Heathside School (Weybridge)

Brooklands Lane

WeybridgeSurrey

KT13 8UZ

Head: Mrs Dohel

T 01932 846162

F 01932 828142

E sburoni@heathside.surrey.sch.uk

W www.heathside.surrey.sch.uk

A state school for boys and girls aged from 11 to 18.

Boarding: No

Local authority: Surrey

Pupils: 1,260; sixth formers: 202

Religion: Non-denominational

Heathside School

Inspection dates                    9-10 October 2013

Previous inspection:	Outstanding	1
Overall effectiveness
This inspection:	Good	2
Achievement of pupils	Good	2
Quality of teaching	Good	2
Behaviour and safety of pupils	Outstanding	1
Leadership and management	Outstanding	1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.

It is not yet an outstanding school because

■ Some teachers do not always plan lessons

■ In English, not all students make the best that support students' individual needs as possible progress from their starting points. effectively as they should.

Information about this inspection

• ■ The inspection team observed 45 part-lessons, several of which were jointly observed with a member of the senior leadership team. Inspectors also attended a tutor group session and an assembly.

• ■ Inspectors held meetings with the Principal, members of the senior leadership team, leaders in charge of subjects and other aspects of the school's work, other staff with positions of responsibility, several groups of students and three members of the governing body, including the Chair of the Governing Body.

• ■ Inspectors discussed lessons they had seen with teaching staff and examined a wide range of documents including the school's own evaluation of its work, improvement plans and data about progress, standards, exclusions, attendance and behaviour. They also looked at minutes of meetings of the governing body.

• ■ The inspection team also looked at a range of students' work in lessons.

• ■ Inspectors took into account 164 parents' responses to Ofsted's online Parent View questionnaire and questionnaires completed by 20 members of staff.

Inspection team

Heather Leatt, Lead Inspector

Full report

Information about this school

• ■ Heathside School is a larger than average-sized 11-18 mixed comprehensive school.

• ■ The school has specialisms in technology and languages.

• ■ The proportion of students eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for specific groups including looked after children, students known to be eligible for free school meals and children of service families is lower than average.

• ■ The proportion of disabled students and those with special educational needs supported through school action is also below the national average, as is the proportion of students supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs.

• ■ There are 24 students eligible for Year 7 catch-up funding, which is for students who did not achieve the expected Level 4 in reading or mathematics at the end of Key Stage 2.

• ■ The number of students who join or leave the school part way through their education is lower than the national average.

• ■ Most students are of White British heritage.

• ■ The proportion of students from minority ethnic groups is in line with national averages, however the number of students who speak English as an additional language is low.

• ■ A small number of Key Stage 4 students receive part of their education off-site at MIT Skills in West Byfleet.

• ■ The school exceeds the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for students' attainment and progress.

What does the school need to do to improve further?

■ Raise students' achievement further, by ensuring that:

• - in English, all students are supported and challenged to make the best progress possible.

■ Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching by:

• - ensuring teachers always plan work that is at precisely the right level for students' individual needs.

Inspection judgements

The achievement of pupils                is good

• ■ Students enter the school with above average attainment and achieve well, making good and often very good progress from their starting points in many subjects. They make exceptional progress in mathematics. The proportion of students attaining five or more GCSE A* to C grades including English and mathematics is improving and continues to be significantly higher than the national average.

• ■ Results in English have risen over the past two years and are now broadly in line with those of mathematics. This is as a result of the school's sharp focus on improving teaching and closer tracking and monitoring of the progress of all groups of students.

• ■ Achievement in the sixth form is high across a variety of measures, including the percentage of students gaining A* to B grades at A level and average point scores. Consequently, students are suitably prepared for the next stage in their education, training or employment.

• ■ The levels of attainment and progress of students who are supported by the pupil premium are improving rapidly and are at least good, including progress in English and mathematics. The school has spent its pupil premium money effectively, for example on one-to-one tuition and small group work to raise standards in literacy and numeracy. In 2012, the gap between these students and those who do not receive the pupil premium was approximately three GCSE grades in both English and mathematics. In 2013, the gap had narrowed considerably, with these students being around three quarters of a GCSE grade behind their classmates.

• ■ The progress made by other groups of students, including those who speak English as an additional language, disabled students and those with special educational needs, is also improving and is at least good at both key stages. Students in receipt of the bursary in the sixth form also make very good progress.

• ■ Students supported by the Year 7 catch-up premium are also achieving well. They have benefited greatly from the setting up of the new ‘Learning Zone', where a dedicated teacher provides support for literacy and numeracy. The introduction of a scheme to accelerate reading has had a very positive impact and data show that reading levels are rising.

• ■ Some students are entered early for GCSE mathematics in Year 10 and in the winter of Year 11. This is done to support students' achievement and anyone who does not reach the expected grade is given another opportunity to take the examination. Achievement in mathematics is outstanding and it is a very popular subject in the sixth form.

• ■ A small number of students attend a range of vocational courses off-site. Their progress is tracked and monitored carefully and as a result, this group also has good achievement.

The quality of teaching                   is good

• ■ Most of the teaching in Key Stages 3 and 4 is good and an increasing proportion is outstanding. Teachers have high expectations of their students, who in turn are ambitious and very keen to do their best.

• ■ In the vast majority of lessons the climate for learning is very positive and good relationships are a strong feature. Students are motivated to succeed and respond enthusiastically to their teachers. This not only contributes to good learning and achievement, but also helps to promote students' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, which is extremely good.

• ■ While most teachers plan work that meets the needs of students of all abilities, in a small number of lessons this is not the case. As a result, in these classes students, including those who learn more quickly, do not always make the best progress they can.

• ■ Where lessons are stronger, teachers use information they have about the students, together with their excellent subject knowledge, to plan interesting activities and set work that is matched to individual needs effectively. In these lessons, students make very good and often rapid progress because they are engaged and challenged to do their best. For example in one Year 7 drama lesson, the teacher's careful planning and modelling of speech and performance enabled all students, including disabled students and those with special educational needs, to take part fully and enthusiastically, leading to outstanding progress.

• ■ Teaching in mathematics is good and in English some is outstanding. Teachers in the English department now use data and assessment effectively to track and monitor students' progress and use this information to challenge all groups. Lessons are planned and structured to meet the needs of all pupils. This has had a notable impact on raising standards in this subject.

• ■ In the sixth form teachers have high expectations of their students which encourages them to achieve and progress well. Teachers have strong subject knowledge and lessons are carefully planned and structured to meet the needs of individual students. Much of the teaching is outstanding as a result.

• ■ Teachers support the development of students' literacy skills effectively across the curriculum. Inspectors observed students reading aloud with fluency in a range of lessons. Students who have difficulty in English and/or mathematics benefit from small group work and one-to-one teaching to enable them to catch up rapidly with their classmates.

• ■ The overwhelming majority of parents who responded to the online questionnaire said that teaching was good and expressed satisfaction with the quality of homework set by teachers.

The behaviour and safety of pupils        are outstanding

• ■ Behaviour and safety in lessons and around the school are outstanding. Students are courteous, polite and respectful towards each other and to adults. They cooperate with staff and each other, working effectively in both teams and groups.

• ■ Students' attitudes to learning are exemplary and they are keen to succeed. They are also ambitious and want to achieve highly.

• ■ Students told inspectors that they feel happy and safe and that bullying in the school is rare. When it does occur, they said it is dealt with quickly and effectively. They are aware of a range of different forms of bullying, including cyber, homophobic and racist bullying. The school has recently run a programme on the impact of the use of derogatory language, which students said they found valuable. Students also appreciate the advice given to them through assemblies and personal, social and health education lessons on how to stay safe.

• ■ Years 10 and 11 students say that the school is a friendly and tolerant community that they are proud to be a part of. Other students commented on how helpful and caring their teachers are, saying they always want the best for them. They value the wide range of opportunities and extra-curricular activities that the school offers them.

• ■ The school continues to work hard to raise attendance, which remains higher than national averages across the school, including in the sixth form.

• ■ Parents and staff are equally positive about behaviour.

The leadership and management         are outstanding

• ■ The school is led and managed impressively well by the Principal and the senior leadership team. Together with middle leaders and governors, they have a very clear vision for the school and are working hard to raise achievement and improve teaching. There is a shared belief that the school will achieve excellence.

• ■ The school has good quality evaluation of its work. Senior leaders and governors are veryaware of its strengths and weaknesses and where improvement is needed.

• ■ The Principal has not hesitated to take action where staff performance and standards of teaching have not improved rapidly enough. A clear performance management system is in place, which is linked to salary and progression. The school also has a very effective training programme for staff which is linked to individual development and teachers are set challenging targets which they say they are supported to achieve.

• ■ The school's curriculum is broad and balanced and suited to the needs and interests of its students. As a result, they are well placed to take the next steps in their education, training or employment.

• ■ Students' spiritual, moral, cultural and social development is promoted not only in lessons, but also through the wide range of opportunities and extra-curricular activities the school offers to students, including cultural visits and sporting activities.

• ■ The school is very effective in ensuring equality of opportunity for all students, promoting good relationships and ensuring discrimination is not tolerated. The performance of different groups of students is monitored closely, to ensure that all achieve the best they can, including those in receipt of the pupil premium and disabled pupils and those with special educational needs.

• ■ The local authority provides light-touch support to the school, believing it to be led and managed effectively, with excellent capacity to improve.

• ■ The school's arrangements for safeguarding students meet statutory requirements. The school takes all reasonable steps to ensure the behaviour and safety of the small number of students who attend off-site provision.

 The governance of the school:

• - The governors have an accurate insight into the school's strengths and weaknesses, including those in teaching, and rigorously monitor performance, setting demanding targets for the Principal which they expect her to meet. Governors have challenged underperformance where it has occurred, for example in the progress of students in receipt of the pupil premium, and they actively supported the school's decision to spend a proportion of the funding on setting up the ‘Learning Zone' to improve the attainment and achievement of this group of students.

• - The governors use their knowledge about the quality of teaching to ensure that its quality relates directly to pay increases and progression through performance management procedures. They take full account of a range of data, including that provided by RAISEonline and the data dashboard, to compare the school's performance to that of similar schools and schools nationally. They are clear about the rationale behind entering some students early for GCSE mathematics, which they believe is effective.

• - Governors are knowledgeable and informed and review their own effectiveness and training, ensuring that they keep up to date with national developments and initiatives. They have the expertise required to oversee the school's finances and ensure that financial and other resources are managed properly. The governing body fulfils all of its statutory duties, including those relating to safeguarding.

What inspection judgements mean

School
Grade	Judgement	Description
Grade 1	Outstanding	An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils' needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment.
Grade 2	Good	A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils' needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment.
Grade 3	Requires improvement	A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection.
Grade 4	Inadequate	A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school's leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

School details

Unique reference number	125309
Local authority	Surrey
Inspection number	429513

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

Type of school	Comprehensive
School category	Foundation
Age range of pupils	11-18
Gender of pupils	Mixed
Gender of pupils in the sixth form	Mixed
Number of pupils on the school roll	1277
Of which, number on roll in sixth form	229
Appropriate authority	The governing body
Chair	Karen Stainsby
Headteacher	Anne Cullum (Principal)
Date of previous school inspection	9-10 May 2011
Telephone number	01932 846162
Fax number	01932 828142
Email address	acullum@heathside.surrey.sch.uk