INSPECTION REPORT LITTLE HEATH SCHOOL Tilehurst, Reading LEA Area: West Berkshire Unique Reference Number: 110063 Headteacher: M
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INSPECTION REPORT LITTLE HEATH SCHOOL Tilehurst, Reading LEA area: West Berkshire Unique reference number: 110063 Headteacher: Mr C W Rowles Reporting inspector: Dr A R Beaver 20224 Dates of inspection: 28 February – 2 March 2000 Inspection number: 186167 Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 © Crown copyright 2000 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary 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. INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL Type of school: Comprehensive School category: Maintained Age range of pupils: 11 to 18 years Gender of pupils: Mixed School address: Little Heath School Little Heath Road Tilehurst Reading Berkshire Postcode: RG31 5TY Telephone number: 0118 9427337 Fax number: 0118 9421933 Appropriate authority: The governing body Name of chair of governors: Mr M Sarjeant Date of previous inspection: 6 – 10 November 1995 Little Heath School - 3 INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM Team members Anthony Beaver Registered inspector Michael Lyons Lay inspector Martin Davis Team inspector Roger Garrett Team inspector Ian Hodgkinson Team inspector David Walters Team inspector The inspection contractor was: Bench Marque Limited National Westminster Bank Chambers Victoria Street Burnham-on-Sea Somerset TA8 1AN Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be raised with the inspection contractor. Complaints that are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED by writing to: The Registrar Inspection Quality Division The Office for Standards in Education Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Little Heath School - 4 REPORT CONTENTS Page PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6 Information about the school How good the school is What the school does well What could be improved How the school has improved since its last inspection Standards Pupils’ attitudes and values Teaching and learning Other aspects of the school How well the school is led and managed Parents’ and carers’ views of the school PART B: COMMENTARY WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL 11 Leadership is highly effective in ensuring that the quality of teaching is very good and that the standards that pupils achieve are high. Progress is very good. Pupils’ attainment on entry to the school is broadly average, but they achieve well above average standards in Key Stage 3 tests, and in GCSE and sixth-form examinations. Teaching is very good. It ensures that pupils learn successfully and make very good progress throughout the school in gaining knowledge and understanding. Relationships among pupils and between pupils and teachers are very good and some are excellent. Teachers provide a very wide range of extra-curricular opportunities to extend pupils’ learning. Pupils and sixth-form students have very positive attitudes to their work. Their behaviour is very good, and sometimes exemplary. The school’s level of care for its pupils is high. The support and commitment provided by teachers for pupils to help them to achieve highly are exceptionally good. The school has improved considerably since its previous inspection, when it was then judged to be a good school. WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED 16 Although standards in Key Stage 3 national tests are well above average in comparison with all schools, and above average in comparison with similar schools, they could be higher still in English. Although much improved, some deficiencies remain in accommodation. WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER? 17 PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS 18 Little Heath School - 5 PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL Little Heath School is larger than most. It is comprehensive, with 1517 girls and boys on roll. The social and economic backgrounds of pupils are broadly average overall. Fifty-five pupils are from ethnic minority backgrounds. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is a little higher than in most schools. All are competent users of English. The percentage of pupils identified as having special educational needs is below average. Some pupils have learning or behavioural difficulties and others have physical impairments. Nineteen pupils have statements of special educational need, a proportion below average, nationally. The attainment of pupils when they enter the school spans the full range of ability and is average overall. HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS This is a very good school. Pupils achieve high standards. They gain very good results in national tests and examinations. Their attitudes and behaviour are very good. Teaching is very good overall. Leadership is very effective in enabling pupils and staff to achieve high standards. The school provides very good value for money. What the school does well · Leadership is highly effective in ensuring that the quality of teaching is very good and that the standards that pupils achieve are high. · Progress is very good. Pupils’ attainment on entry to the school is broadly average, but they achieve well above average standards in Key Stage 3 tests, and in GCSE and sixth-form examinations. · Teaching is very good. It ensures that pupils learn successfully and make very good progress throughout the school in gaining knowledge and understanding. · Relationships among pupils and between pupils and teachers are very good and some are excellent. Teachers provide a very wide range of extra-curricular opportunities to extend pupils’ learning. · Pupils and sixth-form students have very positive attitudes to their work. Their behaviour is very good, and sometimes exemplary. · The school’s level of care for its pupils is high. The support and commitment provided by teachers for pupils to help them to achieve highly are exceptionally good. · The school has improved considerably since its previous inspection, when it was then judged to be a good school. What could be improved · Although standards in Key Stage 3 national tests are well above average in comparison with all schools, and above average in comparison with similar schools, they could be higher still in English. · Although much improved, some deficiencies remain in accommodation. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan. HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION The school has improved considerably since its previous inspection in November 1995. Pupils’ Key Stage 3 test results have improved and standards are well above the national average, although attainment in English is a little below that in mathematics and science, and could be higher. At GCSE, the rising trend in the average point score achieved per pupil has been above the national rate of improvement, and achievement of 5 or more A* to C grades has improved year-on-year since 1997 to be well above the national standard. The average point score per student at A-level Little Heath School - 6 has risen each year from a level slightly below the national average in 1996 to one at which results have consistently been well above average. The school has managed the issues of the previous inspection very well. Accommodation has been improved significantly although some deficiencies remain, and further improvements are scheduled. The curriculum now meets statutory requirements, and a wider range of subjects is available, for example GNVQ courses in the sixth form. The use of information technology has been extended successfully. There has been improvement in providing for collective worship, and a Thought for the Week provides opportunity for reflection. However, a collective act of worship is not provided for all pupils on a daily basis. STANDARDS The table shows the standards achieved by 16 and 18 year olds based on average point scores in GCSE and A-level/AS-level examinations. compared with Key Performance in: all schools similar schools* 1997 1998 1999 1999 well above average A Key Stage 3 tests B B A B above average B average C GCSE B A A A below average D examinations well below average E A-levels/AS-levels A A A *Reference to similar schools is to schools which contain a similar proportion of pupils who claim eligibility for free school meals. This is considered to be a valid indicator by which to compare schools with pupils of similar backgrounds. The school’s results in Key Stage 3 national tests were well above average in 1999. Attainment in mathematics and science was a little ahead of that in English, which improved in 1999 from the result in 1998. Standards are well above average in comparison with those of all schools, nationally, and above average in comparison with those of similar schools. The trend in achievement of pupils’ average point score has risen in line with the national rate of improvement, but at a much higher level. GCSE results compare very well with those achieved nationally and those for similar schools. Standards have improved since 1997. In 1999, boys at the school greatly outperformed boys nationally, to achieve a result almost equal to that of girls in the school, in contrast to the national situation. Over the last three years, pupils have not consistently underachieved in any subject. Their attainment in history has been high in comparison with their other courses. At A-level, students’ average point score improved in 1997 to a standard well above the national average. It has improved year-on-year subsequently. Achievement of grades A and B was above average in 1999. GNVQ results were also above average in 1999.