School report Stephenson Studio School Thornborough Road, Coalville, Leicestershire LE67 3TN Inspection dates 26–27 June 2018 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 quality of teaching is not consistently good Senior leaders’ regular checks on pupils’ across the whole school. progress are not precise enough to identify in a timely manner those pupils who are not making Average-ability pupils do not make as much as much progress as they should. progress as they should across a range of subjects. Not all teachers set these pupils work Pupils do not consistently receive detailed that is suitably challenging. feedback that enables them to improve on their learning. Although improving, attainment in science remains too low. The proportion of pupils who are absent is above the national average. Not all pupils develop their communication skills, including reading and writing, rapidly The proportion of pupils excluded from school enough. is above the national average. The school has the following strengths Senior leaders know what they must do to School leaders carefully review the improve the provision further. They are effectiveness with which they use additional ambitious for their pupils. government funding to support eligible pupils. Achievement in Year 10 is improving. These The ‘Step Into’ provision for students who pupils have benefited from better-quality continue at the school after Year 11 prepares teaching and support while at the school. them well for their next steps in further education and training. Pupils achieve well in work-related subjects that match their abilities and interests well. Safeguarding leaders work closely with parents and local agencies to ensure that pupils are Pupils’ personal development is good due to safe and know how to keep themselves safe. the effective guidance and support that they receive from staff. Members of the governing body provide robust challenge and support. The curriculum, enhanced by extra-curricular activities and weekly work experience, helps Through their engagement with external pupils to prepare well for their next steps. support, senior leaders have been able to develop their leadership skills well. 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 impact of leadership and management by ensuring that: – senior leaders’ checks on pupils’ progress across all subjects provide precise information to identify when pupils are not making as much progress as they should, so that these pupils receive timely and appropriate support – senior leaders’ checks on the quality of teaching bring about the necessary improvements to ensure that all teaching is consistently good – strategies to improve pupils’ communication skills enable them to become secure in reading and writing so that they can access increasingly challenging work and demonstrate their understanding in full. Improve the quality of teaching so that pupils’ achievement, particularly for those of average ability, continues to improve, including, but not exclusively, in science, by ensuring that all teachers: – plan activities that enable pupils to make good progress – carefully check that pupils are secure in their understanding before moving learning on – provide pupils with precise feedback, and the time to act on this feedback, so that they can improve on their knowledge, skills and understanding. Improve pupils’ personal development, behaviour and welfare by ensuring that the proportions of pupils who are absent and those who are excluded from school continue to fall and are at least in line with the respective national average. Inspection report: Stephenson Studio School, 26–27 June 2018 Page 2 of 12 Inspection judgements Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement The improvements that senior leaders have brought about to the quality of teaching have yet to ensure that teaching is consistently good across the school. Because of this, while achievement is improving, not all pupils achieve as highly as they should. This applies particularly in science and to pupils of average ability. Senior leaders’ regular checks on pupils’ progress lack the necessary precision to identify in a timely manner the pupils who are not making rapid enough progress. As a result, not all pupils receive the support that they need to make at least the progress that they should across all subjects. The strategies that senior leaders have used to improve pupils’ communication skills have not yet ensured that all pupils are able to read and write confidently. Pupils who are not secure in their communication skills do not achieve as highly as they should. Through introducing the ‘Stephenson Way’, senior leaders have raised their expectations about the quality of teaching that they expect from teachers. Frequent visits to lessons and checks on pupils’ work enable senior leaders to identify when classroom practice is not appropriately challenging and provide appropriate support. Leaders rightly recognise that there is still more to do to ensure that all teaching is consistently good. Regular training on all aspects of teaching and assessment is enabling teachers to develop further their classroom practice. This training includes that which an external school provides, as well as opportunities for staff to meet with each other. This is helping to resolve the inconsistencies that exist in the quality of teaching. Senior leaders now work more closely with the schools at which pupils previously studied. This is enabling staff to identify at an early stage any additional needs that pupils may have and to provide timely support. Because of this, pupils’ achievement across a range of subjects is now improving, particularly in Year 10. Senior leaders regularly review the effectiveness of their use of additional government funding to support disadvantaged pupils. Leaders know the individual circumstances that may prevent pupils from attending regularly and making rapid progress. They ensure that these pupils receive appropriate support through the pupil premium. The difference between the attainment of disadvantaged pupils and other pupils nationally is now beginning to diminish. The senior leader who oversees the progress and welfare of pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities undertakes regular checks on the effectiveness of the support that they receive. The achievement of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is now improving because of the well-targeted support that they receive, including one-to-one support. Senior leaders have rightly revised the curriculum to ensure that it better matches pupils’ abilities and prepares them for their next steps. The curriculum provides pupils with appropriate opportunities to develop their knowledge, skills and understanding in Inspection report: Stephenson Studio School, 26–27 June 2018 Page 3 of 12 English, mathematics, science and business studies. Pupils are also able to study work- related subjects that enable them to deepen their understanding of the world of work. By making the curriculum more relevant to pupils’ abilities, interests and aspirations, senior leaders have been able to bring about an improvement in pupils’ engagement with their learning and their achievement, particularly in Year 10. Extra-curricular activities, including a range of educational visits, enrich the curriculum. Workshops and presentations from visiting speakers, and visits to the local community and businesses, provide pupils with opportunities to develop their understanding beyond the classroom. In keeping with the school’s aim to develop pupils’ employability skills, senior leaders have ensured that pupils receive regular opportunities to attend work experience placements. Senior leaders ensure that pupils receive effective support to prepare them for their placements so that they are able to gain the most from their experience. This includes applying in the workplace what they have learned in the classroom. Senior leaders have rightly reviewed the provision that they offer those students who remain at the school at the end of Year 11. The ‘Step Into’ programme enables students to develop their employability skills and to complete qualifications in English and mathematics that are at the appropriate level. The programme provides students with effective opportunities to prepare for their next steps in further education, employment with training, or an apprenticeship. The leader of mathematics has ensured that pupils receive regular opportunities to develop their numeracy skills across the curriculum. This is ensuring that pupils are becoming more confident in their use of numeracy in different subjects. Pupils receive appropriate opportunities to develop their spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding. Through their personal, social, health and economic education, their citizenship studies and assemblies, pupils learn about different beliefs and attitudes. For example,
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