Beckfoot Upper Heaton Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Further improve the outcomes for pupils, particularly those in key stage 4 who are disadvantaged, the most able and those who have SEN and/or disabilities, by: continuing to share the good practice that already exists, to improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment improving the rigour of the monitoring and evaluation of provision for those pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities reducing the variations in progress made by pupils between subjects, especially in the humanities subjects continuing to develop the skills of those pupils who join the school with the weakest literacy and numeracy levels.
• Continue to improve pupils’ attendance by reducing persistent absence, especially that of disadvantaged pupils.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Since joining the Beckfoot Trust, leaders have transformed the school. The headteacher provides strong leadership, and through his work in partnership with trust leaders, he has rapidly developed leadership capacity across the school at all levels. Staff morale is high and pupils are overwhelmingly positive about their experiences. As a result, all aspects of the school have improved.
• Leaders have been determined in their pursuit of improvements to the quality of teaching. Through the support of the trust, teachers have received tailored professional development which continues to have a positive impact on learning. Teaching, learning and assessment are increasingly strong.
• Leaders have set aspirational targets for all pupils which have raised expectations across the school. Leaders have implemented a rigorous assessment regime which allows them to quickly identify underachievement and act to intervene. Consequently, pupils’ outcomes have improved.
• The curriculum is broad and balanced. Pupils are guided onto key stage 4 courses appropriately, more so than they may have been in the past. Pupils who arrive at the school with low prior attainment benefit from additional support. This has a positive impact on pupils’ progress.
• Leaders have ensured that pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a priority. They have implemented a comprehensive extra-curricular programme, as well as a range of out-of-classroom activities, which provide opportunities for pupils to experience sport, music, drama and different cultures. In addition, leaders are determined to broaden pupils’ horizons through assemblies, personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education programmes, tutorial programmes and wider learning days.
• Leaders make effective use of the pupil premium funding for disadvantaged pupils. The school’s progress information shows that the outcomes for these pupils are improving.
• Additional support paid for by Year 7 literacy and numeracy catch-up funding has resulted in an improvement in reading ages for pupils who joined the school with below-average reading scores.
• Leaders now make more effective use of the additional funding for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities. This has had the most impact on progress in key stage 3. Leaders are aware of the need to further improve the rigour of monitoring and evaluation of provision for these pupils.
• The decision has been made to close the sixth-form provision at the end of this academic year. Students who left at the end of Year 12 have taken advantage of appropriate information, advice and guidance in order to progress to positive destinations and continue their chosen pathways.
• The principles of 16 to 19 study programmes are in place for the very small number of students who have remained at the school to complete their studies in Year 13. These students are universally positive about their experiences in the sixth form.

Governance of the school

• The trust’s governance structure supports and challenges school leaders. The local school committee members have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and are developing their skills in using this information to hold school leaders to account.
• Governors discharge their statutory responsibilities well. They are rigorous in analysing performance information and in holding leaders to account for improving performance.
• Governors are keen to develop their own understanding and skills through any training offered. They are enthusiastic and passionate about the school and are determined to oversee its further improvement.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• There is a strong culture of keeping pupils safe across the school. Leaders provide regular training in all aspects of safeguarding. As a result, staff are able to identify signs of abuse, including those that are associated with radicalisation. Pastoral leaders know pupils and their families well and are quick to respond to pupils who become vulnerable by ensuring that timely referrals are made.
• The designated safeguarding lead maintains up-to-date records, completed in a timely manner.
• The single central register, which records all of the necessary checks on staff who work with children in the school, is compliant after minor improvements made on the first day of the inspection. Statutory requirements for the recruitment of staff are in place, so that those who work in the school are safe to work with children.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• The quality of teaching across the vast majority of subjects is good. Leaders have worked hard to ensure that there is consistency in the quality of teaching, as well as to ensure that a positive atmosphere for learning exists in the majority of classes.
• Teachers have secure subject knowledge, supported by a strong culture of teacher development which has resulted in an improved quality of teaching. They are encouraged by leaders to share good practice, which in turn is helping to improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment across the school.
• Pupils make the strongest progress in the school when learning is planned in logical sequences. Pupils have pride in their written work and have positive attitudes to their learning, which in turn allows teachers to plan effectively for learning without disruption. When prior attainment and assessment data is used in planning, pupils respond positively and work diligently towards achieving their challenging targets.
• The most effective questioning techniques seen to be used by teachers during the inspection probe and extend knowledge and as a result, pupils’ progress is accelerated.
• Pupils are given good opportunities to reflect on their own learning and respond to further challenge. This helps them to become resilient learners. Expectations of pupils of all abilities are high, which has a positive impact on their progress. Leaders accept that there remains variability in the level of challenge and rate of progress in key stage 4, particularly in the humanities subjects.
• Pupils with the weakest literacy skills are supported through a variety of approaches that include reading schemes and additional classroom support. Leaders acknowledge that further work needs to be done in this area.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Pupils speak politely and with respect to visitors and they work well with adults and each other, both in lessons and when out and about in the school. They are proud of their school and their uniform.
• Recent pupil surveys reveal that the vast majority believe that the school has helped them to stay healthy through the elements of the PSHE education programme, which deals with nutrition, staying healthy and fitness.
• Careers guidance is integral to the PSHE education and assemblies programmes and wider learning days. Pupils have benefited from outside speakers from the world of work, as well as work experience activities. As a result, pupils understand the opportunities available to them for employment, training and further and higher education.
• Pupils’ self-confidence has developed through a wide range of experiences that include theatre visits, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme and the Beckfoot Upper Heaton learner approach. Pupils value the rewards they gain as a result of this approach and consequently, their attitudes to learning are strong.
• There is a wide range of opportunities for pupils to develop their spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness. The comprehensive PSHE education programme of lessons, assemblies and activities encourages pupils to develop character, wider life skills and an awareness of global citizenship, and also to consider their own health and well-being.
• A very small number of pupils attend an alternative educational provision. Through regular contact, leaders are able to effectively support their progress, well-being and behaviour.
• Pupils report that bullying of any type is rare in the school. The school’s records show that it is more common in some year groups than others, but staff take rapid effective action to resolve the issues and prevent further escalation.
• Pupils say that they feel safe in the school. This includes the much smaller number of girls in Years 7 and 8 who were the first to join since the school changed from all boys to girls and boys. The pupils talk positively about the work of the Safer Schools police officer in keeping them safe.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. The school is calm and the conduct of pupils during breaktimes and lunch periods is both self-directing and self-disciplined. Pupils clearly understand and accept the high expectations set by school leaders.
• Since the school joined The Beckfoot Trust, pupils and staff report that behaviour has ‘overwhelmingly improved’. A middle leader said, ‘A culture for learning didn’t exist before: now it does.’
• There is a positive climate for learning in classrooms and, as a result, pupils have now adopted more focused learning habits, and this enables them to make good progress.
• Pupils’ attendance has improved and is now in line with the national average. Pupils are punctual to school. Persistent absence has decreased, although leaders recognise that they still have work to do to reduce the absence of small groups of disadvantaged pupils.
• Fixed-term exclusions of pupils from school are below the national average and have reduced from the previous year. The school has taken the decision to avoid internal exclusion from lessons and engages positively with pupils and parents and carers in order to address behavioural issues. School records and data suggest that this strategy is having a positive impact.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Pupils are now making good progress across the majority of subjects. Standards have improved since the school opened as an academy.
• In 2017, the progress of Year 11 pupils in their GCSE examinations in English and mathematics was in line with the national average.
• Leaders acknowledge that while pupils in Years 10 and 11 make better progress than their peers in 2017, it is not yet as consistently strong as it is in Years 7, 8 and 9.
• In key stage 3 particularly, the difference in progress between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils has diminished across all subject areas. In some subjects and year groups, disadvantaged pupils are making stronger progress than other pupils. At key stage 4, although the differences have diminished too, leaders acknowledge that there is further work to do.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities have not made good progress in the past. These pupils are now making better progress as leaders adopt a more strategic approach to the use of additional funds to support classroom practice and support. Leaders are aware that improvement is still required to accelerate progress further for this group of pupils.
• In 2017, the most able Year 11 pupils made less progress than the national average. They now make better progress, as leaders have a focus on the small numbers of these pupils in key stage 4. The most able pupils in key stage 3 make more secure progress. Leaders acknowledge that accelerating the progress for the most able pupils remains an area for further improvement.
• Leaders have recognised the need to develop literacy and numeracy skills in the weakest pupils and are doing so through reading programmes and additional interventions at an early stage. School information suggests that pupils’ reading ages have improved as a result. However, leaders acknowledge that there is further work to do.
• As a result of the hard work of leaders, pupils have broadened their horizons and have high aspirations. In 2017, all pupils progressed to appropriate further education or training, with a high proportion accessing post-16 study.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 142031 Bradford 10044427 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 18 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 446 Appropriate authority The board of trustees Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Mr John Winkley (Chair of Directors) Mr David Horn (Chief Executive Officer of the trust) Mr Simon Wade 01274 493533 www.beckfootupperheaton.org reception@beckfootupperheaton.org Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• Beckfoot Upper Heaton converted to become an academy on 1 September 2015. When its predecessor school, Belle Vue Boys’ School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be inadequate.
• The school is part of The Beckfoot Trust. The principal sponsor is Beckfoot School. The Beckfoot Trust board of trustees governs the school. The board has established a local school committee at the school, to which it delegates oversight of the school on behalf of the trust board. The CEO of the trust oversees the school’s management.
• The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan is below the national average. The proportion of pupils who receive support for their SEN and/or disabilities is above the national average.
• The vast majority of pupils are of Asian or Asian British Pakistani heritage.
• The proportion of pupils who speak English as a second language is above the national average.
• The proportion of pupils eligible for pupil premium funding is above the national average.
• A very small number of pupils attend alternative education provision at Bradford College.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed a range of lessons across year groups and subject areas. These observations included those with senior leaders and unaccompanied visits.
• Inspectors looked at pupils’ books in detail, including those of pupils of different abilities and year groups.
• Inspectors talked with groups of pupils, both in meetings and informally around the school, including at breaktime and lunchtime.
• Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, senior leaders, governors, the CEO of the trust, middle leaders, teachers at various career points and non-teaching staff.
• Responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for pupils, staff and parents were taken into consideration. Responses were received from 27 pupils, 29 staff and six parents.
• Inspectors looked at a number of documents. These included the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plans, records of quality assurance processes across the school, minutes of local school committee meetings, records of trust board meetings, and information relating to safeguarding, behaviour and attendance.

Inspection team

Barry Found, lead inspector Helen Lane Michael Cook

Her Majesty’s Inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector