Bowland High Riversmead, Sawley Road, Grindleton, Clitheroe, Lancashire BB7 4QS
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School report Bowland High Riversmead, Sawley Road, Grindleton, Clitheroe, Lancashire BB7 4QS Inspection dates 13–14 December 2016 Overall effectiveness Outstanding Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding Outcomes for pupils Outstanding Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good Summary of key findings for parents and pupils This is an outstanding school The headteacher, governors and senior leaders High expectations, strong teaching and are committed to and passionate about effective support all play a role in making sure ensuring the very best possible progress for all the vast majority of pupils make sustained pupils. progress throughout their time in school. Leaders and staff are highly ambitious for Pupils hold their teachers in the highest regard pupils as to what they can achieve and how and there is an atmosphere of mutual respect they should behave. All groups of pupils and care throughout the school. respond actively to these ambitions and make All pupils progress to further education, outstanding progress at this school. employment or training as a result of The governing body is well informed, skilled exceptional careers advice and guidance. Staff and holds senior leaders firmly to account for give wholehearted support to pupils to enable all aspects of pupils’ education. their transition to the next stage of their lives. Leadership at all levels is outstanding. Detailed Pupils are taught to respect people from other and effective systems for developing teaching backgrounds and to treat people fairly. They and learning and the appraisal of staff are are actively encouraged to make a positive securing consistently high provision and contribution to society. As a result, they are outcomes across subjects. exceptionally well prepared for life in modern Britain. The innovative and creative curriculum is very well matched to pupils’ needs. The school’s Staff training programmes encourage staff to well-planned approach to curriculum planning be reflective practitioners, always looking to encourages pupils to study a wide range of further improve. Staff recognise the need to subjects. refine pupils’ reflective skills even further. Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. They are polite, Safeguarding policies and practice are highly well-mannered and respectful young people effective. Pupils feel safe at school and very who are very happy in school. well looked after. The school works well with a range of external agencies to ensure that all The high quality of teaching over time has a pupils are well supported. very strong impact on the achievements of pupils. Rapid progress is evident in pupils’ Staff, parents and pupils are overwhelmingly books, but some work is not always well positive in their support of the school. presented. Full report What does the school need to do to improve further? Improve teaching even further by: – ensuring that pupils further develop their skills in reflecting on their own learning so as to secure still further improvements – improving the presentation of the work of some pupils so that it meets the high standards expected by teachers. Inspection report: Bowland High, 13–14 December 2016 Page 2 of 12 Inspection judgements Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding The headteacher, senior leaders and governing body are aspirational for all pupils. They have a clear vision based on highly effective systems to ensure that outstanding progress is secured by pupils. Leaders are committed to ensuring that pupils are exceptionally well prepared for future success through an inspiring curriculum, additional support sessions and through the enriching extra-curricular opportunities which are on offer. Leaders and governors have developed an atmosphere of trust and respect. All staff who responded to the online questionnaire feel very proud to be a member of staff at Bowland High and thoroughly enjoy working at the school. Staff feel highly valued and well supported by senior leaders. They believe that leaders have created a calm, orderly culture develops pupils’ high aspirations. Parents are overwhelmingly positive in their support of the school. Almost all parents who responded to the questionnaire believe that their child is very happy and makes exceptional progress at this school. One parent described Bowland High as a ‘true jewel in the heart of the Ribble Valley’. Outstanding leadership is at the heart of the school’s success. Leadership at all levels is very strong. The headteacher is very well supported by a highly talented and committed senior leadership team. Subject leaders and pastoral leaders also contribute significantly to the excellent progress made by pupils. The procedures for managing the performance of teachers, including that of the headteacher, are robust. Teachers have measurable targets which link to the school’s improvement plan and to national teachers’ standards. Teachers are appropriately and fairly rewarded for their work. The innovative curriculum offer is broad and balanced. Students are very well guided when making choices for key stage 4. A range of appropriate courses is available for pupils with different starting points. The curriculum is regularly reviewed and the views of parents, pupils and staff are taken into account when making changes. Leadership of teaching and learning is outstanding. Incisive and accurate judgements about the quality of teaching, based on a wide variety of evidence, mean that leaders know the strengths of teaching. Where teaching is not of the highest standard, leaders challenge and support staff to improve. Teachers’ professional development is a significant strength of the school. Leaders have put a well-structured programme in place to enable school staff to learn from each other’s effective practice. Quality assurance and coaching for excellence underpin the drive to share good practice across the school. Evidence of this can be seen in the close work between teachers in the science and mathematics departments. This close work has enabled pupils to improve, for example, their skills in drawing graphs and rearranging equations. Almost all staff, including newly qualified teachers, speak very positively about the support offered to them by the school. Staff are consulted and drive many initiatives Inspection report: Bowland High, 13–14 December 2016 Page 3 of 12 through their working parties, such as improving the effectiveness of feedback they provide to pupils. Leaders have ensured that standards reached by disadvantaged pupils, including the most able disadvantaged pupils, are in line with or better than those reached by other students nationally with similar starting points. Support is personalised and put in place to address any barriers these pupils may face. Effective programmes include attendance support through home visits, counselling, support from a learning mentor, guidance that is specific to particular subjects, and enrichment activities. Each pupil is known and individual, tailored support is arranged according to need. The pupil premium funding is used expertly to ensure that these pupils make excellent progress. Pupils who enter the school with below age-related expectations in English and mathematics catch up, due to well-targeted spending of the funds available to support them. Leaders evaluate the impact of their spending of this additional funding against their key priorities and use the funding so that these pupils can catch up with their peers by the end of Year 7. Leadership of careers, advice and guidance is strong. All pupils in school receive impartial advice and guidance. A wide range of activities and sessions are available to pupils, such as support for applying for apprenticeships, workshops to develop their skills in writing curriculum vitae, work experience for Year 10 pupils, mock interviews and ‘meet the expert’ sessions and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) courses. The school runs its own ‘Brag about Your Future’ careers event at a local arts and exhibition centre. A careers newsletter keeps pupils up to date with the activities and support offered. As a result of these activities, for the past three years, all pupils have left school to continue their education or take up training or employment. Leadership of safeguarding and attendance is very strong. The culture of safeguarding permeates the whole school; the pupils themselves are vigilant. Leaders ensure that all staff are well trained and that all pupils are very well educated to keep themselves safe. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is evident throughout the school. Pupils learn about British values, including tolerance, in assemblies and form time as well as other subjects such as physical education, science and through the personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) curriculum. Pupils understand issues including diversity, prejudice, immigration and changing communities. As a result of outstanding provision and practice, pupils are very well prepared for life in modern Britain. Governance of the school The school benefits from very strong governance. Governors have a clear sense of direction for the school. Governors are forward- thinking and provide support and challenge to leaders which is highly effective. Governors have an in-depth knowledge of the school’s many strengths and they regularly challenge leaders to do even better.