Inspection report: South Craven School, 12 – 13 March 2013 4 of 9
Inspection judgements
The achievement of pupils is outstanding
• Although there are variations from year to year, students’ attainment on entry to Year 7 is generally broadly in line with that seen nationally. As a result of an outstanding curriculum, consistently high-quality teaching and focused support for small groups and individuals, all groups of students make outstanding progress and reach well above average standards at least by the end of Year 11. Attainment and achievement in both academic and vocational subjects are equally impressive.
• Similarly, students in the sixth form achieve outstandingly well. From just below average standards on entry to Year 12, they, too, make outstanding progress in their studies and reach above average attainment by the time they leave for employment, further or higher education. Increasing numbers of students are entering universities with a high reputation for academic excellence.
• Detailed monitoring of students’ progress in all subjects highlights any possible underachievement rapidly and leads to support sessions which are exactly what students need to get back on track. Inspection evidence, including lesson observations and scrutiny of students’ work, show that well-above average proportions of students are making more-than-expected progress in English and mathematics and that there is an increasing proportion on course to exceed their extremely challenging targets.
• More-able students are doing very well indeed, but the school would like them to do even better and is now placing emphasis on further developing teachers’ questioning in class, in order to enable an even greater proportion of these students to attain the higher GCSE grades.
• Pupil premium funding is spent wisely, for example on‘ catch-up’ English and mathematics sessions and lunchtime study support. Students known to be eligible for free school meals make outstanding progress in English and mathematics, in relation to similar students nationally, as a consequence. Similarly, disabled students and those with special educational needs progress exceptionally well as a result of outstanding support and modifications to the curriculum when necessary. Students on the autistic spectrum receive outstanding support as do the few students from minority ethnic heritages. They too make outstanding progress in their studies.
• Parents are delighted with the progress their children make. As one parent commented,‘ Our son, who is diagnosed with autism, continues to thrive and develop, because of the sensitive support and nurture he receives.’
The quality of teaching is outstanding
• Excellent subject knowledge, activities and methods which enable students to learn quickly and many opportunities for students to find things out for themselves are the key features of teaching across the school. Students speak highly of their teachers and of the other adults who work with them and comment,‘ Learning is fun but our teachers really make us think!’
• Teaching is outstanding, but senior and middle leaders are not complacent and still place great emphasis on improving classroom practice even further. The sharing of good and exemplary practice is the norm and several departments provide a variety of whole-school training. Staff are encouraged to observe each other in the classroom and newly-qualified teachers and teachers in training benefit from observing teaching, not just in their own subjects, but also in other areas of the curriculum.
• In the vast majority of lessons, students are fully engaged in their learning, have the utmost confidence in their teachers and are never afraid to ask for help when they are unsure. They are delighted to work in pairs and groups and enjoy supporting and challenging each other in their learning. They make an exceptional contribution to their own learning. In a Year 10 Spanish lesson, for example, in which teaching was outstanding students quite naturally questioned each other about how different tenses could be used to ensure that their writing was of grade A and