 681729 Fax number 1105 Number on roll (school) 136 Number on roll (6th form) Mr Mark Fuchter Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mr David Stevinson (Acting) Headteacher

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29 April 2002 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 288706 15 °16 November 2006 11°18 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 four additional inspectors for two days and one additional inspector for one day.

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Description of the school

The Cottesloe School, a newly designated specialist Arts College, serves pupils from a wide rural area, including parts of Bedfordshire. Almost all are of white heritage backgrounds and very few have a home language other than English. Families in the area have ready access to a range of selective and comprehensive schools. The proportion of pupils eligible for a free school meal is very much lower than is typical nationally. One in ten pupils, lower than national figures, has learning difficulties and disabilities. Numbers in the sixth form are increasing rapidly. The school is led by an acting headteacher.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: The Cottesloe School, 15 °16 November 2006

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Grade: 3

Cottesloe is an improving school that provides a satisfactory quality of education. The overwhelming majority of parents are strongly supportive of the school's drive for improvement and consider it 'a welcoming place where everyone is well known'. A real strength of the school is its happy caring ethos and emphasis on nurturing positive relationships. Personal development is good. Students behave well and attend very regularly, better than at the last inspection, because they enjoy school. They are particularly keen on the rich opportunities for out-of-hours activities such as sport, drama and music. Students take responsibilities seriously and some provide exemplary service to their fellows through their work in the cafand;eacute; at break and lunch times. They are keen to stay healthy and participate well in physical activities. Effective personal and social education and personal guidance prepares students well for the

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Grade: 3

future. Increasing numbers choose to remain at the school for their post-16 education. Although detailed attention is given to ensuring that students work and spend leisure time in a safe environment, there is no shelter to protect them from inclement weather while awaiting school transport. The lack of any kitchen and indoor dining facilities is only tenable because of the good nature of the students. The acting headteacher, effectively supported by the senior team, is managing the school well in the short period between permanent headteachers. The newly designated arts college has made a good start with the 'arts week' launch. The positive effects of senior leadership are increasingly evident in the overall upward trend in external examinations. Younger students are achieving well with test results in mathematics and science rising to just above average, a match to those of English. Overall standards

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Grade: 3

at Year 11 are average with all groups of students, including those with learning difficulties and disabilities, making steady progress. Standards in the expanding sixth form are now average and achievement satisfactory. Issues from the last inspection have been well addressed. The main school curriculum, for example, has improved with better opportunities for vocational courses. Governance is good. This clear evidence indicates the school's good capacity to improve further. Despite these positive features, however, leadership and management are satisfactory overall. Aspects of the school's evaluation are too generous. The monitoring of teaching, for example, provides a higher distribution of good and better lessons than that found jointly by inspectors and the current senior team. Teaching and learning are satisfactory. The robust whole-school assessment systems are less well embedded in classroom practice than senior managers estimate. Middle managers' effectiveness

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Grade: 3

The sixth form is satisfactory and improving. Standards have risen considerably since 2005 and are now average. Students make satisfactory progress. Rigorous checks to 2 Inspection Report: The Cottesloe School, 15 °16 November 2006 make sure students are on course to meet their targets show that achievement is continuing to improve. A lack of facilities for private study means that students regularly work at home during school time. This affects both attendance and the learning ethos negatively within the sixth form. Working relationships are good. Students are articulate and communicate confidently with adults. They make valuable contributions to the running of the school and to the local community. They give particularly good support to local special schools. Students speak highly of how they are cared for and note that 'teachers are always available to help them'. However, they note that tutorial meetings do not help them

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Grade: 3

enough to make progress in their work. Leadership and management of the sixth form are satisfactory as are teaching and learning. Monitoring, linked to professional development activities, are beginning to develop further teachers' understanding of how students learn best. Some students still lack strong independent learning skills and do not understand clearly how to improve work. The curriculum meets the needs of current students satisfactorily but has few vocational courses to encourage others into the sixth form. The capacity to improve further is strong because of the school's very clear understanding of the next phase of development within the sixth form.

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What the school should do to improve further

• ensure all middle managers are effective in managing their areas • improve the quality of day-to-day assessment and develop a shared understanding among teachers and students of what constitutes effective learning in both the main school and in the sixth form • take more imaginative steps to manage the over-stretched accommodation and the lack of social facilities for students.

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Grade for sixth form: 3

Standards are average in the main school and in the sixth form. From a broadly average base, students achieve satisfactorily by the end of Year 11. Progress is faster in Years 7 to 9 than in other year groups. This is partly because some older students are slow to develop independent learning skills. Post-16 students also make satisfactory progress given their starting points. Test results at the end of Year 9 show a steady improvement and are just above average. All groups of students achieve well but able students make especially fast progress in English. In 2006, standards in mathematics and science improved to match those of English. There is an upward trend in the proportion of students gaining five or more higher GCSE grades despite fluctuations from year to year. In the most recent examination series, close to half of Year 11 gained Grade C or better in both English and mathematics, similar to that expected nationally. Nevertheless, students do not

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Grade for sixth form: 3

do equally well in all subjects. They achieve very successfully in English, drama and 3 Inspection Report: The Cottesloe School, 15 °16 November 2006 art, reflecting the school's specialist status as an arts college. The school has taken robust and partially successful steps to address students' slow progress in history and design and technology. More boys than girls completed GNVQ courses in recent years. This accounts for the apparent gap in the rate of progress of boys and girls. Generally, students with learning difficulties and disabilities make similar progress to others in their year groups.

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Grade for sixth form: 2

The personal development and well-being of the students are good. Students engage very well with visitors and relationships throughout the school community are excellent. The overwhelming majority of students enjoy coming to school and attend very regularly. Students' spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness is good and is reflected in students' respect for the views, values and beliefs of others. Students feel safe in school and behave very well in lessons and around the site. They show remarkable tolerance at breaks and lunchtime given the lack of social and dining facilities. Students adopt safe and healthy practices because of an effective personal, social and health education programme. They appreciate the healthy eating promoted through the exceptionally well-managed tiny school cafand;eacute;. 'Helping here is exciting and I learn a lot about food preparation and nutrition' said a Year 10 student.

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Grade for sixth form: 2

Years 9 and 10 are keen to accept the unusual opportunities to help in the cafand;eacute; and contribute to the nutritional needs of the school community. High numbers take part in sports and other activities reflecting well students commitment to fitness. Others participate fully in the school council and support the wider community through a number of charities and other events. Work experience, citizenship and the careers programmes prepare students well for life after school.

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Grade for sixth form: 3

Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall. Lessons range from outstanding to a very small minority that are inadequate. Regular monitoring of teaching identifies areas for development and provides targeted professional support. However, the focus in lesson observations concentrates too much on teaching rather than on how pupils learn. Warm working relationships are reflected in students' confidence in their teachers and this helps them to engage well in classroom activities. Good pace, well-used praise and high expectations of work and behaviour help students to concentrate well on tasks. In a very effective Year 10 English lesson, students made rapid progress because 4 Inspection Report: The Cottesloe School, 15 °16 November 2006 of probing questioning and high levels of challenge. Despite these good features, teaching does not always focus well enough on helping students become effective independent learners. Not all students are clear about what they are expected to learn

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Grade for sixth form: 3

or how to improve their work. Much marking is unsatisfactory and often unrelated to students' academic targets.

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Grade for sixth form: 3

The curriculum is good and meets the needs of students well. The number of vocational courses, enterprise and work-related opportunities has increased since the last inspection. Vocational courses are popular with students and offer helpful pathways into training and employment. Provision for personal, health, social and citizenship education is good and contributes very effectively to students' personal development. Provision for literacy and numeracy across subjects is satisfactory but the development of information and communication technology skills is hindered by too few resources, partly the result of a deficit budget. Enrichment and out-of-hours learning offer a wide variety of activities. Students benefit from local and international visits and an interesting range of external visitors. Specialist arts status has not yet had time to influence major developments in the curriculum but is already making a positive

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Grade for sixth form: 3

contribution to individual events such as arts week.

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Grade for sixth form: 3

Care, guidance and support are satisfactory. Students report that problems are dealt with promptly and in a very 'understanding way'. They know who to turn to if there is a concern. Personal guidance about choices as they move through the school draws very well on outside agencies when needed. Students at risk are identified early and effective arrangements are securely in place to keep them involved in school. The school has developed systematic whole-school procedures to check on students' progress. However, these termly assessments are not always well enough underpinned by departmental practice to assess students' learning. A new mentoring programme is underway but does not always focus sharply enough on students' academic needs and progress.

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Grade for sixth form: 3

Leadership and management are satisfactory. Some aspects are good, for example, that of the acting headteacher. Through sensitive leadership, and well supported by 5 Inspection Report: The Cottesloe School, 15 °16 November 2006 the senior team, he has sustained the school's drive to improve. The impact is evident in the upturn in standards and in the caring ethos for both staff and student. The school's progress as a specialist arts college is gaining momentum under an able director. Governance is good. Under the leadership of a well-informed chair, governors are closely involved in monitoring and challenging the school's work. The sixth form is led satisfactorily although the post has not been substantially changed to reflect the growing numbers and increased responsibilities. Committed middle leaders share the senior team's clear vision for school improvement although not all understand well enough how to manage their accountabilities. The school's

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Grade for sixth form: 3

self-evaluation firmly rooted in regular reviews of whole-school and departmental progress. Professional development activities alongside performance targets are increasingly effective in developing the capacity of staff. Nevertheless, some evaluations of performance such as that on the quality of teaching and learning are too generous. Despite improving whole-school systems, there are still weaknesses in departmental assessment systems. The views of parents, students and the local community are much valued and inform changes, including the timing of the school day, charity choices and consultation evenings. Many comment that they 'feel their voice matters'. The school has a deficit budget and this restricts the resources available as well as changes to the deployment of staff. Accommodation is well maintained but the school has outgrown its present buildings. Social facilities for lunch and breaks have not

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Grade for sixth form: 3

improved since the previous inspection. 6 Inspection Report: The Cottesloe School, 15 °16 November 2006 .

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Grade for sixth form: 3

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 Inspection Report: The Cottesloe School, 15 °16 November 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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Overall effectiveness

3 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? 3 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 2 2 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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Achievement and standards

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

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Achievement and standards

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

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well-being of the learners?

The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 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 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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range of needs and interests of learners?

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

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range of 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 to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 8 Inspection Report: The Cottesloe School, 15 °16 November 2006

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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 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 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? 9 Inspection Report: The Cottesloe School, 15 °16 November 2006

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

After our visit to Cottesloe we would like to share our findings with you and thank you for your friendly welcome. A special thanks to those of you who took time to talk to us. We are pleased that you enjoy school and the many opportunities it provides, particularly the after- school activities. We are equally pleased that you behave so well in class and around the site. You attend well, know about healthy eating and join in many physical activities. We appreciate the challenges you encounter because of the lack of sixth form accommodation, dining facilities and shelters when waiting for school buses. Many of you do amazingly well by responding to the catering challenges and helping in the tiny cafand;eacute;. You gain really useful skills for later working life. We think that your school is providing you with a sound education and that it is improving all the time. There are many things that are good about your school, not least that it is now a

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

specialist arts college. Your sixth form has made great strides in the last few years. Your teachers are very committed to helping you and they look after you very well. Your acting headteacher is maintaining the school successfully in preparation for the new headteacher who will arrive in January. Overall standards are rising and you are making satisfactory progress. We are convinced you will continue to support your teachers and respond actively to their attempts to help you make ever faster progress. We have asked your teachers to work on a number of things to make your school even better: • ensure all departments are managed effectively • improve the checks on your learning in class and in your written work • take more imaginative steps to manage accommodation for dining and the sixth form and for shelters when waiting for school buses. We wish you all the best for your future success. Sheila Nolan

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Lead inspector 10 Inspection Report: The Cottesloe School, 15 °16 November 2006

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