Northgate High School

124840 Unique Reference Number SUFFOLK LA Local Authority 315079 Inspection number 5 February 2008 Inspection date Anthony Knight 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 °18 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 1705 School 556 6th form The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Kate Helleur Chair Mr Neil Watts Headteacher 22 November 2004 Date of previous school inspection Sidegate Lane West School address Ipswich Suffolk IP4 3DL 01473 210123 Telephone number 01473 281084 Fax number

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11-18 Age group 5 February 2008 Inspection date 315079 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 one Additional Inspector. The visit focussed on confirming the school's judgements for achievement and standards and investigated the aspects the school considered as being outstanding.

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Description of the school

Northgate High School is a large, oversubscribed comprehensive school that draws pupils from a mixed catchment area. The percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals is about half the national average. There are fewer pupils from minority ethnic groups than the national average and relatively few pupils who do not have English as their first language. The percentage of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is slightly below the national average. The percentage of pupils with statements of special educational need is about half the national average. The school has combined specialist status for languages and science. Strong links have been developed with other schools and with the community. The school has achieved Leading Edge status and the Investors in People award.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 9 Inspection Report: Northgate High School, 5 February 2008

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Grade: 1

Northgate High School provides excellent educational opportunities for all its pupils. Outstanding care, guidance and support ensure all feel valued and supported. For example, excellent focussed support for pupils has increased attendance and dramatically reduced exclusions. This is a very happy school where everyone is encouraged to contribute. As a result, pupils enjoy learning and demonstrate impressive personal development, taking responsibility and responding with maturity and sensitivity. Pupils feel safe and recognise the importance of making the most of their time in school. Good curriculum and extra-curricular opportunities ensure pupils are aware of the need for healthy lifestyles, as shown in their involvement in physical education activities and understanding of the need to eat healthily. Pupils are prepared excellently for each stage in their schooling and for life beyond school. Outstanding leadership and management, at all levels, is enabling pupils to make increased

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Grade: 1

progress since the last inspection. Standards are consistently high in comparison with the national averages and the school recognises that the higher than average ability of pupils joining the school means that there is a need for constant vigilance to ensure that all continue to make rapid progress. This has rightly become the school's main area of development and there has been impressive improvement in pupils' achievement in Key Stage 3 over the last three years. Progress seen in lessons and the tracking of pupils' achievement show that this improvement is now being taken into Key Stage 4. Many of the school's attainment targets were exceeded in 2007 and good action is being taken to raise standards further. The outstanding progress in Key Stage 3 and the improving good progress in Key Stage 4 are a direct result of effective teaching and rigorous monitoring of pupils' work. The best teaching uses exemplary planning. It actively engages all pupils, builds clearly on their earlier learning

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Grade: 1

and uses excellent resources, including the effective use of white boards. Pupils really enjoy these lessons. They do say however, that a few lessons are not as good. They also ask for more discussion between subjects to ensure homework is planned consistently and work is always marked regularly. Parents express overwhelming praise for the school, although a small minority has some concerns, mainly about the extent to which the school takes into account their views and the views of their children. The school and good Governing Body are aware of these concerns and are doing their utmost to ensure all feel involved. The inspection found good practice in the way the school is involving parents and pupils. For example, the school is deeply committed to increasing the involvement of pupils and students through the developing work of the good school councils. The school's self-evaluation is accurate and the inspection confirms the judgements made by

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Grade: 1

the school. Good progress has been made since the last inspection and there is excellent capacity for further improvement. The school has excellent plans to develop provision even further, for example through the ongoing development of the effective contribution of the specialist subjects. 4 of 9 Inspection Report: Northgate High School, 5 February 2008

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Grade: 1

Provision and performance in the sixth form are outstanding. There is an excellent staying on rate to complete the courses offered and most students progress to further study at university. Students give high praise for the quality of teaching and support they receive. They are very appreciative of the way they are prepared for university and for life beyond school. Students demonstrate excellent personal development. They make a significant contribution to the rest of the school by taking on a wide range of responsibilities and through their positive attitudes towards the school and towards work. Senior leaders show an impressive commitment to the ongoing development of the sixth form. For example, the school is giving appropriate attention to ensuring courses continue to meet the needs of all students. New courses have been added and the school is monitoring these carefully.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Maintain the emphasis on increasing the progress made by pupils in Key Stage 4.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Continue to build on excellent practice by ensuring all lessons increasingly match the best.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Increase consistency in the way homework is planned and work is marked. 5 of 9 Inspection Report: Northgate High School, 5 February 2008 .

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What the school should do to improve further

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 of 9 Inspection Report: Northgate High School, 5 February 2008

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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

1 1 How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? Yes Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection 1 1 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 1 1 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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Achievement and standards

1 2 How well do learners achieve? 1 1 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

1 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 extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 How well learners enjoy their education 2 The attendance of learners 1 The behaviour of learners 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?

1 1 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 of 9 Inspection Report: Northgate High School, 5 February 2008

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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 leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 1 1 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 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 of 9 Inspection Report: Northgate High School, 5 February 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

6 February 2008 Dear Students Inspection of Northgate High School, Ipswich, Suffolk IP4 3DL We enjoyed coming to your school and would like to thank you for welcoming us and talking to us so openly. We were very pleased to see the many excellent learning opportunities open to you and agree that Northgate is an excellent school. We were very impressed by the way you support each other which enables you to feel safe and make better progress. We saw some excellent teaching and know your headteacher and subject leaders are working hard to make sure that all teaching increasingly matches the best. In response to some of your comments, we have also asked your teachers to make sure that, in the main school, homework is planned more consistently and your work is always marked regularly. Your parents express overwhelming praise for the school although some feel that their views and your views are not always taken into account. We would like you to reassure your parents

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

that we found good practice in both respects. The school is deeply committed to increasing your involvement, for example through the developing work of the good school councils. We know that these councils are keen to hear your views Make sure that you tell your class representative about ways in which you think the school could be even better. It is clear that your school knows what you need and what to do to improve the school even further. For example, everyone is making sure that you are helped to make excellent progress throughout your time in the school. I wish you all the very best for the future. Yours sincerely Anthony Knight Her Majesty's Inspector 9 of 9 Inspection Report: Northgate High School, 5 February 2008

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