Heckmondwike Grammar School

About the school

Heckmondwike Grammar School

High Street

Heckmondwike

West Yorkshire

WF16 0AH

Head: Co Headteac Peter Roberts

T 01924 402202

F 01924 418318

E info@heckgrammar.co.uk

W www.heckgrammar.co.uk

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

Boarding: No

Local authority: Kirklees

Pupils: 1466

Religion: None

Ofsted report

Heckmondwike Grammar School

Unique Reference 107785

Number Local Authority Kirklees

 Inspection number  309506

Inspection dates 8-9 November 2007

Reporting inspector Clive Moss HMI

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

Type of school

Secondary

School category

Foundation

Age range of pupils

11-18

Gender of pupils Number on roll

Mixed

School

1196

6th form

419

Appropriate authority

The governing body

Chair

Dr K Swann

Headteacher

Mr Mark Tweedle

Date of previous school inspection

17 November 2003

School address

High Street Heckmondwike West Yorkshire WF16 0AH

Telephone number

01924 402202

Fax number

01924 418318

Age group

11-18

Inspection dates

8-9 November 2007

Inspection number

309506

Introduction

The inspection was carried out by one of Her Majesty's Inspectors and four Additional Inspectors.

Description of the school

Heckmondwike Grammar School is a larger than average selective school with a large sixth form. It is located in a West Yorkshire industrial town which has below average levels of affluence. The proportion of students attending the school eligible for free school meals is much lower than the national average. The proportion of students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is also much lower than the national average. More than one quarter of the students is from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds. About one fifth of the students have a first language other than English. The school is designated a specialist Technology and Modern Languages College. It is also a Training School. The main school buildings date back to the nineteenth century and much of this accommodation is cramped. The school has achieved a number of awards including the Quality Standard for Careers Education and Guidance and the Healthy Schools Award.

Key for inspection grades

Grade 1          Outstanding

Grade 2          Good

Grade 3            Satisfactory

Grade 4           Inadequate

Overall effectiveness of the school

Grade: 1

Heckmondwike Grammar is an outstanding school. Attainment at Key Stage 4 is consistently in the top 5% of schools nationally. For the last two years all students have achieved five or more higher grade GCSEs including English and mathematics. Students make excellent progress. In the sixth form, the standards they reach are well above average. They develop into mature, confident and articulate young people as a result of the many and varied opportunities they are given to learn and contribute both to their school and the local community. Their behaviour is exemplary. Instances of bullying and racism are remarkably few. Students are clear that neither is tolerated and confident that in the rare instances when it occurs it is dealt with swiftly and effectively. Attendance is excellent. Students are encouraged effectively to adopt healthy lifestyles and prepared very well for life beyond school. Relationships between the different groups of students are harmonious. The vast majority of students feel safe and are happy at the school. They enjoy learning and respond enthusiastically to the wide range of extra-curricular activities on offer. An overwhelming majority of parents are justifiably very positive about the school and many wrote glowing endorsements of the education provided. The school deserves its excellent reputation locally.

Teaching and learning are outstanding. This leads to outstanding achievement and standards. Classroom relationships are excellent throughout the school and sixth form. Both teachers and students have very high expectations of the level of challenge, the way that tasks are to be approached and the depth of exploration that will take place. There is consistent additional challenge for the highest attaining students so that they also make excellent progress. As a result, students develop high levels of independent learning skills. Students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, those from Black and minority ethnic groups do equally as well as their peers. The broad range of subjects offered in both the main school and sixth form are enhanced significantly by extensive extra-curricular opportunities. Students take full advantage of these and, as a result, settle very quickly into the school. The range and variety have a very positive impact on students' personal development, motivation and engagement.

The school provides a vibrant and challenging environment in which students learn and develop into responsible young people, assisted by excellent care, guidance and support. The belief that students must be supported from the outset to set their sights on high levels of academic success permeates the school community. It supports sustained success at all key stages and promotes a high level of confidence amongst staff and students alike in the ability of all to succeed. Good links with primary schools facilitate very effective transition for students.

The leadership and management of the school and sixth form are outstanding. The headteacher has established and sustained a clear direction leading to improvement. The school's leaders are highly effective and ensure that the management of the school is consistent and carried out conscientiously. The school runs very smoothly on a day-to-day basis. The school continues to develop the quality of provision, making particularly effective use of its specialisms, for example, in developing an outstanding virtual learning facility for students and parents and also through other initiatives, such as training school status and the application of external benchmark awards, against which it tests the quality of its work. These developments have also been used to good effect in sharing expertise with other local schools. The school knows its students and its community very well. Good account is taken of the views of students and parents when making decisions about changes and improvements to the school, although a small minority of parents believes this is not so. The school is very well placed to continue its progress. It provides excellent value for money.

Effectiveness of the sixth form

Grade: 1

The sixth form is outstanding. It is very popular and the number of students has increased significantly in recent years, as part of plans for post-16 provision in the local area. Almost all the students at the school stay into the sixth form, but many students also now join from other schools. The sixth form has managed the rapid increase in the number of students very well. As a result, many students describe the school as very friendly and supportive, including those joining from other schools. Students say they appreciate the broad curriculum, flexible timetable and academic excellence. Their achievement is consistently high because of very effective academic guidance. Sixth form students make an outstanding contribution to the school community, for example, by undertaking duties as prefects and mentoring younger students in modern languages. Teaching is outstanding overall with students making particularly rapid progress in Year 13. There is a very good system of support for those who are underachieving. Students who receive the extra support say they value it. Consequently, the retention rate in the sixth form is excellent. The arrangements for transition to university or the workplace are also excellent.

What the school should do to improve further

■ No areas for improvement were identified of which the school was not already aware and taking appropriate action.

Achievement and standards

Grade: 1

Grade for sixth form: 1

Standards of attainment on entry to the school are well above average. Students make excellent progress and reach exceptionally high standards by the end of both Key Stages 3 and 4 and the sixth form. There are no major differences between the rates of progress made by different groups of students at the school. The total average points achieved by students at the end of Key Stage 4 have increased much faster than the national average since the last inspection of the school in 2003.

Personal development and well-being

Grade: 1

Grade for sixth form: 1

Students are very proud of their school. They feel safe and very well cared for. They are consistently challenged to give of their best and enjoy excellent relationships with the staff and their peers. They enjoy school life greatly and this is reflected in excellent attendance. Students show excellent attitudes to work in lessons. They are keen, interested and work very well individually, in pairs and small groups. Students' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding and highly valued by parents. Students make a major contribution to the life of the school, for example, through the school council and the 'Year 9 befrienders', who provide help and support to younger students. They carry out their responsibilities with diligence and enthusiasm. Students develop an impressive range of workplace and other skills.

Quality of provision

Teaching and learning

Grade: 1

Grade for sixth form: 1

Teachers manage activities very well and, as a result, students engage intensely with learning. Teachers model the best ways of approaching tasks and an exemplary level of intellectual curiosity, both of which have a profound impact on students' attitudes to learning. They mark students' work extremely well. There is a constant focus on how well the work demonstrates specific skills or levels of understanding and what needs to be done to improve.

Curriculum and other activities

Grade: 1

Grade for sixth form: 1

The curriculum offers an extremely wide range of learning opportunities which provide excellent pathways to further study and employment. Students benefit from exemplary flexibility which enables them to combine early examination entry; distance learning packages; Open University courses; and additional and out-of-school studies, for example, in Latin, law, Mandarin or philosophy, or to specialise in particular areas. Extension activities are provided for the most able students who understandably say that they face a continuous, rigorous, but healthy challenge. There are extensive opportunities for students to develop workplace skills, including work experience abroad and opportunities for voluntary work placements during holidays. 

Care, guidance and support

Grade: 1

Grade for sixth form: 1

Students speak very highly of their teachers' commitment and the support they receive both in relation to learning and any personal matters. The procedures for child protection and health and safety are robust. Considerable care is taken over students' induction into Year 7 and into the sixth form, with additional support provided for those with particular needs. Older students rightly speak positively about the guidance they are given when choosing options for Key Stage 4 and post-16. The very small proportion of students who do not stay on to the sixth form receive extra support in making choices, which ensures that they also are guided effectively. The school has a rigorous, consistent system of assessing and monitoring students' progress. This system is used very well to identify students at risk of underachieving and plan effective interventions.

Leadership and management

Grade: 1

Grade for sixth form: 1

The headteacher and the senior leadership team have shown excellent leadership in establishing and promoting thorough, detailed and rigorous self-evaluation procedures throughout the school, with a relentless focus on raising standards to the highest level. Senior leaders are supported well by managers at all levels. Data are used very well to set targets for students and the school that are both realistic and challenging, and then to evaluate the work of the school through rigorous performance management. As a result, the school has sustained very high standards over several years. The introduction of new courses in statistics, information and communication technology, community languages and drama, often after analysis of students' and parents' views, illustrate the school's commitment to continuous development. Governors support the school well and have a good understanding of the needs of the school.

Annex A

Inspection judgements

Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

School

Overall

16-19

Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners?

1

1

Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

Yes

Yes

How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being?

1

1

The capacity to make any necessary improvements

1

1

Achievement and standards

How well do learners achieve?

1

1

The standards1 reached by learners

1

1

How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners

1

1

How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

1

Personal development and well-being

How good is the overall personal development and well-being of the learners?

1

1

The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

1

The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles

1

The extent to which learners adopt safe practices

1

How well learners enjoy their education

1

The attendance of learners

1

The behaviour of learners

1

The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community

1

How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

1

The quality of provision

How effective are teaching and learning in meeting the full range of the learners' needs?

1

1

How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners?

1

1

How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

1

1

Annex A

Leadership and management

How effective are leadership and management in raising achievement and supporting all learners?

1

1

Howeffectivelyleadersandmanagersatalllevelssetclear direction leading to improvement and promote high qualityof care and education

1

How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards

1

The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation

1

1

How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can

1

How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money

1

The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities

2

Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements?

Yes

Yes

Does this school require special measures?

No

Does this school require a notice to improve?

No

 

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