Grange Technology College Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment by making sure that:
  • teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve are consistently high and that work is appropriately challenging
  • all teachers question pupils effectively to check that they fully grasp and understand their learning
  • pupils are provided with more opportunities to use and apply their knowledge to solve problems in different contexts
  • pupils are provided with opportunities to develop their literacy skills.
• Improve pupils’ personal development, behaviour and welfare by:
  • eradicating the poor behaviour of a small minority of pupils so that learning is not disrupted
  • improving pupils’ attitudes to learning so that they are motivated to produce their best work
  • improving pupils’ attendance and reducing persistent absenteeism
  • reducing further the number of fixed-term and permanent exclusions.
• Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment so that pupils in all key stages make consistently good progress, and their attainment rises, by:
  • developing further the school’s monitoring of those pupils who are disadvantaged in order to provide leaders with accurate information on their attendance, behaviour and progress and to inform future planning
  • developing strategic leadership at all levels to further build the capacity to make rapid improvements
  • continuing to take advantage of the school-to-school support available to develop policy and practice which will have a positive impact on improvement priorities. An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium funding 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 headteacher provides strong leadership and has been able to develop the leadership and management capacity in the school in a relatively short period of time. However, in some key areas of the school’s work, a lack of a strategic overview has meant that some leaders are working in relative isolation, which limits the impact of the school’s improvement agenda.
• Leaders have established a reliable quality assurance structure which provides them with an accurate view of the strengths and weaknesses in teaching, learning and assessment. However, although much teaching is strong, it remains variable and, as a result, learning is inconsistent across all year groups.
• There are a significant number of pupils in the school who are disadvantaged and leaders closely monitor their academic progress. However, leaders do not monitor as closely the impact which the additional funding used to support disadvantaged pupils has on their attendance, behaviour and personal development.
• The school benefits from an informal partnership with a similar school. As a result, leaders have developed strategies which have resulted in some improvements to teaching and learning. However, these improvements are in the very early stages.
• Leaders have designed a curriculum which meets the needs of the pupils. Pupils follow one of several pathways according to their skills and prior attainment when they join the school. Each pathway supports pupils’ needs and develops their learning so that they are able to access a full, broad and balanced curriculum upon entry to the school or as soon as possible.
• Leaders have involved teaching and support staff in all aspects of school improvement. They have closely aligned professional development programmes to the individual needs of staff, who value the support they receive, helping them to improve and further develop their skills.
• Leaders and staff work extremely hard to create an inclusive and supportive learning environment for all pupils. They have created a culture which recognises each pupil as an individual, as well as continuing to develop an understanding of the community the school serves. The curriculum and pastoral support pupils receive prepare them well for life in modern Britain.
• Pupils are offered opportunities to participate in a range of extra-curricular activities, including educational visits, cultural experiences and sporting activities.

Governance of the school

• Trustees are committed and dedicated to supporting leaders in their aim to further improve the school. They have a realistic view of the improvements already made and the scale of the challenges which lie ahead if the school is to improve further.
• The trustees have a detailed knowledge of the actions leaders are taking to improve the school. However, there are some areas of improvement where they are less knowledgeable about the effectiveness and capacity of leadership. This prevents them from being as strategic in their planning as they could be.
• Trustees are sensitive to the needs of the community that the school serves. They are committed to engaging with the community and families to work together to provide a high-quality educational experience for all pupils, which prepares them well for their lives after they have left school.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Staff are clear about their legal duties to keep pupils safe and they are trained regularly and appropriately. Leaders ensure that all the necessary checks are carried out on adults who will be working with pupils.
• Leaders follow clear systems for checking on those pupils who are vulnerable. Staff are vigilant and alert to any possibility that a pupil may be at risk. Leaders act swiftly whenever concerns are raised.
• Pupils feel safe at this school. They are confident in the actions of staff if they require their support and they are knowledgeable of the key staff who have responsibilities for keeping them safe.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• Teachers apply the school’s behaviour policy consistently. However, a minority of pupils do not respond appropriately to classroom sanctions and their behaviour is disruptive to learning.
• Teacher knowledge and planning for learning are strong features. However, the quality of pupils’ work is variable. Pupils who have been absent from school do not routinely catch up with their work and, as a result, the gaps in their knowledge limit their understanding and progress.
• The expectations of pupils are variable. Some pupils are content to comply with instructions but are less motivated to develop their learning through the application of their knowledge. Where this occurs, they often remain unchallenged and, as a result, do not make the progress they are capable of. Others, however, particularly those who are most able, are self-motivated and keen to complete challenging tasks if they are given them, therefore making stronger progress.
• Examples of skilful questioning, for example in humanities and science, result in pupils being engaged, motivated and making stronger progress. However, such questioning is not a consistent feature across and within subjects.
• Leaders and teachers work hard to identify pupils whose literacy skills are limiting their progress. Although literacy levels across the school show improvement, there are still a significant number of pupils whose progress is limited by their low levels of literacy and who require more support to improve.
• Pupils who are disadvantaged and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported effectively in the classroom and through targeted intervention programmes, which is resulting in them making improved progress. Even so, their progress still lags behind other pupils nationally who have similar starting points.
• Pupils who attend the designated specialist provision feel they are well supported in both the provision and in mainstream classrooms. From the observations made during the inspection, inspectors agree. Classroom teachers are provided with detailed information allowing them to plan specifically for the needs of these pupils. The pupils report they feel comfortable and cared for by teachers and other pupils.
• Pupils report that teaching has improved since the last inspection. Older pupils are enthusiastic about the intervention programmes available to them to support their learning. They are positive that the school has given them a firm basis from which to choose future learning pathways.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement.
• Most pupils wear their uniform well and are proud of their school and its identity. A few pupils, however, do not always adhere to the school’s expectations and do not wear their uniform in accordance with the standards set by school leaders.
• Most pupils are courteous, polite and respectful towards other pupils, staff and visitors. However, a small minority of pupils exhibit behaviour which is less respectful, making inappropriate comments and lacking an understanding of common courtesies.
• The school provides pupils with personal development and welfare programmes of study in curriculum sessions, guidance sessions and assembly programmes. Pupils are knowledgeable about the dangers of extremism and radicalisation.
• Although a small number of parents and carers are concerned that bullying is an issue in the school, both pupils and staff report that it rarely occurs due to the sense of belonging to the school which pupils have. Where bullying does happen, pupils are confident that it is dealt with effectively.
• Pupils report that they feel safe in all areas of the school and have confidence in the staff, who are always available to support them when they have concerns. Those pupils who attend the designated specialist provision also report that they feel safe, welcome and included in the main school.
• Pupils are positive about the independent information, advice and guidance the school provides them with, which help them to make choices about their options and future careers. As a result, more pupils are accessing pathways of their choice while at school and after they have left.
• During the inspection, inspectors encountered no examples of derogatory or prejudicial language. The school makes respect and tolerance high-profile values, which the vast majority of pupils universally adhere to.
• The small numbers of pupils who attend an alternative provision are held in high regard by provision staff, due to their attitudes towards their work, other pupils and staff.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.
• Most pupils have positive attitudes to their learning. However, the low-level disruptive behaviour of a few pupils has a negative impact on the learning experience of others.
• The school is an orderly environment for most of the time. However, leaders and staff acknowledge that, at times, the challenging behaviour of a few pupils can cause some unrest. Towards the end of the school day, a small minority of pupils become more boisterous and lack the self-control which is expected of them.
• Overall, pupils and staff report that behaviour has improved since the last inspection. However, the challenging behaviour of a small minority of pupils remains an issue which leaders are working hard to improve further.
• The attendance of pupils is below the national average and the proportion of those pupils who are regularly absent is above the national average. However, a strong and focused attendance team has applied a wide range of strategies to encourage better attendance. As a result, attendance is improving and the proportion of pupils who are regularly absent from school is reducing.
• Leaders are determined to encourage pupils to improve their behaviour through extensive pastoral support and engagement with families and the community. However, a small minority of pupils continue to periodically exhibit challenging behaviour and, as a result, levels of exclusion, although improving, are above national averages.
• Proportionally, those pupils who are disadvantaged are more susceptible to exclusion and poor attendance. Although leaders are making improvements, they have not evaluated thoroughly enough the impact of their actions in this respect to inform their future planning efficiently.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• Typically, pupils enter the school with standards of attainment that are well below the national average. In the past, many pupils have made less progress than other pupils nationally, across a broad range of subjects, from the same starting points.
• The published information for pupils who left the school in the summer of 2018 shows that there has been some decline in GCSE outcomes when compared to the published outcomes for those pupils who left the school in the summer of 2017. The greatest decline has been in mathematics and science. English is a stronger feature. Overall, outcomes remain firmly below national expectations when comparisons are made with those pupils nationally who have similar starting points.
• Pupils’ progress in mathematics has been particularly weak in the past. Currently, pupils are beginning to make improved progress in this subject. Those pupils in key stage 3 are making the strongest progress, while those pupils who are older are being supported in ‘plugging the gaps’ in their knowledge, which have occurred due to a legacy of weak teaching and staff absence.
• Historically, those pupils who are disadvantaged and those with SEND have made much weaker progress than other pupils who have similar starting points. Currently, pupils who are disadvantaged and those with SEND are beginning to make better progress in line with others in the school. However, they still do not make the progress other pupils make nationally who have similar starting points.
• A small number of pupils follow learning programmes at a local alternative provision. Leaders closely monitor the quality of provision, as well as the progress and attendance of the pupils who attend.
• School information shows an improvement in how pupils are using the qualifications they obtain at the end of their school career to access the education, training or apprenticeships in order to follow their chosen career routes.

16 to 19 study programmes Requires improvement

• Leadership of the sixth form is a strong feature. Leaders have high expectations of students. They closely monitor the progress and well-being of students and are quick to act when students’ progress falls below expectations.
• Students follow programmes of study which are aligned to their needs and learning pathways. This has not always been the case in the past. However, through the support students are given when choosing sixth-form study routes, they are now a confident and aspirational group of learners.
• Teaching and learning in the sixth form are variable and, as a result, not all students make strong progress. Inspectors observed some lack of challenge, in particular for the most able learners. Where teaching has been regularly interrupted due to staff absence, progress is demonstrably weaker where key concepts have not been developed enough to underpin deeper understanding.
• In the past, many students have not made strong progress from their starting points in most subjects. However, the progress students are now making is improving, even though they remain some way behind the progress of other students nationally who have similar starting points.
• Historically, the progress students have made in vocational subjects has been a strong feature of sixth-form performance. It compares favourably to the progress of students nationally with similar starting points, who are studying these subjects.
• Students report that the advice they are given is helpful to them when choosing subjects to study and when making decisions about future learning and career routes. They also report that there are numerous opportunities to develop their employability skills through work experience and through the personal development programmes the school offers them. The improvement in students securing the learning, training and employment pathways of their choice when they leave the school is evidence of the impact of the advice which students benefit from.
• Students report that the school sixth form is ‘run like a business’ and instils within them a work ethic. Punctuality and attendance are both at a high level. Inspectors observed, without exception, sixth-form students who set the highest standards of respect, behaviour and dress, acting as positive role models to other pupils in the school.
• Students are safe in the school. They benefit from a comprehensive personal development programme which allows for constructive debate on how to stay safe, community issues and British values and which promotes a culture of tolerance and respect.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 139982 Bradford 10048304 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 Gender of pupils in 16 to 19 study programmes Academy converter 11 to 18 Mixed Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 1,727 Of which, number on roll in 16 to 19 study programmes 256 Appropriate authority Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Board of trustees Peter Thompson Alison Mander 01274 779 662 www.southfieldgrange.org.uk/ d.wall@southfieldgrange.org.uk Date of previous inspection 10–11 May 2016

Information about this school

• The school is much larger than the average-sized secondary school.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is much higher than average.
• The proportion of pupils with SEND is above average. The proportion who have an education, health and care plan is below average.
• The vast majority of pupils are from minority ethnic heritages. The largest group is of Asian or Asian British Pakistani heritage.
• The large majority of pupils speak English as an additional language.
• The school offers designated specialist provision, catering for pupils who have a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder.
• A small number of pupils attend the Pipeline alternative provision.
• The school is a member of the Southfield Grange Trust.
• The school receives support from the trust and has worked closely with the Impact Education Multi-Academy Trust on school improvement projects.
• Responsibility for the school rests with trustees who delegate some powers to the local governing board. The academy trust website and scheme of delegation can be found at www.southfieldgrange.org.uk.
• In recent times, the school has undergone substantial turbulence in staffing across a wide range of subjects, including English, mathematics and science.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed learning in 62 lessons and two guidance sessions, some jointly with senior leaders.
• Discussions were held with senior and middle leaders, other staff and representatives from the trust.
• The lead inspector met with the chief executive officer of the Impact Education Multi- Academy Trust.
• Inspectors looked at pupils’ work in lessons and a sample of pupils’ workbooks.
• Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour before school, during lessons, around school, during registration sessions, at breaktime and at lunchtime.
• Inspectors held discussions with the managers of the Pipeline alternative provision.
• Inspectors spoke with pupils in discussion groups and informally around school.
• Inspectors scrutinised a wide range of documents, including the school’s self-evaluation, its improvement plans, minutes of meetings of the academy improvement body, information about the attainment and progress of all pupils, records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding, and information on the school’s website.
• Inspectors considered 23 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, including 21 free-text responses. Inspectors also considered 71 responses to the staff survey.

Inspection team

Barry Found, lead inspector Steve Rogers Mary Lanovy-Taylor Louise Greatrex Peter Cole

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