The Hamble School

Hamble Community Sports College Inspection report

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116413 Unique Reference Number Hampshire Local Authority 290526 Inspection number 25 °26 April 2007 Inspection dates Christopher Russell 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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Comprehensive Type of school Community School category 11 °16 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 1015 School

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The governing body Appropriate authority Mr C Tickner Chair Mr I Knights Headteacher 19 November 2001 Date of previous school inspection Satchell Lane School address Hamble-le-Rice Southampton SO31 4NE

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02380 452105 Telephone number 02380 457439 Fax number

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11 °16 Age group 25 °26 April 2007 Inspection dates 290526 Inspection number .

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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

Hamble Community Sport College is an average sized comprehensive school. It serves an area of Hampshire, but also draws some of its students from the city of Southampton. The proportion of students from minority ethnic backgrounds is small and few speak English as an additional language. The percentage of students with learning difficulties and disabilities is just above the national average and has increased slightly in recent years. The school was awarded sports college specialist status in 2002 and is the central hub school of a local school sports partnership which supports physical education (PE) and sports developments in a number of local schools. It was recently re-designated as a sports college and designated as a specialist college for vocational learning. The school works closely with a number of local schools and colleges as part of the Eastleigh consortium.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Hamble Community Sports College, 25 °26 April 2007

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Grade: 2

Hamble Community Sports College provides a good standard of education. Students achieve well, attaining above average standards by the end of Year 11. They make satisfactory progress during Key Stage 3, attaining standards that are close to the national average. They make less progress in English, where standards are below average. Progress accelerates during Key Stage 4 and students attain GCSE results that are consistently above national averages. The curriculum has developed extensively in recent years, particularly in Years 10 and 11. The number of options and vocational courses available to students has increased considerably. This curriculum meets the needs of students very well, helping them to make considerable progress in Years 10 and 11 and attain good examination results. The school's specialist status as a sport college has enabled it to offer an outstanding range of opportunities outside of

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Grade: 2

lessons. Students are positive about these opportunities and participation rates are high. Teaching and learning are good. However, there is inconsistency in the quality of teaching and learning within and between subject areas. Care, guidance and support are good. Students are well cared for and their progress is monitored carefully by the school. Procedures for identifying and supporting students with learning difficulties and disabilities are satisfactory and improving, but those with literacy difficulties do not yet receive extra support as promptly as they should. Students' personal development and well-being are good. They are mature, confident and articulate. The school's sports college status has made a significant contribution to students' personal development and many gain valuable leadership skills through acting as sports leaders. Students behave very well around the site; the majority behave well in lessons and the behaviour in some lessons is excellent.

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Grade: 2

However, the behaviour and attitudes of a minority of students is a barrier to learning in some lessons. The school is well led and managed. The headteacher has a clear vision for the school, and a strong commitment to further improvement. Senior leaders have a very good understanding of the school's strengths and weaknesses and have taken effective action to support improvement in a number of weaker areas. A strong feature of the school's senior leadership is its open and reflective nature. There is a marked lack of complacency and a strong desire to improve further in the future. Although the school has an accurate view of the overall quality of teaching and learning, the focus on specific strengths and weaknesses is less sharp. This limits the school's ability to use good practice across the school to improve the quality of teaching and learning even further. The school's work as a specialist sports college is outstanding

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Grade: 2

and has made a strong contribution to the school's provision and outcomes. The school is well placed to improve in the future.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Raise achievement at Key Stage 3, particularly in English. • Extend the school's best practice in teaching and learning to improve the consistent quality of lessons. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Hamble Community Sports College, 25 °26 April 2007

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Grade: 2

Students enter the school in Year 7 with standards similar to the national average. Their achievement during Key Stage 3 is satisfactory and they attain average standards at the end of Year 9. However, results in the national Key Stage 3 tests in English declined in 2005 and 2006 and were below average in 2006. The school has been working hard this year to improve standards in English at Key Stage 3. While there is still further work to do, there is also evidence of pupils making better progress. Students make considerable progress during Key Stage 4, attaining standards that are above average by the end of Year 11. This represents good achievement from students' starting points in Year 7. GCSE examination results have been significantly above average for a number of years. The proportion of students attaining five or more higher grades is very high. The proportion gaining five or more higher grades including English and mathematics has increased

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Grade: 2

in recent years and is slightly above the national average. In 2006, no student left the school without achieving qualifications. Students with learning difficulties and disabilities generally make slightly less progress than other students, although their achievement is satisfactory.

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Grade: 2

Students' personal development and well-being are good. Students' spiritual, moral and social development are good; their cultural development is satisfactory, as some are not sufficiently aware of different cultures and traditions. Behaviour is good overall, as demonstrated by the way that students behave sensibly and responsibly around the school when they are not directly supervised. Attendance is satisfactory and most students enjoy their time in school. They particularly appreciate the wide range of opportunities for sport and their participation in sporting activities is impressive. This helps to ensure that most students adopt healthy lifestyles. Students have a satisfactory understanding of the need to adopt safe practices. The development of workplace skills is good and students are well prepared for the world of work. Students make a good contribution to the school and the local community. For example, older

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Grade: 2

students become 'reading buddies' for Year 7 students and organise sports festivals in primary schools and as far afield as South Africa. However, some younger students in particular would like more opportunity to influence decisions in the school; although there is a student council, they feel they have too little say in the way that the school is run.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good. As a result, students achieve above average standards by the time they leave the school. This good teaching identifies precisely what students are intended to learn. Teachers provide a wide variety of well chosen and carefully sequenced activities. Classroom management is good and relationships are very positive. This provides a secure environment in which effective learning takes place. In an outstanding French lesson, for 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Hamble Community Sports College, 25 °26 April 2007 example, students enjoyed the range of engaging activities, took part enthusiastically and, as a result, made considerable progress in developing their spoken French. However, while the majority of teaching is good and some is outstanding, the quality of teaching is inconsistent across the school. As a result, students make less progress in some lessons than they could. Some of this inconsistency is a consequence of difficulties that the school has faced

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Grade: 2

in recruiting staff in some subjects. While activities in lessons are generally well-chosen, they are not always sufficiently adapted to meet the needs of individual students. The quality of marking is also inconsistent and feedback does not always help students to know what they need to do to improve. In the least successful lessons, teachers' strategies for managing behaviour are not secure.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is well-balanced and planned to offer choices that match students' interests and abilities well. In addition to the more traditional option choices made on entry to Year 10, students are also able to make choices in some subjects on entry to Year 9. The curriculum in Years 10 and 11 is enhanced by a good range of vocational and academic subjects, some of which are studied at other schools and colleges. An increasing number of students are now benefiting from these arrangements which offer subjects that the school, individually, would not be able to provide. Arrangements for teaching citizenship include a combination of core and cross-curricular provision. The school does not yet have robust systems to bring together assessments from across the curriculum to ensure that students' overall attainment in citizenship is fully recognised. The curriculum is enhanced by the wide range of opportunities, including after-school activities

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Grade: 2

and educational visits. The range of opportunities provided by the school's work as a sports college is outstanding.

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Grade: 2

The school provides good care, guidance and support. Teachers ensure that students are aware of targets in all subjects and monitor their progress closely through regular academic review days. They provide good support for students who are underachieving. There are clear procedures for ensuring that students are safe and protected. Teaching and support staff provide a good range of support for students. Support for those with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties helps ensure that many students at risk of exclusion are able to continue their education; as a result, exclusion figures are lower than the national average. Links with outside agencies have recently improved through the introduction of half-termly multi-agency meetings. These help ensure that students have better access to extra support when required. However, despite the school's improved management of these links, access to support from some of these agencies is still slow because of the high level of demand.

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Grade: 2

6 of 11 Inspection Report: Hamble Community Sports College, 25 °26 April 2007

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. The headteacher is a purposeful and successful leader who sets a very clear direction for the school. He enjoys effective support from his recently reconstructed leadership team, which is helping to move the school further forward. The school monitors and evaluates performance effectively and senior leaders provide well-focussed support where areas of concern are identified. The governing body is very effective as a critical and supportive friend of the school; governors share the headteacher's priorities for further improvement. While generally good, the quality of middle leadership and management varies across the school. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Hamble Community Sports College, 25 °26 April 2007 .

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Hamble Community Sports College, 25 °26 April 2007

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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? 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 2 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

2 How well do learners achieve? 2 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 3 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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and interests of learners?

2 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. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Hamble Community Sports College, 25 °26 April 2007

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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? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Hamble Community Sports College, 25 °26 April 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

11 May 2007 Dear Students Inspection of Hamble Community Sports College, Satchell Lane, Hamble-le-Rice, Southampton, SO31 4NE Thank you for your help and for taking the time to talk to us during the recent inspection. I am writing to you to tell you about our main findings. We judged Hamble to be providing a good standard of education. The school helps you to achieve good examination results. When you enter the school, your results in the primary school tests are average. By the time you leave in Year 11, your examination results are consistently better than in most other schools. However, students do much better during Key Stage 4 than during Key Stage 3. We have asked the school to continue to improve results at Key Stage 3. We saw many good or outstanding lessons during the inspection. However, we found (and you told us) that the quality of lessons was rather inconsistent across the school. While we were

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

impressed by your behaviour around the school and in most lessons, in some lessons a minority of students misbehaved and prevented others from learning. Some of you told us that you found this frustrating. We have asked the school to continue to improve the quality of lessons to make them more consistently good. The school has increased the range of courses in Years 10 and 11 extensively in recent years. This is helping to ensure that you can study courses that you enjoy and that help you to succeed. We were pleased by the way in which the school supports you and helps you to develop as young people. We were impressed by your maturity and confidence. Sports college work is making a strong contribution here and students that we spoke to were very positive about it. We were very impressed by the numbers of students involved in sport or PE after school, particularly those working as sports leaders. The headteacher and other senior staff clearly know how to improve the school further. The

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

inspection team wish you well for the future. Yours faithfully Christopher Russell Her Majesty's Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Hamble Community Sports College, 25 °26 April 2007

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