INSPECTION REPORT RICHARD CHALLONER SCHOOL New Malden LEA area: Kingston-on-Thames Unique reference number: 102606 Headteacher: Tom Cahill Reporting inspector: Paul Sadler OIN: 1611 Dates of inspection: 4-7 February 2002 Inspection number: 190515 Full inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 © Crown copyright 2002 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: Modern (non-selective) School category: Voluntary aided Age range of pupils: 11-18 years Gender of pupils: Boys School address: Manor Drive North New Malden Surrey Postcode: KT3 5PE Telephone number: 0208 330 5947 Fax number: 0208 330 3842 Appropriate authority: The governing body Name of chair of governors: Mark Draper Date of previous inspection: 18 November 1996 Richard Challoner School - 3 INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM Subject Aspect Team members responsibilities responsibilities 1611 Paul Sadler Registered What sort of school is inspector it? The school’s results and pupils’ and students’ achievements How well are pupils and students taught? How well is the school led and managed? 9646 Geraldine Osment Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development How well does the school care for its pupils and students? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 12499 Marie Durkin Team inspector English English as an additional language 23528 Andrew Bird Team inspector Mathematics Equality of opportunity 22691 Raymond Woodhouse Team inspector Science 23469 Aneurin Davies Team inspector Information and communication technology 31441 Margaret King Team inspector Information and communication technology 4117 Elizabeth Morgan Team inspector Design and technology 15462 Clifford Blakemore Team inspector Geography Business education 3832 John Ayerst Team inspector Art How good are the Music curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils and students? 10759 Lyn Bappa Team inspector History 31690 Bridget Smith Team inspector Modern foreign languages – French 29212 Melanie Smith Team inspector Modern foreign languages – Spanish 4512 Anthony Bailey Team inspector Physical education 7926 James Bowden Team inspector Special educational needs Richard Challoner School - 4 The inspection contractor was: Serco QAA Ltd Herringston Barn Herringston Dorchester Dorset DT2 9PU 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 Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division The Office for Standards in Education Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Richard Challoner School - 5 REPORT CONTENTS Page PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7 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 ANNEX: THE SIXTH FORM 11 PART B: COMMENTARY HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 13 The school’s results and pupils’ achievements Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT? 15 HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS? 17 HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS? 19 HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS? 21 HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED? 21 WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER? 23 PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS 24 PART D: THE STANDARDS AND QUALITY OF TEACHING IN AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES IN KEY STAGES 3 AND 4 29 PART E: THE STANDARDS AND QUALITY OF TEACHING IN AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES IN THE SIXTH FORM 50 Richard Challoner School - 6 PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL Richard Challoner is a non-selective Catholic voluntary-aided school for boys aged 11-18 years. There are 698 boys on roll, which is smaller than the average secondary school, but the school is over- subscribed. There are 88 males in the sixth form. Pupils come from a variety of social and economic backgrounds and despite the presence of selective schools in the area, standards on entry are average; they are above average in some subjects such as science. The proportion eligible for free school meals (7.1 per cent) is below the national average. The proportion speaking English as an additional language (7.5 per cent) is higher than in most schools, the highest number having Korean as their first language. Eleven per cent of pupils are of ethnic minority heritage, including four per cent from white ethnic minorities. There are 21.1 per cent of boys with special educational needs, of whom 2.5 per cent have a Statement of Special Educational Need. This is broadly in line with the national average. HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS This is a very good school providing very good value for money. Standards are very good in English, mathematics and science at the ends of Years 9 and 11 and pupils achieve very well throughout the school. In 2001 at the end of Year 9, the proportion of pupils achieving the levels expected was well above the national average in all three subjects, as was the proportion achieving higher levels. At the end of Year 11, 61.5 per cent achieved at least five GCSE passes at the higher grades A*-C, compared with 50 per cent nationally. These results represent a considerable improvement since the last inspection in 1996 and are also even higher when compared with boys nationally. Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are a particular strength; leadership and management of the school are good. What the school does well · Consistently good teaching in all subjects. · Pupils’ standards and achievement, especially in English, mathematics, science, design and technology, art and modern foreign languages. · Pupils’ attitudes, behaviour, relationships and attendance. · Procedures for ensuring pupils’ welfare. · The commitment to improvement and capacity to succeed. What could be improved · The quality and use of ongoing assessment at Key Stage 3. · The use of the outcomes of monitoring and evaluation to plan future development. · The accommodation for art and physical education. · The provision for information and communication technology at Key Stage 4. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan. HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION The school was last inspected in November 1996. Since that time there have been consistent improvements in pupils’ standards by Years 9 and 11. In 1996, 15 per cent of the teaching observed was unsatisfactory; this has been eradicated. Of the key issues identified in that inspection, those concerning meeting the needs of pupils with special educational needs, dealing with disapplication of the National Curriculum, providing an adequate music curriculum, improving provision for the professional development of staff, improving the co-ordination of personal, social and health education and dealing with health and safety matters in technology, have all been dealt with successfully. Some work remains to be done on the monitoring of school policies, the assessment policy and meeting the requirements for information and communication technology for pupils in Years 9 and 11. Some Richard Challoner School - 7 progress has been made on these issues. Overall, the school’s improvement since the last inspection has been good. STANDARDS The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 11 and sixth form students at the end of Year 13 based on average point scores in GCSE and A-level/AS-level examinations. compared with Key similar Performance in: all schools well above average A schools above average B 1999 2000 2001 2001 average C below average D GCSE examinations A A A A well below average E A-levels/AS-levels E E C Standards are well above average in tests and examinations in English, mathematics and science at the end of Year 9. GCSE results are well above average in English, mathematics, science, art, design and technology, business studies, French and Spanish. GCSE results are above the national average in music, information and communication technology and physical education, but are below average in geography and history. Overall, these results represent an improvement since the last inspection. There was something of a decline in results at the end of Years 9 and 11 in the period 1997-99. Improvements in Year 2000 and 2001 have more than made up for this and the school’s improvement remains stronger than the national trend. The results represent good achievement on the part of pupils. In most areas, pupils’ standards are at the national average on entering the school although strengths outweigh weaknesses in English, mathematics and science. Their skills in art, technology and PE are, however, below average. In work seen, particular strengths were in the use of extended writing across a range of subjects, oral skills in modern foreign languages and the standards of presentation of work using information and communication technology (ICT). The school sets and usually meets appropriate and demanding targets. PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES Aspect Comment Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils enjoy school and are keen to learn. Behaviour, in and out of Very good.