The Crestwood School Bromley Lane, Kingswinford, DY6 8QG

School report

Inspection dates 25–26 June 2014

Previous inspection: Requires improvement 3 Overall effectiveness This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  The achievement of students is good and  The school provides a very safe environment continuing to improve because senior leaders for students. have taken decisive action to improve  Teachers’ good relationships with students’ teaching. ensure students’ respond well to their high  Attainment in English and mathematics has expectations. risen steadily and the standards of students  The school has improved quickly because currently in the school are now above senior leaders have put rigorous systems in average in both subjects. place to tackle underperformance.  The good achievement of students entitled to  The school regularly collects extensive data pupil premium funding means they attain about students’ achievement and takes swift standards close to those of other students in action if a student is at risk of not meeting the school. their targets.  Most teaching is now good.  The new governing body holds school leaders  Students’ behaviour in lessons is good and to account for the quality of teaching and the they are keen to make good progress. progress made by students very effectively.  Students’ attendance has improved and is now above average. Rates of persistent absence have fallen quickly.

It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There is still a small amount of teaching that  Although the school has started to tackle the requires improvement and not enough weak literacy skills of some students, these teaching is outstanding. There is not always skills need greater reinforcement in other sufficient encouragement given to students to subjects in Key Stage 3. ensure they reflect on their teacher’s  Some of the most-able students are not being comments and use them to improve their given the opportunities they need to extend subsequent work. and deepen their knowledge and understanding. Inspection report: The Crestwood School, 25–26 June 2014 2 of 11

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited 33 lessons or part lessons taught by 32 teachers. Seven of these lessons were observed jointly with senior leaders.  Inspectors checked the school’s arrangements for safeguarding children and for child protection.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, senior leaders, subject leaders, the special educational needs co-ordinator and her deputy, school governors, the school improvement adviser employed by the school and members of staff responsible for attendance, safeguarding checks, site safety and security and child protection. A telephone conversation took place with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors talked to students from all year groups during the course of the inspection and met with groups of students from Years 7 and 10 to listen to their views about aspects of school life.  Students’ work was looked at in all lessons and inspectors undertook a further scrutiny of the work produced by students in science.  A small group of Year 7 students read to an inspector and talked about their progress in literacy.  The views of 31 parents who completed the on-line survey (Parent View) were considered.  Staff views were taken into account from the 56 questionnaires that were completed during the inspection and from conversation that took place during the inspection.  Inspectors observed the work of the school and looked at information about students’ progress and attainment. The school’s own evaluation of its progress was considered alongside records of its planning for improvement. Inspectors looked at the provision made for staff training and considered evidence about the management of staff performance and arrangements for making decisions about teachers’ pay. A range of policy documents were looked at and the school’s website was checked to make sure it contained all of the information that it should.

Inspection team

Liz Talmadge, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

Robert Steed Additional Inspector

Ian Jones Additional Inspector

Roisin Chambers Additional Inspector

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Full report

Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average sized secondary school and teaches students aged from 11 to 16 years of age.  The proportion of students eligible for support through the pupil premium funding is much higher than average. The pupil premium is additional funding provided by the government to support students known to be eligible for free school meals and those in local authority care.  The majority of students are from White British backgrounds.  There are higher than average numbers of students with special educational needs supported by a statement of special educational needs or through school action plus, and average numbers of students supported through school action.  The school houses specially resourced provision for students with special educational needs in the form of a local authority hearing impaired unit; currently this provides support for seven students drawn from the full age range of the school.  The school makes alternative provision for a small number of Key Stage 4 students who attend Halesowen College and Black County Wheels for a day a week to study a vocational subject.  The school works closely with three partner schools and benefits from sharing expertise and resources across the partnership. The partnership of schools intends to form itself into a multi academy trust in the future.  The headteacher has been in post for two years and has appointed a new senior team and many new middle leaders during that time. He has made many significant changes since the last inspection.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for students’ attainment and progress.

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further improve teaching so that all teaching is good and more is outstanding by: making sure students are always encouraged to reflect on their teacher’s comments and use them to improve their subsequent work embedding the teaching of literacy and key skills in other subjects within the Key Stage 3 curriculum so that all students, but particularly those who struggle with their reading, can confidently tackle their learning in other subjects ensuring that higher-ability students are given appropriately challenging activities in all subjects so that they extend their knowledge and deepen their understanding of the topics and issues they encounter in their studies.

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Inspection judgements

The achievement of pupils is good

 Students’ attainment has risen steadily over the last three years so that by 2013 the numbers of students gaining 5 or A* to C GCSE grades including English and mathematics was above national averages. Those students who have taken their examinations in 2014 are predicted to improve on the results achieved in 2013.

 Most students join the school with prior attainment that is well below average and most of them make good progress through Key Stage 3. The gains they make in mathematics are very good and they are improving strongly in English.

 Progress in Key Stage 4 is improving, with most pupils now making the progress expected of them in English and mathematics. In 2013 too few higher-ability students made better than expected progress but that is set to change this year in both English and mathematics. The numbers making better than expected progress are now on track to be in line with current national averages in both subjects.

 The progress of those students entitled to benefit from pupil premium funding is good. The gap between these students’ attainment and the rest of their cohort is narrowing rapidly so that it is now less than a third of a GCSE grade in both English and mathematics.

 The achievement of disabled students and those with special educational needs is also good with the vast majority of them making the same good progress as their peers. By Key Stage 4 these students are achieving better than their peer group in English and catching up quickly in mathematics.

 The students who attend the Hearing Impaired Unit are making at least the progress expected of them and some are making progress that is better. Those who have just taken their GCSE examinations are expected to attain good results across a range of subjects. They receive good support for the development of their communication skills from able and experienced staff and consequently they are able to take a full part in the life of the school.

 The school has good, robust and reliable systems in place to measure the progress being made by students in all year groups and does so at five assessment points during the school year. Targets for achievement are now set by school leaders and all students are expected to aim for better than expected progress. The majority of parents who responded to Parent View support the view that their children make good progress in school.

 Progress in lessons is generally good for most groups of students but in those lessons where it is not, it is because teachers do not always meet the needs of their students. Some Key Stage 3 students do not have sufficiently well-developed literacy skills to access the learning materials they are given and some very-able Key Stage 4 students say that their learning is too easy.

 The school has used Year 7 ‘catch up’ funding to support smaller classes and to appoint a literacy co-ordinator. This is already improving the reading of targeted students.

 Those students who are entitled to benefit from pupil premium funding are very well supported through a range of interventions. Funding is used to support smaller classes, teaching assistants and a range of opportunities designed to boost the confidence and aspirations of students’. Students say that they appreciate activities like visits to universities.

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 A small number of Key Stage 4 students choose to undertake a vocational course of study for one day a week at Halesowen College and Black Country Wheels. The school monitors their attendance at this provision carefully and checks that the courses they follow are appropriate and enable them to make progress.

The quality of teaching is good

 Most teaching in both Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 is now good and this is leading to good progress for the majority of students in most subjects. The good relationships between staff and students support a sense of calm and orderly participation in lessons throughout the school. The majority of teachers know their students well and cater well for their needs. Their high expectations result in well-planned lessons and carefully considered teaching strategies. The best teaching provides consistent opportunities for the most able to extend their knowledge and understanding markedly; however, this is not always the case, particularly in Key Stage 4.

 The school has a clear policy for the marking and assessment of students’ written work and it is applied well by the majority of teachers. The best examples of marking support good progress by commenting on what students achieve and identifying the next steps for further improvement. There is not always sufficient encouragement given to students to ensure they reflect on their teacher’s comments and use them to improve their subsequent work.

 Teachers are enthusiastic and want students to do well. This usually leads to them planning engaging tasks and activities and providing interesting learning resources. Achievement is at its best when both are closely matched to the needs of students. In a Year 10 food technology lesson for example, the grade criteria against which students measured the success of their decorated cup cakes were written in a way that enabled everyone in the class to understand what success at different grades looked like.

 Teachers use questioning well to assess students’ understanding and progress. Where students are making very good progress it is often because the questions that teachers ask help them to think more deeply and develop their understanding. This enables them to construct their own ideas.

 Students know their targets and generally have a good idea of what they need to do to achieve them. Some lower-ability students’ however, particularly in Key Stage 3, are not able to understand what they need to do because they have weak reading and writing skills and do not consistently receive the help they need. In a Year 7 science lesson, for example, lower-ability students struggled with scientific vocabulary and therefore couldn’t understand what they needed to do.

 Teaching assistants work well alongside teachers to provide additional support for students who need individual or small group support.

 The school has put in place a literacy programme that is supporting younger students’ reading more effectively than in the past. Students are extracted from lessons in modern foreign languages to have additional literacy support and this is having an impact. However, in general, literacy is not yet supported sufficiently by other subjects.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of students is good and has improved considerably since the last inspection. Students say that behaviour has been much better since the introduction, by the new headteacher, of the ‘behaviour steps’ system. Students are carefully supervised and respond positively to the high expectations of their behaviour.

 Students are polite and courteous and behave sensibly in their lessons and around the school during social times Students speak positively about their experience as Crestwood students. They are smartly dressed in their school uniforms and they treat the school and its environment with care; there was no evidence of litter or graffiti in the school. The majority of parents and staff support the view that behaviour is good.

 Students’ positive attitudes to learning in lessons support their achievement. They relate well to their teachers and to each other and they are keen to do well. When given the opportunity to work in pairs or small groups they do so well. They listen to each other and show respect for each other’s different opinions.

 There has been a significant reduction in exclusions since the last inspection because of the improvements made to behaviour.

 Attendance has improved significantly and is now good, and the amount of persistent absence has dropped dramatically. The new senior team has successfully established the value of regular attendance across the school: students are now rewarded for their good attendance and the result is that attendance over the last year has been above average. The work of the attendance officer employed by the school has supported students and their families to recognise the importance of good attendance very effectively.

 Students say that bullying is rare but they are confident that if it does happen it is dealt with swiftly by teachers. Students themselves recognise their role in reporting any behaviour that concerns them. Records of incidents are properly kept and there is no evidence of homophobic or racist bullying.

 The school’s work to keep students safe is good and students say that they feel safe. Risks to students in practical lessons, on visits and on the school campus are carefully evaluated to ensure student safety. One important safety measure put into place by the new headteacher is that no student leaves the school site during the school day. Appropriate checks are carried out on all staff employed at the school. Students report that they know how to stay safe using the internet and social media.

 There are very many good opportunities for students to take on leadership responsibilities within school and to contribute to the welfare of other students. Year 11 students, for example, can become prefects and students in lower years can become Crestwood ambassadors who work alongside their Head of Year and in the community. Students who successfully become part of the CHAT team provide coaching, help, advice and the opportunity for others to talk to them. They are trained to support any student who is having difficulty with any aspect of school life. Children moving from primary schools to The Crestwood School have identified ‘buddies’ from Year 7 working with them to support their transition. Students have access to good quality advice, both from the school and other sources, to prepare them for the next stage of their education and later life.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher has brought clarity of vision and a sense of purpose to the leadership of the school. Since his arrival he has appointed a new senior team and a significant number of new middle leaders. This has resulted in the rapid improvement in students’ achievement at Key Stage 4 and their positive response to the new culture of high expectations and achievement is evident across the school.

 Improvements to teaching have been rapid and have led to better standards for the majority of students in both Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4. The great majority of teachers have high expectations of their students and most teaching is now good so that students make good progress. Teachers are supported by training and frequent opportunities to reflect on the progress that students in their classes are making.

 The progress of students in the school is assessed regularly and their standards are moderated through lesson observations and by reviews of the work produced by students. Assessments are carefully tracked by senior leaders to check whether students are set to reach their targets.

 Teachers, governors and parents, most of whom would recommend the school to others, all say they have confidence in the leadership provided by the headteacher and the senior team.

 The school knows itself well and its evaluation of its current progress is accurate. There are plans in place to address those things that still need to be done. The inspection has confirmed for the school that it has correctly identified the areas for improvement that will have the biggest impact in sustaining and further improving student achievement over time.

 Middle leaders play an increasingly important role in school and lead teaching well. They are having an impact on standards and the achievement of students by the effective way in which they have implemented the school’s tracking system. They also support a system of departmental ‘health checks’ that enable them to hold subject teachers to account for the progress of their classes.

 The curriculum supports students in achieving good outcomes at the end of Key Stage 4 across a broad range of subjects. The Key Stage 3 curriculum has been re-designed to enable those with weaker literacy skills to spend more time catching up but the impact of this is yet to become fully evident.

 Equality of opportunity is well promoted by the school and results in those students entitled to receive support through pupil premium funding making increasingly good progress and closing the gap on their peer group in school rapidly.

 The spiritual, moral, social and cultural education of students is well supported by the school. Students show good social skills when they work with others and interact with adults; their behaviour is well supported by systems that reinforce moral values. There are numerous opportunities to develop their cultural and spiritual awareness through trips, clubs, community activities and the leadership roles they are encouraged to take on.

 The governance of the school: Under the strong leadership of the new Chair of Governors, governance of the school has been re-organised so that it gives much more emphasis to monitoring student achievement and is now good. The work of committees and the full governing body is fully focused on understanding and challenging the work of the school. Governors are well trained and well

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informed and they hold school leaders at all levels to account. They have a solid grip on the school finances. They understand the impact that their oversight of pupil premium funding and Year 7 catch-up funding is having on student achievement. Governors know the strengths of teaching, are appropriately involved in decisions about teachers’ pay and give good support to the headteacher in implementing a rigorous appraisal system. They expect and receive regular briefings by subject leaders, have close links to departments and aspects of the school’s work and are regularly seen in school. Governors ensure that safeguarding meets legal requirements.

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What inspection judgements mean

School Grade Judgement Description Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it improvement is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 103856 Local authority Dudley Inspection number 443346

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

Type of school Comprehensive School category Maintained Age range of pupils 11–16 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 645 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Annette Whalley Headteacher Tony Bowles Date of previous school inspection 12th March 2013 Telephone number 01384 816535 Fax number 01384 816540 Email address [email protected]

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You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email [email protected]. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’. Piccadilly Gate Store St Manchester M1 2WD