Risedale School

Risedale Sports and Community College Inspection report

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121663 Unique Reference Number North Yorkshire Local Authority 314075 Inspection number 30 April °1 May 2008 Inspection dates Marianne Young 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 Community School category 11 °16 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 520 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Melva Steckles Chair Mrs Elaine Richardson Headteacher 19 January 2004 Date of previous school inspection Hipswell School address Catterick Garrison North Yorkshire DL9 4BD 01748 833501 Telephone number 01748 836149 Fax number

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11-16 Age group 30 April °1 May 2008 Inspection dates 314075 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 two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Risedale is a smaller than average sized secondary school. Half of the students are from service families stationed at Catterick Garrison. A much higher than usual number of students join or leave the college at times other than the start of the academic year. The school has held specialist status for physical education since 2006. Free school meal entitlement is below average. The proportion of students with learning difficulties and/or difficulties is broadly average, with a slightly above average proportion of students having statements of special educational needs. Relatively few students are from backgrounds other than White British. The school has gained both Sportsmark and the Healthy Schools Award; it also has Investors in People status. The school is currently led by an acting headteacher until a permanent appointment is made later in the year.

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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: Risedale Sports and Community College, 30 April °1 May 2008

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Grade: 4

In accordance with section 13 (3) of the Education Act 2005, HMCI is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its students an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement. Students' achievement is inadequate overall. Students join the school with standards which are below average. Many have weaknesses in the basic skills of literacy and numeracy. As a result, the standards they attain at the end of Year 9 and Year 11 are exceptionally low compared with national averages. In the 2007 national tests for Year 9 students, standards fell, continuing a three-year downward trend of results in English, mathematics and science. The data provided by the college indicates that this situation is unlikely to improve this year for the current Year

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Grade: 4

9 students. Too few students attain five or more A* to C grades at GCSE including English and mathematics. In the 2007 GCSE examinations, girls' attainment was exceptionally low. The quality of teaching is improving but it is inadequate overall. Too often teachers plan lessons with little regard to the abilities and capabilities of individual students. This is because not all teachers use assessment information consistently so that all students have work that meets their needs. The poor attendance of some students in Years 9 and 11 is a significant barrier to improving their attainment. Students feel safe in the college and report enthusiastically that behaviour has improved considerably. There has been a significant decrease in the number of students excluded since the introduction of the new behaviour policy and its more consistent use by staff. Students also report how much they welcome the rewards system which ensures that their efforts receive

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Grade: 4

recognition; they appreciate being 'student of the month'. Despite some concerns from parents regarding bullying, students are confident that if any incidents occur there are staff to whom they can turn for help. The care and support provided in partnership with external agencies is effective in helping those students who are vulnerable or have learning difficulties and/or disabilities. The college failed to meet its specialist sports targets in 2007 and its current tracking data indicates that it is unlikely to meet them this year. Satisfactory use is made of the physical education department to extend students' learning through a range of clubs and links with other schools. The acting headteacher has identified clear priorities for the college, although actions to achieve these have yet to impact significantly on students' attainment. Staff are clear about their roles and responsibilities. Lines of accountability are in place and a forum exists for staff to contribute

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Grade: 4

to whole school initiatives. Staff welcome and are embracing the introduction of the behaviour and rewards policy. Students are also able to contribute their thoughts and ideas through the student voice council. The representatives of the council are confident that senior managers listen to, act upon and respect their views. The college has recognised that there are significant weaknesses in the way middle leaders lead and manage their departments. Training and support for middle managers is enabling them to start to take responsibility for monitoring and evaluating performance in their subject. A programme of lesson observations is in place and appropriate training has begun where developments are needed. Target setting and the identification of students likely to underachieve is not sufficiently robust or used well enough by all teachers. The well above average mobility of students is an added challenge for the college as students

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Grade: 4

4 of 11 Inspection Report: Risedale Sports and Community College, 30 April °1 May 2008 often arrive with little information about their ability levels. Establishing an accurate database is an urgent priority for the college so that all teachers are aware of, and plan effectively for, individuals' needs. Although not shared sufficiently well, pockets of good practice do exist but they are too few to raise the overall standard of education to an adequate level. When viewed in the context of the inadequacies in provision, the college does not provide satisfactory value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Raise standards and achievement at both key stages.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Increase the proportion of good and better teaching, ensuring a more accurate use is made of assessment when planning lessons to meet the needs of all students. ■ Improve attendance, especially that of students in Years 9 and 11.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure that middle leaders understand how to monitor and evaluate their subject areas and are effective in addressing inadequacies. ■ Ensure that target setting is sufficiently rigorous in order to identify accurately students likely to underachieve.

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Grade: 4

Standards attained by students at Key Stages 3 and 4 in 2007 were exceptionally low. Results of national tests and examinations taken by students in Years 9 and 11 confirm that they do not make the progress that they should and their achievement is inadequate overall. When students start at the college in Year 7 many have significant weaknesses in the basic skills of numeracy and literacy, with reading being exceptionally weak. Not all teachers have tackled these weaknesses consistently and this slows progress further in other subjects. At Key Stage 3 in 2007, standards continued a downward trend and the college's tracking data indicate that the current Year 9 students, especially boys, are unlikely to meet their relatively low targets in English, mathematics and science this year. Unlike the previous year, students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are also unlikely to meet their targets. In 2007, the

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Grade: 4

proportion of girls gaining five or more A* to C grades including English and mathematics was considerably lower than that of boys and exceptionally low overall for both boys and girls. The college's data indicate that this situation is likely to reverse for the current pupils, with girls' performance better than that of boys'. The college recognises that it has little or no data for many students; this makes understanding an individual's potential and then setting appropriate targets difficult. Many students join the college, often from abroad, at times other than the start of the year, which exacerbates the situation. Furthermore, the poor attendance of students in Years 9 and 11 acts as a major barrier to learning.

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Grade: 3

Many students enjoy participating in extra-curricular activities, particularly sporting activities and musical productions. These opportunities contribute well to their overall personal development. Most students demonstrate positive relationships and respect each other's views when working together. Students who join the school during the school year say they feel welcome and are quickly included in activities and events. Overall, students' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is satisfactory. Students feel safe and are confident that any incidents of bullying, a concern raised by a few parents, will be dealt with effectively. Another 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Risedale Sports and Community College, 30 April °1 May 2008 key factor in reducing incidents of bullying is the student-led anti-bullying council. Members are highly regarded by their peers and are proud of receiving national recognition for their

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Grade: 3

work. Both staff and students welcome the introduction and more consistent use of the behaviour and rewards systems. Students consider it fair and it has contributed to the significant reduction in the number of students excluded during the last year. Attendance is slowly improving although it remains below the national average. However, improvement is less rapid for students in Years 9 and 11 and this is of concern to the college as they work to improve attendance overall. Although hampered by weak literacy and numeracy skills, students' workplace skills are developed through links with local employers. Most students benefit from the increased emphasis by the college on healthy living and lifestyles; nevertheless, a few choose not to follow the advice.

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Grade: 4

The college is putting a greater emphasis on improving the quality of teaching and learning and there are some signs of improvement. The college has a more positive view of the quality of teaching than that found by inspectors. Too often when observing lessons, the college places too much emphasis on the mechanics of teaching rather than judging how well the lesson enables students to make progress and thus reduce the legacy of under achievement. During the inspection, some lessons included aspects of good learning such as a lively pace, the effective use of questioning and good levels of challenge for all students and especially for the higher-attainers. However, teachers are beginning to understand how to use assessment data to set appropriate learning targets to meet the diverse needs in some classes and not all of them do so effectively. Weaknesses in marking, and the limited opportunities in lessons for

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Grade: 4

students to develop the skills they need to assess and evaluate their own work, mean that many do not always have a clear understanding of how to improve and attain higher standards. The result is that, overall, students do not make adequate progress during their time at the college.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum is satisfactory and meets external requirements. Satisfactory use is made of the college's specialist sports status to extend learning opportunities at both key stages and out of normal lessons. The college has recognised the link between the curriculum and the engagement of students with their learning. As a result, modifications to the curriculum mean that it is becoming more relevant to their needs. For example, the provision of work-related vocational courses at Key Stage 4 has increased choice and is valued by students. The development of the 'learning to learn' programme and the introduction of a small class for selected students in Year 7 are both enhancing students' acquisition of basic skills in literacy and numeracy. However, there has been limited attention given to ensure that all subjects develop students' literacy and numeracy skills. The use of information and communication

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Grade: 3

technology (ICT) to enhance learning in all subjects is at an early stage of development. The programmes for personal, social, health and citizenship education and for enterprise education have been reorganised and both now have a higher profile and relevance to students, making a satisfactory contribution to their personal development. Enrichment of the curriculum happens in various ways and, for a small school, there is a wide range of revision classes and clubs out of lessons as well as sporting and other activities to extend learning. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Risedale Sports and Community College, 30 April °1 May 2008

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Grade: 4

The care and support provided to students is predominately effective, but weaknesses in guidance means this aspect of provision is inadequate overall. Child protection systems and other legal requirements for safeguarding students are in place. Some facilities, however, are in need of improvement, for example the provision of a medical room. Support for the most vulnerable students and those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is satisfactory. External agencies and college staff work effectively to ensure that their individual needs are met. Students report that they feel better prepared for the post-16 stage of their education due to improvements in provision and the higher profile given to careers education. The college continues to work to improve the transfer of information, especially for students of forces families who sometimes arrive at short notice. Systems to track students' performance and

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Grade: 4

share this information with both staff and students is improving though still limited in its use by all staff to plan lessons effectively and identify underachievement. Not all students are sufficiently well aware of their targets, or what they need to do to improve.

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Grade: 4

Over a short period of time, the acting headteacher has successfully restructured leadership and management arrangements. This has clarified individuals' roles and responsibilities for whole-school provision. The acting headteacher, supported by senior leaders, has brought calm and stability to the college on a day-to-day basis. Well considered key priorities for development have been clearly identified. Appropriately, some of these relate to improving and implementing systems and procedures; it will, however, take some time for their impact on students' achievement to become apparent. There are significant weaknesses at middle management level. A training programme is being developed to ensure that middle leaders are equipped with the skills and knowledge required to monitor, evaluate and improve performance in their subject areas. Target setting is underdeveloped. Managers do not have a robust mechanism to monitor and

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Grade: 4

analyse students' performance. The limited information presently available is restricted in its usefulness by the mobility of some of the college's population. Teachers do not use the available data consistently throughout the college. There is too much inconsistency in the use and implementation of whole school policies across the college and staff do not always link policies with their impact on student outcomes. Recent training and restructuring of the governing body's committees is enabling governors to provide a more informed degree of challenge to the college. Since the previous inspection, standards have continued to fall and teaching and learning, overall, are not good enough to ensure students make the progress of which they are capable. Broadly, senior managers know where weaknesses exist and understand, along with governors, the degree of challenge they face. However, it is too soon for senior leaders to

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Grade: 4

demonstrate that the new systems and procedures they have put in place will ensure that standards and students' achievement improve. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Risedale Sports and Community College, 30 April °1 May 2008 .

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Grade: 4

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Risedale Sports and Community College, 30 April °1 May 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? No 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? 4 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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Achievement and standards

4 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 4 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

3 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 3 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 3 How well learners enjoy their education 4 The attendance of learners 3 The behaviour of learners 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?

4 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: Risedale Sports and Community College, 30 April °1 May 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 4 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 4 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? Yes Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Risedale Sports and Community College, 30 April °1 May 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Inspection of Risedale Sports and Community College, Hipswell, DL9 4BD I would like to thank those of you who spoke to my colleagues and me when we inspected your college. I write to let you know what we found. We were impressed both with the work done by the anti-bullying council and by those of you who are part of the student voice council. Many of you told us that behaviour has improved and how much you enjoy the rewards systems that are now commonly used. Many of you work hard in lessons. However, too often the work you are given is either too easy or too difficult. This means that many of you are not doing as well as you should and many of you have the potential to do better in tests and examinations. We have asked Mrs Richardson and the governors to make some improvements by:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ making sure you get better results in tests and examinations

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ increasing the number of lessons where you are able to make good progress because the work is at the right level for each of you ■ using information about how well you are doing to set challenging targets so you achieve your potential in all subjects. Regular attendance is vital and it is getting better. However, some of you in Year 9 and Year 11 have poor attendance. You must come to college regularly if you are to get the qualifications you will need when you go on into employment or further education. We have made the college subject to 'special measures'. This means it will receive extra help and inspectors will return regularly to check how things are going. We wish you all good luck in the future. 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Risedale Sports and Community College, 30 April °1 May 2008

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