Marlwood School Inspection report Unique Reference Number 109325 Local Authority South Gloucestershire Inspection number 356527 Inspection dates 18–19 November 2010 Reporting inspector Anne Looney This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Comprehensive School category Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 11–18 Gender of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 1205 Of which, number on roll in the sixth form 201 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Kathryn Khan Headteacher Keith Geary Date of previous school inspection 30 January 2008 School address Vattingstone Lane Bristol BS35 3LA Telephone number 01454 862525 Fax number 01454 411052 Email address [email protected] Age group 11–18 Inspection dates 18–19 November 2010 Inspection number 356527 Inspection report: Marlwood School, 18–19 November 2010 2 of 15 The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 1234 234, or email [email protected]. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational pur poses, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the documentation in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to 'Subscribe'. Royal Exchange Buildings St Ann's Square Manchester M2 7LA T: 0300 1234 234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: [email protected] W: www.ofsted.gov.uk © Crown copyright 2010 Inspection report: Marlwood School, 18–19 November 2010 3 of 15 Introduction This inspection was carried out by one of Her Majesty's Inspectors and four additional inspectors. Inspectors observed 39 lessons, observed 39 teachers, held telephone discussions with a sample of the school's partners and held meetings with members of the governing body, staff and groups of students. They observed the school's work, and looked at the school's self-evaluation and improvement planning documents, external evaluations of the school's work, policy documents and students' work. They also scrutinised 281 questionnaires sent in by parents and carers, and those completed by staff and a sample of students from each year group.�� The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school's work. It looked in detail at a number of key areas. How good is the achievement of all students, including that of minority groups? How effectively do teaching and the curriculum meet the academic and personal needs of all groups of students? How well are middle leaders involved in the drive for improvement, and how effectively do all leaders ensure that monitoring and evaluation lead to targeted intervention and improvement? Information about the school Marlwood School is larger than the average comprehensive, serving an extensive catchment area. The majority of students are White British, and there are few students who are known to be eligible for free school meals. The proportion of students from minority ethnic groups or who speak English as an additional language is below average. The school achieved specialist status in science in 2003 and was re-designated in 2008. The school's Investors in People status was renewed in 2009. In 2010, the school was awarded Artsmark Gold. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is broadly average and has increased over the last three years. These pupils' needs include specific learning difficulties and behavioural, emotional and social difficulties. Inspection report: Marlwood School, 18–19 November 2010 4 of 15 Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms Inspection judgements Overall effectiveness: how good is the school? 2 The school's capacity for sustained improvement 2 Main findings Marlwood is a good school. It has made steady improvement in students' academic outcomes since the last inspection while maintaining a strong sense of being an inclusive community. Attainment is above average and the school has worked hard, and successfully, to improve GCSE results in subjects where performance had been less strong. It has also had considerable success in improving the standards that boys reach by the age of 16. All students make good progress, although progress has been more marked in Years 10 and 11 than in Years 7 to 9. A key element of the school's success is the outstanding care, guidance and support which students receive. Almost all students who responded to the questionnaire said that they felt safe at the school and that the school prepared them well for the future. The support given to those students experiencing difficulties in their lives is excellent. Attendance has improved, and students' good behaviour plays a strong role in their positive attitudes to learning. Students make a good contribution both to their school and to the wider community. Indeed, all the outcomes that relate to students' broader personal development are good. There is consensus amongst teachers that there is now a much greater focus on, and discussion about, teaching and its impact on learning. This has led to greater sharing of ideas and teaching is now good, ensuring that students make good gains in learning. Lessons are well resourced and planned, and teachers' relationships with their classes are good. A key characteristic of the good teaching observed during the inspection was the manner in which teachers involved students in their learning by extensive and well- planned independent or group work. There is still some inconsistency in the way teachers meet the needs of all students by stretching all and providing support for lower-ability. There is also some variation in students' knowledge and understanding of exactly how to improve their work. The school provides a good curriculum which is broad and balanced throughout, reflects the strengths of its science specialism and which has increasing personalisation, particularly in Years 10 and 11. Senior leaders have set a clear and shared agenda for improvement. They have developed well the support for, and accountability of, middle leaders and, as a result, the effectiveness of action taken at middle leader level has improved. Challenging targets are accepted as the norm and students' progress towards these targets is regularly and carefully monitored. A particularly effective tool is the rolling programme by which leaders focus in turn on the progress of different minority groups. There has been a concerted programme of lesson observations and the school has made very good use of local authority personnel to support the standardisation of judgements on teaching. Continuing professional development is used well to help teachers improve their teaching following observation. These actions and the subsequent positive impact on students' achievement indicate that the school has a good capacity to improve. Senior leaders and the governing Inspection report: Marlwood School, 18–19 November 2010 5 of 15 Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms body have a clear picture of the school's strengths and areas for development. Their formal self-evaluation is detailed and judgements are well supported by evidence. What does the school need to do to improve further? Accelerate the rate at which all students make progress by ensuring that teachers consistently: plan to meet the learning needs of students of all abilities and ensure that activities provide sufficient challenge and/or support to help students meet their goals ensure that students are clear about exactly what they need to do to improve their work in all their subjects. Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2 Students of all ages and abilities show positive attitudes to their learning. They engage particularly well when they are stimulated through skilful questioning and when the work challenges them to work to the best of their ability. Collaborative learning is a strength in some subjects, for example in English and history. Students are articulate and contribute well in lessons. The large majority make good progress in lessons. Students' learning and progress are less pronounced when tasks are too directed by the teacher and students are less active participants. Those with special educational needs and/or disabilities make as good progress as their peers. This is largely due to the good teaching and individualised support they receive from the learning support department. The proportion of students attaining five A* to C grades and five A* to C grades including English and mathematics has risen steadily to the point in 2009 where both were significantly above the national average.