Ofsted inspection, May 2007
"a good and rapidly improving school"
"a significant improvement in standards since the last inspection"
"The school is rightly proud of its students' GCSE results in 2006 which exceeded their expectaions and demonstrated that achievement is good across the school"
"Students make good progress because there is mutual respect between adults and youngsters and learning takes place in a calm atmosphere"
"It fosters excellent partnerships with other schools for the benefit of pupils yet to begin their secondary education"
"Students' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good"
This is what the Ofsted Inspectors had to say the last time they came to school, in January 2003.
Introduction
In January 2003 an independent inspection team of 13 visited our school for 5 days. They spent their time visiting 163 lessons, sampling children's work and talking to pupils, parents and people associated to the school on 45 occasions. This section gives you an overview of some of the positive comments they made about our school.
“We are an improving school”
“Standards are rising ”
“Direction for improvement is very good ”
“Pupils attitudes and behaviour are good”
“ Relationships between teacher and pupils are very good ”
“The school's links with primary schools, colleges and community organisations are very good ”
“The school's care and support for pupils are good ”
Since the last inspection in 1997 the inspectors said....
Teachers expectations have improved, work is challenging, pupils progress is monitored more closely and the quality of homework has improved.
What the inspectors said about...
Our staff and their teaching…
96% of the lessons observed by the inspectors were satisfactory and above
English …
The quality of teaching is good, with very thorough planning of lessons
Pupils have a positive attitude towards the subject
The department is efficiently managed
Maths …
The overall quality of teaching is satisfactory with much that is good
Teachers generally have high expectations of behaviour and effort
Relationships between teachers and pupils are good overall
Pupils with special educational needs make good progress
Science …
High attaining pupils in years 10 and 11 achieve well
Teachers planning is good
Relationships between teachers and pupils are good
Assessment is thorough and used well to guide learning
The use of ICT in teaching and learning is developing well
Modern Foreign Languages…
Teaching is good and staff are committed
Pupils are well managed and this results in good relationships
Teaching is clearly related to the cultural context of the people who speak the languages
Information and Communication Technology/Business…
Pupils have a sound grasp of concepts, apply them well in class and in answering routine questions and are achieving well overall
Teaching and learning are good
Pupils share ideas freely and work together
The department is improving the quality and range of learning resources
Religious Education…
There is some good and occasionally very good teaching
Pupils taking the subject achieve satisfactorily
There is good provision for pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development
Drama…
Teaching is very good
The subject is very popular and pupils' response is positive and committed GCSE results in 2002 were above the national average
The subject makes a strong contribution to the school's cultural life
Art and Design…
Teaching is good, which means that pupils learn well in lessons
The management of the department is good
Staff demonstrate a good shared commitment to improve standards
Pupils behave well and show good personal development
Pupils with special educational needs achieve well
Citizenship…
Management and the introduction of citizenship education is very good
The quality of curriculum planning is very good
Management and leadership are very strong
The programmes of study across years 7 to 11 are comprehensive
History…
Teachers use a wide range of teaching methods
Progress made by pupils in years 9 and 10 is good
Assessment practice in years 7 to 9 is good
Design and Technology…
The subject is well managed and led
Teaching is good overall; lessons are planned well and proceed at a good pace
Pupils attainment and progress is monitored rigorously
Physical Education…
Teaching is good overall
The relationships between pupils and teachers are good and contribute to pupils' learning
Lessons have a good focus on health
Geography…
Teaching and learning are good on the GCSE course
Pupils make good progress
Leadership and management are good with a clear view of how to improve
The department makes a very good contribution to the teaching of citizenship
Very good use is made of computer aided demonstrations to intensify learning through powerful images
Music…
Leadership and management of the department are very good
Teaching is good in years 7 to 9 and very good in years 10 and 11
Extra-curricular provision is very good
The contribution the subject makes to the pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is very good
The contribution the subject makes to the life of the school community is good
General…
The best teaching, and there is some in every subject, is challenging and motivates pupils to learn well
Teachers plan lessons well and have sound expectations of what pupils should learn
Relationships between teachers and pupils are generally good and this leads to good behaviour and a positive attitude to work on the part of the majority of pupils
Pupils welfare is a priority and the procedures to promote personal development are good
Assessment procedures are good and the school provides good academic support
Our pupils and their learning…
Pupils are interested and keen to learn
They take part enthusiastically in the wide range of activities provided for them
Most pupils behave well in lessons
They show good self control when moving around the building and during break and lunch times
Relationships are good between pupils and adults
Personal development is good with many opportunities for pupils to take responsibility and show initiative
What pleases parents most…
Children like school
They make good progress
Children's behaviour is mostly good
Teaching is good
School deals with parents' questions and problems well
The school has high expectations
The school is well managed and led IT helps children become mature and responsible
There is a good range of extra curricular activities