St John the Baptist Catholic Comprehensive School, Woking
Elmbridge Lane
Kingfield
Woking
Surrey
GU22 9AL
Head: Mr James Granville Hamshar
T 01483 729343
F 01483 727 578
A state school for boys and girls aged from 11 to 18.
Boarding: No
Local authority: Surrey
Pupils: 1280
Religion: Roman Catholic
raising standards improving lives
Elmbridge Lane, Kingfield, Woking, GU22 9AL
Inspection dates 8-9 May 2014
Previous inspection: Outstanding 1
Overall effectiveness
This inspection: Outstanding 1
Achievement of pupils Outstanding 1
Quality of teaching Outstanding 1
Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1
Leadership and management Outstanding 1
■ All staff and students share the highest expectations about how outstanding the school can be. The headteacher and her senior team are explicit about how this is being achieved.
■ In the last few years, the proportion of Year 11 students who have achieved five or more good GCSE grades at A* to C, including English and mathematics, has been well above average.
■ All groups of students, no matter what their background or needs, make rapid progress in all years in a wide range of subjects.
■ Teaching is often inspirational and the school has been very successful in seeking imaginative ways of continually improving it.
■ The exceptional procedures to set demanding targets for students both at whole-school and subject level are another strength in the school's continuing success.
■ Students' behaviour is excellent in lessons and around the school. They respect each other and adults extremely well.
■ Students are very safe in the school and they enjoy their time there. Parents, carers and staff overwhelmingly agree this is the case.
■ A very positive atmosphere has been developed through a rich and varied range of spiritual, moral, social and cultural activities. Students value these greatly.
■ The sixth form is outstanding and very well led. The large majority of students make excellent progress in their subjects and courses and move successfully onto higher education or training.
■ The governing body has been highly influential in the school's success. It is very effective in holding the school to account for the quality of teaching and students' progress.
■ The inspection team observed 43 lessons, 18 of which were jointly observed with a member of the senior leadership team. In addition, inspectors made several short visits to classrooms to check on how well the atmosphere in them encouraged learning. Inspectors also attended several tutor group sessions, a Mass and a liturgy.
■ Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, members of the senior leadership team, heads of department, heads of year, several groups of students and a representative from the local authority. A meeting was also held with the Chair of the Governing Body and two other governors.
■ Documents inspected included the school's self-evaluation summary and information on students' progress, safeguarding, school management and the curriculum.
■ Inspectors discussed the lessons they had seen with senior leaders and looked at a range of students' work in lessons.
■ Inspectors took into account 153 responses to Ofsted's online Parent View questionnaire and 72 questionnaires completed by members of staff.
Hugh Betterton, Lead inspector Jennifer Bray
Additional Inspector Additional Inspector Additional Inspector Additional Inspector Additional Inspector
Valerie Houldey
Gill Walley
Trevor Woods
Full report
■ St John the Baptist Catholic Comprehensive School is a larger than average sized secondary school.
■ The majority of students are White British. The proportion of students from ethnic minority backgrounds is just above average as is the proportion of students who speak English as an additional language.
■ The proportion of students eligible for support through the pupil premium (additional funding provided by the government to support students eligible for free school meals and looked after children) is well below average.
■ The proportion of disabled students and those who have special educational needs who are supported through school action is below average, while the proportion who are supported through school action plus or who have a statement of special educational needs is below average. Most of the students have speech, language and communication needs.
■ A small number of students are 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 school meets the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for students' attainment and progress.
■ A very small number of Key Stage 4 students receive part of their education off site at Merrist Wood Horticultural College, Teddies Nursery and at Lift-Off project for school refusers run by the local authority
■ The school has a large sixth form which recruits directly from Year 11 and a small but growing number of students from other schools.
■ The headteacher is a National Leader of Education.
■ Before they enter the sixth form ensure that all students, and their parents and carers, have the fullest understanding about the demands of courses they may choose to follow.
■ By the time they reach the end of Year 11, students attain well above average standards. This reflects the excellent progress students make from their above average starting points in Year 7. In 2013, over 92% of students gained five A* to C grades at GCSE, including in English and mathematics. Results have risen every year since the previous inspection.
■ The proportions of students making at least, and often more than, the progress expected from their starting points, especially in English and mathematics, are very high compared with national figures.
■ The school's accurate and rigorously checked information shows that performance for the current Year 11 will be better than last year's; progress for this year group is better than before.
■ Students who are eligible for additional funding achieve as well as other students and sometimes do even better. These students have high-quality support, attending a wide and diverse range of additional activities as well as benefiting from working in small groups. Their achievement compares very well to the achievement of similar groups nationally, especially in English and mathematics.
■ The school makes good use of catch-up funding, using it for a range of measures to support reading and writing; for example, the purchase of a specific programme to improve students' phonics (the link between letters and the sound they make) has had a very positive impact in raising their reading ages.
■ Disabled students and those with special educational needs also make outstanding progress. The school has highly effective strategies in place to support these students' particular learning needs and monitors their progress closely.
■ The school places a very high priority on students continuing to develop their literacy and speaking across the curriculum and supports them well to do this. Many students enjoy having planned times to read a wide range of high-quality texts in lessons.
■ In the sixth form, current students are achieving very well in most AS- and A-level subjects. Most students gain at least three A levels and progress successfully to higher education and training. Current accurate predictions for this year's results show even higher performance and better progress than in previous years.
■ The school has a successful strategy of entering students early for GCSE English. This is well planned because students achieve very well and it does not impede their chances of reaching their potential or attaining the higher grades.
■ The small number of students who attend other provision on a part-time basis are achieving well because they are following a range of vocational courses which are matched very well to their interests and aptitudes.
■ The very effective teaching across the school results in students' outstanding levels of achievement.
■ Teachers are very skilful at inspiring and motivating students through well-planned lessons that build thoroughly on what students have already learnt. Blending in high expectations, teachers employ a variety of approaches that provide challenge to all students no matter what their interests and capabilities. For example, over time a Year 10 chemistry class has gained significant knowledge of crystal structures in rocks, identifying their different properties with accurate and detailed use of complex vocabulary.
■ Teachers use their excellent subject knowledge and expertise to inspire students of all abilities, including those who are most able, to do their very best. Teachers have high aspirations for all students and are ambitious for their success.
■ The highly effective use of small hand-held devices has substantially improved pupils' access to a wider range of knowledge. One student remarked, ‘These have improved what and how I learn and I can share this much more quickly with others'. Students were eager to show how quickly teachers check and correct work on this resource making suggestions for improvements.
■ Good relationships between staff and students are a strong feature of the vast majority of lessons. Students thrive in an atmosphere of mutual respect, which makes a significant contribution to their outstanding learning and progress across a wide range of subjects.
■ Questions which make students think hard, combined with expert reviewing of what students have learnt, ensure detailed checks on the progress being made in lessons. Consequently, students make significant gains in their knowledge and skills.
■ Students display mature and enthusiastic attitudes to their learning. They want to do well and are confident to ask for help and support when needed. The whole-school approach to explaining what is expected at different levels is followed consistently. Effective use of target sheets makes clear to students what they should do to improve their work in future. Students were keen to tell inspectors how well they have been prepared for the next stage of their learning.
■ Teaching in the sixth form is highly effective. As in the main school, work is planned so that it is at the right level for students and this results in outstanding progress. Teachers make sure that the students who are capable of achieving the higher grades receive really challenging work. Students' progress is reviewed regularly and good quality feedback means they know how to improve.
■ The behaviour of students is outstanding. The strong ethos of high expectations that permeates the school is an example to all. Adults are excellent role models in their approach to academic studies and students respond accordingly.
■ Students consistently meet the school's clear expectations and, typically, they respond well to teachers' good use of praise and encouragement to promote high standards of behaviour. Students want to learn and this has a strong impact on their progress in lessons. Equally, the ‘star values' system, rewarding achievement in all aspects of school life, is highly prized.
■ Bullying of any kind is extremely rare; students and parents and carers say any unkind behaviour such as name calling is dealt with quickly and effectively. Students are very aware of the different forms of possible bullying such as cyber bullying and prejudice-based bullying related to sex, gender, race and disability.
■ The school's work to keep students safe and secure is outstanding. They report they are very safe in school, and parents, carers and staff agree. The school emphasises on-site security diligently, while keeping the site fully accessible. The front gates are operated safely and are monitored effectively during the school day for everyone's safety.
■ Students as a whole are highly proficient in managing their own behaviour. They are very polite and courteous to staff and each other. For example, they can be trusted to work on their own, move around the corridors, and socialise at break and lunchtimes sensibly. They enjoy each other's company in social areas showing considerable maturity at all times.
■ Exclusions are virtually non-existent. Rare incidents of challenging behaviour are dealt with extremely well by staff and are not allowed to disrupt any student's learning.
■ Students are ambitious to do well, seen in their keenness to work hard. They work equally well on their own or together in groups or pairs; their eagerness to do well makes a striking contribution to their progress. Their respect for the environment is shown by the absence of any graffiti, and very little litter.
■ Attendance is consistently well above average and has been for many years. Students attend school very regularly and on time.
■ The headteacher's inspirational leadership, which promotes a vision of excellence in learning for all, is at the heart of the school. Leaders at all levels endorse this in their day-to-day work. All staff in the school are encouraged to take on responsibilities and to make improvement their highest priority.
■ The school's own evaluation of its work and its improvement planning are of a very high quality and any weaknesses are addressed effectively. Leadership is outstanding at all levels. There is a shared commitment to achieving the very highest standards.
■ Regular lesson observations by senior staff generate clear feedback to teachers on strengths and areas for improvement. Judgements on the quality of teaching are accurate and keenly focus on improving students' learning and progress. The system of setting targets for teachers is rigorous in ensuring that they are held to account for their students' progress.
■ Subject leaders and other middle leaders are knowledgeable and understand their areas of responsibility very well. They know that senior leaders and governors will hold them firmly to account for the progress that their students make.
■ The very effective professional training programme in place for staff is clearly linked to their targets. All teachers are set targets to raise students' achievement and these are overwhelming achieved, ensuring that any barriers to learning are removed.
■ The impact of the measures provided by the additional funding is impressive and is seen in the rising attainment of eligible students. The school is committed to equality of opportunity. It looks carefully at the needs of each pupil in the school.
■ The curriculum makes a significant contribution to students' outstanding achievement and behaviour because it is well matched to their interests and promotes their personal development effectively. An extensive range of additional trips, visits and clubs contribute to the outstanding provision for students' spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding. One student said, ‘I have every opportunity to get better in whatever I do, as well care for others.'
■ The school works well with the local authority, which uses some of its excellent practice to help other schools. The headteacher and other leaders are involved in supporting local schools and regularly provide leadership courses. The school has close links with neighbouring schools through the School Direct programme.
■ The leadership of the sixth form is outstanding. Teaching and achievement have improved this year. Students' progress is rigorously checked so that any underachievement is tackled quickly. As a result, more students than in previous years are on track to achieve the highest grades in 2014 and this is now more consistent across all subjects.
■ The school recognises that it could do more to make certain that students make the right course choices, ensuring that parents and carers are fully informed.
■ Partnership with parents and carers is exceptional with the overwhelming majority agreeing that the school provides a high-quality education for their children. They would recommend it to others without hesitation.
■ The governance of the school:
- Governors are knowledgeable and well informed. They hold the headteacher and the senior leadership team to account scrupulously. Governors are skilled in the interpretation of achievement data. They provide an excellent level of support and challenge to the school. They actively approved the early entry for English GCSE.
- The governing body is aware of how any staff underperformance is tackled and is involved when this is necessary. As a result, governors have been highly influential in making sure that standards continue to be high. Governors are very clear about the links between performance and pay and have detailed policies for managing this.
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.
Unique reference number 125302
Local authority Surrey
Inspection number 444374
This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.
Type of school Comprehensive
School category Voluntary aided
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 1,229
Of which, number on roll in sixth form 263
Appropriate authority The Governing Body
Chair Colin Kemp
Headteacher Ani Magill
Date of previous school inspection 1 November 2007
Telephone number 01483 729343
Fax number 01483 727578
Email address a.magill@sjb.surrey.sch.uk
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