Litherland High School Sterrix Lane, Litherland, Liverpool, Merseyside, L21 0DB
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School report Litherland High School Sterrix Lane, Litherland, Liverpool, Merseyside, L21 0DB Inspection dates 11–12 February 2014 Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 Overall effectiveness This inspection: Inadequate 4 Achievement of pupils Inadequate 4 Quality of teaching Inadequate 4 Behaviour and safety of pupils Requires improvement 3 Leadership and management Inadequate 4 Summary of key findings for parents and pupils This is a school that requires special measures. Students’ achievement has significantly Some students have been inappropriately declined. They make inadequate progress identified as having behavioural special needs, from their prior attainment at Key Stage 2, which lowers expectations for their academic particularly in English and mathematics. achievement. The proportion of students achieving five or Students’ absence and exclusion rates are more GCSEs at grade C and above, including above average. The use of fixed-term exclusion English and mathematics, is well below has increased markedly over the last three average. years. Teaching does not build on students’ English Students who are eligible for support through and mathematical knowledge and skills pupil premium funding also make inadequate effectively from lesson to lesson. progress. They do not achieve as well as Students’ writing, communication and others in the school or as well as this group mathematical skills are not sufficiently nationally. Leaders have not reviewed the developed across all subjects. impact of additional funding with enough Marking is too variable. Often, it does not rigour. help students to improve their work or to Leaders and governors have an overly positive develop the specific skills they need to view of the quality of teaching over time. They succeed in each subject. have not focused sufficiently on the impact teaching has on learning and the academic achievement of different groups of students. The school has the following strengths The school provides a bright learning Teachers enforce and most students uphold environment. Positive relationships ensure the behaviour policy, ensuring that most that students feel and are safe. lessons and the school day proceed in an Students’ spiritual and cultural development is orderly way. promoted well. They benefit greatly from the There is some good and outstanding teaching school’s international links and participation in and some good practice in departmental sporting, artistic and cultural events. leadership. Inspection report: Litherland High School, 11–12 February 2014 2 of 11 Information about this inspection Inspectors observed 35 part-lessons and sampled students’ work during visits to classrooms. They carried out a more detailed scrutiny of students’ work in English and mathematics in all year groups. Two lessons were jointly observed. Inspectors met with senior leaders, subject leaders, the special educational needs coordinator, the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Governing Body and a representative from the local authority. They met with students randomly selected from student lists and the school council and spoke with students in lessons. A range of documentation was examined, including the school’s self-evaluation and improvement planning, performance management and safeguarding procedures, attendance, behaviour and bullying records. Inspectors took account of 22 responses to Parent View, which is the Ofsted on-line questionnaire, and the school’s most recent parent survey. They took account of staff questionnaires returned from leaders, teaching and support staff. Inspection team Jean Olsson Law, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Aelwyn Pugh Her Majesty’s Inspector Clive Hurren Additional Inspector Derek Barnes Additional Inspector Inspection report: Litherland High School, 11–12 February 2014 3 of 11 Full report In accordance with section 44 of the Education Act 2005 (as amended), Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. Information about this school Litherland High School is an average-sized secondary school. The proportion of students eligible for support through the pupil premium funding is well above average. The pupil premium is additional government funding provided to the school for students known to be eligible for free school meals, children who are looked after by the local authority and children of families in the armed forces. The proportion of students who are disabled or who have special educational needs and are supported through school action is well above average. The proportion of students supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also well above average. Almost all students are of White British heritage and speak English as their first language. The school uses local authority alternative provision, IMPACT, for a small number of students from Years 10 and 11. The school also has its own alternative provision within school and with other providers. The school has the International School Award. The school has recently established a Trust Board, which currently operates alongside the governing body. The school does not meet the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for students’ attainment and progress. What does the school need to do to improve further? Improve teaching so that students in all year groups make at least expected progress, especially in English and mathematics by: assessing students’ learning and progress accurately and ensure lessons build on the knowledge, skills and understanding students bring with them from primary school making sure students receive feedback and marking that supports them to improve their work and achieve higher levels or grades examining where there are gaps in students’ literacy and mathematical skills and developing and reinforcing these skills in every subject making sure teaching takes account of the differing ability of students in the class and provides the right amount of challenge for the most able students ensuring that students who are identified as having special educational needs, including those identified as having behavioural difficulties, receive the right amount of support and challenge in lessons using the good practice in teaching in the school to support improvement where it is needed. Improve attendance and reduce the level of exclusion by helping all groups of students feel more engaged with their learning and to achieve well. Inspection report: Litherland High School, 11–12 February 2014 4 of 11 Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management, including governance, by: checking the progress of different groups of students more rigorously and setting high expectations for the academic achievement of all students ensuring that, when teaching is monitored, sufficient attention is given to the progress students make ensuring that action plans include measurable outcomes for students using the existing good practice in subject leadership in the school to support improvement in other subjects undertaking an external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and governance may be improved. Ofsted has made recommendations for action on governance to the authority responsible for the school. Inspection report: Litherland High School, 11–12 February 2014 5 of 11 Inspection judgements The achievement of pupils is inadequate Students’ attainment in Key Stage 2 assessments prior to joining the school is broadly average overall. From this starting point, they make inadequate progress and their attainment at GCSE is well below that of students who had similar starting points. The proportion of students attaining five or more GCSEs at grade C and above, including English and mathematics, has declined. It has been well below the national average for three years and in 2013 was below the minimum standard expected by the government. The school’s data show that a higher proportion of students in the current Year 11 are on track to achieve five GCSEs, including English and mathematics. Most students have already been entered for English and mathematics GCSE in Year 10. This is predicted to halt the downward trend, but more than half the students have not yet achieved expected grades, given their prior attainment. The practice of early entry for examinations has been stopped recently as it is not working to the advantage of all students. The gap in attainment and progress between students who are eligible for free school meals and those who are not has widened in English. It closed in mathematics in 2013 but this is because performance in mathematics fell generally. In 2013, eligible students were around one and a half grades behind others in the school in English and one grade behind in mathematics. Both groups achieved well below similar groups nationally. The progress of students currently at the school is extremely variable between subjects. They make good progress in modern foreign languages, single sciences and art and design, and expected progress in information and communication technology and music. Progress in English, mathematics and other subjects is inadequate. Poorly developed basic mathematical knowledge, including of multiplication