The Kibworth School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of leadership and management by:
  • ensuring that leaders and governors track effectively the impact of the use of the additional funding, including the pupil premium, for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities and the Year 7 literacy and numeracy catch-up premium
  • developing the skills of subject leaders so that within their areas of responsibility they hold teachers to account for the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, and pupils’ progress and attainment
  • ensuring that parents receive relevant and useful information about their children’s progress
  • strengthening further the role of governors so that school leaders are more effectively held to account and supported, particularly with respect to measuring the progress of pupils in key stage 4 and curricular provision.
• Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment and its impact on pupils’ progress by ensuring that:
  • inconsistencies in its quality within and between different subject areas are eliminated
  • the quality of teaching and learning improves significantly in science and modern foreign languages
  • teachers use information about pupils’ abilities and skills to plan learning which challenges sufficiently the most able pupils and provides focused support for the least able, so that all pupils make good progress and any poor behaviour is eradicated
  • teachers use consistently skilful questioning to check pupils’ learning and deepen their understanding
  • staff promote correct grammar, punctuation and spelling across all subject areas.
• Improve pupils’ personal development, behaviour and welfare by:
  • putting effective strategies in place to reduce the absence of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities and reduce the proportion of disadvantaged pupils who are excluded
  • ensuring that pupils take pride in their work and present it to the highest standard.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

• Over time, senior leaders and governors have not made sure that all groups of pupils achieve as well as they should and that the quality of teaching is consistently good.
• Disadvantaged pupils and those pupils who have SEN and or/disabilities do not make good progress. Leaders do not track rigorously or monitor closely the impact of the additional funding for these pupils to ensure that their attendance, behaviour and progress are good. Leaders are not able to explain how well the support that they provide to eligible pupils through the additional funding has helped these pupils to make better progress.
• Until very recently, the coordinator for the provision for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities has not had an accurate understanding of the needs of these pupils or how these needs are met. With the support of the headteacher, a new coordinator has precise plans to ensure that SEN provision for pupils is much more rigorous. It is too early to see evidence of the impact of these actions.
• Leaders and governors do not have a sufficiently sharp oversight of their use of the Year 7 literacy and numeracy catch-up premium.
• Some subject leaders are newly in post and are not involved fully in quality assuring the work of their departments. Their skills have not been fully developed and they are not yet able to hold teachers to account for the quality of teaching and learning, and the progress of pupils within their areas of responsibility. Similarly, new leaders for the oversight of behaviour and attendance do not have a clear strategic view of their key priorities.
• Senior leaders have focused relentlessly on improving pupils’ behaviour, the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress. This focus has led to some improvements in all three of these areas. However, leaders are not yet strategic in their oversight, sometimes being unable to identify precisely why and how improvements have taken place. The headteacher recognises there is much more for leaders to do in all three areas to ensure that any improvements are secure and sustained.
• The school saw a significant change to its curriculum with the introduction of a key stage 4 phase in September 2015 and pupils’ taking GCSE examinations in summer 2017. Decisions made in the past continue to have an impact on pupils’ outcomes, particularly in relation to modern foreign languages. Leaders recognise the current key stage 4 curriculum does not meet the needs of all pupils.
• Leaders have introduced a new system for tracking pupils’ progress. This has enabled teachers to identify gaps in pupils’ learning and to intervene and support individuals. Regular progress meetings now monitor pupils’ progress and hold subject leaders more to account. Leaders acknowledge there is still work to do to ensure that all staff use assessment information consistently well, in order to promote pupils’ higher achievement.
• Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness is a strength of the school. The ‘Kibworth values’, including showing tolerance of others and taking personal responsibility, feed into many aspects of school life, such as assemblies. Bright displays of pupils’ work around the school celebrate diversity and citizenship, for example. Pupils promote inclusivity, for example through the school’s magazine. They are aware of, and understand, British values and demonstrate them in their day-to-day school lives.
• Senior leaders and the governing body are fully aware of the school’s current position. Previously, leaders’ evaluation of the effectiveness of the school’s provision has been too generous. This is because they have focused on pupils’ attainment, which has been above average, rather than on the progress pupils make, which has been average or lower. They now have an incisive understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school, and plans are in place to improve the quality of teaching across the school.
• The new headteacher has taken decisive actions to restructure the senior leadership team, tackle poor teaching and appoint new middle leaders. Although this is still a work in progress, the headteacher’s vision of developing leaders at all levels is building confidence among the staff. An overwhelming majority of staff who responded to the Ofsted survey say that they feel supported, motivated and proud to be a member of the school.
• The headteacher has communicated a strong culture and vision for the school. Pupils, staff and parents now have a clear understanding of what it means to be a part of this school community. Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the changes to the leadership of the school, which was described by one parent as ‘dynamic and enthusiastic’. Parents recognise that ‘the school has changed beyond all recognition’ since the headteacher took up her role. The vast majority of parents are very supportive of the school and the quality of education on offer. However, one third of all parents who responded to the Ofsted survey said that they do not receive valuable information about their children’s progress.

Governance of the school

• The governors are a committed group of individuals from a range of different backgrounds, who are aspirational for the pupils. They know the school’s strengths and weaknesses well.
• Governors have not ensured that the school’s use of additional government funding to support disadvantaged pupils, pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities and Year 7 pupils eligible for the literacy and numeracy catch-up premium has had sufficient impact for these pupils.
• Governors have not insisted that leaders promptly implement the recommendations from recent external reviews of safeguarding, provision for pupils who have SEN and/ or disabilities and funding for disadvantaged pupils, in order to accelerate the progress of these pupils and to ensure that safeguarding procedures are as secure as possible.
• Governors recognise that since the last inspection, they have not held leaders to account rigorously. Following the appointment of the new headteacher in September 2017, governors have become much more effective in both supporting and challenging the work of senior leaders.
• Governors are increasingly skilled in questioning school leaders, for example on issues related to pupils’ attendance, curriculum choices and the progress of the most able pupils. However, governors are not yet confident in analysing the information about key stage 4 pupils’ progress.
• Governors take their responsibilities seriously to safeguard pupils. The newly appointed safeguarding governor has sound knowledge and skills. He has recently met with senior leaders to review the school’s safeguarding practices.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Recent changes made by leaders ensure that recruitment checks on the suitability of staff and volunteers to work with children are now thorough and accurately recorded.
• Safeguarding leaders are well trained and supportive of each other. Records of safeguarding concerns about pupils are appropriate and they pay close attention to the speed with which they respond to concerns. When necessary, leaders work well with other agencies to ensure that potentially vulnerable pupils have the support that they need.
• Staff understand their responsibilities to keep pupils safe. They receive training and updates on safeguarding matters regularly and are alert to a broad range of potential risks, from things that may affect a pupil’s behaviour to possible signs of radicalisation. Staff understand and use the school’s simple and straightforward system for reporting any concerns. Leaders’ records of the safeguarding training completed by staff and governors are not all up to date.
• Parents, pupils and staff agree pupils are safe at this school. Pupils say that there are adults with whom they can speak if they have a concern. They are confident that staff will take effective action to help them to resolve their concern.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• The quality of teaching is variable across and within different subjects and year groups. The teaching is not of a consistently high enough quality to allow all pupils, of all abilities, in all subjects, to make the progress of which they are capable.
• Where teaching is weaker, teachers do not routinely use information about pupils’ prior attainment and learning to inform planning. They do not have high expectations of what pupils can achieve, particularly of the most able pupils and the least able pupils. In these circumstances, teachers do not devise activities which are well matched to pupils’ needs and abilities. Similarly, they do not regularly check on pupils’ learning. Inspectors observed instances where the least able pupils were distracted from their learning because they could not access the task. In other situations, the most able pupils were left waiting for an additional challenge to extend their learning. In each of these instances, pupils’ progress weakened.
• Teachers and teaching assistants do not provide consistently the close support which would effectively meet the needs of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities. These pupils are not making good progress from their different starting points, particularly the boys.
• The quality of teaching in science and languages varies in both key stages. Pupils are often not enthused in their learning in these subjects, being compliant rather than fully engaging with, and enjoying, the work. Subject leaders are developing better teaching resources and planning materials to enable teachers to improve their classroom practice. However, it is too early for the full impact of this work to be evident. Pupils’ progress in these subjects continues to require improvement.
• Some teachers do not use questioning to explore pupils’ understanding sufficiently. On these occasions, teachers focus on pupils simply recalling facts, rather than extending pupils’ thinking, for example through more probing questions. This limits pupils’ progress.
• Teachers do not always require pupils to use correct grammar, punctuation and spelling across all areas of the curriculum. Too often, teachers leave pupils’ errors uncorrected and they go on to repeat the same mistakes in a later piece of work.
• Leaders have recently introduced ‘knowledge organisers’ to encourage pupils’ independent learning, particularly at home. Older pupils, in particular, value the support they offer them when reviewing topics for an assessment. However, as with many of the recently introduced strategies, leaders are yet to evaluate its effectiveness in supporting the learning of all pupils.
• Inspectors observed some strong examples where teachers had applied the school’s marking and feedback policy to good effect. For example, business studies folders reviewed by inspectors indicated pupils received feedback which made them think more deeply, and their response allowed them to make tangible gains in their learning. While teachers are using the policy more consistently, leaders have not yet evaluated its impact on pupils’ progress.
• The quality of teaching is improving. Where learning is effective, there are positive relationships between pupils and adults, encouraging high levels of participation. Pupils instigate conversations with teachers, showing their curiosity and interest. Teachers use their good subject knowledge to engage in detailed discussions with pupils about topics. This helps to deepen pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills. Teachers use assessment information about pupils’ current achievement to plan interesting tasks to promote learning well for all pupils.
• Most learning begins with pupils completing a ‘do it now’ task as soon as they enter the lesson. The majority of teachers use this strategy effectively to provide a crisp and focused start to the lesson, allowing pupils to revisit their prior learning.
• A majority of pupils who responded to the Ofsted survey said that teachers listen to them and help them to do their best.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare

Personal development and welfare Requires improvement

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils show pride in their school and their uniform, which leaders introduced relatively recently. Pupils adopt positive attitudes to learning. Those who spoke with inspectors explained how they are aspirational and want to succeed. A majority of pupils are keen to take part in school activities, including a wide range of sports, as well as activities such as a debating society and a lunchtime chess club. Parents are very positive about the transition arrangements in place to help their children settle into Year 7, when they move from primary school. A majority of pupils enjoy school and are happy to be there.
• Pupils know how to stay safe, including keeping themselves safe online. Parents and pupils receive additional guidance from the police regarding the inappropriate use of social media. Pupils and parents report that the school is a safe place to be. Inspectors agree. If they have any concerns, pupils say that they know to whom they can talk. Parents, pupils and staff agree levels of care and support are high in school.
• A small proportion of pupils work with alternative providers away from the school site. Leaders ensure that these pupils are safe, attend well and engage successfully with individual programmes of study prepared for them.
• Pupils value the careers guidance that they receive, including pupils in Year 10, who each have a one-to-one interview. However, a significant proportion of pupils who responded to the Ofsted survey said that they would like more helpful information to enable them to make informed decisions about the next steps in their education, employment or training. A new leader of careers guidance is currently reviewing the school’s careers provision in this area.
• Pupils show a good understanding of different types of bullying. A notable minority of pupils who responded to the Ofsted survey said that bullying takes place in school and staff do not resolve it. However, pupils with whom inspectors spoke said that while some bullying does occur, they are confident staff take it seriously and deal with it swiftly. Parents and staff who responded to the Ofsted surveys agree. The behaviour records indicate that incidents of bullying are low.
• Some pupils do not demonstrate sufficient pride in their work. Teachers’ expectations of the presentation of pupils’ work are not consistently high. On occasion, the nature of the work set for pupils to complete does not allow them to use their own individual flair to show what they can produce.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.
• While the overall attendance of all pupils is above average, this is not the case for pupils in Year 10 and pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities. These groups of pupils do not attend as well as other pupils, interrupting their learning and preventing them from making good progress. The support for these pupils to improve their attendance has not been sufficiently effective.
• Fixed-term exclusions are lower than the national average. However, pupils in Year 10 and disadvantaged pupils are more likely to be excluded than other pupils. Similarly, pupils in Year 10 are disproportionately more likely to be removed from lessons and given a detention due to poor behaviour, compared with other pupils.
• A minority of pupils do not behave well in lessons. Some of this poor behaviour occurs when teachers do not support the learning of the least able pupils well or when the pupils’ usual teacher is not teaching them. In these instances, pupils’ progress weakens.
• Leaders track behaviour patterns closely, celebrating pupils’ successes, and sanctioning any poor behaviour. Most teachers apply consistently the recently simplified behaviour system. Pupils who have additional help to enable them to behave appropriately receive effective support in the school’s ‘world class centre’. A majority of pupils, staff and parents who responded to the Ofsted surveys agreed that behaviour in school has improved as a result of the new strategy.
• Most pupils conduct themselves appropriately throughout the school day. Their behaviour around the school site is calm and orderly as they move between lessons and during social times. Pupils treat each other and adults with mutual respect, including visitors.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• In 2017, the overall progress made by Year 11 pupils was significantly below the national average. Disadvantaged pupils and the most able pupils made significantly less progress than other pupils nationally.
• The progress pupils make is inconsistent across different subjects. In 2017, pupils performed particularly poorly in science and modern foreign languages, in which pupils’ progress was in the bottom 10% nationally. Pupils currently in Year 10 and Year 11 are not making significantly better progress in these two subject areas. These inconsistencies are due to notable variations in the quality of teaching across different parts of the curriculum.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities make insufficient progress from their different starting points. In Year 11, this group of pupils is making faster progress compared with 2017. However, younger pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities make less strong progress. In particular, boys who have SEN and/or disabilities make less progress compared with other pupils across a broad range of subjects. The support these pupils receive in class is not consistently effective. Leaders’ more recent accurate and timely identification of these pupils’ needs is yet to have an impact on their outcomes.
• Across the school, teachers do not routinely set work to challenge the most able pupils to make good progress. The most able pupils currently in Year 11 are making stronger progress than their counterparts did in 2017. However, in Year 10 the most able pupils are making less progress than other ability groups. Too few of the most able pupils produce high-quality work across a range of subjects.
• The gap is closing between disadvantaged pupils’ progress and that of other pupils nationally. Teachers have sharpened their focus on disadvantaged pupils’ outcomes, using a range of different strategies. However, some of the gaps, for example between the progress disadvantaged boys make compared with disadvantaged girls, are not closing quickly enough.
• Pupils’ progress is stronger in some subjects. In mathematics, their progress was significantly above the national average in 2017. Pupils’ progress in English and humanities was broadly average. Pupils currently in Year 11 continue to perform strongly in these subjects. Inspectors’ analysis of current pupils’ work in key stage 3 classes shows pupils’ progress in English and mathematics is stronger in these than in other subjects.
• The school’s information shows that pupils currently in Year 11 are making better overall progress and attaining more highly than pupils in 2017.
• According to the school’s information, in 2017, the proportion of pupils who moved on to places of further education or training or employment successfully at the end of Year 11 was above the 2016 national average.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 137540 Leicestershire 10048187 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Secondary comprehensive School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Academy converter 11 to 16 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 856 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Mr Andrew Munro Mrs Emma Merry 01162 792 238 www.thekibworthschool.org office@thekibworthschool.org Date of previous inspection 16 17 April 2013

Information about this school

• The Kibworth School is a smaller than average-sized secondary school.
• There have been significant changes in staffing and leadership since the previous inspection. The headteacher was appointed in September 2017. She has restructured the senior leadership team.
• The school accepted Year 10 pupils for the first time in September 2015. The school had its first set of GCSE examination results in August 2017.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils who are eligible for pupil premium funding is well below average.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is just above average. The proportion of pupils with a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan is below average.
• The majority of pupils are from White British backgrounds.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics at the end of key stage 4.
• The school currently works with four alternative providers to provide pupils with education at a placement off site. These providers include: Willow Bank Hospital School; the South Leicestershire Behaviour Partnership; Leicestershire Specialist Teaching Services and the Riding for the Disabled Association.
• The school does not comply with Department for Education guidance on what academies should publish about its use of the Year 7 literacy and numeracy catch-up premium or on the publication of an accessibility plan for disabled pupils on its website.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed learning in 37 lessons, across a wide range of subjects and in both key stages. Some lessons were jointly observed with senior leaders. In addition, inspectors carried out two learning walks jointly with senior leaders. Inspectors also observed tutor time and two assemblies.
• Inspectors looked at pupils’ work in lessons across all year groups and in a sample of pupils’ books.
• The lead inspector held a range of meetings, including with: the headteacher; the senior assistant headteacher who has oversight of pupils’ outcomes; the senior assistant headteacher who is responsible for the use of the pupil premium funding and three members of the governing body, including the chair and vice-chair.
• Inspectors held further meetings, including with leaders responsible for behaviour and attendance, teaching and learning, the curriculum and careers, the coordinator for the provision for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities, the personal, social, health and economic education coordinator, subject and pastoral leaders and two groups of staff.
• Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons, before school and during breaktimes and lunchtimes.
• Inspectors spoke formally with pupils from key stage 3 and key stage 4. Inspectors also spoke with other pupils informally.
• Inspectors listened to pupils from Year 7 reading.
• Inspectors scrutinised a wide range of documents relating to the school’s provision, including: self-evaluation and improvement planning records; minutes of meetings of the governing body; plans related to the use of the additional government funding; behaviour, attendance and exclusion records; information about the attainment and progress of all pupils; safeguarding records; external reports on the work of the school and information on the school’s website. The lead inspector also checked the school’s single central record and the school’s system for recruiting staff.
• Inspectors evaluated the 117 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey, including 74 free-text responses. Inspectors analysed the 59 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for staff. Inspectors also considered the 133 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for pupils.

Inspection team

Rachel Tordoff, lead inspector Gill Martin Steve Lewis Harkireet Sohel Phil Drabble Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector