Andrew Marvell College Barham Road, Hull HU9 4EE
Inspection dates 1–2 December 2015
Overall effectiveness Requires improvement
Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement
Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement
Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement
Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement
Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Inadequate
Summary of key findings for parents and pupils This is a school that requires improvement
The most-able and least-able pupils and those The curriculum does not support pupils’ learning with special educational needs do not make and progress in all aspects of their education and consistently good progress in a wide range of personal development. subjects. Literacy and numeracy skills are not developed Not enough pupils make the progress expected of consistently well in all subjects. Low levels of them in mathematics. literacy and numeracy limit the progress of some The quality of teaching, learning and assessment pupils. is not consistently good. Work set by teachers is Not all middle leaders are effective in driving not always pitched at the right level for the most- improvement in outcomes for pupils and in able and least-able pupils. checking the quality of work in their areas.
The school has the following strengths
The executive headteacher and interim Senior leaders have an accurate, evidence-based headteacher have created a strong and view of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. aspirational culture, which has led to marked They demonstrate the capacity to continue driving improvements in the quality of education and improvements. outcomes for pupils.
Full report
In accordance with section 13 (4) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires special measures.
What does the school need to do to improve further?
Improve the effectiveness and impact of middle leaders so that they: set high expectations for all pupils to learn well and make good progress drive improvements in the curriculum, teaching, learning and assessment systematically identify, assess and develop provision for pupils with special educational needs hold teachers to account through effective monitoring of the quality of teaching and outcomes for pupils. Accelerate the learning and progress of the most-able and least-able pupils and those with special educational needs, especially in mathematics, by: improving teaching and assessment so that learning activities are pitched at the right level and promote faster progress ensuring that pupils with weak skills in literacy and numeracy catch up with other pupils encouraging the most-able pupils to tackle more challenging work and respond to teachers’ questions more confidently. Improve pupils’ development and progress by ensuring that: literacy and numeracy skills are developed consistently in all subjects pupils learn about future education, training and employment opportunities through high quality, independent careers education and guidance pupils have opportunities to find out about and discuss personal and social issues such as health and relationships.
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Inspection judgements
Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement
The executive headteacher and interim headteacher bring energy, determination and a strong sense of urgency to the school’s drive for improvement. They have tackled the significant weaknesses identified at the last section 5 inspection ‘head on’ and to good effect. Senior leaders know the school’s strengths and weaknesses well and know what needs to be done to sustain improvement over time. Senior leaders have secured the strong support and commitment of staff, who are proud to work at Andrew Marvell College. Middle leadership is not as strong as senior leadership. Many middle leaders are new or inexperienced and some are ineffective. Training and development for staff have improved the quality of teaching. The school’s performance management system is holding teachers more rigorously to account. However, the overall quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires further improvement. The whole-school approach to developing pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills across all subjects is not firmly established. Pupils do not know enough about future education, training and employment opportunities and they need more opportunities to learn about and discuss personal and social issues. Consequently, aspects of the curriculum require improvement. Pupils’ learning and development is extended and enriched by a growing and well-attended programme of extra-curricular activities. Additional funding, including the pupil premium and the Year 7 catch-up premium, is used for pastoral support, to enhance the curriculum and for targeted literacy and numeracy programmes. The literacy and numeracy programmes are newly established and it is too early to see their impact. Although the gaps in attainment and progress between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils are closing, they are not closing quickly enough in all subjects, especially mathematics. Pupils’ social and moral development are effectively supported by the school’s strong focus on positive behaviour and good attitudes to learning. The values of tolerance and respect are promoted well in all areas of the school’s work. The governance of the school: Governors are knowledgeable about the school’s strengths and weaknesses because they scrutinise the information that they receive from senior leaders carefully. Although governors now ask more searching questions, they do not do enough to check the impact of leaders’ actions on the quality of teaching and pupils’ learning and progress. Governors receive information and reports from the local authority. However, reports are neither detailed nor frequent enough to offer a high quality evaluation of the school’s work, which would be of value to governors in their challenge and support role. The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders and staff know pupils well, they are vigilant and alert to the risks associated with abuse, neglect and exploitation. They quickly identify concerns and take prompt action to protect pupils who are at risk.
Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement
The quality of teaching, learning and assessment has improved since the last inspection. Better teaching has led to good outcomes in GCSE English. However, the quality of teaching in other subjects is not good enough to ensure that pupils make consistently good progress. Typically, pupils arrive promptly to lessons and are equipped and ready to start learning. Classroom routines are established and pupils apply themselves quickly to the work set. However, teachers’ expectations of what pupils will learn in lessons are not always clear or precise enough. Therefore, teachers cannot easily evaluate whether pupils are acquiring and developing knowledge, skills and understanding at a sufficiently rapid rate. In some lessons, the most-able pupils find the work too easy and the least-able pupils find the work too hard. Sometimes, pupils do not make enough progress because the teacher has not checked that they have finished and are ready to move on. In other cases, where the teacher has not identified that a pupil is struggling and needs extra help, progress slows.
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Books and folders are marked regularly and teachers give helpful feedback to pupils. However, the impact of marking on improving standards is mixed due to the variability with which pupils respond and therefore learn from their teachers’ comments. Teachers are making better use of assessment to set termly targets and to track pupils’ progress against them. Teachers are developing strategies to help students who fall behind. In some lessons, such as a Year 11 science lesson, teachers ask questions which challenge pupils to think about their work and explain their ideas. This helps them to develop their knowledge and deepen their understanding. However, pupils often lack confidence and are hesitant when asked a question. When given the option, pupils will often choose a less demanding task, even when something more demanding is within their grasp. Literacy and numeracy skills are not developed consistently in all subjects. Some pupils’ very low levels of literacy and numeracy have not been tackled effectively.
Personal development, behaviour and welfare requires improvement
Personal development and welfare The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement. Pupils are developing more positive attitudes to learning. They are keen to learn and contribute to discussion in lessons. However, some are hesitant and lack confidence in articulating their ideas and views. Pupils’ positive attitudes are promoted through a well-attended programme of extra-curricular activities. Pupils say that they feel safe and are able to talk to adults about any concerns or worries. Most parents who completed the Ofsted online survey said that their children are safe and well looked after at school. Bullying is infrequent and pupils say that the few incidents of bullying are tackled well. Some parents do not share pupils’ confidence in the school’s response to concerns. Senior leaders keep a close eye on the pupils attending alternative provision. Placements are carefully matched to pupils’ interests and learning programmes are well planned. Pupils say that they do not have enough opportunities to learn about and discuss personal and social issues such as health and relationships. Pupils do not know enough about future destinations and, as a result, they are not always well equipped to make decisions about the next stage of their education, training or employment. The planned programme of careers education and guidance needs to be improved. Pupils with special educational needs are not always identified or assessed accurately or in a timely enough way.
Behaviour The behaviour of pupils requires improvement. Pupils say that behaviour has improved but it is not good. Improved behaviour is demonstrated by the decrease in exclusions. Although the biggest decrease is for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs, rates of exclusion for these groups remain higher than for other groups of pupils. Pupils have responded well to the school’s higher expectations and teachers’ more consistent practice in managing behaviour. Although infrequent, low-level disruptive behaviour is still evident in lessons when work is not well matched to pupils’ interests and levels of ability. Attendance has improved since the last inspection but remains below the national average. Improvement has been faster since January 2015 when tutor time was moved to the start of the day and house groups were changed to year groups. Attendance continued to improve in the first half of the autumn term. Punctuality is better than it was at the same time last year. Higher expectations and more consistently applied sanctions are having a positive impact.
Outcomes for pupils require improvement
The proportion of pupils achieving five A* to C grades in English and mathematics at GCSE has risen steadily since the last inspection but remains below the national average.
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The progress made by current pupils in all year groups and in a wide range of subjects is variable but improving. Over time, the strengthening quality of teaching is having a positive impact on pupils’ progress. The progress made by pupils in English has increased and is now above the national average. In contrast, the progress made by pupils in mathematics is below the national average. Not enough pupils make expected progress in mathematics and very few exceed expectations. Disadvantaged pupils are making faster progress in English and now achieve as well as other pupils nationally. In mathematics, the gap between the progress made by disadvantaged pupils and other pupils nationally is closing, but not quickly enough. The most-able and least-able pupils and those with special educational needs do not make fast enough progress in mathematics and in a wide range of other subjects. Almost all pupils move onto further education, training and employment at the end of Year 11.
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School details
Unique reference number 118108 Local authority Kingston upon Hull City Council Inspection number 10001579
This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.
Type of school Secondary School category Foundation Age range of pupils 11–16 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 849 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mary Harker Headteacher Ged Fitzpatrick Telephone number 01482 799132 Website www.andrew-marvell.com Email address [email protected] Date of previous inspection 26–27 November 2013
Information about this school
Andrew Marvell College is smaller than the average-sized secondary school. The proportion of pupils supported through the pupil premium (additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, and those looked after by the local authority) is much higher than the national average. The majority of pupils are of White British heritage. Since the last inspection, the proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups and the proportion of pupils whose first language is not English have increased. The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is higher than the national average. The school uses the following alternative providers: Hull College, St Mary’s College, Motorvation, DKM Construction, Hull City Academy, Oakfield School, Ashwell Academy, Alcrest Academy, Avenues Nursery, Local Works, Bishop Burton College, Rise Academy and Winifred Holtby Academy. The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress. The executive headteacher and interim headteacher are from St Mary’s College, Hull and have been in post since October 2014. A significant number of staff have left and joined the school since the last inspection.
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Information about this inspection
Inspectors observed teaching and learning in 22 lessons, seven of which were observed jointly with the executive headteacher, the interim headteacher and other senior leaders. Inspectors also made shorter visits to lessons in a range of subjects, spoke to pupils and examined the work in their books and folders. Inspectors examined documents relating to governance, school improvement planning, school self- evaluation, pupils’ progress, the curriculum and safeguarding. Meetings were held with the executive headteacher, interim headteacher, other senior and middle leaders, a group of teachers, a representative from the local authority and members of the governing body. Inspectors held meetings with pupils and parents, considered the information recorded on Parent View and took account of 35 staff questionnaires.
Inspection team
Nick Whittaker, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Bernard Campbell Her Majesty’s Inspector Stuart Cleary Ofsted Inspector David Pridding Ofsted Inspector
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