The Angmering School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Raise the progress and attainment of groups of pupils so that:
  • pupils at the school do at least as well as other pupils nationally across subjects, particularly mathematics
  • pupils are set more challenging targets to raise their expectations.
• Continue to improve the quality of teaching so that pupils make at least good progress across subjects, by:
  • governors and senior leaders holding subject leaders to account for standards
  • ensuring that all teachers apply the school’s marking and assessment policy consistently
  • teachers intervening earlier when pupils are making less progress than their peers
  • making sure that teachers plan learning to meet the needs of pupils and adapting activities when necessary.
• Continue to improve the attendance and outcomes of disadvantaged pupils to at least in line with other pupils nationally, by:
  • taking effective action to reduce the level of absence further
  • ensuring that there are opportunities for pupils to catch up on work missed when they are absent.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

• Governors and leaders were slow to take action to stop the decline in the achievement of pupils over the last three years. The progress and attainment of pupils, especially the disadvantaged, was well below that of other pupils nationally across a wide range of subjects, including English and mathematics.
• Subject leaders have not been effective in securing consistent teaching and learning in their areas of responsibility. For example, some subject leaders have not modelled high enough expectations for staff and pupils. Nor have they shown enough urgency in addressing declining performance when it has been identified. This means that subject leaders have not ensured the best outcomes for pupils.
• The new headteacher has taken swift action in raising expectations of staff and is ensuring that subject leaders are focused on the priority of ensuring that teaching is at least good. This has led to improvements in the quality of teaching in many areas and has led to better progress of pupils, including those who are disadvantaged.
• The school leadership team has a visible presence around the school. Senior leaders have procedures in place to monitor and hold subject leaders to account for the performance of groups. This is leading to better teaching in many areas.
• Good practice in the application of the school’s policies in subjects such as English and history is not replicated across all subject areas.
• Professional development opportunities are ensuring that there is a focus on cascading the best practice in teaching. Leaders are being helped further through school-to-school support from Durrington High School that was brokered by the local authority.
• Teachers’ performance management is rigorous and staff targets are linked to pupils’ results. Newly qualified teachers are enthusiastic and value the supportive and constructive feedback from mentors.
• Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain through personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education. For example, Year 10 pupils consider diversity in modern Britain and freedom of speech. The health education programme ensures that pupils are aware of the dangers in modern society, such as from sexting, internet pornography and sexual exploitation.
• The curriculum is broad and balanced and fully inclusive to ensure equality of access to those pupils who have special educational needs and disabilities, including those with visual, auditory and physical disabilities. Greater depth of study for the most able pupils is provided through further courses such as statistics and triple science.
• Pupils have good opportunities beyond the taught curriculum through a range of enrichment activities, including the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme and leadership opportunities.
• The special educational needs coordinator ensures that pupils who have physical, medical or sensory disabilities are able to access excellent support during the school day from facilities offered by The Lavinia Norfolk Centre. This enables pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities to continue with their learning on-site. Additional funding is used well. Some of these pupils have well-chosen opportunities to take courses at entry level enabling them to progress to the next stage of their education.
• Leaders have not always ensured that the funding to support disadvantaged pupils is targeted precisely to raise attainment. However, Year 7 catch-up funding is used more effectively and is improving the pupils’ reading ages.

Governance of the school

• Governors did not hold school leaders, including subject leaders, sufficiently to account. Consequently, there has been a lack of focus, drive and ambition for the pupils in the school. Governors recognise now that standards must rise rapidly.
• Previously, governors did not provide a high enough level of challenge to the school’s leaders. As a result, governors’ knowledge of the effectiveness of the school in some crucial areas has been limited. For example, governors are not clear on how pupil premium funding has raised the achievement of eligible pupils.
• More recently, governors are holding leaders to account and setting targets for the attainment and achievement of pupils. Their improved effectiveness is beginning to lead to better outcomes. For example, Governors have been proactive in supporting the appointment of staff in key curriculum areas, such as mathematics. The new head of mathematics is already leading improvements in this subject.
• Governors are rightly proud of the inclusive ethos of the school.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Appropriate checks are carried out to ensure that staff are safe to work with pupils, and the recording of these checks meets statutory requirements.
• Leaders, governors and staff receive relevant and useful training and updates. Consequently, they understand and carry out their responsibilities for keeping pupils safe well. Risk assessments are made of vulnerable pupils before starting school to ensure that they make a positive start. Relevant staff liaise with outside agencies well to ensure that pupils receive good support.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• Teaching and learning is too variable in quality within and between subjects. Where teaching is weak, teachers do not plan well enough to respond to the range of abilities of pupils. Where teaching is stronger, such as seen in history, the pupils are progressing well.
• Some teaching is not enabling the low attaining pupils to access learning and does not demand enough of the most able. For example, in computing tasks were not adjusted to respond to the individual starting points and needs of the pupils. In contrast, in history and science there were good opportunities that challenged the most able.
• The quality of presentation in books is variable, ranging from high-quality work that indicates pupils are proud of their work to untidy and unfinished work showing a lack of care. Subject leaders have not addressed the variation in the quality of work to ensure that pupils are consistently able to use their books as an effective resource for learning.
• Teachers are not following the school’s assessment and marking policy consistently. This is leading to some pupils not knowing how to improve their work further. For example, learning in art, geography, mathematics and science is sometimes hampered because of a lack of clear guidance. This means that pupils’ work in these subjects is too often not at the expected standard for their age.
• Where the policy is used well, such as in English, the pupils learn from their mistakes due to teachers’ feedback. This enables pupils to improve the quality and standard of their work.
• Teachers are aware of the disadvantaged pupils in their lessons. Often, teachers’ questioning is targeted skilfully at particular pupils to ensure that they are engaged in their learning.
• Leaders’ drive to raise the levels of literacy is increasing reading ages. The daily ‘Drop everything and read’ activity after morning break is making a real difference to pupils’ reading skills. In addition, the peer paired reading scheme, where Year 9 pupils mentor Year 7 pupils, is embedded and making a difference to those pupils who struggle with reading. As one pupil said, ‘Without my Year 9 pupil I would not be reading this well, he really pushes me.’
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are very well supported across the school to access learning. For example, pupils use laptops effectively to support handwriting or braille-adapted texts for the visually impaired. Such adaptions are allowing pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities to make good progress in their learning. One pupil commented about their learning as making them ‘ready for life’.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Pupils feel well cared for and safe. They value the support provided by the student support team of staff.
• The ‘Futures and Insight’ programme that helps to deliver personal, social, health and economic education is regarded well by pupils. The programme provides pupils with many opportunities to bring the real world into the classroom.
• Pupils understand how to keep themselves safe through lessons about e-safety, grooming and sexual health. For example, in science, pupils were taught about the risks of internet pornography.
• The vast majority of pupils are proud of their school. They wear their uniform well and the site is clean and free from litter.
• Pupils appreciate the independent careers guidance they receive. There are close relationships with local employers in the module on ‘Entrepreneurs of the future’. This provides pupils with the opportunity to develop their presentational skills. Disadvantaged pupils are tracked carefully to ensure that all pupils are in education, employment or training when they leave school.
• A small number of pupils follow alternative courses at Brinsbury and Chichester Colleges. Regular reviews take place to ensure that placements remain appropriate and pupils are progressing well.
• Pupils with physical, medical or sensory disabilities are able to access the facilities in The Lavinia Norfolk Centre such as hydrotherapy, physiotherapy and audiology. This enables them to cope with the demands of the school day and remain included with their peers when learning.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils behave well in the vast majority of lessons. Pupils are keen and ready to learn. At break, lunchtime and at changes of lessons, pupils move around the school in a sensible, orderly and timely manner and are polite to visitors, often saying ‘Good morning.’
• Leaders are addressing inconsistencies in the implementation of the school’s behaviour policy and staff feel more confident in the behaviour systems introduced by the headteacher since September. This is leading to pupils having good attitudes in lessons and around the school. A small minority of pupils have found the change in expectations more challenging to adapt to and this has led to a recent increase in fixed-term exclusions.
• Pupils report bullying as rare and when it does occur it is swiftly dealt with by staff. The inclusive nature of the school enables pupils to have a greater awareness of the individual needs of others.
• Attendance of pupils is improving and is broadly in line with other schools nationally. Persistent absence and the absence levels of disadvantaged pupils remain higher than for other pupils nationally but are improving. Leaders have made reducing high levels of absence a priority so as to reduce the negative impact on pupils’ progress.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• In 2016, Year 11 pupils did not achieve as well as other pupils nationally in many subjects, including English and mathematics. Too many pupils have not made the progress expected of them for their age. This is particularly the case for disadvantaged and low-attaining pupils.
• Leaders and governors have not set targets that are high enough for pupils to achieve in line with other pupils nationally. In English, many pupils did not achieve the expected standard or make good progress, especially those pupils with low prior attainment. The most able pupils achieved as well as other pupils nationally.
• In mathematics, progress was well below that of other pupils nationally for all ability groups and disadvantaged pupils. Pupils are catching up in mathematics under the leadership of the new head of department. However, there remains too much variation in pupils’ progress between groups.
• Pupils in science and languages did not do as well as other pupils nationally, especially those disadvantaged pupils. Due to improved teaching in science, pupils are now making good progress towards achieving a higher standard in their GCSE courses. Effective learning was seen in a German lesson, which is indicative of these improvements.
• In humanities, many pupils achieved broadly the same as other pupils in schools across the country, but this was not the case for disadvantaged pupils. Most-able pupils in history attained above other pupils nationally but it is not like this in other subjects.
• Pupils are beginning to make better progress towards their targets this year. For example, pupils from lower- and middle-attaining groups are currently making better progress due to better teaching and more accurate feedback that is enabling pupils to improve the standard of their work. In books, the quality of work is variable. Work is sometimes of good quality, well presented and shows good or better progress where expectations are high, but this remains inconsistent. In some subjects, work is not of the quality that it needs to be.
• Disadvantaged pupils across the school are beginning to show signs of catching up in some subjects and classes but this is not consistently the case. More frequent testing and the identification of weaknesses in pupils’ work by those teachers that are following the school’s policy are leading to pupils making better progress.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported in lessons and their needs are catered for well, enabling them to access the curriculum and make good progress. Some pupils follow alternative courses to GCSE so that they can move successfully to the next stage of their education.

16 to 19 study programmes Good

• Leadership of the sixth form is effective and improving further. Leaders have responded well to meet students’ needs by ensuring that appropriate courses are offered.
• Students’ attainment and progress are improving. In 2016, the progress in academic subjects was in line with that nationally for students with similar starting points for the vast majority of subjects, except for English literature and biology in which students’ rates of progress remained below those in other subjects. Students’ achievement is strong across the ability range. Current forecasts for Year 13, who are taking their examinations in June 2017, are more positive, based on previously accurate predictions by teachers.
• Those students who did not achieve A* to C GCSE grades in English and/or mathematics do better than other students nationally in achieving these qualifications in the sixth form. For some students, functional skills courses are offered as an alternative to GCSE examinations.
• Students feel safe and their attendance has improved as students are expected to sign in and out. Students wear identity badges so that younger pupils can easily recognise them as being from the school. Students take their responsibilities seriously and value the school’s caring ethos and positive disposition towards students who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• The 16 to 19 pathways are well planned to meet the needs of the full range of abilities of students. They are able to access a broad range of academic and vocational courses. For students who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, a bespoke level 1 course in personal development is available with progression to vocational courses in health and public service. All students in Year 12 take part in work experience focused on their area of interest.
• Teaching in the sixth form is good. Students commented that it is particularly strong in economics, mathematics, performing arts and history. Students are engaged in their learning and eager to share their knowledge with others. Where lessons are well planned, students are making good progress. They are able to articulate complex concepts and show that they understand how to improve their work.
• Effective careers education and guidance is available to enable students to progress onto the next stage. Students benefit from the tutorial programme that provides strong support to those wishing to apply for university. Almost half of all students go to university. Other students go into employment or career-based training, such as apprenticeships. A small number of students who have special educational needs and/or disabilities stay for an additional year at The Angmering School and receive focused support from the team of staff in the Lavinia Norfolk Centre.

School details

Unique reference number 126081 Local authority West Sussex Inspection number 10024630 This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act. Type of school Secondary comprehensive School category Maintained Age range of pupils 11 to 18 Gender of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils in 16 to 19 study programmes Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 1,434 Of which, number on roll in 16 to 19 study programmes 199 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mr Mike Hendry Headteacher Mr Simon Liley Telephone number 01903 772351 Website www.angmeringschool.co.uk Email address office@theangmeringschool.co.uk Date of previous inspection 23–24 January 2013

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school is a larger than average secondary school with a sixth form.
• The vast majority of pupils are of White British heritage.
• The proportion of pupils who receive support for special educational needs and/or disabilities is above average. The school has a special educational needs resource base, The Lavinia Norfolk Centre. This is a charitable trust to support pupils at The Angmering School who have physical, medical or sensory disabilities.
• The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is well below the national average.
• A very small number of pupils attend alternative educational provision at Brinsbury and Chichester Colleges.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.
• The school meets the Department for Education’s definition of a coasting school based on key stage 4 academic performance results in 2014, 2015 and 2016.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed learning in 40 part-lessons and undertook a number of short visits to a further 16 lessons. Several lessons were observed jointly with senior leaders. During visits to lessons, inspectors looked at pupils’ work in books.
• Inspectors examined a selection of books from key stages 3 and 4.
• Meetings were held with staff including newly qualified teachers; pastoral and academic senior and middle leaders; a group of governors, including the chair of the governing body; and a representative from the local authority.
• Inspectors took account of the 182 responses from parents to Ofsted’s online questionnaire (Parent View) as well as the written comments submitted by 111 parents. Inspectors examined 112 responses to the staff questionnaire.
• Pupils’ views were gathered from 138 responses through the online survey and through meetings with groups of pupils from Years 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and the sixth form.
• Inspectors scrutinised a wide range of school documentation. This included the school’s evaluation of its performance, the school’s plan for improvement for 2016/17, information about standards and progress, the school’s website, logs about behaviour and attendance as well as a range of policies.

Inspection team

Christopher Lee, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Peter Fry Ofsted Inspector Clare Gillies Ofsted Inspector Sue Bullen Ofsted Inspector Peter Swan Ofsted Inspector Gerard Strong Ofsted Inspector Victoria Kirby Ofsted Inspector Jason Wye Ofsted Inspector