INSPECTION REPORT DALLAM SCHOOL Milnthorpe LEA area: Cumbria Unique reference number: 112432 Headteacher: Mr S. Holdup Reporting inspector: Mr H. White 2795 Dates of inspection: 11th – 14th November 2002 Inspection number: 249750 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: Comprehensive School category: Foundation Age range of pupils: 11 to 18 Gender of pupils: Mixed School address: Haverflatts Lane Milnthorpe Cumbria Postcode: LA7 7DD Telephone number: 015395 63224 Fax number: 015395 63913 Appropriate authority: The Governing Body Name of chair of governors: Mr Brian W. Walker Date of previous inspection: 3rd November 1997 Dallam School - 3 INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities 2795 H. White Registered Information about the inspector school The school’s results and achievements How well are pupils taught? How well the school is led and managed What should the school do to improve further? 9921 P. Blackshaw Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 11118 B. Armour Sixth form co- Geography (Sixth form) ordinator 12500 P. Burton Team inspector Design and technology 1547 G. Clarke Team inspector Provision for pupils with special educational needs Boarding provision 3552 D. Darwood Team inspector History 31171 O. Dutton Team inspector Music (11-16) 14738 C. Hall Team inspector Information and communication technology Educational inclusion 8909 J. Hayward Team inspector Citizenship How good are the curricular and other opportunities Geography offered to pupils? Religious education 22906 B. Hodgson Team inspector Physical education 12183 P. J. Ingram Team inspector Mathematics 22685 N. Moss Team inspector English 16950 C. Orr Team inspector Modern foreign languages 13337 D. R. Pritchard Team inspector Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Community links 12045 I. Rye Team inspector Science (11-16) Biology (Sixth form) 23564 A. Thornton-Clarke Team inspector Art and design Dallam School - 4 Dallam School - 5 The inspection contractor was: Power House Inspections Grasshoppers 1 Anglesey Close Chasetown Burntwood Staffordshire WS7 8XA 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 Dallam School - 6 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 PART B: COMMENTARY HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 16 The school’s results and pupils’ achievements Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT? 22 HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS? 26 HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS? 33 HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS? 38 HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED? 39 WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER? 45 COMMUNITY LINKS 47 PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS 49 PART D: THE STANDARDS AND QUALITY OF TEACHING IN AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES IN KEY STAGES 3 AND 4 55 PART E: THE STANDARDS AND QUALITY OF TEACHING IN AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES IN THE SIXTH FORM 83 Dallam School - 7 PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL Dallam School is a smaller than average, oversubscribed, mixed 11 to 18 mixed comprehensive school serving the village of Milnthorpe and Heversham. There are 866 pupils on roll, of whom 151 attend the sixth form. The 50 boarding pupils come mainly from homes abroad, in particular Hong Kong and Macau; 24 have English as an additional language. Few pupils are socially disadvantaged and the majority of parents are interested and supportive. The proportion having free school meals is below the national average. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs, including statements, is below the national average. The range of special needs includes dyslexia, physical disabilities and difficulties with learning and behaviour. Three per cent of pupils are of Chinese origin; most other pupils are of white heritage. Pupils’ attainment when they start in Year 7 is above the national average. The school has an extensive Community Education programme that is an integral part of the school. The school became a Specialist Language College in 1997. The headteacher and both deputies took up their posts at the start of the current term. The school occupies two sites that are just over a mile apart. HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS The school gives its pupils a good education. Standards in external examinations are well above the national average. Good teaching, pupils’ very good attitudes to learning and good management systems enable pupils to make good progress overall. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. The sixth form is good. The school gives good value for money. What the school does well · Teachers’ subject knowledge is very good; attainment in examinations throughout the school is well-above the national average. · Pupils behave well, attendance is high, and they are committed to learning at school and doing well in their examinations. · Tutors have a very good knowledge of their pupils. The good systems for monitoring the progress of pupils throughout the school help maintain the high standards. · Good systems for monitoring the work of teachers and departments sustain high GCSE and A-level standards. · There is a very good range of extra-curricular activities. · The school has impressive links with its community; these provide additional curriculum and enrichment opportunities. · There is a good sixth form. · The new headteacher is providing very good leadership; he is well-supported by the leadership team. What could be improved · Standards in Years 7, 8 and 9 in information and communication technology (ICT) and music. · Strategies to raise the quality of more of the teaching from good to very good and excellent. · Structured programmes for personal, social and health education and citizenship. · The lack of curriculum planning in ICT to ensure the statutory programmes of study are taught in Years 10 and 11 for a small group of pupils not taking an external examination. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan. HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION Improvement since the last inspection in 1997 is good. The school has maintained the high standards attained in public examinations. The amount of good teaching has also risen. The Dallam School - 8 major key issues from the last report have been satisfactorily addressed. Procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress are good. The monitoring of the work of departments is good. The new leadership team has undertaken a high quality self-evaluation of the school, prior to this inspection. Good use is made of registration periods and sixth form tutor time. The arrangements for collective worship have not been tackled. Significant improvements in accommodation have taken place through the provision of the language centre and the science, art and design and technology building. 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 schools well above average A 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 A A A Over the period 1997 to 2001, the results in the national tests for 14 years olds in English, mathematics and science were well-above the national average, above the national average for similar schools and improved faster than the national trend. Achievement is good overall. Results were higher in 2002. Overall standards of work seen in year 9 are above the national average and achievement is good. Standards of work seen are well-above average and achievement is good in mathematics. Standards are above average and achievement is good in English, science, design and technology, art and design and physical education. Standards are average and achievement is satisfactory in other subjects except ICT and music where standards are below average and achievement is unsatisfactory. Over the period 1997 to 2001 the GCSE results were well-above the national average, well- above average when compared to similar schools and in line with targets set by the school. The improvement was above the national trend and achievement was good overall. Results in mathematics and science were well-above the national average. In English they were above the national average. Overall results remained well-above average in 2002 although the proportion of pupils gaining 5 passes at grades A*-C dropped by 9 percentage points.