The Hayling College

116423 Unique Reference Number Hampshire Local Authority 312302 Inspection number 11 °12 June 2008 Inspection dates David Butler 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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Secondary Type of school Foundation School category 11 °16 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 659 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs J Coates-Jones Chair Mr M Bullough Headteacher 20 September 2004 Date of previous school inspection Church Road School address Hayling Island PO11 0NU 02392 466241 Telephone number 02392 461835 Fax number

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11-16 Age group 11 °12 June 2008 Inspection dates 312302 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

The Hayling College draws the great majority of its pupils from Hayling Island. Over 95% of students are White British and very few pupils speak English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is average. Nine pupils are looked after by the local authority. The college was designated as a specialist mathematics and computing college in September 2005. The college is part of a federation of six local secondary schools and some shared teaching takes place between the schools.

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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: The Hayling College, 11 °12 June 2008

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Grade: 2

The Hayling College has improved substantially since the last inspection and now provides a good standard of education and care for its pupils. The college has many strengths and no major weaknesses. The good record of progress in the college demonstrates that leaders and managers are fully capable of bringing about further improvement. The college is friendly and welcoming and provides a safe and caring environment for its students. Pupils are proud of their college and value the strong sense of community it provides. It is calm and orderly and its small size is conducive to pupils being well known to staff. Pupils enjoy very good relationships with their teachers and with one another, based on mutual respect. The views of pupils are taken very seriously and the 'pupil voice' is influential. The college is very inclusive and places strong emphasis on providing individual support to pupils. There is

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Grade: 2

excellent support for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and for pupils who are looked after by the local authority. Pupils make good progress and achieve well by the end of Year 11. The proportion of pupils attaining five or more A*-C passes in GCSE and equivalent qualifications has been rising and was slightly above the national average in 2007. However, too few students attained A*-C passes in both English and mathematics. Achievement and standards have risen because of improved teaching, more effective systems for tracking and monitoring pupils' progress and the development of a curriculum that better matches the needs and interests of learners. Teaching is good and pupils feel well supported in their learning and generally enjoy their lessons. In the less successful lessons observed during the inspection, the tasks pupils were set did not always engage their interests fully. More generally, there were insufficient opportunities

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Grade: 2

for pupils to take responsibility for their own learning. Although most pupils are aware of their targets in subjects, these are sometimes insufficiently precise to be realisable and pupils are not always clear about what they need to do to improve. Effective care, guidance and support and well-devised aspects of the curriculum are having a positive impact on pupils' good personal development. Pupils are well prepared for further education and employment. They are given good careers advice and a high proportion go on to post-16 education and training. Pupils have a satisfactory understanding of how to lead safe and healthy lives. They have good opportunities to take on responsibilities within the school and many are involved in activities in the local and wider community, for example, through charity work and putting on musical events. The great majority of parents feel their children enjoy coming to college but a few expressed concerns about behaviour. The inspection found

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Grade: 2

that behaviour was generally good in lessons and around the college and that unsatisfactory behaviour was confined to a small minority of lessons and dealt with effectively. The school is well led and managed. The headteacher, senior managers and governors provide a strong sense of direction and purpose. There is a good understanding at all levels of management of the college's strengths and weaknesses and what needs to be done to bring about improvement. Staff are very strongly committed to raising standards and achievement for all pupils. The college has made good use of its mathematics and computing specialism to enhance the curriculum and improve teaching and learning. The federation is also proving effective in extending the range of courses offered to pupils and providing opportunities for the professional development of staff. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: The Hayling College, 11 °12 June 2008

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Increase the proportion of pupils attaining passes at grades A*-C in both English and mathematics. ■ Ensure that the targets set for pupils in subjects are precise and realisable and that pupils know what they need to do to improve. ■ Ensure that the tasks set in lessons fully engage the interests of all pupils and provide more opportunities for them to become confident and competent independent learners.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' attainment on entry to the school is broadly average but with a lower proportion of pupils with higher levels of attainment than is found nationally. Pupils make good progress and achieve well. The proportion of pupils attaining five or more passes at grades A*-C has increased substantially since the last inspection and was slightly above the national average in 2007 but below average when English and mathematics are included. Achievement is good in mathematics and satisfactory in English but too few pupils get GCSE passes at grades A*-C in both subjects. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities achieve well and pupils who are in the care of the local authority generally make satisfactory progress. There was some evidence of boys underachieving more than girls in a small number of lessons observed, mainly where the tasks set were not well matched to their needs and interests. The college produced

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Grade: 2

convincing evidence that pupils are currently making good progress towards achieving their examination targets for 2008.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is effectively promoted and this is reflected in the positive ethos of the college and the respect they show for each other. Pupils generally enjoy their education and the great majority attend well, although attendance overall is average. Opportunities are regularly taken to understand and celebrate different cultures and to prepare pupils for living in a multi-cultural society. The small number of pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds are successfully integrated into the college community, demonstrating a full commitment to racial harmony. An indication of this was the willingness of pupils to support one of their peers in raising money for his home village in Ghana. Pupils value the support they receive from each other, for example, through the very effective 'buddy scheme'. Incidents of bullying and other forms of harassment are rare and dealt with effectively when they occur.

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Grade: 2

Pupils can identify adults in college that they are confident to turn to when they have concerns. Pupils are fully involved in the life of the college. The 'pupil voice' is very influential through its involvement in the appointment of staff, governing body and senior management meetings, evaluating teaching and learning and improving the quality of the school environment. The school is working hard to help pupils lead healthier life-styles, for example, through offering healthy food options in the canteen and encouraging greater participation in voluntary physical activities by providing them at lunchtimes, rather than after school. Pupils are helped to develop the personal skills they need for future employment through enterprise days and work experience but the opportunities to develop these skills was often limited in the lessons observed. 5 of 11 Inspection Report: The Hayling College, 11 °12 June 2008

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Grade: 2

Observations of lessons, including some joint observations with senior managers, confirmed the college's view that the majority of teaching and learning is good or better and unsatisfactory teaching is rare. Lessons are well planned and carefully structured. Classroom relationships are good and teachers make appropriate use of praise to encourage and motivate pupils. Lessons usually contain an appropriate range of activities, although in some less successful lessons tasks were not sufficiently matched to pupils' needs and interests. More generally, pupils are not always competent and confident in taking responsibility for their own learning and too few opportunities were provided in some lessons for pupils to develop their skills as independent learners. The learning objectives are usually made clear to pupils at the start of lessons but pupils are not always sure about what level of success they have achieved and what they need

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Grade: 2

to do to make progress. Effective use is made of the college's good provision for information and communication technology (ICT) to enhance teaching and learning across the curriculum. Learning and support assistants are well deployed in lessons to support individual pupils. Some marking of pupils' written work is of a high quality but there is considerable variation and it is not always regular, or specific enough about what pupils need to do to improve.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum has been improved since the last inspection and effectively meets the needs and interests of pupils. All statutory requirements are in place, including religious education and citizenship education, which are taught as discrete subjects. Pupils are offered a good range of courses to choose from in Years 10 and 11 and the federation arrangements have helped to extend this choice further. Higher attaining pupils are able to take some GCSE examinations early and there are enrichment opportunities for them to take advanced level courses at a local college. There is a strong provision of ICT, with all pupils taking a range of qualifications as well as it being embedded across the curriculum. Special events are held to increase interest in mathematics but the impact of this aspect of the college's specialism across subjects is still at an early stage of development. Disaffected pupils and those at risk of exclusion

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Grade: 2

are well supported through an inclusion project, organised across the federation of schools. There is a good provision of extra-curricular activities including music, drama, sporting activities and additional classes to support subjects. Uptake is low in some areas and the college is seeking to improve this, for example, by offering more activities at lunchtimes. Pupils value the many opportunities they have to go on visits to enrich their learning.

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Grade: 2

Parents and pupils rightly see the good quality of the care, guidance and support provided by the college as a major strength. Staff demonstrate genuine care for students in all aspects of their college life. Procedures for safeguarding pupils and promoting their welfare are robust and child protection procedures are thorough. Pupils in the care of the local authority and pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are extremely well supported. Individual education plans are carefully documented and followed through. The college works very effectively with external agencies to support pupils with specific learning difficulties. Pupils 6 of 11 Inspection Report: The Hayling College, 11 °12 June 2008 are given good guidance in making their option choices in Year 10 and for post-16 education and training. Effective systems are in place to monitor pupil progress at a whole college level. However, the use of assessment in lessons to help pupils understand how to make progress

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Grade: 2

and achieve their potential is inconsistent.

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Grade: 2

The leadership and management of the college have been successful in bringing about substantial improvement since the last inspection. For example, examination results and achievement have improved, the curriculum has been strengthened and the college has gained specialist status. There is a strong focus on equal opportunities and inclusion to ensure pupils achieve as well as they can. Managers draw on a good range of evidence to identify strengths and weaknesses in the college's performance, including a substantial programme of lesson observations, examination data and the views of pupils and parents. Much has been done to improve the effectiveness of subject leaders in raising achievement and they are well supported by senior managers. However, some variation remains, for example, in their monitoring of the consistency and quality of marking. The college has developed a useful set of criteria for

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Grade: 2

evaluating lessons. These are well known to teachers and pupils but they are not always interpreted as they are meant to be or applied rigorously enough. All staff have access to appropriate programmes of professional development. Governors are very closely involved in the college and have a good understanding of the issues it faces. They are highly supportive and are prepared to ask challenging questions about all aspects of the college's performance. Good use is made of resources, including the additional funding received for the specialism, and the college provides good value for money. Buildings are well maintained and treated with respect by pupils. The college has developed effective partnerships with other schools, particularly through the federation, and works well with other providers to support pupils' education and welfare. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: The Hayling College, 11 °12 June 2008

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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: The Hayling College, 11 °12 June 2008

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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? Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 3 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 2 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 3 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 How well learners enjoy their education 3 The attendance of learners 2 The behaviour of learners 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: The Hayling College, 11 °12 June 2008

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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 2 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 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: The Hayling College, 11 °12 June 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

24 June 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of The Hayling College,Hayling Island,PO11 0NU Thank you for making us feel so welcome and for helping us with the inspection of your college. I would like to share some of our findings with you. We think your college provides a good standard of education and cares for you well. You are rightly proud of your college and what it is achieving. We feel the college does much to foster good relationships between you and your teachers and between yourselves. The great majority of you feel safe, enjoy your education and attend well. You told us that you would be confident in turning to an adult in the college if you had concerns or were distressed. You generally behave well in lessons and around the school. You achieve well and make good progress because of effective teaching and high quality support. Those of you who are older appreciate the wide choice of subjects you are given in

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Year 10. Your personal development is good. You understand how to lead healthy and safe lives. Many of you take on responsibilities within the college, for example, through the 'buddy system' and we were particularly impressed by the work of the student voice. You are well prepared for further education and employment. We feel that your college is well managed and led by your headteacher, the senior staff and the governors and that they are fully capable of making the college even better in the future. I have asked the college to make the following improvements.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ More of you need to get GCSE passes at grades A*-C in both English and mathematics.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The targets you are set in some subjects need to be more precise to help you understand what you need to do to reach them. ■ Teachers need to be sure that the tasks they set in lessons interest you and meet your needs better and that you are given more opportunities to take responsibility for your own learning. I hope you will play your part in helping to bring about these improvements and wish you every success in the future. Yours sincerely David Butler Her Majesty's Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: The Hayling College, 11 °12 June 2008

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