Inspection report : South Craven School , 12 – 13 March 2013 5 of 9
A * standard . Similarly , outstanding teaching in a Year 11 English lesson enabled students to identify where they could improve their work in preparation for the GCSE examination .
• Lessons comprise continuous feedback to students on how well they are doing . If teachers believe that progress is not quite as rapid as it should be , they modify their approach to ensure that all students , irrespective of their ability , are on track to reach the learning targets . Marking is regular , accurate and provides students with detailed comment on how they improve their work and raise their standards further . On occasion , however , teachers do not give students sufficient opportunity to respond to the feedback they receive .
• Parents who responded to the on-line questionnaire are generally entirely satisfied with the quality of teaching their children receive .
The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding
• Parents rightly believe their children are happy and safe in school because , in their view , ‘ Staff are motivating , friendly and approachable and the support and guidance students receive are outstanding .’ Students agree and show how proud they are to attend the school with comments such as , ‘ We are proud of each other and there is a will for everyone to succeed .’ Without doubt , the school ’ s exceptional support for students on the autistic spectrum is mirrored in the support it provides for all groups .
• Indeed , students ’ conduct and engagement in learning are exceptional : they are invariably polite to visitors , are keen to support and look after each other and display very good manners . They are delighted to show visitors their work and to talk about all aspects of school life .
• They have a profound understanding of the dangers of bullying in all its forms , including cyberbullying and bullying based on prejudice . They say that bullying does occur , but that it is rare and is always dealt with promptly and effectively by staff . They feel safe as a result , and also value the emphasis the school places on them using the Internet safely .
• The school promotes students ’ spiritual , moral , social and cultural development outstandingly well . For example , as part of their sports leadership programme , sixth-formers support younger students in the inter-form games ; sixth-formers also usefully take part in paired reading with students in Key Stage 3 . Music and drama play a vital role in students ’ cultural development and their multicultural awareness is promoted by their partnership with schools in Sri Lanka and Ghana . Students take the lead in organising activities to raise money for a wide range of charities , to support ‘ Help for Heroes ’ and the Air Ambulance , for example .
• Students benefit from a variety of extra-curricular subject clubs and other activities , including sport , engineering and recreational games such as chess . They also receive visitors from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge , who talk to them about university life and how to aim for the highest standards .
• Staff make regular visits to the local colleges which provide vocational courses for students . Students say they are safe there and enjoy the activities .
• Attendance is well above average and has been so since the academy opened . Students are punctual to school and to their lessons .
The leadership and management are outstanding
• At all levels , leaders and managers have a very clear view of how successful the school can be and have the highest ambitions for students and staff alike . The talented headteacher , supported to the full by the committed senior leadership team , leads by example and shows great determination in driving forward improvements in both the main school and in the sixth form . The school ’ s procedures for checking and improving the quality of teaching are faultless , as are its systems to monitor students ’ progress and attainment . The school knows itself exceptionally well and its procedures for gaining an accurate view of its performance are honest