The Ofsted Report 2009

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The FitzWimarc School

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

© Crown copyright 2009
Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.

Introduction

The inspection was carried out by one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors and an additional inspector.

Inspectors evaluated the overall effectiveness of the school and investigated the following issues:

• what is preventing students making outstanding progress and a higher proportion of them attaining higher results
• the school’s firm line on behaviour and the high number of exclusions
• why the school feels it has made outstanding progress since the last inspection but some aspects such as teaching and learning and students’ progress remain good.

Evidence was gathered from the school’s own self-evaluation, national published assessment data and the school’s own assessment records. Other evidence included the scrutiny of curriculum and evaluation documents, observation of the school’s work, interviews with staff and parental questionnaires.

Other aspects of the school’s work were not investigated in detail, but inspectors found no evidence to suggest that the school’s own assessments, as given in its self-evaluation were not justified, and these have been included where appropriate in the report.

Description of the school

The Fitzwimarc School is a larger than average school serving the community of Rayleigh, where the level of deprivation is lower than is found nationally. It has a favourable intake and attainment on entry is average. The proportion of students eligible for free school meals is much lower than the national average. The majority of students are White British and very few have English as an additional language. The proportion of students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is below the national average. The number of students with a statement of special educational needs, the majority of whom have moderate learning difficulties is below the national average. The school is a specialist language college; it plans to change its status to mathematics and computing in September 2009. It became a Trust School in 2008 and plans to introduce a sixth form in 2010. The school is popular with parents and is regularly over-subscribed. It holds a number of awards including Sportsmark Gold, Healthy Schools, Investors in People and a number of school improvement awards.

Key for inspection grades

Grade 1 Outstanding
Grade 2 Good
Grade 3 Satisfactory
Grade 4 Inadequate

Overall effectiveness of the school                                             Grade: 1

The Fitzwimarc School provides its students with an outstanding education. It has an exceptional headteacher whose vision and the standards he expects of students and staff are understood and shared by all. This contributes directly towards an exceptional school ethos where the outstanding personal development and the outstanding care, guidance and support for students create an environment in which young people thrive. An outstanding curriculum offers an extensive choice of GCSE and vocational courses. This is complemented by a fantastic programme of sport, music and arts activities that helps students to develop into pleasant, articulate and polite citizens suitably skilled for further education or employment. The school’s specialism in languages gives it a truly international dimension: French, German and Spanish are taught and opportunities to travel abroad and learn about other countries and cultures are exemplary. This makes a huge contribution to students’ enjoyment and achievement.

All students, including those who find learning difficult, make rapid progress in Key Stage 3. Progress slows a little in Key Stage 4, but overall remains at least good. Standards are consistently well above the national average in both key stages and have been for the past three years. For example, in 2008 over three quarters of Year 11 students attained at least five or more A* to C grades and the proportion attaining five good GCSEs including English and mathematics was well above the national average. Almost all students left school with five GCSEs and every student attained at least one. Almost all current Year 11 students have already attained the equivalent of at least a C grade in information and communication technology. Current data indicates that the majority of students are on track to meet the challenging targets set for them. A significant proportion of Year 11 students succeeded in attaining C grades in GCSE English and a number of vocational courses earlier this year.

The school acknowledges that a small minority of girls in Year 11 did less well than expected last year, mainly due to alternative curriculum arrangements made for them and a lack of close monitoring during this time. Improved procedures are now in place to ensure that every student achieves their targets. Judicious expansion of vocational learning has led to impressive results in engineering, construction, music, and health and social care. A thorough grounding in basic skills, regular opportunities in enterprise education and higher than average attainment in modern foreign languages helps to broaden students’ horizons and secure their future economic well-being.

Students’ enjoyment of school encourages them to work hard and do their very best. Many of them reach exceptionally high standards in art, design and technology, science and physical education where the proportion of A* and A grades attained by students is much higher than average. However, progress is good rather than outstanding due to the quality of teaching and learning, which is good but ranges from outstanding in some lessons to satisfactory in others. Teachers are expected to plan learning activities that meet the needs of students of all abilities. A small sample of observations by inspectors revealed good practice in English and science lessons, but elsewhere students worked at the same rate at times, often dictated by the teacher and were rarely required to work independently for sustained periods of time.

Students’ personal development and well being, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural education are outstanding. In this friendly, harmonious school students get on well with their peers and their teachers. They attend regularly and persistent absence is very low. Behaviour is exceptional: students wear their uniform with pride and inspectors lost count of the number of times students opened doors and spoke politely with them. These high standards are due to the high expectations and clear rules which students understand and obey. The school excludes those who struggle to meet these expectations and, consequently, exclusions are higher than expected. Students told inspectors that school is a safe, healthy and enjoyable place to be and that they feel free from bullying. Representing the school as house captains, prefects, librarians, school councillors, sports leaders and playing in an exceptional array of sports teams is seen as an honour. Their contribution to the community is outstanding: large numbers of students attain awards for community service and sports leadership, they raise funds for local charities and participate in a vast range of school visits, productions and local and national events.

Parents say they would like better communication with teachers, but the overwhelming majority of them expressed their support for the school. Many commented favourably on the commitment of staff and quality of pastoral care and support provided during transition into Year 7 and praised the excellent support provided for students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Students’ welfare is of paramount importance and procedures for safeguarding them are exceptionally rigorous. All students gain good experience of the work-place through placements and volunteering, and through alternative arrangements made for a small number of students not suited to GCSE studies. Careers guidance is a strength; the vast majority of students progress onto further education. Academic guidance is effective but fragmented because monitoring data is collated within departments. Until recently, information held centrally has not been kept fully up to date with on-going assessments.

Outstanding leadership and management by the headteacher have created a school with many strengths and very few weaknesses. Where weaknesses are identified, decisive action is taken to improve them. Self-evaluation is thorough but less effective aspects of the school’s work are not always fully explained. A reorganised senior leadership team has contributed well to sustained school improvement. Capacity to make further improvements is outstanding, particularly if these staff are utilised fully and given total responsibility for raising achievement. Intensive monitoring of performance ensures that subject leadership is mostly good and often exceptional. Challenging targets are set and mostly met. The school’s specialism has been used well to enhance the lives of students and the community. Highly effective governance has secured the strategic development of the school and ensured that it plays a central role in promoting a cohesive community. It knows its community very well and enjoys a high profile in promoting interaction between students and its numerous partners.

What the school should do to improve further

• Improve teaching and learning by providing a sufficient range of opportunities to suit all learners and by building upon the best practice in school to promote greater independence in students’ learning.

Annex A

Inspection judgements

Overall effectiveness

Achievement and standards

Personal development and well-being

The quality of provision

Leadership and management

Annex B

25 June 2009

Dear Students

Inspection of The FitzWimarc School, Rayleigh, SS6 8EB

Earlier this week, another inspector and I visited your school. We found that it provides you with an outstanding education. Thank you for allowing us to join you in lessons and to talk with some of you. We also spent time meeting with your school leaders, several teachers, the chair of governors and read many letters from parents. Throughout the inspection, your behaviour was exceptional and we found you courteous, well mannered and a pleasure to talk with.

Your teachers and other staff ensure that your personal development and well being, curriculum choice and the care, guidance and support provided for you are all outstanding. The standards achieved by you, particularly in GCSE examinations and vocational awards, are well above what is achieved in other schools nationally. You are rightly proud to attend The FitzWimarc School and many of your parents told us how pleased they are with it.

We judged that some of you make good rather than outstanding progress because further improvements could be made to teaching and learning. Not all lessons provide a sufficient range of opportunities to suit all learners and at times, you all do the same work at the same rate, often set by the teacher. We felt that many of you can be challenged further by being given work to do independently for sustained periods of time in lessons. We have asked teachers to learn from the best practice we saw in lessons to plan different activities that will give you greater independence in your learning.

Mr Fuller is an exceptional headteacher: he and his team of staff go out of their way to make sure that you enjoy school life and ensure that you are very well prepared for further education or the world of work. You can help them to make your school even better than it is by letting members of your school council know your ideas and asking them to share them with senior teachers.

Best wishes for the future.

Yours faithfully

John Mitcheson
Her Majesty’s Inspector

The Ofsted Report 2006

Fuller details from The Ofsted Website

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

Introduction

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

Description of the school

The FitzWimarc School is a popular, large mixed comprehensive school for students aged 11 to 16. It has 1333 students drawn from the community of Rayleigh where unemployment and deprivation are low. Fewer than one student in twenty is known to be eligible for free school meals, which is well below the national average. Some 6% of students are from ethnic minority groups. This figure is below both the Essex and national averages. The proportion of students who have reached the expected standard when they join the school in Year 7 is close to the national average. The number of students who have been identified as having learning difficulties and/or disabilities is low but an increasing proportion of these have Statements of Special Educational Needs. The school achieved Specialist Language College status in September 2000 and was redesignated in September 2004.

Key for inspection grades

Grade 1 Outstanding
Grade 2 Good
Grade 3 Satisfactory
Grade 4 Inadequate

Overall effectiveness of the school

The overall effectiveness of the school is very good. It is a safe, happy school that cares exceptionally well for every student. The school is making good progress because of the strong commitment of the headteacher, governors and teachers to raising standards. The headteacher understands well what the strengths and weaknesses of the school are and what it needs to do to improve provision further. Plans are in place to develop the capacity of senior teachers to participate in addressing the school's strategic priorities. The school is accurate in its own evaluation of the quality of provision and its effectiveness. All students, including those who require extra help with their learning, make good progress. The school has maintained pass rates at GCSE which are well above the national average in each year since the last inspection. The number of students who achieve five GCSE grades A*-C including English and mathematics is high. The overall quality of teaching is good but does not always capture the imagination of students. The arrangements for providing cover for teachers who are absent are not always effective. Behaviour around the school and in lessons is excellent. Students have positive attitudes and attend regularly. The curriculum provides a good range of activities, including an excellent range of enrichment. The school has yet to develop fully its range of vocational courses and its provision for enterprise education. Improvements since the last inspection have been effective and the school has good capacity to make further improvements. It provides good value for money. Most parents are very pleased with the education which the school provides and the standards it achieves.
Grade: 2

Effectiveness and efficiency of boarding provision

N/A

What the school should do to improve further

- Develop further the capacity of senior teachers to participate in addressing the school's strategic priorities.
- Further develop the range of vocational courses to meet the needs of all students in Key Stage 4.
- Improve the arrangements for providing cover for teachers who are absent.

Achievement and standards

Achievement and standards are good. This confirms the school's judgements. Students enter the school with standards that are broadly average. By the end of Key Stage 3 they have made good progress in English, mathematics and science and attain above average standards. Students make good progress at Key Stage 4. Challenging targets were met in 2005. The school has maintained GCSE pass rates at grades A*-C which are well above the national average in each year since the last inspection and the proportion of students who achieve five GCSE grades A*-C including English and mathematics is high and above average. Students do well in most subjects, although in 2005 GCSE results in French and Spanish were lower than expected. Generally, standards in languages are sound. More able pupils are well challenged and a significant proportion attain A* and A grades in GCSEs. The standards of boys have improved significantly during the last three years, are now well above average and are comparable with the high standards achieved by girls. Students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make good progress. Pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds achieve well. Students and parents are pleased with standards in the school.
Grade: 2

Personal development and well-being

The personal development and well-being of students are outstanding. Their behaviour, both in lessons and around school, is excellent. Attendance is well above the national average. Students have very positive attitudes to learning, and take much pride in their school. There is an exceptionally wide range of extra-curricular activities and clubs which are very well used by students. Sports clubs are open to all and most students attend them regularly. This encourages the personal and social development of students and accounts for the considerable success that school teams achieve. There are very good opportunities in all years for students to take responsibility and show initiative. During Charity Week, students develop imaginative ways of raising funds, and the large donations they make to local and national charities demonstrate how successful they are. The School Council provides strong representation of student views, although some parents and students feel that it should be allowed to implement its decisions more quickly. The provision for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of students is excellent and good use is made of the local and wider environment to promote multicultural issues and to prepare students thoroughly and effectively for their future economic well-being. The outstanding International Industry Day for Year 7 students promotes an understanding of the business world and encourages a greater knowledge of different countries, peoples and cultures. Students appreciate the need for a healthy and safe lifestyle well and many say they value the healthy options offered by the canteen.
Grade: 1

Quality of provision

Teaching and learning
Teaching is good. The judgements that senior managers make of the quality of lessons is accurate, which was demonstrated when they joined inspectors for the observation of two lessons. The positive ethos of the school prepares students well for learning and enables teachers to get straight on with the job of teaching. Teachers know their subjects well and enjoy good relationships with students. Most lessons are effective because the level of challenge ensures that students make good progress. Behaviour is outstanding, enabling all lessons to proceed without interruption and ensures learning continues to the bell. In the best lessons planning is thorough and the variety of tasks ensures that all students have the opportunity to make good progress. Clear learning objectives are shared with the students and careful questioning provides good opportunities for students to demonstrate their understanding. In the few less effective lessons, teaching and learning strategies are too narrow and fail to capture the imagination of students. Additionally they are planned too rigidly so that students cannot move at their own pace and take responsibility for their learning. Assessment for learning is a particularly effective development since the last inspection. Marking of work is thorough, with a good balance of praise, helpful advice and an assessment of how well the student is doing compared to national standards.
Grade: 2

Curriculum and other activities

The school's curriculum is good. In the first three years students follow a broad programme that includes effective experience of modern foreign languages, meeting the requirements of the school's specialist Language College status. The curriculum at Key Stage 4 meets all statutory requirements and provides a good range of optional subjects. The school has recently reviewed its curriculum and has correctly identified the need to widen the curriculum to provide opportunities for students of all abilities in both academic and vocational areas. It has therefore begun to develop vocational courses and intends to widen this provision in future. Throughout the school, students benefit from the excellent opportunities they have to participate in sports. Social and cultural events also add to the enjoyment of coming to school. There is a very good range of day and extended visits that widen experience, particularly those linked to the school's specialist language status.
Grade: 2

Care, guidance and support

Inspectors agreed with the school's evaluation that care, guidance and support for students are outstanding. The pastoral system is strong and students' academic progress is monitored carefully and effectively. Relationships between staff and students are excellent, and students are confident that they can find an adult to talk to when needed. Procedures for ensuring students' safety and well-being are secure. Students feel safe at school. Child protection arrangements are firmly in place and risk assessments are carefully managed. Very effective links have been established with outside agencies, including counselling services to support vulnerable students. Students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are fully included in all aspects of school life and receive excellent support. Individual education plans, which were a weakness at the last inspection, are now a significant strength, and the careful monitoring of these plans, together with the excellent additional support available, have led to the very good progress that these students make. Guidance on careers and progression to further education is excellent and contributes to the very high number of students who continue their education post-16.
Grade: 1

Leadership and management

Leadership and management are good. The headteacher provides strong and effective leadership for the school. Parents, teachers and governors respect and share his dedication to promoting high standards of behaviour and achievement for all students. Self-assessment is thorough and accurate. It is used very well to identify key areas for development. Through this process the school identified the need to develop the capacity of senior teachers to participate in addressing the school's strategic priorities and has begun to take appropriate action. Planning procedures in the school are good. The priorities in the school improvement plan form the basis of the subject action plans. There are comprehensive reviews of the progress which is being made against the targets contained in the plans throughout the year. Middle management is strong and ensures that school policies are implemented consistently in all departments. Teachers are well qualified and experienced but the arrangements to cover for their absence are not always effective. There is a very good programme of professional development and all members of staff including the headteacher and members of the senior team undertake training in order to improve standards further. Lesson observation is well-established and there is a clear emphasis on improving the standard of teaching and learning throughout the school. Support staff are valued and well integrated into school life. Governors understand the school's strengths and areas for improvement and provide well-considered support, although their precise role in monitoring the school improvement plan needs further clarification. The school's financial management is secure and value for money is good. The school has addressed most of the issues in the last inspection and has good capacity for further improvement.
Grade: 2

Annex A

Inspection judgements

Annex B

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

I'd like to tell you what our inspectors thought of your school when we visited it earlier this week. We met and talked to quite a few of you during our two days at the school. We watched some of your lessons and looked at the quality of your work. We were also pleased that so many of your parents wrote to us to tell us what they thought about the school. We think that The FitzWimarc School is a very good school that is improving all the time. Your headteacher and governors manage the school effectively. We think that it is a safe and happy place which cares exceptionally well for all of you. We were pleased to see outstanding behaviour around the school and in lessons. We saw some very interesting lessons and thought, like you, that teachers really help you to do your best. You told us how much support they give, both during and outside of lessons. This is reflected in the good examination results you achieve. You have very good opportunities to participate in extra-curricular activities, particularly in sport, languages and charity work. We were very impressed with the 'International Day', which took place while we were at the school. We identified three things that the school could do to help it improve further. These were: - develop further the capacity of senior teachers to participate in addressing the school's strategic priorities - further develop the range of vocational courses to meet the needs of all students in Key Stage 4 - improve the arrangements for providing cover for teachers who are absent Keep up the good work, and thanks for your help.

© Crown copyright 2005

Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.
Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.
Any complaints about the inspection or the report should be made following the procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspections', which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk