Howden School

Inspection Report Howden School and Technology College

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118084 Unique Reference Number East Riding of Yorkshire Local Authority 291016 Inspection number 12 °13 September 2006 Inspection dates Honoree Gordon 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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Derwent Road School address Secondary Type of school Howden, Goole Community School category East Yorkshire, DN14 7AL 11 °18 Age range of pupils 01430 430870 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01430 432435 Fax number 803 Number on roll (school) 16 Number on roll (6th form) Mr Robert Armitage Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Andrew Williams Headteacher Not previously inspected Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 291016 12 °13 September 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 one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors and three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

The school has been a specialist technology college since 2003. Its numbers are growing rapidly. It is quite isolated geographically and many pupils arrive by school buses. Pupils’ attainment on entry is average. Around one fifth of the pupils has learning difficulties and/or disabilities. There are very few pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds. There is a very small sixth form which operates in a consortium with another local school.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Howden School and Technology College, 12 °13 September 2006

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Grade: 2

This is a good school which has become increasingly popular, with justification. Pupils clearly enjoy their education and parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school. Pupils are now making good progress. Standards have risen year on year and are now average. Early indications from the 2006 tests and examinations suggest a further improvement in standards. The arrival of the new headteacher has given further impetus to this rapidly improving picture. He is encouraging middle managers to be more involved in taking on responsibility for school improvement and in checking how well pupils are making progress. Some initiatives, such as the introduction of more vocational subjects, are quite recent but, as one manager typically said, subject leaders already feel ‘rejuvenated and enabled’ to play their part in taking the school forward. The school has good capacity to improve further. The school knows itself well. It has shown that it can successfully tackle areas where

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Grade: 2

it is comparatively weak. For example, English examination results in 2006 were much better than in 2005. The school knows that, although pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are progressing in line with others, the support for them is not sufficiently well co-ordinated across all subjects or with outside agencies. Consequently, senior managers have begun to give a greater priority to this. The school works hard to raise pupils’ aspirations for their future and most go on into further education or training after age 16. Standards are good in the sixth form, despite its very small size and the rural isolation of the school. Much of the credit for the rapidly improving standards must go to the teachers. They have followed advice on how to plan effective lessons and they make good use of information and communication technologies (ICT) to enhance learning. They are working together well to share good practice.

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Grade: 2

Technology college status has brought much needed extra resources to the school. These have been used well to help drive up standards and, for example, to improve the progress that boys make. Moreover, pupils are clear that using these technologies makes school more interesting. Everyone takes a technology subject at GCSE and pupils also apply their ICT skills in other subjects. The curriculum is still evolving, with the aim of providing a greater choice of vocational subjects. There is a happy atmosphere in and around school. Behaviour is good. Pupils talk with confidence and they appreciate the increasing efforts being made to consider their views.

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Grade: 3

Education in the sixth form is satisfactory. Owing to the small numbers of students, the school is severely restricted in the facilities it can offer on the Howden site and recruitment suffers from competition with further education colleges. Nevertheless, teaching and standards are good. The curriculum operates satisfactorily within the 2 Inspection Report: Howden School and Technology College, 12 °13 September 2006 joint provision, but breadth and scope for enrichment activities are limited because of the need to travel. The opportunities for students’ personal development, though adequate, are also constrained because of the small size. On the other hand, this gives rise to a close-knit community where students feel comfortable and make new friendships. There are good systems for tracking students’ progress, setting targets, and advising on education or training when they leave. Management of the sixth form

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Grade: 3

is satisfactory; the school provides what it can within budget constraints.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Integrate the support provided for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. • Ensure that the curriculum meets the needs of the full range of pupils. • Develop middle managers’ responsibility and accountability further.

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Grade for sixth form: 3

Achievement is good. Pupils now make good progress. Standards have improved significantly in recent years and are now up to national average. Early indications from the 2006 tests and examinations suggest that standards have improved further. Pupils do particularly well in science, art and design and design and technology. Results in English were much better in 2006 than they were in 2005, following a concerted effort to focus on this. There has been considerable improvement generally in the performance of boys. Records show that some individual pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities have made good progress but there is no clear system for tracking the progress of these pupils overall. Pupils’ basic skills in literacy and numeracy are satisfactory and their ICT skills are good.

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Grade for sixth form: 3

Personal development and well-being are satisfactory. Pupils are keen to succeed. They behave well in lessons and around school, and they say they enjoy its friendly atmosphere. Pupils’ moral and social development is a substantial strength, but there are limited opportunities for spiritual enhancement and multi-cultural awareness. Attendance is average. Pupils make positive contributions to the school and its community, for example, through the popular ‘Rock Challenge’. They take responsibility well as prefects or through the school council, where they know their views will be taken seriously. The school is working toward a Healthy School award. Pupils are helped to adopt a safe, healthy lifestyle and learn about related issues, including alcohol abuse and drug awareness. A growing number of pupils benefit from regular exercise through 3 Inspection Report: Howden School and Technology College, 12 °13 September 2006

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Grade for sixth form: 3

involvement in extra-curricular sport at school, where there are good facilities and opportunities.

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Grade for sixth form: 2

Teaching and learning are good. Most lessons are well planned and ensure good progress. The strategies adopted over the last four years, particularly in the development of assessment, have improved the quality of lessons and raised attainment. Teachers have reacted positively to initiatives to improve and have taken leading roles in discussing and sharing good practice both within and across subject departments. They are now ready to look at how they could encourage pupils to be more independent in their learning and how to provide increased challenge, especially for the more able. Pupils are constantly aware of how they are doing and of the standards they are aiming for, through the good assessment process. Pupils keep a personal progress and target sheet for all subjects. They say that they are well taught.

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Grade for sixth form: 3

The curriculum is satisfactory. It promotes pupils’ development and achievement adequately. It is broad and balanced and expanding appropriately with the recent introduction of a wider range of vocational courses and work-related activities in Years 10 and 11. An alternative curriculum meets the needs of pupils considered to be at risk of underachieving, but there is no clear overview of the provision for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, nor how effective this is. A good transition programme helps pupils transfer smoothly from primary schools. The new pupils in Year 7 commented on how much this had helped them settle in. Opportunities for pupils to develop socially and culturally are enhanced by a range of extra-curricular and sporting activities and clubs. Despite transport difficulties, these activities flourish. Links with other schools and local industry are improving.

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Grade for sixth form: 2

Pupils are well cared for. Child protection procedures meet statutory requirements and plans for raising staff awareness are in place. The necessary health and safety checks are carried out and systems for risk assessment are thorough. Pupils are well known to staff and they say they feel safe and cared for in school. They trust adults to take their concerns seriously, and appreciate how issues such as bullying are dealt 4 Inspection Report: Howden School and Technology College, 12 °13 September 2006 with, should they arise. Pupils’ progress is usually well monitored and their achievements are celebrated. Parents say they value the regular information they receive. Many pupils can explain how well they are meeting their targets, and know what they need to do to improve further. Pupils receive useful careers guidance. Support for vulnerable pupils and for those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is satisfactory.

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Grade for sixth form: 3

Leadership and management are good. The school provides good value for money. Specialist college status has brought opportunities for teachers to develop their expertise and confidence to extend teaching methods. The strong senior management team, enthusiastically supported by the governors, fully recognises what still needs doing to ensure that every pupil receives a rich and high quality education. The impressive leadership of the newly appointed headteacher is raising staff morale to new heights and ensuring that everyone is fully committed to improving learning and teaching still further. New, rigorous systems for monitoring and evaluating the school’s performance are beginning to enable middle managers to take a more active role in moving the school forward. 5 Inspection Report: Howden School and Technology College, 12 °13 September 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. 6 Inspection Report: Howden School and Technology College, 12 °13 September 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 2 How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? 3 3 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 3 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 3 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 2 How well do learners achieve? 2 3 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

3 2 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 3 The attendance of learners 2 How well learners enjoy their education 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 3 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?

2 2 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. 7 Inspection Report: Howden School and Technology College, 12 °13 September 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? 8 Inspection Report: Howden School and Technology College, 12 °13 September 2006

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

14 September 2006 To the school council Howden School and Technology College Derwent Road Howden Goole East Yorkshire DN14 7AL Dear pupils I am writing to thank you for your help in the recent inspection of your school and to tell you about our findings. We were able to talk to a number of you and to members of staff. We also read your parents’ questionnaire responses and we visited some lessons. We think Howden school is a good school, with a happy atmosphere and good teaching. Your parents agree strongly with this judgement. The school is well led and managed and the staff take great care to support and guide you. You told us that the school listens to your views. We think you have very positive attitudes to learning and you behave well. The standard of your work is as we would expect to see compared to other schools nationally. We were particularly pleased to see how much your standards have improved in recent years.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

You are doing especially well in science, but also in art and design and your results in English were up significantly in 2006. Although the sixth form is very small, the standards here are good and it is a close knit group of young people who work well together. Your new headteacher has lots of good ideas for the future and he has already made some changes. We have asked him to look at three things particularly: • how the school organises the support for those of you who find learning difficult, in order to keep a closer eye on your progress • getting the subject leaders more involved in how the school is run • checking that the range of subjects on offer meets your needs well. A lot of hard work lies behind your school’s improvement, so ° well done to everyone! Keep up the good work! Yours sincerely Honoree Gordon Her Majesty’s inspector 9 Inspection Report: Howden School and Technology College, 12 °13 September 2006

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