Coleridge Community College Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the overall quality of teaching, by
  • ensuring that all strands of the ‘Coleridge Teaching Approach’ become fully established throughout the school
  • checking that teachers use the information provided for them to plan learning that stretches the most able and meets the needs of pupils who are less able or who have special educational needs and/or disabilities
  • planning learning that stimulates most-able pupils and encourages them to engage fully and enthuse about their learning
  • insisting on good-quality presentation and providing further support for those in need of help with their handwriting.
• Raise achievement in science, by:
  • routinely monitoring how effectively staff are using the agreed schemes of work in key stage 3 and the syllabus for each science course in key stage 4
  • setting aspirational targets for all pupils and making regular checks to gauge whether they are likely to meet them
  • monitoring the impact of the new leader of the department in improving teaching and outcomes in science.
• Improving pupils’ basic literacy skills, by:
  • ensuring that teachers implement the school’s policy for correcting spelling and grammatical errors systematically, including giving pupils the agreed time in lessons to respond to teachers’ comments about their work.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Good leadership by the headteacher has, in a short space of time, led to significant improvements in behaviour and much higher outcomes achieved by pupils the end of key stage 4.
• These improvements are firmly based on his clear vision for the school and his relentless pursuit of higher standards. Staff and governors share his vision and are equally eager to secure long-term, sustained improvement. Pupils and their parents comment favourably on the improvements he has made. They feel that the school is better than it was at its last inspection.
• The headteacher’s step-by-step approach to securing improvement before tackling the next stage is ensuring that key priorities and new initiatives become firmly embedded and provide firm foundations for further development.
• Most staff feel that leaders support them well in managing pupils’ behaviour, and that leaders do all they can to promote their professional development. Recently qualified staff feel well supported and praised the support provided by their mentors.
• Leaders’ evaluations have accurately identified that there is much to do to improve the school. Some aspects have improved quickly, such as the performance of Year 11 pupils, but others still require further improvement.
• Leaders have rightly focused their efforts on ensuring that Year 11 pupils gain the qualifications they need for the next stage of their lives. Much improved overall outcomes in 2016 validate the effectiveness of their actions.
• Having researched what works well in other schools, nationally, leaders have made good use of pupil premium funding to boost the performance of disadvantaged pupils. This year’s national performance data shows that there are no differences in the progress made by disadvantaged and other pupils with similar starting points.
• Training implemented this year to standardise teaching across the school is leading to greater consistency. Leaders acknowledge that more time is needed to embed this fully before it leads to improved outcomes for pupils across both key stages.
• Further training provided by the leader responsible for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities has increased teachers’ understanding of the strategies to include them fully and aid their progress.
• Leaders of some subjects are new and need more time to demonstrate that they can contribute fully to school improvement. A new leader and her team of staff in science recognise the need to improve quickly and match the improvements made in other subjects.
• Leaders provide pupils with a broad curriculum that enables a higher than average proportion of them to achieve the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) qualification. They feel that there is scope to offer a broader choice of vocational learning for those not suited to GCSE qualifications.
• The majority of pupils participate in a wide range of enrichment activities in sport and the arts, and a range of after-school clubs. This adds significantly to their enjoyment of school and their positive attitudes and behaviour.

Governance of the school

• The Parkside Federation oversees effectively the strategic development and financial running of the school. The established partnership of three local secondary schools enables senior leaders to combine their experience and share best practice.
• They ensure that additional funding is used wisely. They can demonstrate the impact of the pupil premium funding to help disadvantaged pupils catch up when they join in Year 7.
• Recent changes to the school’s local governing body have strengthened governance. New governors, led by a newly appointed chair, bring a range of knowledge and experience to the school.
• They demonstrate growing understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Minutes of meetings show that they are fully supportive of the actions taken by the headteacher and his team of senior leaders. Minutes show that governors question and challenge senior leaders about the shortfalls in the performance of pupils in some subjects.
• A broad programme of visits to enable governors to monitor the school’s work is under way.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• All checks are carried out when recruiting new staff to work with children.
• The designated leader for safeguarding leads a small team of staff, all of whom are suitably trained to act on any concerns raised by staff, pupils or their parents. Detailed records and timelines are maintained of any disclosures and these are followed up robustly.
• Pupils are kept safe on the school site. The site perimeter is secure. To ensure pupils’ safety, staff supervise open areas and the entrances to the school.
• All staff training is up to date, including ‘Prevent’ duty training to help staff spot those at risk of radicalisation or extremism.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• School leaders feel that the evidence from their monitoring of teaching, alongside the results achieved by pupils in Year 11, this year, illustrate that teaching is good. While there is some good and outstanding teaching, it is not consistently good across the school. Inspectors evidenced some highly effective teaching, but also found examples of a range of teaching that requires significant improvement over time.
• Currently, the school’s ‘Coleridge Teaching Approach’ is only partly established. This common approach to teaching, implemented earlier this year, is beginning to iron-out some of the inconsistencies in teaching. For example, all staff share, at the start of each lesson, what they expect pupils to learn and provide pupils with criteria to check if they have been successful. Teachers make regular checks in lessons to see whether learning ‘sticks’ and that pupils understand fully what they are learning.
• Most teachers are well organised. They have seating plans that clearly identify pupils’ backgrounds, particular needs and current grades. These procedures are evident in a range of subjects but are more established in key stage 4 than the earlier key stage. Not all younger pupils know the targets set for them, or what they need to do to achieve them. When asked, pupils could not explain what targets they have in science, or how well they are currently doing.
• Teaching in the English department is effective. Assessment books are used well to illustrate learning and progress over time. Pupils are expected to produce their best work. Teachers’ marking records the quality of their work against the targets set for them. Learning journals are also used effectively to encourage pupils to reflect on their learning, record what they have achieved and note what else they need to do to ensure that they fully understand.
• Teaching in science is less effective. Several staff are new to the department this year. They have been provided with a revised scheme of work to help them plan learning and to set targets, but these procedures are not embedded.
• Inspectors found that a few teachers provide opportunities for pupils to learn together and share their ideas with others. For example, in a French lesson pupils worked collaboratively in pairs to summarise their learning of key vocabulary and record this in an enjoyable way. Elsewhere in lessons, particularly in upper sets, pupils have far fewer opportunities to work with others. This leads to some becoming compliant and not engaging fully in discussion.
• Not all teachers use the information provided for them about pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Individual education plans identify strategies to help these pupils, but teachers, when planning learning, do not consider these. Often, activities are too difficult for these pupils and this limits the progress they make.
• Pupils feel that the behaviour of a very small minority of pupils is not always managed consistently, for example in some science lessons. Those who met with inspectors said that, at times, one or two pupils are allowed to spoil the learning of others.
• Teachers set pupils homework. Pupils feel that the amount of homework they get is regular and manageable.
• Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly according to the school’s agreed procedures. Pupils feel that they receive some good advice about how to improve their work, but not in all subjects. However, very few teachers give pupils sufficient opportunities to reflect on the comments made, or correct the errors identified in their work. The expectations of some teachers are too low. Poor-quality presentation and handwriting are left unchallenged.
• Scrutinising pupils’ work in key stage 3 revealed that spelling and grammatical errors are common. These are identified in teachers’ marking, but pupils are not expected to follow them up and correct them. This leads to the common errors being repeated. Leaders have acted to deal with this weakness. A revised policy and procedures to strengthen literacy teaching are due for implementation later this term.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Inspectors found pupils to be polite, courteous and well mannered. Several of them were keen to share their views of the school with inspectors. Pupils who met formally with inspectors in meetings were good ambassadors for their school.
• Pupils are respectful to staff and to one another. Leaders have established a culture of tolerance across the school, creating a harmonious and inclusive community. Pupils who met inspectors were proud of how their peers of different sexual orientations and from a range of ethnic backgrounds respect and treat each other as equal members of the community.
• Pupils listen carefully to the views of others. Weekly personal, social and health education lessons provide good opportunities for learning about broader topical issues including fundamental British values, staying healthy and keeping safe using social media.
• A broad range of enrichment activities and off-site visits make a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Younger pupils learn about people from different faiths and backgrounds in weekly religious education lessons. All pupils in Year 7 participate in an annual production. They enjoy the school’s strong culture of celebration, promoted through fundraising for charity, sharing success in competitions, rewards and privileges such as ‘honour breakfasts’ awarded for good attitudes and behaviour.
• They say that school is a friendly place and they feel quite safe. Pupils say all forms of bullying are rare and the school’s records reflect this. When it does occur, mostly name-calling or being unpleasant towards each other, pupils have total confidence that staff will help them sort it out.
• All pupils are taught how to stay safe online as well as learning about the dangers of cyber bullying and sexting. Leaders also ensure that pupils are educated about the full range of potential risks they may encounter when using social media.
• Most pupils are punctual, attend regularly and enjoy school.
• Leaders’ actions to tackle persistent absence have led to rapid improvements. Their monitoring information shows a rising trend in attendance since the last inspection. However, overall attendance rates are adversely affected by the persistent absence of a very small minority of pupils, some of whom rarely attend school due to health reasons. Leaders can demonstrate that they do everything possible to engage with these pupils and their families to get them back into school. This has led to marked improvement this year.
• Significant gains have been made in improving the attendance of disadvantaged pupils. Targeted support and intervention by the school support team have encouraged more pupils back into school. The impact of this is clearly evident in the improved progress made by pupils in Year 11 this year.
• A programme of careers advice and guidance includes events for pupils and their families, information booklets and one-to-one interviews. Those in Year 10 are expected to arrange their own work experience. The school’s records show that the proportion of Year 11 leavers not in education, employment or training is below the national average.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Following his appointment, the headteacher prioritised securing rapid and sustained improvements to pupils’ behaviour. Staff, pupils and their parents all comment favourably on the improvements he has overseen.
• Pupils conduct themselves well around school. They gather together in friendship groups, enjoy lunch together and behave responsibly.
• Most pupils behave well in lessons. They are respectful towards staff and demonstrate positive attitudes towards their learning. Usually, those unable to meet the expectations of staff are managed effectively by staff so that poor behaviour is ‘nipped in the bud’ as soon as it happens.
• Pupils feel that behaviour has improved quickly because there are clear procedures for warning pupils about their behaviour and the introduction of the reflection room has had a positive impact. Those who misbehave spend time in the reflection room. They are expected to complete their schoolwork, while being supported by staff to consider their actions and modify their behaviour. Records show that these procedures are having a significant impact on reducing incidents of poor behaviour.
• Records show a significant reduction in the number of incidents of poor behaviour in the past year. Far fewer pupils are temporarily excluded from school. The proportion of pupils making repeated visits to the reflection room has also fallen.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• Leaders have responded swiftly to a dip in overall results last year by focusing their efforts on raising achievement of those in Year 11 this year. Improvements in other year groups are less evident.
• Leaders have ensured that Year 11 pupils are better prepared for the next stage of their education, training or the work place. Intensive interventions including extra lessons and regular revision have led to much better outcomes in 2016. From lower than average starting points, provisional indicators show that pupils achieved well against all of the government’s accountability measures.
• For example, in 2016 almost two thirds of pupils achieved at least a grade C in both GCSE English and mathematics. Leaders also rightly acknowledge that a higher percentage of pupils attained at least five C grades, including English and mathematics. The percentage of pupils attaining the EBacc qualification was above average.
• Significantly, pupils made good progress across most subjects, including French, which was found to be underperforming at the time of the last inspection. This year, even though a larger proportion of Year 11 pupils sat the GCSE examination, overall pass rates improved by 13%.
• Effective use of the pupil premium funding and much closer monitoring by leaders have led to significant gains in the performance of disadvantaged pupils. The progress they made matched that of other pupils nationally. Leaders acknowledge that more needs to be done to diminish differences in attainment. The proportion of disadvantaged pupils attaining at least a grade C in both English and mathematics remains below the level achieved by their non-disadvantaged peers nationally.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities also made better progress due to intensive monitoring of their progress and better support targeted towards them. This helped to boost their confidence and competence.
• These notable improvements are undermined by pupils’ poor performance in science. The proportion of pupils attaining a good grade in two science subjects remained low and shows no signs of improvement. Results in core or additional science were particularly low.
• Current school assessment information shows that across all year groups, pupils make good progress in English. They make less progress in mathematics. Pupils in all year groups, including those who are disadvantaged and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, are below the targets set for them in mathematics at this stage of the year.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 136650 Cambridgeshire 10023356 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 527 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Maureen Donnelly Mark Patterson 01223 712300 www.parksidefederation.org.uk enquiries@parksidefederation.org.uk Date of previous inspection 3 March 2015

Information about this school

• The school does meet requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school does comply with Department of Education guidance on what academies should publish about annual reports and accounts.
• Coleridge Community College converted to an academy in 2011. At its first inspection in 2015 it was judged to require improvement.
• The school is smaller than average.
• The majority of pupils are White British. A higher than average proportion of pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, including those with a statement or an education, health and care plan, is above average.
• The proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium is above average.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed 24 lessons. They visited an assembly and carried out a learning walk to observe the quality of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education.
• They held meetings with senior and middle leaders, a group of recently qualified teachers, the chair of the local governing body and three groups of pupils.
• Inspectors observed the school’s work. They looked at safeguarding and child protection policy and procedures, self-evaluation and improvement plans, minutes of governors’ meetings, records of pupils’ behaviour and attendance, and other information provided by senior leaders.
• Inspectors scrutinised pupils’ work in lessons. They considered the responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent view, and 44 free texts sent by parents and carers. They also considered 65 responses to Ofsted’s questionnaire for staff and one response from a pupil.

Inspection team

John Mitcheson, lead inspector John Randall Simon Webb Her Majesty’s Inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector