UTC Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Continue to improve the quality of teaching and learning, by ensuring that teachers consistently plan learning activities that match the needs of all pupils, including the most able.
• Continue to improve pupils’ outcomes by:
  • improving the progress that students make on post-16 A-level courses further improving the progress of pupils, particularly the most able pupils, by the end of Year 11, in computer science, French, and English literature.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Senior leaders and governors have worked with determination and a clear vision to build a welcoming school with a distinctive learning environment. The principal and her leadership team are passionate about providing the best education for anyone who chooses to join the school. The principal interviews every applicant. As a result, staff and pupils show commitment to the vision of the UTC and are highly motivated by the vocational learning on offer.
• Since its opening in 2016, the school has enjoyed year-on-year growth in pupil numbers. Over the last two years, the number of pupils studying in the school, and the number of staff, have trebled. Over the same period, the number of students in the sixth form has doubled. Consequently, the school is making good progress towards its admission targets.
• Leaders and governors are managing this annual growth well. They prepared effectively for the addition of Year 9 pupils in September 2018, with the appointment of new staff and a carefully revised curriculum.
• Employer-led ‘real-life’ projects engage and challenge pupils. They benefit from a good and realistic experience in the areas of computing, health sciences or sport. Consequently, pupils acquire a wide range of employability skills and make good progress from their starting points.
• Senior leaders and governors know the school’s strengths and areas to improve well. They welcome external scrutiny to help them develop an accurate awareness of standards. Leaders have worked closely with Trent Valley Teaching School Alliance (TVTSA) and Diverse Academies Learning Partnership (DALP) to check the standards of pupils’ work and the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. As a result, leaders have an accurate view of the standards reached and the progress of pupils in the school.
• Leaders accurately identify weaknesses, and act swiftly to secure the necessary improvements. They have taken decisive action to eradicate any weak teaching and effectively support areas of underperformance. As a result, weaker outcomes in some subjects in 2018, and the quality of teaching, are improving.
• The roles of middle leaders are being developed. While they are relatively new to their roles, middle leaders are being trained to check the quality of teaching and standards of pupils’ work. There are clear lines of accountability and middle leaders are supported well to improve their skills further. As a result, leadership capacity is continuously improving.
• The curriculum is innovative and enables pupils of all abilities to study a specialist course in computing, health sciences or sport, as well as GCSE and A-level subjects. Major employers, including Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, The Sheffield College, Sheffield Hallam University, University of Sheffield, Sheffield Chamber of Commerce and Sheffield City Council, work collaboratively with leaders in the design and delivery of the curriculum to meet the skills shortages in the region. As a result, the UTC provides equal opportunities for boys and girls, of all abilities and backgrounds, to follow a pathway to an appropriate destination in training, education or employment.
• Leaders use the funding for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND well. As a result, additional support strategies, such as revision and enrichment sessions, and additional learning in core and option subjects, result in strong progress for these groups of pupils from their different starting points.

Governance of the school

• Governance is good and is making a strong contribution to the continuous development of the school. Governors, ably led by the experienced chair of the local governing body, have a wide range of skills and expertise, including in education. The local governing body has recently been strengthened further through the appointment of a governor with knowledge and expertise in sixth-form provision.
• The governors play a pivotal role in developing and further expanding the UTC. They include members from industry, as well as members with specialist educational backgrounds, such as those from University of Sheffield, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield City Council, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, The Sheffield College, and Barnsley and Rotherham Chamber of Commerce. As a result, governors are effective in providing robust challenge to leaders, including middle leaders, and support the engagement of employers, higher education institutions and local authorities.
• Governors have ensured that they receive succinct and accurate information from leaders. They are linked to different curriculum areas and evaluate leaders’ findings regularly. Consequently, governors know very well the strengths and areas for improvement.
• Governors frequently satisfy themselves that all additional funding, for example for disadvantaged pupils, for those eligible for catch-up support, and for those with SEND, is spent wisely. As a result, the outcomes for these groups of pupils from their starting points are strong and gaps are diminishing.
• Governors ensure that their statutory duties in relation to safeguarding are met. The chair of governors is also the safeguarding governor. Members of the local governing body keep their safeguarding training under review, so that they continue to be well informed about safeguarding responsibilities.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders responsible for safeguarding are appropriately trained and knowledgeable, and ensure that all staff have relevant and up-to-date safeguarding training, including about the dangers of radicalisation and child sexual exploitation. As a result, staff are knowledgeable about child protection procedures, the signs to look for and how to report concerns.
• There is a strong culture of safeguarding in the school and pupils report that they feel safe and know what to do to stay safe, including when online. The vast majority of pupils also say that, although bullying sometimes does happen, when it does, teachers and leaders tackle it quickly. Inspection evidence confirms this.
• There are effective referral procedures, and communication with external agencies is strong. The safeguarding team records safeguarding concerns effectively and makes timely referrals to the local authority social care services where necessary. They keep an accurate record of conversations and actions through an electronic system. As a result, safeguarding information is shared effectively.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good.
• Teachers’ strong subject knowledge, and probing questioning by most teachers, identify any misconceptions and deepen pupils’ knowledge effectively. As a result, most pupils make good progress from their starting points.
• Arrangements to assess pupils’ progress are effective. Teachers regularly check on their progress during lessons. In the vast majority of pupils’ books examined, teachers apply the school’s assessment policy effectively. Consequently, pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, develop their knowledge and understanding at a good rate.
• Most teachers use assessment information well when they plan learning activities. For example, most teachers use seating plans that are regularly reviewed after every assessment point. The use of ‘Olympic medal’ tasks mostly ensures that challenge is provided for pupils according to their ability, including those who are disadvantaged and the most able pupils, and pupils with SEND. However, this is not always the case. Sometimes, activities lack enough challenge for the most able pupils. This can, at times, slow their rate of progress.
• Teachers’ expectations of pupils are typically high. In most lessons, relationships between teachers and pupils are positive. As a result, pupils feel confident when asking questions and demonstrate pride in their work.
• In most subjects, questioning is well targeted to check understanding and encourage pupils’ thinking. In some subjects, questioning does not aid learning or challenge pupils enough, including for the most able.
• In employer-led projects, pupils value the teachers’ specialist knowledge, and pupils demonstrate high levels of engagement. They enjoy applying their knowledge to real-life scenarios, such as building and programming robots to carry out complex tasks, or developing augmented reality apps for mobile devices.
• Leaders have implemented detailed and thorough systems for checking the quality of teaching and learning. Senior and middle leaders know the strengths and weaknesses in teaching in each subject area. They provide targeted support and development for staff to improve their teaching. The teaching of mathematics, for example, has already strengthened as a result of such support. Staff value the support they receive to further develop their teaching practice and often share examples of good practice with each other. However, not enough is done to ensure that the most able pupils are consistently challenged.
• The UTC day is longer than a typical day at most secondary schools. It is structured to reflect an industrial working day. Homework is not a regular feature. Instead, pupils are given independent learning time, which the majority of them use effectively to develop their knowledge and skills against their assessments.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils value the culture of work-related learning and working on employer-led projects. They develop a strong appreciation of the world of work. For example, students in the sixth form have the opportunity to get involved in national competitions, and further develop their understanding of new technologies, such as building and programming robots to perform complex tasks. Other students in the sixth form had the opportunity to work with a local business to develop an augmented reality app to be used in the promotion of the development of the Olympic Legacy Park.
• Leaders and staff have high expectations of pupils to behave as young adults. Nearly all pupils display mature behaviour and independence. They show appreciation for the high-quality facilities at their disposal. The positive relationships between staff and pupils across the school successfully promote high levels of mutual respect, and the employability skills required for life and work in modern Britain.
• The UTC provides a carefully planned programme of activities for pupils to support their social, moral, spiritual and cultural development, through the Olympic and Paralympic values. The UTC’s ‘Drive for Excellence’ ethos is underpinned and delivered through rewards, sessions during tutor time, assemblies and guest speakers. Pupils can talk confidently about different cultures and religions and this is reflected in their respectful behaviour towards each other and staff.
• Careers information, advice and guidance are an essential and integral part of pupils’ learning experience. Pupils at the UTC have access to invaluable input by industry experts, employer mentor days and work experience. This helps raise their aspirations to engage with the world of computing, sports science and health sciences. Evidence of the impact of this collaboration was clear in 2017/18, where the progression of students in the sixth form to higher education, further education or employment was high, and 75% of the destinations were related to the UTC’s specialisms.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils are polite and respectful to each other and staff. They wear their business-like uniforms well and are proud of their school.
• There is appropriate adult supervision in the mornings, at lunchtimes and between lessons. Consequently, the conduct of pupils around the school is calm and orderly. Pupils are punctual to lessons.
• The vast majority of pupils behave well in lessons and show good attitudes to learning. They enjoy the practical nature of the vocational courses and value the knowledge and expertise of their highly skilled teachers.
• Senior leaders constantly reinforce the high expectations of behaviour. Pupils are clear about the consequences and sanctions associated with any inappropriate behaviour. They respond well to the school’s values. Positive relationships with staff promote a culture of respect. Instances of low-level disruption are rare and, when they occur, most teachers apply the behaviour policy consistently.
• Rates of exclusion in 2016/17 were above the national average, as a result of some pupils taking time to adjust to their new learning environment and leaders’ high expectations. Since then, fixed-term exclusions have diminished rapidly, and rates of exclusion are now low. There have been no permanent exclusions since the school opened.
• Leaders have put in place a rigorous system for monitoring and analysing pupils’ attendance. Pupils value their education and attend well. As a result, in 2017/18, the attendance of pupils in key stage 4 was in line with the national average. The proportion of pupils who were persistently absent was below the national average. Current attendance information indicates further improvement and the gap in levels of absence between disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND, and their peers, is diminishing.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• In 2018, published information on the first cohort of pupils’ outcomes shows that, on average, pupils make progress between the end of key stages 2 and 4 that is below that of other pupils nationally. In mathematics and humanities, the published information shows progress to be significantly lower than the national average, including the progress of the most able pupils and disadvantaged pupils. However, the UTC’s information demonstrates that those pupils arriving with lower starting points, due in many instances to poor previous attitudes to education, make strong progress in Years 10 and 11 during their time at the school. This was supported by scrutiny of pupils’ work.
• In 2018, all pupils from the Year 11 and students from the Year 13 cohorts went into further education, training or employment. One third of the Year 13 students secured higher-level apprenticeships or employment, and two thirds progressed to courses at universities, most linked to the UTC’s specialisms.
• In 2018, the proportion of pupils achieving a standard pass (grade 4) and a strong pass (grade 5) or better in English and mathematics combined was above the national average. The proportion of pupils achieving a strong pass in English language or a strong pass in mathematics was also above the national average.
• In 2018, almost all of the pupils entered for technical qualifications at level 2 in computing, health and social care or sports science, achieved a pass or above. Current college information, supported by inspection evidence, indicates that outcomes of pupils in vocational qualifications are improving further, especially in sports science.
• Leaders have implemented rigorous progress monitoring systems and regularly identify pupils who are at risk of underachievement following accurate assessments on entry to the college. Appropriate intervention strategies are put in place and the impact of these actions is regularly evaluated. As a result, the progress pupils make from their different starting points is strong in most subjects.
• The progress of the first cohort of pupils with SEND was above the national average and better than for other pupils in the school. Current school assessment information indicates that this improvement continues for the current cohort of pupils. Inspection evidence and scrutiny of pupils’ work support this.
• Current assessment information indicates continuous improvement in attainment and progress from their starting points for all pupils in Year 11, Year 10 and Year 9, including disadvantaged pupils and the most able pupils, in all subjects.
• Current pupil assessment information shows that the rate of progress in subjects with weaker outcomes in 2018 is rapidly improving, including in mathematics, geography, biology, chemistry and physics. Inspection evidence, observations of teaching and learning, and scrutiny of pupils’ work confirm this to be the case. Nevertheless, further improvements are required in outcomes for computer science, English literature and French.

16 to 19 study programmes Good

• The sixth form provides an inclusive and aspirational education for its students. Leadership of the sixth form is effective, and students benefit from their post-16 experience. As a result, students achieve well overall throughout and by the end of their 16 to 19 study programmes.
• In 2018, the progress and attainment of students on vocational and technical courses were above the national averages. However, the progress of students on academic courses was below the national average.
• The quality of teaching and learning in Years 12 and 13 is good. Students participate well, make contributions and enjoy their learning. Teachers set target grades that are aspirational, and they use questioning effectively. Students demonstrate a good understanding of the terminology of their chosen subject. As a result, most students make good progress from their starting points.
• Senior leaders ensure that they have good oversight of the progress that students make. Students’ current assessment information shows that students in Year 13 are on track to achieve improved outcomes, in both academic and vocational subjects, compared with last year. Inspection evidence supports this view. However, the rate of improvement in the progress of students on academic courses remains slower than that of students on vocational courses.
• All students follow appropriate personalised study programmes that enable them to move on to higher education, training or full-time employment after leaving the sixth form. All study programmes meet the statutory requirements and include work experience and enrichment activities that are work related. The curriculum enables students to take a combination of academic and vocational courses to suit their abilities and interests. Students are motivated and enjoy their learning.
• Leaders have forged very good relationships with employers and the universities. As a result, all students benefit from relevant, external work experience placements during which they are able to develop their practical skills and employability very well. For example, students are able to work on projects, such as developing software programs and robotics, and students on the health and social care course learn about the different job opportunities in the NHS.
• The rate of progression to higher education and apprenticeships is high. In 2018, all students in Year 13 progressed successfully into further education, employment or training.
• The behaviour of students in both Year 12 and Year 13 is excellent. Students are motivated in class and work purposefully in the vast majority of lessons. They attend well and are punctual.
• All students who have not attained at least a grade 4 or above in English or mathematics receive appropriate teaching and support. The success rates when students re-take these examinations are high.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 142605 Sheffield 10059028 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Technical School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Gender of students in 16 to 19 study programmes Number of pupils on the school roll Of which, number on roll in 16 to 19 study programmes University technical college 14 to 19 Mixed Mixed 404 99 Appropriate authority Board of trustees Chair Principal Telephone number Website Email address Ian Anniss Dr Sarah Clark 0114 260 3940 https://olp.utcsheffield.org.uk olp@utcsheffield.org.uk Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• UTC Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park opened in September 2016.
• The UTC is funded by the Department for Education and co-sponsored by Sheffield Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Sheffield Hallam University and The Sheffield College. It is governed by Sheffield UTC Academy Trust.
• The UTC offers technical qualifications in computing, health sciences and sports science, as well as GCSEs and A levels. The UTC admits pupils from the Sheffield City region and beyond.
• Students study their technical subject for a substantial proportion of the week. The college day is longer than in most secondary schools.
• The UTC is small compared with the average-sized secondary school. In its first year, students were admitted into Year 10 and Year 12. Since September 2018, the college has admitted students into Year 9.
• The principal was appointed in March 2016. The vice-principal was promoted from the college staff in September 2017 and a new senior leader responsible for inclusion joined the college in the same year.
• There is an equal proportion of boys and girls studying at the college.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by pupil premium funding is below average.
• The proportion of pupils with SEND is below average.
• The college does not use alternative provision.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors visited parts of 24 lessons covering all curriculum areas and most teaching staff. Some of these visits took place with senior leaders. During visits to classrooms, inspectors looked in students’ workbooks and questioned students about their learning.
• Inspectors visited tutor time and observed and spoke to students in independent study time and at breaktimes.
• Discussions took place with the principal, vice-principal, other senior leaders, most curriculum directors and members of the wider body of staff. Inspectors met with the executive principal and the chair of trustees of Sheffield UTC Academy Trust.
• Discussions also took place with a representative of the Department for Education and employers. Inspectors met with the chair and members of the local governing board.
• Inspectors held discussions with pupils from all year groups, about what it is like to be a young person at the college.
• Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour around the college, including between lessons, at breaktimes and at lunchtime.
• Inspectors took into account the 62 responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, including the 55 free-text responses. They analysed the 25 responses to Ofsted’s staff survey and the 52 responses to Ofsted’s pupil questionnaire.
• Inspectors examined records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.
• Inspectors also scrutinised documents, including college development plans, minutes of meetings of the governing body, external reviews, leaders’ monitoring notes and information about pupils’ achievement.

Inspection team

Dimitris Spiliotis, lead inspector Andrea Machell Gillian Fisher

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