Colne Primet Academy Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve outcomes for all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, by:
  • ensuring that teaching in all subjects is consistently challenging in meeting the needs of all pupils and particularly the most able
  • ensuring that pupils’ written work is always well presented and well organised
  • sharing more widely the very best practice that exists in teachers’ questioning
  • ensuring that lesson time is always used fully to promote pupils’ learning
  • promoting the development of pupils’ numeracy skills across all subjects
  • ensuring that all pupils, in all classes, know what they need to do to move their learning on to the next level.
• Strengthen leadership and governance by ensuring that:
  • leaders, including middle leaders, are consistently robust in monitoring the impact of individual strategies used to raise outcomes for disadvantaged pupils
  • recent changes to the curriculum, including the move to a two-year key stage 3, are evaluated in terms of outcomes for pupils.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Leaders have taken the necessary actions to address areas for improvement identified at the time of the last inspection. In the last two years, there have been improvements in the quality of teaching, the rates of pupils’ progress, attendance and behaviour.
• The leadership of the headteacher is exceptional. She leads by example, is extremely visible around school and is well respected by staff and pupils. Pupils and staff comment on how accessible she is. Leaders and teachers feel very well supported by her. She attributes the successes that have been achieved to her team of staff, governors and the trust.
• Over the last two years, there has been a huge turnover of staff including a number of changes at senior- and middle-leader level. Ably supported by governors and the trust, the headteacher has successfully managed this high turnover while simultaneously making a number of necessary improvements to school practices and procedures. Improvements in teaching have been secured, albeit less rapidly than they might have been, in a small number of subject areas.
• Leaders have created a learning culture in which the expectations of staff and pupils are high. Teachers have been challenged to improve the quality of teaching. Most have risen to the challenge so that teaching is now good overall. This has helped to ensure that most pupils currently in the school make good progress from their different starting points.
• Leaders have ensured that the attendance and behaviour of all pupils have improved, including those who have SEN and/or disabilities and those from disadvantaged backgrounds. As a result, overall attendance is now just above the national average.
• Information about pupils’ attainment and their progress is collected regularly by teachers and leaders. Leaders have supported staff in their efforts to secure accurate assessment information, which is used well to target support and intervention for individuals and groups of pupils. In 2017, teachers’ predictions of GCSE results were very close to the actual examination results, particularly in English and mathematics.
• The headteacher and other senior leaders regularly make checks to ensure that agreed actions to improve the school are being carried out consistently. This helps them to develop an accurate view of the school’s strengths and weaknesses, which in turn informs future planning.
• Leaders have made a number of changes to the curriculum in the past two years, which will largely benefit pupils in the current Years 7 to 10. The curriculum for pupils in these year groups is broad and balanced and provides subjects which have been carefully selected to address the needs of pupils. More pupils will be eligible to achieve the English Baccalaureate qualification. There is an appropriate range of academic subjects and a small number of vocational courses designed to cater for the interests of all pupils. Given the small size of the school, these provide a good deal of flexibility for pupils when they are making their choices.
• Leaders have recently changed the structure of the curriculum so that key stage 3 will be run over two years and key stage 4 over three years. This is designed to give pupils more time to prepare for GCSE examinations. Leaders accept the need to monitor the impact of the shortened key stage 3, particularly on pupils whose literacy and numeracy skills are low on entry to the school, and to ensure that pupils are ready for the demands of GCSE at the start of Year 9.
• Leaders and teachers are doing all they can to ensure that pupils in the current Year 11 have the best chances of success in their end of year examinations. Some of these pupils may have experienced less effective teaching over a number of years, alongside a curriculum that did not fully meet their needs. Their individual needs have been identified, and leaders have provided a range of additional support and intervention. This includes after-school and lunchtime classes, throughout the year as well as leading up to their examinations, to enable them to succeed. Pupils in Year 11 told inspectors that they appreciate the lengths their teachers have gone to in supporting them.
• There is a variety of extra-curricular activities and clubs, including sports clubs, trips and visits, after-school revision sessions and charity fundraising, which contribute well to pupils’ personal development. The school makes a strong contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development through the wider curriculum as well as through the academic curriculum.
• In this multicultural school, the curriculum supports pupils’ awareness of other cultures and beliefs well. Pupils have a strong sense of respect and appreciation for cultures other than their own. Pupils of different cultures and backgrounds work well together. This is good preparation for life in modern Britain.
• Leaders have made good use of the external support available to them, particularly from Pendle Education Trust and the East Lancashire Teaching Schools Alliance. They have used this to share good practice between subject teachers and to provide opportunities for staff to develop leadership skills. Subject leaders have worked together to moderate assessment information. The secondary and primary schools have worked together to secure improved transition from Year 6 to Year 7, including developing the English and mathematics schemes of work in Year 7.
• Leaders’ regular checks on teaching are used to identify what works best to help pupils with their learning. Teachers are very positive about the training and development provided for them, which is improving the quality of teaching.
• Subject leaders are clear about their individual subject priorities and about where these fit into whole-school priorities for improvement. They understand how their actions contribute to addressing whole-school priorities. They make effective use of pupil tracking information to guide their planning and to carry out regular checks on the quality of teaching alongside senior leaders.
• Leaders use the government funding for disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities very effectively to provide additional support for these pupils. Their actions have secured notable improvements in outcomes for these pupils. Leaders are aware that there is more work to be done in evaluating individual strategies that are carried out using the pupil premium funding.

Governance of the school

• Governors are committed to the development of the whole child and are as keen to ensure that pupils develop their personal and social skills as they are to ensure that pupils achieve academic success. They make regular visits to the school and experience, first hand, pupils’ education.
• Governors are committed and dedicated in their work to support the school’s leaders. They know the school’s strengths and are accurate in their identification of underperforming areas. They have reached an accurate and balanced view of the school’s overall effectiveness. They are holding leaders stringently to account.
• Governors are aware of their statutory duties, including in relation to safeguarding. All of the necessary information that should be available to parents and carers is published on the school’s website.
• Governors are aware of the positive impact of the Year 7 catch-up premium for literacy and numeracy on pupils currently in Years 7 and 8. They are able to challenge leaders about the value of strategies being used to support targeted pupils.
• Governors know how the pupil premium funding has been used to help improve the outcomes and attendance of disadvantaged pupils. However, they have not fully evaluated the effectiveness of the many different strategies to identify which have made the most difference.
• Trust members support and challenge governors and school leaders. There is active collaboration between the four schools in the trust, which enables the sharing of good practice, provides opportunities for leaders to develop their skills and for teachers to moderate subject assessments.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

• There is a strong focus on safeguarding, and leaders, governors and the trust take all reasonable steps to ensure that pupils are kept safe in school. A comprehensive training programme is in place for all staff. Records of incidents are kept in detail, and referrals are followed up tenaciously.
• Pupils told inspectors that they feel safe in school and that they learn how to keep themselves safe. They were clear that staff promote safeguarding well through lessons such as personal development (PD) and special assemblies. One pupil told an inspector that pupils are constantly reminded about, for example, keeping themselves safe when using the internet.
• There is a great deal of targeted support for pupils identified as the most vulnerable. The school seeks help from external agencies when necessary.
• The vast majority of parents who responded to the school’s parental questionnaire said that their children feel safe in school.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teaching has improved since the school’s last inspection and, throughout this inspection, both in lessons and through work scrutiny, inspectors observed examples of very strong teaching. This is also evident in the improving outcomes in most subjects, especially for current cohorts of pupils, including in science, mathematics and English.
• Leaders have taken decisive action in tackling underperformance, and this has led to improvements across a range of subjects. Teaching is strong in subjects such as physical education (PE), psychology and the humanities. Nonetheless, some inconsistencies remain and these inhibit progress in some lessons.
• Pupils said that they appreciate the opportunities teachers provide for them to work in different ways, for example in groups and pairs, and some talked positively about their teachers’ enthusiasm for their subject. Relationships between teachers and pupils are strong. Incidences of low-level disruption are rare.
• Teachers demonstrate a good knowledge of their subject and have worked hard to develop a thorough understanding of new assessment criteria. Pupils know their targets, and many know what they need to do to reach the next step in their learning. Examples of this were seen in English, geography and science. Pupils had a clear idea of how they were doing and what they needed to do to improve. However, not all have such a good understanding. When spoken to, a number of other pupils were unable to explain what they needed to do to improve their work or achieve the next step or grade.
• Pupils’ information, communication and technology skills are promoted well. For example, in mathematics, teachers are able to identify the gaps in pupils’ knowledge and understanding and point them to personalised homework and revision using online mathematics programmes.
• Support for pupils from additional adults, including counselling, group and one-to-one support, is having a positive impact on pupils’ learning, particularly for those pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities.
• Teachers’ questioning is variable in quality. Not all use questioning well to deepen pupils’ thinking or to broaden their understanding. Teaching at its best, in SHINE for example, is highly challenging and enables pupils to engage in reasoning through their responses. In other lessons observed, for example in mathematics and science, questions are pitched carefully at pupils’ different abilities and starting points to elicit full answers that show their understanding and learning. In other instances, questioning is not probing enough. For example, by accepting answers solely from those who volunteer, teachers do not know whether others in the class have understood the concepts being taught. By not probing further, teachers fail to provide opportunities for pupils to deepen their understanding.
• At times, challenge for most-able pupils is insufficient, so lessons do not move their learning on. Sometimes, work is set at the same level for all. Occasionally, all pupils are given low-level, undemanding tasks, such as copying or drawing pictures, even in some higher sets.
• Teachers in all subjects support pupils in developing their literacy skills through attention to key technical language, correcting mis-spelt words and by providing opportunities for pupils to read widely and write extended pieces. There is less support for pupils to develop numeracy skills across all areas of the curriculum, and this has been highlighted as an area for further development by leaders.
• Many pupils take care when producing written work and are reminded by their teachers about the benefits of presenting work neatly. However, some pupils’ books and files are untidy and disorganised.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.

• Strong relationships are forged between staff and pupils, built on trust and mutual respect. Staff know pupils well and provide them with the support they need. In discussions, pupils told inspectors that the way they are supported by adults, both pastorally and academically, is helpful in enabling them to grow in confidence and to succeed in their learning.
• The school is inclusive. All staff and pupils are treated equally. Leaders and staff deal with pupils’ behaviour calmly, effectively and systematically.
• The school caters very effectively for the welfare and personal development of pupils who have additional needs. The specialist support, early identification of need and productive partnerships with parents all lead to positive outcomes for these pupils.
• The school has a significant number of vulnerable pupils. Staff work closely and highly effectively with other agencies to ensure that pupils receive the help that they need. Staff have comprehensive support systems in place to ensure that children looked after are safe and supported well.
• Pupils understand that bullying must not be tolerated. The number of incidences of bullying has reduced over the past two years. On the rare occasions it does take place, pupils are confident that staff will help them and resolve the matter quickly and effectively.
• Pupils were very positive about the support they receive when choosing options and taking the next steps in their education. Careers advisers work with pupils to ensure that they have firm plans for the future that will lead them to their goals.
• Pupils’ views are routinely gathered by leaders, for example to evaluate pupils’ enjoyment in their learning. Pupils value the opportunity they have to express their opinions.
• There are many opportunities for pupils to assume leadership roles in school, for example as Year 11 prefects, subject ambassadors, members of the student council and helping in the Oracle, the school library. These kinds of opportunities, pupils said, help them to grow in confidence and enable them to ‘give something back’.
• Pupils for whom the normal curriculum is not suitable benefit from an alternative curriculum. Leaders ensure that the small numbers of pupils accessing alternative provision are well supported and their personal and academic progress is regularly monitored.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.

• Pupils enjoy coming to school, and their high attendance is evidence of this. They wear their uniform with pride and are proud to be members of the school community. They move about the site in an orderly and purposeful way, even when they are not being supervised. During breaks and lunchtimes, they enjoy the outside leisure areas where they are able to socialise and let off steam.
• Pupils are polite and courteous to visitors. They willingly engage in conversation and are friendly and keen to talk about their school.
• Teachers manage behaviour consistently well, and pupils appreciate the rewards they receive for good behaviour. As a result of the good behaviour management, the number of fixed-term and permanent exclusions has reduced over the past three years for all groups of pupils.
• Leaders monitor pupils’ attendance rigorously. As a result of actions taken by leaders, the attendance of all groups of pupils has improved. Attendance has risen over the last three years, and the current attendance figure for all pupils is now just above the national average.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• School assessment information, based on mock examinations and accurate teacher assessment, indicates that outcomes for current Year 11 pupils are exceeding outcomes achieved in 2017. Pupils appear to have made better progress than the previous Year 11 cohort in a range of subjects. Rates of progress are improving rapidly for pupils in other year groups.
• Overall progress of pupils from the end of key stage 2 to the end of key stage 4 improved in 2017, from a very low base in 2016. Progress improved significantly in English, mathematics and science. Progress remained strong in the humanities. Overall, in 2017, pupils of all levels of ability made better progress than national averages for their peers, and their overall attainment was in line with that of their peers nationally.
• Despite improvements in the rates of progress, pupils’ attainment at GCSE in 2017 was below the national average in a range of subjects, including English and mathematics. In part, this is because this cohort of pupils joined the school with standards in reading and mathematics significantly below the national figure. Additionally, prior to recent changes, the school’s curriculum only allowed a small number of pupils to be entered for the English Baccalaureate qualification, a key national measure of attainment.
• In 2017, progress for Year 11 disadvantaged pupils of all levels of ability improved from an exceptionally low base in 2016. For disadvantaged pupils with middle and high prior attainment, progress was in line with the average for other pupils nationally. The attainment of disadvantaged pupils remained low.
• The school’s summary analysis of the outcomes for disadvantaged pupils and those who have SEN and/or disabilities indicates that the large majority are making good progress overall and across a range of subjects. This was confirmed by work seen in their books. Support for pupils in literacy and numeracy has led to a marked improvement in reading and arithmetic for those pupils targeted.
• Leaders are working hard to raise pupils’ aspirations, and pupils are well prepared for their next steps when they leave at the end of Year 11. The proportions of pupils who progress to further education, training or employment have remained close to the national average over a three-year period. In 2017, they were above average. This is due to the high-quality careers advice and guidance provided by staff.
• Only a small number of pupils achieved the highest grades in English language, English literature and mathematics in 2017. The proportions achieving the highest grades increased from 2016 to 2017 in a range of subjects, including art, drama, PE and history. Outcomes for most-able pupils currently in the school are likely to be higher than last year as a result of improvements in teaching and higher expectations. However, school leaders are aware that there is still work to be done to ensure that this group of pupils attains the highest grades of which these pupils are capable.
• Pupils are encouraged to read widely and often. They are provided with books, at just the right level for their reading ability, that challenge them to read. The Oracle (the school’s library) is well equipped and well used by pupils before school and during breaks, lunchtimes and after school. In a range of lessons across the curriculum, pupils are encouraged to read from a variety of sources.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 139130 Lancashire 10045849 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 sponsor-led 11 to 16 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 303 Appropriate authority Board of trustees Chair Principal Telephone number Website Email address David Roberts Lynne Blomley 01282 863970 www.colneprimet.co.uk head@colneprimet.co.uk Date of previous inspection 10–11 May 2016

Information about this school

• Colne Primet Academy is a member of the Pendle Education Multi-Academy Trust, which consists of two primary and two secondary academies. It is sponsored by Nelson and Colne College.

• Colne Primet is much smaller than the average-sized secondary school.
• The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is almost double the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who are eligible for support through pupil premium funding, at about 41%, is well above the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is above the national average, and the proportion of pupils who have an education, health and care plan is average.
• The school works collaboratively with other schools in the trust and is a member of the East Lancashire Teaching School Alliance. A school improvement adviser, whose services are commissioned by the trust from Lancashire local authority, provides support and challenge for school leaders.
• The school uses alternative provision provided by TAS, The Alternative School, in Barnoldswick for a very small number of pupils in Year 8.
• The school met the government’s floor standards for pupils in Year 11 in 2017. This is the minimum expectation for pupils’ progress across a number of subjects including English and mathematics.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed teaching and learning across the school. Several of these observations took place with members of the senior leadership team.
• An inspector listened to pupils from Years 7 and 8 reading and visited SHINE, an area where there is special provision for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities.
• Inspectors also visited personal development lessons and registration sessions.
• Meetings were held with senior and middle leaders, a group of teachers and two governors including the chair of the governing body, the school improvement adviser and the chief executive of Pendle Education Trust.
• Inspectors scrutinised a range of school documentation, including the self-evaluation summary, the improvement plan, minutes of meetings of the governing body and trust meetings, safeguarding records, school assessment information, attendance and behaviour records, and school policies and procedures.
• Formal discussions were held with groups of pupils from Year 7 to Year 10 to discuss their experiences of school. Inspectors also spoke to pupils in lessons and at breaks and lunchtimes, including pupils in Year 11.
• Inspectors scrutinised pupils’ work across different year groups and subjects.
• Inspectors took account of the 20 responses from the school’s own survey of parents.

Inspection team

Helen Gaunt, lead inspector Erica Sharman Claire Hollister

Ofsted Inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector