Setting

Mr S Lawrence Headteacher Hornsea School and Language College Eastgate Hornsea East Yorkshire HU18 1DW

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Ofsted survey inspection programme – Business education

Thank you for your hospitality and co-operation, and that of your staff, during my visit on 28-29 April 2009 to look at work in business education.

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Ofsted survey inspection programme – Business education

As outlined in my initial letter, as well as looking at key areas of the subject, the visit had a particular focus on the business studies and economics departments but also looked at economic and business understanding and financial capability for all students .

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Ofsted survey inspection programme – Business education

The visit provided valuable information which will contribute to our national evaluation and reporting. Published reports are likely to list the names of the contributing institutions, but individual institutions will not be identified in the main text without their consent. All feedback letters will be published on the Ofsted website at the end of each half-term.

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Ofsted survey inspection programme – Business education

The evidence used to inform the judgements made included: interviews with staff and students, scrutiny of relevant documentation, analysis of students’ work and observation of parts of seven lessons in Years 7, 10, 11, 12 and 13.

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Ofsted survey inspection programme – Business education

The overall effectiveness of business education was judged to be outstanding.

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Achievement and standards

In the examination subjects provided in business education students’ achievement is outstanding.

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Achievement and standards

 Standards in business education courses are above average and continue to improve.  A range of value added data demonstrates that students’ progress in business education courses is excellent.  Students have very good attitudes to learning and are well motivated. Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE T 08456 404040 F 020 7421 6855 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk  Classroom relationships are very good and students are very positive about the subject.

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Quality of teaching and learning of business education

The quality of teaching and learning in business education is outstanding.

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Quality of teaching and learning of business education

 The quality of teaching is consistently good and often outstanding. Teachers have excellent subject knowledge and small classes create an environment that encourages constant interaction between teachers and students.  Students feel very well supported and are made aware of how to improve their work through helpful written comments and oral feedback.  Students are set challenging targets and their progress towards meeting them is closely monitored, with a strong emphasis on intervention through parental contact.  In some applied business lessons, particularly in Year 11, learners are not always fully engaged as the focus on coursework involves too narrow a range of teaching and learning approaches .

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Quality of curriculum

The quality of the curriculum in business education is good.

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Quality of curriculum

 The take-up of business courses at both Key Stage 4 and in the sixth form is relatively small but is increasing. The two courses in both Key Stage 4 and the sixth form cater well for the different needs and interests of students.  There is a strong emphasis on using the real world of business and economics in all courses. A limited range of useful visits take place, and outside speakers are used to bring the subject alive. There is considerable scope for developing further contacts with businesses and employers.  Provision for enterprise education and the wider aspects of economic and business understanding is good. Increasing opportunities are provided for all students to develop economic and business understanding through popular enterprise days in Key Stage 4 and inter-form competitions in Key Stage 3. Some aspects of economic and business understanding are assessed through the half course GCSE in

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Quality of curriculum

citizenship taken by all Year 10 students. Overall learning outcomes and their assessment are still in the process of being developed. The new national curriculum subject of personal, social, health and economic education has led to a more coherent programme being put in place, building on some pre-existing coverage.

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Leadership and management of business education

The leadership and management of business education are good.

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Leadership and management of business education

 The business education department has an excellent track record of success in raising standards and achievement. Self-evaluation is strong and draws on a range of sources, including the very positive views of students. Examples were given of amending teaching approaches on the basis of student feedback.  Courses are very well structured and the strengths of the well qualified staff complement each other.  The department is small and opportunities for professional development are limited to examination board training on new syllabi.  The wider provision of business and enterprise education for all students is well led. Work with the local authority and the Personal Finance Education Group has helped develop appropriate schemes of work which are supported by good quality resources. In the sixth form, a tutorial programme for all students, together with a general studies course, provide some opportunities for students to prepare for their

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Leadership and management of business education

future economic well-being. The sixth form programme is directed by the business department but there is no formal input from the department to the main school programme.

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included:

 increasing further the opportunities for students to engage directly with the business and economic world  building on current work to monitor students’ experiences and the progress they are making in developing economic well-being and financial capability.

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included:

I hope these observations are useful as you continue to develop business education in the school.

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included:

As I explained in my previous letter, a copy of this letter will be sent to your local authority and will be published on Ofsted’s website. It will also be available to the team for your next institutional inspection.

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