Maidenhill School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve attendance and reduce persistent absence by analysing available information with greater precision so that support for pupils is targeted more effectively.
• Make sure that teachers:
  • understand how to use the school’s new assessment system to provide accurate information about pupils’ progress to parents, governors and senior leaders
  • set consistently high expectations for pupils’ achievement, building on what pupils already know, understand and can do, particularly for the most able.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher’s determined approach to improve the standard of education at the school is succeeding. Together with governors and other leaders, she has maintained a clear focus on the areas for improvement from the last inspection and made significant progress in tackling them. Consequently, improvements to the quality of teaching, learning and assessment are raising pupils’ achievement.
• The headteacher and governors have high ambitions for the school and its pupils. Staff and pupils are proud to be members of the school and proud of the improvements that have been made. Morale is high.
• Leaders have a consistent and unrelenting determination to include everyone in the school community. This determination permeates the whole school and is recognised in the local community. Pupils are well supported to overcome barriers to their learning and to make good progress. The school takes a high proportion of pupils whose attendance and achievement have previously been poor. These pupils often start school in the older year groups. Although leaders are successful in improving the attendance and outcomes for these pupils, their attendance rates do not always reach the national average.
• Leaders have introduced rigorous systems to hold teachers to account for pupils’ learning and outcomes. Highly effective systems for inducting new staff and targeting training for teachers have been effective in improving the overall quality of teaching.
• Leaders and governors have a good understanding of what is working well and what is required for the school to become even more successful. The school’s development plan sets out clear routes for further improvement, with challenging but realistic targets. Appropriate actions that build on what the school has achieved are identified and are raising pupils’ outcomes further.
• Leaders and managers track pupils’ progress and attendance carefully and mostly use this information to target support for individuals. This is having some impact on improving pupils’ attendance and achievement, including for those pupils who join the school late. However, more precision in using the information is required, particularly to target resources to improve the attendance of the small group who are persistently absent.
• Leaders make good use of additional funding to improve the achievement for pupils who have not previously achieved the expected standards in English and/or mathematics by the end of Year 6. Strategies to support their reading ensure that the vast majority of these pupils make rapid progress in Year 7 and develop confidence so that they can achieve well across the curriculum.
• The school has effectively improved the progress of disadvantaged pupils so that they make similar progress to other pupils nationally. The additional funding is used to provide support for teaching and for physical, mental and emotional well-being as well as opportunities to participate more fully in curriculum activities. Governors ensure that this funding is used well to make a real difference for targeted pupils.
• Leaders’ relentless commitment to promoting equality of opportunity is evident in the progress made by those with disadvantage or who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. As a result of effective leadership, the progress of pupils who have special educational needs matches that of their peers and is often better. Governors’ oversight of the funding provided for these pupils is good.
• The curriculum provides a good range of opportunities for pupils of all abilities. The range of courses on offer enables pupils to acquire the skills, knowledge and understanding required to progress to their next stage of education or training at the end of Year 11. Consequently, they achieve well and are well prepared for life in modern Britain.
• Leaders have introduced a new system for assessing and monitoring pupils’ progress. While teachers’ assessments of what pupils know, understand and can do accurately reflect the standards achieved, teachers are less secure in using the information to measure progress towards likely outcomes. The system is at an early stage and leaders are working to improve the quality of the information provided to governors and senior leaders.
• The school successfully promotes the spiritual, moral, social and cultural skills of the pupils, through both curricular and extra-curricular activities. Pupils speak enthusiastically about the impact of their school council in making a difference to their experience at the school, including improved dining facilities and an international visit by Japanese pupils.
• Parents, pupils, staff and governors are extremely positive about the changes that have been made in the school since the previous inspection. Typically, parents who responded to the online questionnaire, Parent View, were extremely positive about the care of the school for their children. Pupils agree that ‘the school has come a long way… teaching is better and we are pushed more’, ‘more pupils want to learn and have better attitudes to learning. We want to meet our aspirations.’

Governance of the school

• Governors have effectively supported and challenged the school through the improvements made since the previous inspection. They maintain good lines of communication with staff and parents through regular visits and presence at parents’ evenings.
• The systems that governors have developed, combined with regular training, ensure that they have the skills and attributes required to support the school’s leaders in all aspects of its work, and any issues are tenaciously followed up.
• Governors routinely analyse the progress of pupils in all year groups for English, mathematics and science, but the recently introduced assessment system is in early stages of development and is not yet providing robust information for all subjects. The school is aware of this and working to improve the quality of information provided.
• Governors have a clear understanding of the leaders’ analysis of pupils’ achievement at the end of Year 11, and particularly that of disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, across all subjects. They carefully monitor the quality of teaching and how well the performance of staff is managed to reward effective practice.
• Governors effectively oversee the use of pupil premium and catch-up funding to improve the achievement of the pupils that benefit from this additional funding. They ensure that additional funds provided have the desired impact on pupils’ progress.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective and all statutory requirements are met.
• Staff across the school are well trained in all aspects of safeguarding and know how to spot the signs which indicate that pupils are subject to physical or emotional harm. Leaders check that staff know how to report, and act on, any concerns raised.
• Pupils know how to stay safe in a variety of situations. The school ensures that they are well aware of dangers from exploitation and abuse or radicalisation. Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe, including on the internet.
• The school’s ethos of safeguarding permeates all aspects of the school. Attitudes to stereotyping, intolerance, bullying and mutual respect make it an environment where pupils feel safe and are safe. Pupils are very confident that staff will react swiftly to any concerns raised. Accurate records ensure that staff have appropriate information to support vulnerable pupils and that any issues are followed up tenaciously.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Leaders have focused unerringly on the improvement of teaching, learning and assessment. As a result, the performance of teachers is rigorously checked and, where required, additional support provided to enable them to improve. This has led to improved teaching across nearly all subjects, for all year groups, and particularly in mathematics and science.
• Teachers generally plan well and use time effectively. Expectations of pupils’ behaviour and outcomes have been raised. Pupils now make better progress and achieve well across a range of subjects, including English and mathematics. Older pupils say that the quality of teaching has improved and that they are ‘challenged, but not so much we cannot succeed’.
• Relationships between teachers and pupils are excellent and this contributes to a purposeful learning environment. Teachers use their assessments to plan the next steps for pupils and to develop and reinforce further learning. Pupils know how well they are doing and how to improve. They use feedback to support their progress and address any misunderstandings. However, the use of assessment information to inform school leaders or parents about rates of progress, under the new system, is not yet fully understood by all staff or providing reliable information in many subjects.
• Teachers and teaching assistants are skilled in providing support for those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. As a result, these pupils make at least as good progress as all other pupils nationally.
• The development of reading and writing across the curriculum is a strength of the school. Pupils value the activities provided to extend their reading and are confident to read a range of texts. Developments of mathematical skills across the curriculum are less well embedded, but good practice is evident in science.
• Pupils take pride in their work. Teachers have high expectations for the presentation of pupils’ work across a wide range of subjects and for all year groups. Pupils present their work well and there is very little difference in the quality of presentation between boys and girls, and between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils. Pupils understand the importance of completing work and presenting it legibly for revision and further learning.
• At times, the most able pupils do not use their knowledge, skill or understanding to tackle new problems or learning well enough. This limits their progress and ability to reach the highest standards.

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 confident, courteous, articulate and extremely proud of their school. They care about one another and their teachers. Relationships between staff and pupils are excellent, providing a harmonious atmosphere. Pupils express the view that they feel ‘comfortable to work hard’.
• Pupils feel safe in school because bullying is very rare and there is a zero tolerance of derogatory language. Where bullying does happen, pupils and parents are confident that it is quickly and effectively dealt with. Pupils are well equipped to keep themselves safe outside school and on the internet through a comprehensive programme of teaching in assemblies, tutor time and the curriculum.
• Pupils have clear understanding that stereotyping and prejudice are wrong and that it is fine to be different. All pupils spoken to during the inspection felt that equality is valued by the school. They take personal responsibility for correcting inappropriate language or views.
• The school is particularly good at promoting and supporting the mental health of pupils. Their involvement in the ‘Futures in Mind’ projects has provided a good focus for this work. Pupils are well informed about keeping themselves healthy; however, some, mainly girls, say that they are dissatisfied with the cleanliness of the toilets.
• Independent careers advice and guidance provided by the school is a strength. As a result, pupils are well prepared for their next stage of education or training. Pupils speak highly of the support provided by their teachers, tutors and independent careers advisers for assisting them in decisions and preparation for the future.
• A very large majority of parents who responded to Parent View said that their child is happy, safe and well cared for at the school. This was confirmed by the conversations inspectors had with pupils and by a range of other inspection evidence.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils requires improvement. This is because leaders have not yet managed to secure sufficient improvement in the attendance of a small group of pupils.
• Many of these pupils have joined the school during the academic year and previously did not attend regularly or achieve well. The school is successfully helping them to make progress, but their attendance remains low and has an adverse impact on the school’s overall attendance rates.
• Pupils’ conduct and manners are very good. They are polite and courteous, showing high levels of responsibility for their own behaviour.
• Pupils have positive attitudes towards their learning. They take pride in their work and enjoy being challenged at an appropriate level. Disruption of lessons due to poor behaviour is very rare and dealt with quickly by teachers. Records show that the school strategies have had a profound effect in improving behaviour.
• Pupils are punctual to lessons and settle quickly to learning. As a result, lessons start quickly and little time is wasted. Pupils have the right equipment and respect one another’s right to learn.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• The standards achieved by pupils have improved, and are now in line with national expectations.
• Pupils in all year groups make good progress in a wide range of subjects, including English and mathematics.
• The school is effective in helping pupils with below-average outcomes at the end of Year 6 to make good progress and achieve at least in line with expectations by the end of Year 11. Work seen by inspectors confirms that the progress of pupils with lower prior attainment currently in Years 10 and 11 continues to improve. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of education or training and have the qualifications and personal skills required to succeed.
• Disadvantaged pupils achieve similar standards to others nationally and in 2016 made better progress than their peers in mathematics. Pupils with statements of special educational needs or education, health and care plans have previously made better progress than their peers, and those that the school identifies as needing additional support are now making similar progress. Teachers have effectively addressed the historical underperformance of boys, which has been improved so that current pupils are now making good progress.
• Pupils who have previously not achieved expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics are making rapid progress in Year 7 to catch up with other pupils. The school is effective in promoting reading across the curriculum so that pupils read widely, confidently and with understanding.
• Across a wide range of subjects and year groups, good-quality teaching is leading to improved progress and achievement of pupils. This is especially true in English and is also seen in science and mathematics. In design technology, teachers’ understanding of the new raised expectations of the national curriculum for Year 6 pupils is weak. This means that pupils are repeating work that they know, understand or can do and their progress is therefore not as strong as in other subjects.
• The most able pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, achieve in line with standards seen nationally. The progress of middle-ability pupils has been more variable over time, although current year groups are on track to achieve well. The school uses vocational courses at the local college to support students whose medical or emotional/ behavioural needs make learning in school more difficult. These pupils attend well, make good progress and acquire useful skills and qualifications that enable them to move on to suitable college courses, training or an apprenticeship when they leave school.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 115775 Gloucestershire 10024925 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 Foundation 11 to 16 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 522 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Mr Eric Dawson Mrs Pam Wilson 01453 822469 www.maidenhill.gloucs.sch.uk admin@maidenhill.gloucs.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 9–10 December 2014

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• Maidenhill School is smaller than the average-sized secondary school.
• Most pupils are of White British heritage.
• The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is well below average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is well above average.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is about average.
• The numbers of pupils joining and leaving the school during their secondary education is about average. Many of these pupils have a history of low achievement and poor attendance.
• A small number of Year 11 pupils attend South Gloucestershire and Stroud College for part of their time.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed learning in lessons, reviewed pupils’ work and talked to pupils about their achievements and progress. Samples of work across a range of subjects and year groups were analysed.
• Meetings were held with different groups of pupils to discuss their experience of the school and listen to their views.
• Pupils were observed and talked to in visits to classrooms, before and after school and at break and lunchtimes.
• Inspectors held meetings with senior leaders, middle leaders, governors, including the chair of governors, and a representative from the local authority.
• Inspectors reviewed a range of documents, including the school’s self-evaluation report, development plan and pupil premium report. They looked at documents related to safeguarding, records of behaviour and attendance and information on pupils’ achievement, including the school’s current assessment information. Governor minutes and minutes of meetings within the school between senior and middle leaders were reviewed, as were records of management of teachers’ performance.
• The inspectors took account of the 58 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View. They also considered 17 responses to the pupil questionnaire and 22 responses to the staff questionnaire.

Inspection team

David New, lead inspector Sue Wright Gillian Carter

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector