St Andrew's CofE High School for Boys Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of leadership, management and governance by:
  • sharpening the school’s strategic plans to support leaders and governors to sharply evaluate and measure leaders’ success and the outcomes of their actions
  • strengthening the quality of subject department improvement plans and leaders’ monitoring so that these are focused more precisely on improving pupils’ outcomes
  • strengthening the work of middle leaders so that they play a more effective role in improving the quality of teaching and learning
  • embedding the recent improvements to governance.
• Improve the quality of teaching, in order to improve outcomes for pupils, by ensuring that:
  • teachers raise their expectations and provide work that challenges the most able pupils
  • all teachers provide feedback to pupils and set homework in line with the school’s policy
  • teachers have consistently high expectations of the quality of pupils’ work, including standards of presentation
  • teachers give greater focus, and ensure that effective attention is paid, to the support for, and progress of, low-attaining pupils.
• Improve behaviour and reduce incidents of low-level disruption by a minority of pupils by ensuring that all teachers apply the school’s behaviour policy consistently well.
• Improve the attendance of disadvantaged pupils and those who have SEN and/or disabilities. An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management

Requires improvement

• The school has been through a challenging period, including over a year without a permanent headteacher. During this time, the interim headteacher has taken appropriate actions to address many of the difficulties the school faced. He has developed a more open culture with a strong focus on teaching and learning that is valued by staff. He has ensured that the school is financially viable.
• The new headteacher, who had been in post for only six weeks at the time of the inspection, has brought a new energy to the school that is appreciated by staff. She has a clear understanding of what actions are required to address quickly the weaknesses that have led to pupils’ progress being slower than that of other pupils nationally.
• Leaders have accurately evaluated the strengths and weaknesses of the school and they recognise that there is a need for rapid action to ensure that pupils make consistently good progress. Nevertheless, the school’s strategic plans do not include clear measures of success to enable leaders to judge whether their actions are being effective in improving pupils’ outcomes. Consequently, subject department planning does not focus enough on pupils’ progress.
• The interim headteacher has restructured middle leadership staffing to ensure that there are clear lines of accountability ready for September. However, it is too early to measure the impact of this restructuring. While improving, there is still too much variation in the progress current pupils are making across a range of subjects. A few middle leaders have not challenged inconsistencies in teaching rapidly enough to ensure that all pupils are making strong progress.
• Faculty reviews have helped leaders to have a better understanding of the quality of teaching. Where more effective teaching practice has been identified, it is now shared across departments. As a result, leaders are able to identify weakness in teaching and provide more support for those teachers who need to improve their skills.
• New and improved systems ensure that middle leaders now regularly monitor the quality of pupils’ work. As a result, they have a much better understanding of how pupils’ learning can be improved.
• Staff value the more open culture that now exists within school and the opportunities to visit other schools to moderate pupils’ work and gain new ideas. Teachers have benefited from the links now in place with Durrington Research School and the support received from the Sussex Learning Trust. As a result, they are using more effective teaching to improve pupils’ learning. Newly qualified teachers are supported well and they have found the in-school training helpful.
• Pupils are able to follow a broad and balanced curriculum. The proportion of pupils taking the English Baccalaureate suite of subjects, as well as the proportion of pupils taking languages at GCSE, is increasing. Leaders have reshaped the curriculum to ensure that the vast majority of pupils are now able to study both English language and literature.
• Pupils experience a broad range of spiritual, moral, social and cultural opportunities. Their spiritual needs are catered for well, for example through pupils having access to the prayer room. The school makes appropriate adjustments to meet the needs of pupils from all faiths. For example, helpful support is provided for pupils who are fasting during Ramadan and tutor periods begin with a prayer leading to effective discussions. Pupils are challenged in their thinking to explore complex social and moral issues such as abortion, gun violence and genocide.
• Pupils’ learning and their personal and social development are effectively supported and developed. They have access to a wide range of extra-curricular clubs and activities. Over 30 different clubs are offered on a fortnightly basis. These range from school choir and gardening club through to a good variety of sports opportunities.
• Additional funding for disadvantaged pupils, those who have SEN and/or disabilities and those pupils who joined the school with low levels of literacy and numeracy is being used effectively to make a positive difference. These pupils’ progress has improved and they are now making similar progress to many of their peers. The special educational needs coordinator knows these pupils well and has put in place effective strategies to support them.

Governance of the school

• The governing body has been strengthened recently by the addition of new governors, who are providing a fresh impetus. Governors are now challenging and holding leaders to account effectively to ensure that the school improves.
• Governors have not been precise enough in their strategic plans to know how well their actions are having an impact on improving pupils’ outcomes. In the past, they have received detailed information from school leaders but they have not questioned this information well enough to ensure that the school improves.
• Governors have not always evaluated the effectiveness of safeguarding procedures in the school. They recognise their weaknesses in this aspect of their work and they have put measures in place to ensure that their monitoring is more frequent and effective.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. School leaders are thorough and diligent in making sure that all staff and volunteers are safe to work with pupils. The school’s policy on safeguarding and staff training is comprehensive and fully up to date now. The school site is secure.
• All staff understand their role in keeping pupils safe. Leaders are proactive and rigorous in working with external agencies, seeking additional support when needed to ensure that pupils’ specific needs are met. Pupils who need extra support are very well cared for.
• Pupils know what to do, and who to approach, should they have any concerns about their safety. They are taught well about some aspects of safeguarding, for example e-safety and domestic and sexual violence. Pupils feel safe but they say they would like to have further guidance on how to keep themselves safe from drugs. They are very positive about the care and support provided by staff. Too few pupils were aware of the risks of radicalisation.
• Leaders undertake an annual safeguarding report but this has not previously been shared with governors.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• Strong teaching is particularly evident in English, mathematics, technology, drama, computing and history. As a result, pupils are making effective progress in these subjects. However, there are too many inconsistencies in the quality of teaching in other subject areas for teaching, learning and assessment to be good.
• Teachers’ subject knowledge enables them to plan effective lessons, especially for those pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities. However, planning for the learning of the most able pupils does not challenge them well enough to attain the highest standards.
• In mathematics, teachers’ careful planning leads to pupils trying progressively more difficult work. For example, in a Year 7 mathematics lesson, pupils were extended by writing their own algebraic expressions for calculating the perimeter of shapes.
• Pupils’ literacy skills are improving from their low starting points across many subjects. Consequently, pupils make effective use of subject vocabulary across all ability groups, which leads to clear improvements in their understanding of their work and improvements in their spelling of words.
• There is some strong teaching in science but it is not consistently good across the department. Consequently, the standard of pupils’ work varies across classes.
• Across the school, teachers’ expectations are too variable and not consistently high enough. As a result, there is a wide variation in the quality of presentation of pupils’ work in different subjects. Teachers do not consistently ensure that pupils follow the school’s expectations of how work should be presented.
• Pupils’ work shows some examples of helpful written and verbal feedback. For example, in English, mathematics and Spanish, feedback typically leads to pupils reflecting well on their work and making further improvements. However, teachers do not follow the school’s assessment policy entirely reliably, and so sometimes pupils are not given enough guidance to help them improve their work further.
• All year groups receive regular homework but not all subjects set regular homework in line with the school’s expectations.
• Pupils are confident in speaking, both in class to their peers and to the inspectors about their work. The strong focus on reading leads to pupils reading well, including when reading texts with complex vocabulary.
• Pupils whose reading age is below what would be expected on entry to the school are supported well through a range of effective specific strategies. While these particular strategies support pupils to catch up quickly to their peers, teachers’ focus on the needs of low-attaining pupils is not consistently strong.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Pupils are provided with a range of opportunities to develop their personal skills. They were confident in speaking to inspectors about their work and helpfully showed inspectors around the school.
• Pupils are able to take on positions of responsibility through the school council and the ‘make learning better’ group. This encourages pupils to take greater responsibility for the improvements in their school. Some pupils were acting as learning mentors in lessons to support other pupils.
• Pupils’ physical well-being is encouraged effectively, for example through the wide range of sporting opportunities, the outdoor gym and, until recently, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme.
• Pupils have opportunities to support the wider community, for example through visits to local primary schools and in helping clear litter from local beaches. Consequently, they are encouraged to develop their sense of social responsibility.
• Parents and carers who responded to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, were positive about the school’s work, especially in relation to keeping pupils safe and how well the pupils are looked after. One parent commented: ‘The school’s communication with parents has improved, and the parent events have been great, with opportunities to hear about the vision for the school, and the work and planning going on to take the school forward.’
• A large majority of parents would recommend the school to other parents. However, some parents do not hold such positive views. A minority of parents expressed concerns, including about the behaviour of pupils.
• The small number of pupils who attend alternative courses are making good progress, and their attendance and behaviour are now good. Regular communication with the school ensures that their progress is tightly monitored.
• Pupils say that they feel safe in school. A small number of pupils reported that bullying does occur but it is dealt with effectively by staff.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils requires improvement. A minority of pupils sometimes disrupt lessons. As a result, some other pupils are not able to learn as well as they should.
• Teachers do not consistently apply the school’s behaviour policy. Consequently, pupils receive mixed messages about what is acceptable behaviour and the consequences of certain disruptive behaviours. Staff responding to the Ofsted staff online questionnaire rightly felt that behaviour remains an area that needs to improve.
• Pupils are punctual to school and to lessons. They move around the school in a calm and orderly manner. They respect their school environment, with little litter being evident around the school site. Most pupils wear their uniform with pride, but a few need more frequent reminders to ensure that they comply with expectations.
• Pupils’ attendance is in line with other pupils nationally. However, disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities do not attend school regularly enough.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• In 2017, the progress of pupils at GCSE was well below that of all pupils nationally. The progress of boys was broadly in line with the national average. Those with higher prior attainment do not routinely make good enough progress from their starting points. Consequently, too few of the most able pupils achieve high grades at GCSE.
• Overall progress in GCSE English was well below that of other schools in 2017. Too many pupils did not take English literature. As a result, pupils made less progress overall in English. Leaders have wisely reviewed their curriculum and almost all pupils are now taking both English language and literature.
• Pupils’ progress is improving, particularly in English, mathematics and technology. However, there remains too much variation in the quality of pupils’ work and pupils’ progress across and within subjects, especially science.
• Leaders make effective use of the pupil premium funding to help remove barriers to learning, and teachers use a range of effective strategies to support disadvantaged pupils in lessons. As a result, overall rates of progress for disadvantaged pupils are improving.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities are provided with focused support that enables them to improve their learning. Additional adults in lessons provide strong support and challenge for these pupils. Consequently, the barriers to their learning are being removed. However, some low-attaining pupils who do not have SEN and/or disabilities do not receive the focus from the teacher, and their progress is less rapid.
• Leaders set challenging targets for pupils and the school’s own data shows that pupils are making better progress, although slowly, towards these targets. In the past, too many teachers have not made accurate predictions of GCSE outcomes for pupils. Leaders have therefore made sure that teachers are now linking with other schools to check the accuracy of their assessments. Leaders’ evaluation of assessment information is improving, enabling them to have a clearer picture of pupils’ learning. However, middle leaders’ work to ensure that teaching improves is at an early stage of development.
• Pupils receive highly effective careers education and guidance to enable them to make sensible and well-informed choices for their GCSEs and beyond. A very high proportion of pupils, well above the national average, continue in full-time education after leaving school. Pupils value the opportunities to hear outside speakers from a range of professions. They are introduced to the world of work through visits to industries, and to further education through visits to universities.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 126094 West Sussex 10053205 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 Number of pupils on the school roll Foundation 11 to 16 Boys 713 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Head teacher Mr Clive Purser Ms Louise Welcome Telephone number 01903 820 676 Website Email address www.st-andrews-boys.org.uk office@st-andrews-boys.org.uk Date of previous inspection 29–30 April 2015

Information about this school

• The school is smaller than the average-sized secondary school.
• The majority of pupils are of White British heritage, with a proportion of minority ethnic groups broadly in line with the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is above the national average.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is below the national average.
• The school does not meet the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.
• Currently, a small number of pupils attend alternative provision at the West Sussex Alternative Provision College, Worthing, or Chichester College.
• The school receives support from the Sussex Learning Trust.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed learning in 53 lessons, including a number of short visits to tutor groups and a Year 10 revision lesson. Several lessons were visited jointly with senior leaders. During visits to classes, inspectors looked at pupils’ work in books.
• Inspectors examined a selection of pupils’ work from key stages 3 and 4.
• Meetings were held with the headteacher and staff, including newly qualified teachers and academic senior and middle leaders. Inspectors took account of 37 responses to Ofsted’s confidential staff questionnaire.
• Inspectors met a representative group of governors from the governing body.
• Inspectors took account of 70 responses from parents to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, as well as written comments submitted by 57 parents. An inspector spoke to one parent by telephone.
• Pupils’ views were gathered from meetings with pupils from Years 7, 8, 9 and 10, and from responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey. Informal conversations with pupils took place around the school and at different times of the school day.
• Inspectors scrutinised a wide range of school documentation. This included leaders’ evaluations of the school’s performance, the school development plan, information about standards and pupils’ progress, information on the school’s website, records of pupils’ attendance, governors’ minutes and a range of policies and information, including those relating to safeguarding.

Inspection team

Christopher Lee, lead inspector Sue Bzikot Sue Bullen Julie Summerfield

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector