The Roundhill Academy Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Further increase expectations of what pupils can achieve so that pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, make faster progress from their starting points.
• Make sure that the needs of all pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are met more precisely so that these pupils make better progress and attend more frequently.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Leaders have undertaken an ambitious expansion of the school in order to secure a good education for pupils in their care from Year 7 through to Year 11. The first group of Year 11 pupils took examinations in 2017 and unvalidated results show that most pupils made good progress during their time at this school.
• The headteacher has a strong and clear vision which is highly aspirational and filters through the school. As a result, the school’s values, based on the 4Rs of reflect, respect, resilience and responsibility, are always evident. Pupils are well prepared to actively and positively engage in the world around them. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is assured.
• Leaders and managers use a range of evidence to determine the quality of teaching and learning and the progress that pupils are making. These include lesson observations, scrutiny of pupils’ work and analysis of pupils’ progress information. Systems are in place for checking the performance of teachers and identifying areas that require strengthening. This has led to improvements in the quality of teaching and learning across the school.
• Leaders use the Year 7 literacy and numeracy catch-up funding effectively to support pupils who did less well at key stage 2. As a result, most pupils make at least expected progress, and some make more, in literacy and numeracy during Year 7.
• Pupils follow a broad academic curriculum, which is carefully designed to prepare pupils for further study and to meet local employment needs. Leaders have introduced a pathways system at key stage 4 which meets pupils’ needs well. For example, some pupils benefit from having additional time in mathematics and English rather than studying a modern foreign language, which pupils say is helpful.
• The curriculum is further enhanced by a programme of extra-curricular activities. Leaders have introduced an ‘enrichment passport’ which is completed by all pupils and monitored by form tutors. Sports clubs are especially well attended. Pupils appreciate the large number of trips they are offered. For example, Year 7 pupils enjoyed the challenge of spending a night under canvas away from home recently. Planned visits include going to Paris, visiting Parliament in London and trips to churches and faith organisations. Many older pupils and staff also take part in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme every year. Such experiences deepen pupils’ understanding of the topics they learn about in school as well as broadening their horizons and ambitions. Consequently, pupils are very well prepared for life in modern Britain.
• The school joined the Bradgate Education Partnership trust a year ago and this has enabled it to work more closely with its local primary schools. Leaders are aware that it is the only secondary school in the trust and they do value advice they receive from external sources. Trustees and governors recognise that there is still more to do to ensure that teachers get high-quality support from sources outside the trust, particularly to support improvements with the recently introduced key stage 4.
• Leaders’ targeted actions are beginning to improve the outcomes of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Reading and writing programmes have been used well to improve pupils’ skills. Pupils who previously struggled with reading now read for pleasure, while others who are developing their skills value the support they receive. However, additional funding for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is not having as much impact as it should across the school. This is because these pupils do not get the support that they need in all lessons and, as a result, do not make as much progress as others.
• The targeted actions of leaders have worked well for some disadvantaged pupils, resulting in improved attendance and better progress. However, leaders have not used the pupil premium funding effectively to sufficiently diminish the difference between the performance of disadvantaged pupils and other pupils in all lessons.
• Leaders have accurately identified priorities for improvement and put appropriate actions in place. These are monitored to ensure that they are making a difference. Actions have successfully improved the quality of teaching in the school and are resulting in improved rates of progress and higher standards of attainment for pupils currently in the school. However, leaders agree that plans need to be more detailed and include timescales and named individuals so that governors can review progress more regularly.

Governance of the school

• Governors are committed to the school and are rightly proud of it. They are pleased with the effectiveness of its leadership, particularly during the transition from a school for pupils aged 11 to 14 to one for pupils aged 11 to 16. This they have led successfully since the previous inspection.
• Governors recently made the decision to join the Bradgate Education Partnership and the school has been a member of this trust for the past year.
• The trust has limited experience of working with secondary-aged pupils and has provided only basic support to governors, including financial support. The trust needs to continue to rely on receiving support from external specialist sources so that governors can be confident in holding leaders to account on the areas identified for improvement.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• The school’s record of checks made on the suitability of staff to work with young people is accurately maintained and compliant. Policies related to safeguarding, including the child protection policy, are up to date and meet the requirements of statutory guidance, although an older copy was still on the school’s website at the start of the inspection.
• Staff receive appropriate training in all aspects of child protection, including the ‘Prevent’ duty to keep pupils safe from radicalisation. Staff know what to do if they have any concerns about the well-being of a pupil. Appropriate and prompt referrals are made to external agencies where necessary. Records of such referrals are accurately kept and monitored to ensure that follow-up actions are timely and effective.
• Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe from a variety of risks, including safe use of the internet, social media and mobile technology. As a result, pupils have a high awareness of e-safety and have the confidence to report any concerns.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teachers’ planning helps pupils to make good progress. Lessons have a variety of learning activities that allow pupils to develop their skills, knowledge and understanding. As a result of this, pupils are positive about their learning. However, leaders do not always give teachers clear guidance about the barriers that some disadvantaged pupils face. Teachers’ expectations as to what some disadvantaged pupils can achieve are not high enough and, consequently, these pupils are not making the rapid progress required.
• Relationships between teachers and pupils are very secure in almost all lessons. Pupils relish the opportunity to share their views when invited to do so by teachers. This helps pupils to build their confidence when speaking and they frequently use appropriate technical language.
• Teachers have received training in how to work effectively with pupils who have some form of autistic spectrum disorder. Teachers do plan to meet the needs of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities but is the plans are not precise enough to help these pupils progress at the same rate as their peers. Leaders recognise that more training needs to take place with teachers in understanding how best they can meet the needs of these pupils.
• Leaders have focused on developing the skills pupils need to retain short-term information so that it can be effectively used to complete a learning activity. Teachers are clear when pupils need to listen and reflect in lessons to aid their concentration. As a result, pupils are developing their thinking skills and applying themselves to a learning task. This is leading to pupils making strong progress in most lessons.
• Teachers intervene in lessons when pupils have fallen behind. For example, in a Year 7 mathematics lesson, the teacher skilfully helped some pupils who had a limited understanding of division to make rapid progress through very clear explanations and supportive learning activities.
• Pupils do receive feedback from teachers about their work and inspectors saw evidence of this in pupils’ books. In English and history lessons, for example, pupils get very clear information on what they can do well and how they need to improve. However, the school policy is not consistently applied by teachers across all subject areas and year groups. Consequently, pupils are not always clear about what they need to do next in order to improve.
• Pupils do receive homework which is set by teachers when they feel it is appropriate. Some pupils, and their parents, feel that this means they get too much homework at times and not enough at others. Leaders are aware of this and are putting a more robust system of setting homework in place. When homework is set, it frequently helps pupils to consolidate the work they did in the lesson or to extend their understanding.
• Teachers use questioning effectively to test pupils’ knowledge and understanding. When this is done best, teachers skilfully use questions to probe and develop pupils’ understanding as well as supporting those who are yet to master a concept or skill. For example, in a Year 11 English lesson, the teacher skilfully used questioning to challenge pupils to use the specific language found in Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’. However, this is not done consistently well by all teachers to ensure that disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make rapid progress.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Pupils are positive about their school, showing pride in their work and most wearing their uniform well. They are respectful to each other, staff and visitors.
• Pupils have good attitudes to their learning. They are keen to learn and want to improve. Teachers help them to do this well most of the time.
• The school is a courteous and tolerant community. Pupils understand British values well because teachers plan the curriculum effectively. Teachers take opportunities to develop pupils’ understanding of other faiths and cultures well, especially during personal development lessons and in assemblies.
• Teachers ensure that pupils know how to stay safe and are kept safely.
• Pupils benefit from a well-constructed careers education programme. All pupils receive advice from an independent adviser and they say that they are well prepared for the next steps after Year 11. Almost all Year 11 pupils from last year have progressed into further learning since leaving the school in the summer.
• Bullying is rare according to school records. Some parents believe that the school does not always deal well with incidents of bullying. Pupils say bullying does take place infrequently and that this is mostly limited to name-calling. When this does take place, pupils confirm that it is generally dealt with well by teachers.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils behave very well in and around the school, even when less well supervised by adults. Pupils throughout the school socialise well with friends.
• Leaders have recently introduced a new behaviour policy. Expectations are higher and teachers are quick to implement sanctions on the rare occasions these high standards are not met. This has caused some concern from a few parents but pupils say that although it is stricter, they think it is effective as well. Consequently, incidents of low-level disruption are rare and these higher expectations are helping to ensure that pupils remain focused on their learning and behave well.
• Pupils are punctual to their lessons, including at the start of the day. They listen attentively and are keen to engage in lessons when given opportunities.
• A very small number of pupils attend some lessons in other educational settings. Rigorous checks are made by the school to ensure that these pupils attend regularly and are making progress. This is helping these pupils to behave well when they attend lessons in school with their peers.
• Most pupils value coming to school and overall attendance is in line with the national average. However, attendance for disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is improving but is still below that of their peers. Leaders accept that there is more to do to ensure that the attendance of these pupils matches or exceeds that of their peers.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Pupils across the school are making strong progress overall, particularly in key stage 3.
• Progress is good in most curriculum areas. There are a few subject areas, for example drama, graphics, resistant materials and Spanish, where pupils do not yet make the same good progress as in other subjects. Support and interventions are in place that are helping them to improve and match the high outcomes seen in the best subject areas.
• Pupils are making strong progress in English and progress in science is broadly average. However, some further development is required in mathematics before pupils reach the consistency of work they achieve in English.
• Unvalidated performance information from 2017 GCSE results indicates that pupils’ attainment is above the national average in English and mathematics. Pupils’ GCSE results across a range of other subjects were similarly strong.
• In key stage 3, work in books and assessment records show that the majority of pupils make strong progress towards their end-of-year targets, which are appropriately challenging. If pupils are struggling to meet these targets, teachers ensure that they receive well-planned additional help in a timely manner.
• Pupils do read frequently and widely. Teachers provide opportunities for them to read on a regular basis, for example in tutor time and in English lessons. The school provides catch-up opportunities for those who need to rapidly improve their reading skills. This is having a positive impact on pupils’ reading ability and is helping them to make progress in their learning across the curriculum.
• Disadvantaged pupils made less progress than their peers in the school in the unvalidated results in 2017. They do not do as well as other pupils nationally because the barriers to their learning are not well understood by all teachers across the school.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities achieve less well than other pupils in school because the additional funding has not been targeted effectively to lead to consistently good outcomes. However, leaders are rectifying this and these pupils are now making stronger progress. Teaching assistants are given clear guidance about how best to support current individual pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities in lessons.

School details

Unique reference number 138079 Local authority Leicestershire Inspection number 10036056 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Secondary School category Academy converter Age range of pupils 11 to 16 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 816 Appropriate authority Board of trustees Chair Heidi Seary Headteacher James Tickle Telephone number 01162 693896 Website www.roundhill.leics.sch.uk Email address school.enquiries@roundhill.leics.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 5–6 February 2014

Information about this school

• The school is an average-sized 11–16 secondary school. The proportion of boys is above the national average.
• Since its previous inspection, the Roundhill Academy has expanded its provision to include key stage 4 and has joined the Bradgate Education Partnership, a multi-academy trust.
• The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is above average.
• The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is broadly average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is above average.
• A small number of pupils who need additional intervention and support attend Heart of England Training and Youth Education Project.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.
• The school does not meet requirements on the publication of information about equality objectives on its website.
• The school does not comply with Department for Education guidance on what academies should publish about pupil premium funding and Year 7 literacy and numeracy catch-up premium plans and reviews.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors visited 37 lessons, 15 of which were seen jointly with senior leaders. Inspectors made short visits to tutor time.
• Inspectors observed the behaviour of pupils at breaktime, lunchtime and as pupils moved around the school.
• Inspectors scrutinised, in detail, a sample of pupils’ books in a range of subjects.
• Inspectors held a number of meetings with the headteacher, senior and middle leaders, the chair of the governing body and other governors, and the chief executive officer of the trust. An inspector also held a telephone conversation with the chair of the trust.
• Inspectors spoke with a wide range of pupils from all year groups in meetings, in lessons and around the school at breaktimes and lunchtimes.
• The inspection team looked at a wide range of the school’s documentation, including the school’s evaluation of its own performance, its action plan, data on pupils’ attainment and progress, attendance and behaviour records, safeguarding procedures, evaluations of the quality of teaching, and minutes of meetings of the governing body.
• Inspectors took account of the 68 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, the 39 responses to the online staff questionnaire and the 61 responses to the online pupil questionnaire.

Inspection team

Jamie Clarke, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector John Edwards Ofsted Inspector Javier Sanchez-Garcia Ofsted Inspector Paul Sweeney Ofsted Inspector