Lutterworth College Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve pupils’ future opportunities in education and employment by:
  • sharpening teaching so that pupils make faster progress and reach higher standards in modern foreign languages
  • increasing the number of pupils taking a GCSE examination course in a modern foreign language.
• Ensure that teaching is consistently good by making more effective use of the school’s best teachers to help train others.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Since his arrival at the school two years ago, the headteacher has worked energetically with other members of the leadership team to improve the quality of education. Inspectors saw the impact of this work in many areas, especially in the improvements in the sixth form and in mathematics.
• Leaders are ambitious for pupils and set high targets for all pupils’ achievement. The school is highly inclusive. Leaders are clear that their core purpose is to achieve the school’s vision statement, ‘Enabling every young person to learn, flourish and succeed’.
• The school’s values and ethos are important features of the school. Leaders want pupils to be reflective and to think for themselves. Staff regularly use the school’s traditional motto, ‘Sapere Aude’ (‘Dare to be Wise’) to encourage pupils to be independent thinkers.
• Leaders have an accurate view of the school’s strengths. They are honest and open about what needs to improve. The school’s leaders have detailed, rigorous plans for developing the school further. They have recently strengthened the way individual subject leaders plan for improvement.
• Morale is high among staff. They told inspectors how proud they were to work at the school. Leaders are uncompromising about raising standards but they are mindful of teachers’ workloads.
• Leaders have provided more opportunities for parents to be involved in their children’s education. There are now more flexible arrangements for parents’ evenings. Leaders have set up a parental engagement group to seek parents’ views on a wide range of issues. Most parents believe that the school responds well to their questions or concerns.
• The school’s curriculum supports the academic and personal development of pupils well. Leaders have carefully designed the curriculum in key stage 3. Pupils have the wide range of experiences they need to succeed in GCSE courses. Pupils have access to challenging options at GCSE. For example, most take three sciences. Pupils have many options to choose from, but staff guide them carefully to ensure that they have a balanced curriculum. This guidance is successful in most respects, though few pupils choose to take a modern foreign language.
• Staff offer extensive extra-curricular opportunities for pupils. These include activities in sports and in the arts. Governors are passionate about the value of extra-curricular activities. They understand the importance of these opportunities in developing the whole young person.
• Leaders and governors have managed the school’s transition to an 11 to 19 school very well. They have ensured that pupils in every year group have a good standard of education.
• Staff arrange high-quality teacher training for teachers who are new to the profession. They support newly qualified staff well. Those teachers we spoke with value the support and training they receive. Leaders also use performance management well to improve the quality of teaching.
• The leadership of special educational needs is effective. Leaders make effective use of the extra funding they receive to support pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities. These pupils are now making better progress than previously.
• Leaders use the extra literacy and numeracy catch-up funding they receive well. As a result, the pupils who qualify for this support make good progress in English and mathematics. Staff have also made effective use of the pupil premium. This has led to recent improvements in the learning of disadvantaged pupils. They are now making faster progress. Leaders’ arrangements for checking the impact of pupil premium spending, however, are not clear enough in their planning documents.

Governance of the school

• The directors of the Lutterworth Academies Trust have overall responsibility for the governance of the school. The trust delegates some of its functions to the local governing body. Local governors make checks on the day-to-day running of the school, especially teaching, learning and assessment, and students’ progress.
• Governors have a clear vision for the school. They share leaders’ ambitions for its pupils. Governors know the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Leaders keep governors well informed. Governors challenge decisions when they believe that this is in the best interests of pupils. Through their regular visits to lessons and reports from the headteacher, governors have a good understanding of the quality of teaching at the school.
• The governor responsible for safeguarding works closely with leaders to check that the school’s procedures for keeping pupils safe are effective. All members of the governing body understand its responsibilities for safeguarding pupils.

Safeguarding

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teachers have high expectations of pupils’ work and behaviour. Classrooms are orderly places and learning usually carries on without interruption.
• There are good relationships between pupils and teachers. Pupils are respectful towards staff, and this sets the right tone for their learning. Pupils are confident about answering questions. They are not afraid of giving the wrong answer, because they understand that mistakes are a necessary part of learning.
• Teachers plan thoughtfully to meet pupils’ needs. This includes the needs of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities. Teaching assistants support pupils well.
• Teachers have excellent subject knowledge. They use this expertise well to prepare pupils for examinations, especially in the sixth form. In many lessons, teachers ask challenging questions which stretch the most able pupils. Inspectors saw many examples of effective questioning, including in English, mathematics, physical education and science. Teachers set regular, challenging homework. This gives pupils opportunities to practise the skills they have learned in class.
• Through Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, and free-text comments, parents told inspectors that they are pleased with the quality of teaching at the school. Pupils shared this view.
• Inspectors saw many examples of teaching that promotes equality. Pupils have a good understanding of topics such as women’s rights, racial inequality and the reasons for homelessness.
• Pupils have well-developed literacy skills. The library is welcoming and well used by pupils. Staff promote reading for pupils of all abilities through a well-structured teaching programme. The way pupils present their work, however, varies in quality.
• There is some outstanding teaching in every faculty in the school. Good practice is widespread, but it is not yet consistent. In every lesson we visited, inspectors saw strengths in the teaching. A good training programme helps teachers at various stages of their careers to continue developing their skills. Leaders are not making systematic enough use of the school’s most talented teachers in supporting improvement in others.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils feel very safe and well supported. They are self-confident but also aware of the needs of others, including those who have disabilities. The school is a safe and welcoming place for pupils of all backgrounds. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe through the well-planned pastoral curriculum. Bullying is rare and staff deal promptly with any isolated instances.
• Pupils are friendly and outgoing. They are curious and have the confidence to ask visitors questions and to talk about their experience of school. They have excellent study habits.
• Staff offer good support for pupils’ physical and emotional well-being. Most parents are very positive about the pastoral care their children receive. Parents gave inspectors many examples where school staff had supported pupils well. These parents were keen to tell us about the positive impact of this support on pupils’ well-being. Pupils also support each other well. Staff train sixth-form students to give emotional and practical help to younger pupils.
• The school’s youngest pupils have their own dedicated base in The Laurels, the original school building. Pupils told us that this helps them feel secure. Parents speak very positively about their children’s transition to secondary school.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Leaders have a series ‘non-negotiables’. These are behaviour expectations for all pupils to follow and all staff to apply. Pupils’ punctuality to school and to lessons is one of these non-negotiables. The standard of behaviour expected in lessons is clear and applied consistently, so that learning generally continues without interruption. This calm atmosphere helps pupils concentrate hard and learn well. School records show that staff remove very few pupils from lessons because of poor behaviour. Pupils also act responsibly around the school site. In general, they follow the school’s rules without much prompting from adults.
• School leaders exclude very few pupils from school. Exclusion generally has a positive impact on pupils’ behaviour, as repeat exclusions are now very rare. In the past, leaders excluded more pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities than other pupils. This is no longer the case. Similarly, the number of disadvantaged pupils excluded from school has fallen.
• Staff keep a watchful eye on the very small numbers of pupils receiving education off the school’s site. They check on these pupils’ progress, welfare and attendance. Leaders think carefully about the needs of pupils when they arrange off-site courses, which helps make the placements successful.
• Pupils’ attendance has improved in recent years and is now above the national average. The number of pupils who are absent regularly from school has also fallen. Staff use rewards creatively to encourage pupils to attend regularly. Leaders have improved the attendance of disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities. Despite staff’s best efforts, the attendance of these groups of pupils is still too low.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Pupils of different abilities are making good progress. This is because teaching and assessment are helping pupils to gain the knowledge, skills and understanding they need to succeed in a wide range of subjects. Previously, the most able pupils made less progress than similar pupils did nationally. Pupils’ work and their responses in many classes show that this is no longer the case.
• Pupils’ examination results at GCSE have improved. In many subjects, recent results are higher than national averages, including in mathematics, English and science. The number of pupils gaining grades A* to C, or grades 4 to 9, has risen considerably in almost all subjects. The school has high numbers of most-able pupils. In 2017, these pupils’ examination results improved. The numbers gaining A* to A grades rose considerably, reflecting the higher expectations staff have for the most able pupils.
• Pupils are making faster progress in mathematics than they were when the school was last inspected. Inspectors saw this improvement in all year groups. Younger pupils are enjoying their learning and building the mathematical skills they need to succeed. Pupils taking the GCSE course and students in the sixth form are now making progress that is similar to that of their peers nationally.
• Disadvantaged pupils and those pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities are now making good progress. In the past, these groups of pupils made less progress than they should. In recent GCSE examinations, a higher proportion of disadvantaged pupils reached grade 4 in English and mathematics than other pupils did nationally
• Leaders are aware that pupils’ progress in history has been slower than their progress in geography. Leaders are taking effective action to make sure that pupils achieve consistently high levels of progress across these humanities subjects.
• For some time, pupils’ progress in modern foreign languages has been below the national average, particularly in French. Improving pupils’ progress and examination results in languages is a key priority for the school.
• In most respects, pupils leave school very well prepared for the next stage of their education or employment. Supported by effective, impartial careers advice, the vast majority of pupils go on to worthwhile destinations when they leave the school. Relatively few pupils, however, have studied a language as a GCSE course, which may limit their opportunities in later life. Leaders are heavily promoting the importance of speaking a foreign language. The number of pupils taking a modern foreign language at key stage 4 shows modest improvement, but is still too low.
• Because few pupils have taken a GCSE examination in a modern foreign language, the proportion of pupils gaining the full English Baccalaureate group of qualifications is below the national average.

16 to 19 study programmes Good

• Sixth-form leadership is effective. In the past, students’ progress on applied learning courses has been better than on A-level courses. Students’ progress on both kinds of courses is now strong. Students’ examination results have also improved. Leaders have strengthened the academic support for the most able students. Because of this, more students now reach A or A* grades at A level.
• The school has a highly effective programme to prepare students for higher education. The proportion of students who go on to university or employment is well above average. Staff ensure that students receive extensive support to achieve their ambitions. Increased numbers of students now go on to Russell Group universities, including Cambridge. More students are going on to study highly competitive courses, such as in law and medicine.
• Leaders manage students’ safety in sixth-form areas well. Support for students’ personal development and welfare is strong. Leaders plan mentor (pastoral support) time well. They ensure that students understand the dangers they face, including those they face as young drivers.
• Students enjoy being part of the sixth form and the school. They interact well with younger students and help them when they can. Their behaviour is mature, and they are conscientious in their studies. Students’ attendance and punctuality are very good.
• Students benefit from the programme of extra-curricular opportunities available to them. Very high numbers take the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, a number up to gold standard. The enrichment opportunities available support students’ personal development well.
• Leaders provide a range of opportunities for students to develop their skills in mathematics and English, including the chance to take core mathematics to support their studies. Students who join the sixth form without reaching grade 4 in English and/or mathematics learn well and make strong progress.
• Teaching, learning and assessment are particularly effective in the sixth form. Teaching on most courses is very good. In a small number of courses, students’ progress has been less strong. Leaders are taking effective action to improve achievement on these courses.
• Careers advice and guidance are generally very effective. High numbers of students complete the courses they start in the sixth form. The advice and support given to the small number of students seeking apprenticeships are not as strong as they should be.
• Work-related learning opportunities make a positive contribution to students’ study programmes. Students have the chance to do work experience and to serve as volunteers. Relevant work experience, however, is not compulsory when all students, including those who are very able, would benefit from it.

School details

Unique reference number 138150 Local authority Leicestershire Inspection number 10036058 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Comprehensive School category Academy converter Age range of pupils 11 to 19 Gender of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils in 16 to 19 study programmes Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 1,194 Of which, number on roll in 16 to 19 study programmes 404 Appropriate authority Board of trustees Chair Helen Christie Headteacher Nick Summers Telephone number 01455 554101 Website www.lutterworthcollege.com Email address enquiries@lutterworthcollege.com Date of previous inspection 18 April 2013

Information about this school

• Lutterworth College is part of the Lutterworth Academies Trust, together with Sir Frank Whittle Studio School, which is located on the same site.
• The school previously admitted pupils from Year 10. In September 2015, the school accepted its first intake to Year 7. It now has pupils in Years 7, 8 and 9 (key stage 3), in addition to pupils in key stage 4 and the sixth form.
• The school uses Si Sports and The Way of the Horse for alternative education provision.
• The school is larger than the average-sized secondary school.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is well below the national average.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for the attainment and progress of pupils at the end of Year 11.
• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school complies with Department for Education guidance on what academies should publish.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed teaching and learning in 64 lessons throughout the school and in a range of subjects. Some lessons were jointly observed with a school leader. Inspectors also undertook learning walks to evaluate pupils’ progress and behaviour in a range of classrooms.
• Inspectors met with the headteacher, other senior and middle leaders, and members of the governing body. An inspector also spoke with staff at a unit that offers off-site provision for a small number of pupils at the school.
• Inspectors looked at the 152 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire (Parent View) and 148 free-text responses from parents.
• The inspection team listened to the views of pupils in key stage 3, key stage 4 and in the sixth form during discussions, and considered 108 responses from pupils to a questionnaire.
• Inspectors considered 50 responses to a questionnaire for staff and talked with staff after lessons to seek their views.

Inspection team

Ellenor Beighton, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Anne White Ofsted Inspector Nina Bee Ofsted Inspector Nigel Boyd Ofsted Inspector Mandy Wilding Ofsted Inspector