South Wigston High School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve outcomes by ensuring that:
  • the progress of disadvantaged pupils improves rapidly to at least meet the national average.
• Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment by:
  • sharing best practice across the school and eradicating the inconsistencies in teaching quality
  • ensuring that all teachers have high expectations for what pupils can achieve and provide them with work that is appropriately challenging.
• Improve pupils’ personal development, behaviour and welfare by:
  • making sure all teachers use the school’s behaviour system consistently and reinforce positive behaviour
  • continuing to reduce the proportion of pupils who are regularly absent from school, particularly disadvantaged pupils.
• Improve the quality of leadership and management by:
  • ensuring that leaders and governors monitor and evaluate the impact of their work to raise standards.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

• Leadership and management require improvement because the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement are not consistently good in all subjects and for all year groups.
• Leaders have struggled to recruit specialist teachers to some subjects part-way through the year. Subsequently, this has led to a number of staff changes, new appointments and the use of supply staff in some subject areas.
• Not all leaders have developed a clear overview of the areas they lead, or know which actions are having a positive impact on raising standards for pupils. This has slowed the rate of improvement across the school in some areas.
• Not all leaders or teachers fully understand the school’s assessment system for monitoring pupils’ progress. This makes it difficult for leaders to know whether all pupils are on target to meet at least the progress expected of them, or to put in place timely interventions for any pupils who are falling behind.
• The progress of disadvantaged pupils has been variable over recent years and disadvantaged pupils are absent from school too often. Leaders and governors acknowledge that the difference between the progress of disadvantaged pupils and other pupils nationally needs to diminish more rapidly. They have recently commissioned an external review of the use of the pupil premium funding to address this.
• Parents who responded to the Ofsted online questionnaire, Parent View, or the free-text service, expressed polarised views. Half the parents expressed concerns about behaviour, the quality of teaching and learning at the school, and a lack of appropriate response from the school to any concerns that they have. However, an equal proportion of parents praised the recent changes that the headteacher has made, the school’s swift response to their questions and the improvements to their children’s attainment.
• The headteacher has a clear and accurate understanding of the areas for improvement needed. She has made some recent appointments to both senior and middle leaders. These appointments are helping to strengthen leadership capacity across the school and support whole-school improvements. For example, the attainment and progress of current pupils in English are improving rapidly since the appointment of a new subject leader for English.
• Middle leaders now feel part of whole-school leadership and are positive and clear about their role. As result, they are beginning to hold more stringently to account teachers in their departments and, in so doing, are helping them to improve outcomes for pupils.
• The additional funding, intended to help Year 7 pupils who did not achieve age-related expectations in reading or mathematics at the end of key stage 2, has been spent on extra help for these pupils. There has been some improvement in these pupils’ skills in English and mathematics as a result.
• Pupils benefit from a broad and balanced curriculum. Extra-curricular clubs are wide ranging, well attended and valued by pupils, particularly in physical education. In addition, leaders plan and promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development across subjects and through assemblies, tutorials and trips.
• The school’s use of alternative provision is carefully chosen, monitored and evaluated.
• Leaders use the special educational needs funding to provide personalised support for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. As a result, these pupils make progress broadly in line with other pupils at the school in most subjects.
• Leaders have strengthened the performance management of teachers and are now using it to good effect to develop teaching and learning and, therefore, pupils’ outcomes across the school.
• The headteacher has brokered effective external support from a teaching school and local multi-academy trust, to help support the accuracy of the school’s evaluations of itself and to provide access to additional training for staff.

Governance of the school

• Governors know the school well and have a clear understanding of the school’s priorities. They are aspirational for pupils and have full confidence in the headteacher to bring about the necessary improvements.
• Members of the governing body have a broad range of skills. They are fully committed to their own training and make sure that they carry out their statutory duties, including those relating to safeguarding and financial management.
• Governors have had recent training on how to analyse performance information and increasingly use it to challenge the school’s leaders and set clear targets for the headteacher.
• Governors acknowledge that the pupil premium funding has not been monitored closely enough to ensure that disadvantaged pupils make good progress. They recognise that they have a critical role in ensuring that the difference between the progress of disadvantaged pupils and that of other pupils nationally diminishes more rapidly.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• All statutory safeguarding checks meet requirements. Leaders complete an annual safeguarding audit to ensure that safeguarding continues to be robust.
• Leaders have ensured that all staff have up-to-date safeguarding training, including on female genital mutilation, radicalisation and extremism. As a result, they are knowledgeable about potential risks to pupils and what to do if they have a concern. Leaders are persistent in following up any referrals to ensure that pupils are protected.
• All pupils who spoke with inspectors said that they feel safe at the school. Pupils recognise and are understanding of diversity. This means that they are well prepared for life in modern Britain. Leaders have ensured that pupils who have protected characteristics, for example those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or questioning, are well supported and that everyone is treated equally.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• Teaching is not yet consistently good across the school and, subsequently, not all pupils or groups of pupils make good progress.
• Not all teachers fully understand the school’s assessment system, which makes it difficult for them to use it to plan appropriate learning for all pupils. This means that in some lessons pupils do not make sufficient progress.
• Teachers’ expectations are sometimes too low and pupils are not challenged to achieve the highest levels possible, given their starting points.
• In some lessons, where teachers do not follow the school’s behaviour policy, low-level disruption hinders learning.
• Pupils told inspectors that homework is set inconsistently and depends upon the teacher. Leaders acknowledge that this is something which needs to be improved. They have recently introduced a new online system to better track and monitor homework.
• Where expectations are high, pupils are keen and motivated and show an enthusiasm for learning and an aspiration to do well. Where this happens, teachers have good subject knowledge and promote effective learning through skilful questioning. The best examples of this were seen in English, humanities and science.
• A well-resourced library and posters around the school encourage pupils to read. Year 8 pupils told inspectors that they enjoy reading and that reading is promoted well through their English lessons.
• Inspectors also saw examples of pupils’ literacy skills being developed across the curriculum. For example, in an information and communication technology lesson, the teacher effectively developed pupils’ vocabulary through encouraging them to expand their evaluative language.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement.
• All the pupils who spoke with inspectors said they felt safe. However, they did tell inspectors that there are instances of name-calling and provocation from a minority of pupils, although these are not racist or homophobic in nature. Pupils said that when they reported these incidents, teachers dealt with them promptly and effectively.
• Most pupils who spoke with inspectors were confident talking to adults. They expressed a wish for all teachers to apply school policies consistently, so that they could learn and make good progress in all lessons.
• The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral social and cultural development through the wider curriculum.
• Pupils spoke highly of the varied sporting clubs and equipment the school provides for them. Pupils also enjoy taking part in school drama productions and schemes, such as the Duke of Edinburgh award.
• Leaders have recently introduced a weekly, extended tutor period to further develop pupils’ well-being and welfare.
• Years 10 and 11 pupils said they had found the information on careers education, advice and guidance provided by the school helpful in informing them about choices for the next stages in their education, employment or training.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.
• Pupils told inspectors that there is a minority of pupils whose poor behaviour in lessons hinders their learning. They also said that some teachers did not apply the school’s behaviour policy consistently.
• Where teaching requires improvement, pupils’ behaviour is characterised by a lack of engagement and some low-level disruption. Where teaching is good, pupils are keen to answer questions and are focused on their learning.
• Some pupils outside lessons exploit opportunities for silly behaviour when they think staff are not watching. Too many pupils arrive late to lessons.
• The school has recently introduced an internal inclusion unit to reduce the amount of exclusions. This is starting to help improve behaviour in lessons. However, it is not completely effective in preventing repeat incidences of poor behaviour for a minority of pupils. Leaders acknowledge that further work is needed in this area.
• Over recent years, pupils’ attendance has not been good enough and disadvantaged pupils are absent from school more regularly than other pupils. The headteacher has recently taken steps to address this and improvements are starting to be seen.
• Pupils who attend alternative provision are closely monitored. The school makes sure they are safe.
• The school is clean and litter free and most pupils’ books are well presented.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• The new admissions arrangements for key stage 4 have only been in place for the last two years. Pupils’ progress, overall, has been broadly in line with the national average. However, in 2016, the progress of disadvantaged pupils was significantly below the national average.
• Historically, pupils have made good progress in science and humanities, and current school information indicates this will continue. Progress in other subjects has been variable. The school has identified that it needs to improve pupils’ progress in modern foreign languages, in particular.
• Pupils generally enter the school with below average attainment in the basic skills of English and mathematics. Leaders have successfully used the Year 7 numeracy and literacy funding to help support the majority of these pupils to catch up.
• A work scrutiny of current pupils’ books showed that pupils’ progress, particularly in English and in Year 10, is improving. However, there is still some underachievement in Year 8.
• There was no difference seen in the quality of work in the books of disadvantaged pupils compared to other pupils in the school. This supports the school’s current performance information that the progress of disadvantaged pupils is improving.
• Pupils who attend alternative provision are making good progress towards achieving qualifications.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those who speak English as an additional language, receive effective support and make progress broadly in line with other pupils at the school.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 137931 Leicestershire 10031115 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Secondary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Academy converter 11 to 16 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 845 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Brian Glover Susan Webb 01162 782388 www.southwigston.leics.sch.uk swhs@southwigston.leics.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 18–19 April 2013

Information about this school

• The school is smaller than the average-sized secondary school.
• The headteacher took up her post in September 2015.
• Since the previous inspection, the age range of pupils at the school has changed. The school no longer provides education for pupils in Year 6, but now teaches pupils from Years 7 to 11.
• The proportion of pupils who are from minority ethnic groups and the proportion who speak English as an additional language are below average.
• The proportion of pupils who arrive at or leave the school during the academic year is average.
• The proportion of pupils who receive pupil premium funding is above average.
• A very small number of pupils attend alternative provision at South Leicestershire College. These pupils are undertaking courses in construction and health and beauty.
• The school has brokered external support from a teaching school, an external adviser and a local multi-academy trust.
• The school meets the current government’s floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment in English and mathematics by 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 visited 46 lessons, some of which were seen jointly with senior leaders. During visits to lessons, inspectors sampled pupils’ books and talked to pupils in order to evaluate the quality of their learning. Inspectors also made short visits to tutor time, the school’s learning hub and two assemblies.
• Inspectors observed the behaviour of pupils at breaktime, lunchtime and as pupils moved around the school.
• Inspectors scrutinised, in detail, a range of pupils’ books in a range of subjects across all year groups.
• Inspectors held a number of meetings with the headteacher, senior and middle leaders, newly qualified teachers and representatives from the governing body, including the chair of the governing body. The lead inspector had a discussion by telephone with a representative from the multi-academy trust, which provides support for the school. An inspector also held a telephone conversation with the college which provides alternative education for a small number of South Wigston pupils.
• Inspectors spoke with pupils from all year groups in meetings, in lessons and around the school at breaktime and lunchtime.
• The inspection team looked at a wide range of the school’s documentation, including the school’s evaluation of its own performance, the school action plan, data on pupils’ attainment and progress, attendance, bullying and behaviour records, safeguarding procedures, and minutes of the governing body meetings.
• Inspectors took account of 79 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey, 45 responses from parents to the Ofsted free-text service and 37 responses to the online staff questionnaire. There were no responses to the pupil questionnaire to consider.

Inspection team

Sally Smith, lead inspector Alison Davies Stephen Long Christine Staley Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector