Archdiocese of Birmingham INSPECTION REPORT ST EDMUND CAMPION CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL BIRMINGHAM Inspection dates 9 th 10 th February 2012 Reporting Inspector Dr John Lally Assisting Inspector Mr Terence Hammond Inspection carried out under Section 48 of the Education Act 2005 Type of School Age range of pupils Number on roll 1032 Appropriate authority Chair of governors School address Voluntary aided 11-18 years The governing body Rev S Hill Sutton Road Erdington Birmingham B23 5XA Telephone number 0121 464 7700 E-mail address Date of previous inspection July 2009 DFE School number 330/4663 Unique Reference Number 103537 enquiry@stedcamp.bham.sch.uk Headteacher Mrs P Steele MAKING CHRIST KNOWN TODAY
Introduction The inspection was carried out by two Diocesan Inspectors. The focus of the inspection was on the effectiveness and use of the school s self evaluation of Catholic life and religious education (RE). To validate the school s self-evaluation of teaching and learning, the inspectors observed 8 part or whole RE lessons. In addition the inspectors completed a work scrutiny and held discussions with Year 9 pupils and sixth form students to evaluate the impact of teaching on their learning over time. They held meetings with a governor, senior staff, and the priest and lay chaplains. They observed a year assembly. They looked at a range of evidence related to the school s self evaluation together with RAISEonline, the school and department improvement plans, and teachers planning. Alongside the validation of school self evaluation, the inspectors gathered evidence, through a learning walk, about the spiritual, moral and vocational development across the curriculum, evidence which will be shared with other diocesan schools. Information about the school St Edmund Campion Catholic High School is an average sized Catholic secondary school. The proportion of baptised Catholic pupils is currently 59%. The proportion of pupils from ethnic minority groups is well above national average as is the proportion eligible for free school meals. The percentage of those having special needs and/or disabilities is similar to the national average. Attainment on entry is slightly below average. At sixth form level the school works in partnership with Bishop Walsh Catholic High School. Main Finding In its self evaluation the school judges that its Catholic life and religious education are good, but with some outstanding features. The school s judgements about the quality of its Catholic life, collective worship, and pupils spiritual, moral, and vocational development are wholly reliable. Since the last inspection, significant progress in all areas of school life has been made founded on highly effective monitoring and evaluation processes and closely linked improvement planning. These processes are being employed effectively to bring about the development of the curriculum and teaching and learning in religious education. While outcomes from the subject at GCSE are modest as a result of a period of staffing difficulties, subject leadership has good capacity to raise attainment and has already secured very positive pupil attitudes to religious education. School Self Evaluation Self evaluation at St Edmund Campion presents a predominantly accurate and realistic assessment of where the school is in its Catholic life and religious education. The outcome of systematic processes for monitoring which are appropriately focused on the impact of the work of the school is a strong awareness of not only of the school s current position, but also how it can be moved forward. The processes are founded on a thorough understanding of the mission of the school as part of the universal and local church community and the school s role in educating the whole child. At the last inspection monitoring provided good information for forward planning, but evaluation tended to be descriptive and did not give sufficient attention to the outcomes of the Catholic life of the school. Significant progress has been made and, while there is no single formal structure for monitoring Catholic life and collective worship, the processes the school adopts provide accurate information which senior leaders use to make secure evaluations of the impact of the school s provision. Evaluation for the senior leaders is automatic: nothing happens without consideration of its effectiveness. For example, staff reflect on the mission of the school in in-service days and pupils who have been on retreat or pilgrimage to Lourdes are asked to write a reflection on their experience. Perhaps the one area where monitoring might be stronger is in relation to collective worship: that this happens is monitored and good support and guidance are provided to sustain the quality, but this quality is not consistently reviewed. The awareness of how subjects across the curriculum contribute to pupils spiritual, moral, and vocational development is a particular strength of self evaluation and this awareness is fully shared by the staff. The school correctly judges this to be an outstanding aspect of the school s provision. Governors are fully cognisant of the Catholic life MAKING CHRIST KNOWN TODAY 2
of the school and fulfil their responsibilities in evaluating it. They have a persuasive understanding of how the school strongly witnesses to Christ within the changing context of the school as the proportion of Catholic pupils declines. The relationship between self evaluation and improvement planning is excellent. Targets, based on the intimate knowledge of the school s Catholic life of the senior leaders, are appropriate to the stage at which the school finds itself. They are accompanied by clear outcomes and actions and a regular review of progress towards them. Priorities are properly identified as the main areas of action in the school improvement plan, but lesser findings from self evaluation are also given attention. Where necessary for the improvement of the Catholic life, in-service provision and retreats are provided for staff. The whole process of improvement is thorough, logically developed and reviewed, well conceived and managed, and ultimately very effective in providing for the pupils. The school judges the leadership of religious education to be good. Neither of the subject leaders has been in the school long, but there is strong evidence of the difference they have made to the teaching and learning of the subject. The outcomes at GCSE are currently below those of other subjects in the school, but the analysis of results is effective and is being used to identify the next stages in the development of the subject. Action is being taken at a whole school level to support the RE staff in raising achievement and careful monitoring and evaluation by the senior leadership team is in place. Lesson observations are very strong: judgements are realistic and well evidenced, hard messages are given in a positive and supportive fashion, and clear guidance is given on how to improve. The subject leaders have identified the key general issues about the curriculum provision and have taken action: for example, the weakness in higher A*-A results at GCSE has been identified as the consequence of early entry for the examinations in Year 10 and changes have been made to give pupils a better opportunity to perform as well as they can. In other respects, there remains much to do: the focus on improving the curriculum and re-planning the GCSE means that so far monitoring and evaluation has rested largely with the senior leadership. The subject leaders monitoring has been limited, in some measure as a result of staffing difficulties. They are very aware of the quality of teaching and have identified ways in they can, using the general school strategies, raise attainment at GCSE. As yet, however, monitoring of pupils work is not identifying and resolving an over-reliance on short answer questions in limited writing styles or some inconsistencies in marking and somewhat generous use of levels. As a consequence, evaluation of progress over time is not as effective as it needs to be. The monitoring of the RE curriculum has not been a priority and understandably so, but it will require identification of clear principles, such as the structure of the Curriculum Directory for Religious Education, to ensure that it meets all expectations. Priorities to date are right: forward planning needs to take account of these other matters. Overall effectiveness of the school 1 Outcomes for pupils in religious education are below the diocesan average at GCSE level but comparable to those in similar schools. The proportion achieving high grades A*/A fell in 2011 as the consequence of an early entry policy which has been reversed under the new subject leaders. Girls outperformed boys significantly which is not consistent with the school trend. At Advanced Level results show an improving trend under current leadership and all students achieved pass grades in the A2 examinations showing positive value added. Pupils are making secure progress in Key Stages 3 and 4 and their knowledge and understanding as displayed in their oral work is good, though better than in their written work. They use their knowledge to good effect in test situations and this promises well for improved results at GCSE. The contribution of pupils to the Catholic life of the school and collective worship and the extent to which they benefit from them are excellent. They respond very well to the many opportunities which the school offers to them for their spiritual, moral, and vocational development, for collective worship and community action. Their attitudes to the prayer life of the school are good. They are able to translate the faith of the school into action on behalf of those in need and the pupils in 1 As the quality of the school self evaluation has been affirmed, the judgements in this section of the report conform largely to those of the school. MAKING CHRIST KNOWN TODAY 3
general have a strong sense of justice and fairness which extends beyond themselves and their community. Provision for collective worship in the school is strong. The chapel is at the heart of the school and the newly appointed chaplain and the lay chaplain have a very good understanding of how it needs to be further developed. The senior leadership team has an exceptional understanding of and commitment to the Catholicity of the school, placing it at the forefront of all that the school does. They fully understand that the Catholic ethos of the school underpins and impacts critically upon the success of the all of its other endeavours. The progress that the school has made in all respects since the last inspections has been founded on the development of its ethos and the provision for the spiritual development of all members of the community, pupils and staff alike. There is a clear sense of purpose and direction which is increasingly shared by all under the leadership of the senior team. Governors are fully supportive of the Catholic character of the school and are prominent in promoting it alongside the headteacher. Leadership of the RE department is developing well. As with the whole school spiritual life, there is a good sense of purpose in its direction which is also extremely well supported by the senior leaders and governors. Staffing problems have been a slight distraction in securing progress, but the subject leaders have identified appropriate first targets for development and are making good progress in achieving them, in particular securing the quality of teaching which will raise pupils achievement. Teaching in religious education is good overall and the two subject leaders present good role models to recently appointed staff. They collaborate well and are creative in their planning. They use assessment data effectively to aid learning of all groups of pupils and raise their attainment. The school has identified the need for greater variety in the tasks that are set including those which will enable the pupils to write in a wider range of styles. Curriculum provision is under development at both Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4, the latter following review of the early entry policy of the previous subject leader. In Key Stage 3, some closer alignment with the requirements of the Bishops Conference Curriculum Directory is needed to ensure an appropriate balance within the curriculum. The school curriculum as a whole, including religious education, makes an excellent contribution to pupils spiritual, moral, and vocational development. All departments have been encouraged to identify the ways in which they can promote this development and there is significant evidence of value from a range of subjects from science and maths, to English, art and foreign languages with clear evidence of highly effective cross subject collaboration. Recommendations Improve the monitoring and evaluation of pupils work in religious education and plan to secure a better balance of tasks to encourage a greater degree of independence in learning and higher achievement for all. Identify clear principles for the evaluation and development of the curriculum in religious education Ensure that all teaching in RE is at the standard of the best lessons Review the way in which day to day collective worship is evaluated in order to give more attention to its quality MAKING CHRIST KNOWN TODAY 4
Archdiocese of Birmingham Diocesan Education Service March 2012 Diocesan Education Service, Don Bosco House, Coventry Road, Coleshill. B46 3EA Dear Parents and Carers Section 48 (Diocesan) Inspection of St Edmund Campion Catholic High School, February 2012 I am writing this letter to share with you the findings of the diocesan inspection of your children s school. Diocesan inspection now explores in detail the school s own view of itself as expressed in its self-evaluation. For this reason, much of the report is more technical than used to be the case. You are still entitled to have a copy of the full report should you want one and it will be available on the school website or by request from the school office. The school has an excellent Catholic ethos which encourages a strong development of the pupils spiritual and moral understanding and their vocation in life. Provision for their spiritual, moral and vocational development crosses the whole curriculum and is outstanding in its quality. The improvement of the school in recent years is founded in its Catholic character which encourages all pupils to develop their full potential. The headteacher, leadership team and all with responsibility for leading and managing the Catholic life and religious education judge the school accurately and with insight. They plan very effectively for its improvement. Religious education is in process of change which is beginning to reap good outcomes. The quality of teaching is good and pupils say that they enjoy the lessons and understand how they can improve their work. Teachers have identified the need to improve results at GCSE level and have made changes which should bring this about. Performance at GCSE, however, matches that in similar schools already. We have recommended that the school should maintain the improvement in religious education by setting a wider range of tasks for pupils and should review the curriculum in the subject. Pupils and sixth form students contribute very well to building the character of the school. All benefit equally from what the school offers irrespective of their background, faith or ethnicity. The pupils are very welcoming, genial, open and friendly. Behaviour is very good and pupils are aware of how they can make a difference to the lives of others through their care and consideration. Yours sincerely John Lally (Dr) Diocesan Inspector Making Christ Known Today Archdiocese of Birmingham: Registered Charity No 234216