School report

Budehaven Community School

Valley Road, Bude, Cornwall, EX23 8DQ

Inspection dates

1516 January 2015

Previous inspection:

Good

This inspection:

Requires improvement

Leadership and management

Require improvement

Behaviour and safety of pupils

Good

Quality of teaching

Requires improvement

Achievement of pupils

Requires improvement

Sixth form provision

Good

Overall effectiveness

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because
Students GCSE results are not as good as they
Students who are disadvantaged do not make as
should be, particularly in mathematics.
much progress in English or mathematics,
compared to other students in the school or other
In all year groups there are some students who
students nationally.
do not make enough progress in some subjects.
This is especially so in mathematics.
Leaders, managers and governors use the pupil
premium funding to give help to disadvantaged
The most able students do not always make rapid
students. This has not been successful in reducing
progress.
the wide gaps in achievement.
The overall quality of teaching across the school is

The school is not clear about which types of support

not yet good. Teachers do not always use all
have been most helpful in improving the
available information to plan lessons and activities
achievement of disadvantaged students.
that encourage students to think deeply about the
things they are learning. This limits students
progress.
The quality of written feedback given to students
about their work is not consistent. Students are
not always given clear advice about exactly what
they need to do to improve, or how they can
make their work better.

The school has the following strengths

Leaders are committed to improving the school
Students behave well and are well equipped for
and carefully check and confirm that initiatives are
learning. The school works well to keep them safe
impacting positively on student progress.
and secure.
There have been changes in the leadership of
Students benefit greatly from an extensive range of
English and science. This has resulted in
extra-curricular activities, including residential visits.
improvements in the teaching of both subjects.
The sixth form is good and improving. It provides a
The schools status as a community school and its
wide range of opportunities to older students, who
extensive sports facilities provide a resource for
make good progress in a range of subjects and
the local community and a wide range of local
qualifications. Many of these students successfully
primary schools.
move on to university or training in their chosen
careers.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors observed students learning in 36 lessons. In addition, inspectors made other short visits to
lessons and looked at the schools unit which provides specialist support for disabled students and those
who have special educational needs. Visits were also made to tutor-time sessions. Senior staff
accompanied inspectors on some visits to lessons. A short visit was made to The Haven which offers an
integrated health and well-being support service to the schools students and also to all local school-aged
children.
Meetings were held with seven members of the governing body, senior and middle leaders, teachers and
representative groups of students. Informal conversations were held with students around the school
between lesson times. An inspector had a conversation with a representative of the local authority. One
inspector listened to individual students reading aloud and talked to students about their reading.
Inspectors observed the schools work and looked at samples of students work to judge the rate of
progress and the quality of the assessment and marking processes. They also looked at progress data,
documents about the schools development and evaluation, safeguarding information and records about
attendance and behaviour. The records showing the impact of professional development for staff were
also examined.
Inspectors took into account the views of 114 parents who completed the online questionnaire (Parent
View). Attention was given to a small number of letters and other communications which were received
from parents. All members of staff were invited to contribute their views in a questionnaire and 81
responses were received and taken into consideration.

Inspection team
Ann Cox, Lead inspector

Additional inspector

David Bowles

Additional inspector

Neville Coles

Additional inspector

Deirdre Fitzpatrick

Additional inspector

Neil Gillespie

Additional inspector

Terry Payne

Additional inspector

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Full report

Information about this school

Budehaven Community School is larger than the average-sized secondary school. It has a sixth form which
offers academic and work-related courses to students. The school roll has fallen steadily over recent
years, reflecting a drop in the number of secondary age students living locally.
The school is part of a co-operative foundation trust which was formed in 2012 together with eight local
primary schools. Nearly all students from these local primary schools move on to Budehaven Community
School.
The school has a local authority resource unit known as The ARBour for students who have complex and
severe learning difficulties. It has twelve places with ten students currently on roll.
The proportion of disabled students and those with special educational needs is above the national
average.
Almost all students are of White British heritage. Very few students do not speak English as their first
language.
The proportion of students known to be eligible for the pupil premium is just over a quarter of the
students on roll, which is in line with the national average. This is additional funding to support students
eligible for free school meals and children looked after by the local authority.
In Years 7 and 8, about a fifth of students benefit from additional help in mathematics and English,
funded by the governments catch-up premium.
The Haven is based on the same campus.
A nursery for pre-school-aged children is located on the same campus; it is run and inspected separately.
The school has extensive facilities for sports. These are used by the local community after school hours
through Budehaven Community Leisure (BCL), which is led and managed by the school. BCL also supports
the development of physical education, health and well-being across over 20 primary schools in the
surrounding area.
The school meets the governments floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for students
attainment and progress.
A small number of Key Stage 4 students are educated off site for one day each week at the Duchy
College, Stoke Climsland or Petroc College, Barnstaple.
During the inspection Year 11 students were undertaking internal mock examinations and so their lessons
were not all running as they usually do.

What does the school need to do to improve further?

Improve the overall quality of teaching so that all students make at least good progress and achieve well
in all subjects by:
ensuring that teaching, particularly in mathematics, challenges students, including the most able, to
think more deeply about their learning
consistently providing regular high-quality written feedback to all students about their work so that they
know what they need to do to improve and how this can be achieved.
Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management across the school by:
increasing ways to check that pupil premium funds are being used to help disadvantaged students catch
up with their peers.
giving closer attention to checking on which support strategies are most effective
ensuring that enough attention is given to comparing students achievement with national, as well as
local, data.
An external review of the schools use of the pupil premium should be undertaken in order to assess how
this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

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Inspection judgements
The leadership and management

require improvement

Leadership and management have not yet been successful in sustaining improvements in the quality of
teaching and students achievement. The long-term absence of key staff, including a senior colleague has
had a negative impact in the last two years. These issues are now close to being resolved.
The headteacher is passionate about providing the best possible opportunities to all students. He is well
supported by senior leaders and governors, who share the same aim and are all ambitious for the school.
The school acknowledges that there have been disappointments with some areas of the schools work. Too
much attention has been given to making local comparisons rather than looking at the progress of students
against the national data. Leaders are not complacent and following a detailed analysis of the schools
strengths and weaknesses, they have drawn up realistic improvement plans.
Intervention activities to help those students who have fallen behind in their work or have special
educational needs have not always been successful. This is because in the past insufficient attention was
given to evaluating what works best. There is evidence within the school that the gaps in achievement
between current students are beginning to reduce, including for disadvantaged students.
High priority has been given to strengthening the skills of middle leaders. There are variations in the quality
of subject leadership and not all subject leaders have a clear enough understanding of the strengths and
weaknesses within their specialist areas.
The progress of current students shows good improvements in science, and progress in English has
improved since a dip in 2013. The school is engaged in making strident efforts to bring about similar
improvements in mathematics.
The school takes active steps to ensure that there is equality of opportunity for all students. Leaders are
aware that the provision for disadvantaged students and those with special educational needs has not yet
had sufficient impact on their achievement.
In the past, the management of teaching and learning did not ensure that these aspects were of a
consistently good standard. However, there are now clear improvements. Middle and senior leaders are
addressing specific issues to strengthen teaching, particularly the need to improve the progress made by
disadvantaged students. Teachers are given training appropriate for their professional development, with
any underperforming teachers being given additional support.
The school is highly inclusive, and the schools leaders work with a wide range of agencies. This has helped
to secure additional provision to the advantage of the schools students and the wider community. This is
evidenced by the development of The ARBour for students with special educational needs, The Haven to
provide health and well-being support, and the extension of community sports opportunities.
Senior and middle leaders are working well with other schools and organisations to bring about
improvements in teaching and students progress. The local authority is providing good-quality support.
The school strongly promotes spiritual, moral, social and cultural development through a variety of
activities, including assemblies, extra-curricular activities and activities delivered through subjects. The
school has been successful in raising awareness about e-safety matters and students of all ages are able to
talk about the practical advice and training they have received.
Visits to places of interest and residential trips enhance students experiences and enjoyment. There is
engagement in national and global matters; for example, the school has close partnership links to
organisations in Ethiopia. The schools co-operative principles support the promotion of democracy and
British values such as through the involvement of student members on working parties to develop ideas
and resources. Students develop leadership skills by participation in activities and fund raising for charities.
They are well prepared for life in modern Britain.
The schools curriculum is broad and balanced and offers a wide range of subjects to interest students. It
prepares them well for their future lives. The school has developed a range of activities to encourage
students to be ambitious and offers opportunities to extend learning. For example, there is a club for
learning Latin.
There is good liaison between the school and other providers to ensure that the small number of students
being educated part-time at other centres for some days are making good progress on appropriate courses.
Their attendance and behaviour are checked carefully. These students then progress to further training and
have enhanced employment opportunities.
All students are given wide-ranging advice about the next steps after leaving school and careers advice.
This work is effective and very few students do not make successful transitions to the next stage.
Students benefit considerably from the extensive opportunities for extra-curricular activities. There are
many sports activities, clubs for dance, drama, music, board games and more. Other opportunities include

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participation in the Duke of Edinburghs Award scheme and residential trips.

Safeguarding procedures meet statutory requirements and are effective in keeping students safe.
The governance of the school:
The governing body is well informed about the work of the school. Link governors make regular visits to
the school which enable them to maintain direct contact with students and teachers. They also receive
frequent reports from senior leaders and subject leaders about the progress of the school.
Governors receive regular training to ensure that they are competent when examining data about the
performance of the school compared to others locally and nationally. Governors are aware of the current
issues relating to students achievement and provide challenge and support to the senior leaders.
Governors realise that the progress of students has not been as consistently good as it should be,
especially in mathematics.
Governors have oversight of the system which makes sure that the pay of teachers is linked to the
progress of students.
Governors are aware of how the pupil premium funding has been spent. They know that the impact has
been limited and are clear that some changes are needed to address this aspect of the schools work.

The behaviour and safety of pupils

are good

Behaviour
The behaviour of students is good. They are polite and well mannered towards each other and get on well
together. They are also respectful towards the schools staff and to visitors.
In lessons, students respond positively to teachers and they have good attitudes to learning. When the
activities in lessons really engage and interest them they make rapid progress because they are then very
keen to learn. Inspectors did not find any evidence of disruption in lessons and students confirmed that this
is typical. Behaviour is not yet outstanding because students attitudes to learning are not exemplary across
all subjects and year groups.
Students arrive at lessons promptly with the correct equipment needed for the lesson. They move around
the corridors sensibly in an orderly manner and look after the facilities well. The numerous displays of
artwork and other products on display around the school demonstrate the pride that students take in their
work and surroundings.
There was very little evidence of litter or of graffiti spoiling the facilities and students look after the school
site well.
Exclusion as a sanction is only used as a final resort by the school, and when the action is deemed to be
necessary, support is given to students to help them to successfully re-enter their classes.
Safety
The schools work to keep students safe and secure is good. There is a very positive and inclusive ethos
throughout the school.
The school takes action to educate students about all forms of bullying and students demonstrate a good
understanding. Students expressed confidence that the school deals well and effectively with any matters of
bullying which are reported to staff.
Particular care is taken to prepare students for mixing with a more diverse community than they experience
at present. Incidents of racism are not tolerated and the very few incidents which have occurred have been
dealt with appropriately.
Students are given clear advice about how they can keep themselves safe from a range of risks, including
cyber bullying and exploitation. Student representatives expressed great appreciation of the services
available to them through The Haven which they can access by self-referral.
Students told inspectors that they feel safe around the school; most staff and parents shared this view,
although some parents expressed concerns. Inspectors found little evidence to support these parental
concerns because they are confident that the schools leaders take all reasonable steps to ensure the safety
of students.
The attendance of students at school has shown some improvement over time, although it remains slightly
below the national average. A small number of students are persistently absent and numerous strategies
are being used to bring about improvements. Personalised programmes and the use of some pupil premium
funds have been targeted at this area, with some evidence of success.
When students attend courses at other sites their attendance and welfare are monitored and checked
systematically to ensure their safety and well-being.

Inspection report: Budehaven Community School, 1516 January 2015

The quality of teaching

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requires improvement

Students do not make good progress across all subjects because there are variations in the quality of
teaching, particularly in mathematics.
In lessons teachers secure a positive climate for learning and students participate well in activities. When
the interest of students is really engaged, such as in technology lessons, they become very active learners
and make rapid progress.
When the activities in a lesson allow students to develop good understanding students learn well. For
example, inspectors saw challenging activities set for students in some English lessons. In mathematics the
activities and level of challenge do not always encourage students to think deeply about their learning and
so they do not develop sufficient depth of knowledge and understanding. This slows their progress.
Additional support aimed at students who have fallen behind has not been effective because it has not been
sufficiently tailored to the needs of the individuals. There is evidence that some improvements have been
made with younger students, but these have not always been sustained as they move through the school.
Sometimes teaching assistants do not allow enough time for students to develop ideas for themselves and
this does not encourage sustained progress over time.
Inspectors saw some good examples of marking and feedback where students responded positively to
advice and then made improvements to their work. In some classes the written feedback was less detailed
and sometimes infrequent. This resulted in the students not making enough good progress because they
did not have clear advice about how to improve.
The school has dedicated time for students to read and encourages the use of the schools library. A
selection of students read to an inspector with confidence, and the evidence seen across the school
confirms that the teaching of reading skills is good.
Senior staff have worked to improve the teaching of literacy skills across all subjects. In many classrooms
there are posters displaying key vocabulary relating to the subject and students find these useful.
Since the last inspection, improvements have been made in the teaching of science and these have been
reflected in better examination results across a range of qualifications.
The school has flexible learning days when various themes are explored, allowing student to develop
thinking skills, team working and creativity. This approach helps them to make good progress in some
aspects of their learning.
The achievement of pupils

requires improvement

The achievement of students is not yet consistently good, particularly in mathematics. Disadvantaged
students who are eligible for additional support through the pupil premium funding do not make sufficient
progress in English or mathematics.
Overall, students in most years joined the school with skills and abilities typical for their age.
The school acknowledges that examination results in 2013 were particularly disappointing. In 2014 there
was a recovery in most areas, including English. Attainment and progress in mathematics have not yet
shown significant improvement and remain below national expectations.
The schools overall results were improved by second attempts in GCSE mathematics, especially for
middle-ability students who took the qualification early. The school is aware of this and, as a result, has
reviewed the policy of entering students early for examinations.
Disadvantaged students are given help to catch up and but the school has not yet been successful in
reducing the gaps in achievement between these students and their peers in English and mathematics. In
2014, there was a gap in English of just over one GCSE grade for disadvantaged students compared to the
schools other students, and in the same year the gap was about one and three quarters of a grade in
mathematics. Both of these gaps have increased since 2013. Compared to other students nationally, the
gap for GCSE English in 2014 was about one grade, and for mathematics the gap was over two grades.
The school has worked successfully to secure improvements in science since the last inspection, and now
students are making good progress in a range of science qualifications.
Students consistently make very good progress in technology subjects and French. This is reflected in
above-average examination results in this area.
The schools own tracking data indicates that current students are now making better progress in most
subjects compared to recent years. The data also suggests that gaps between different groups are
beginning to narrow.

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The most able students in the school are making very good progress in English compared to national
outcomes, with an above-average proportion achieving the highest grades of A* or A. However, in
mathematics the proportion of the most able students gaining the highest grades is much lower and falls
well below the national average. Overall, these students are not achieving as well as they could.
The school has invested in improving students reading skills. Progress is now evident with students
reading confidently and well.
The progress of disabled students and those who have special educational needs requires improvement.
Students with special educational needs are taught in the ARBour and, where appropriate, sometimes in
the main school. These students do not always make good progress because they are not being taught to
find out things for themselves.
The school checks that students who attend alternative provision make good progress in their courses and
gain appropriate qualifications which help them to progress to further training and work.

The sixth form provision

is good

The sixth form offers a wide range of subjects for study to A-level standard, alongside a range of workrelated qualifications. Students enter the sixth form with appropriate qualifications to allow them to follow
these courses. Where required, appropriate support is given to help them to gain at least a C grade in GCSE
mathematics or English. The examination results gained by sixth form students have steadily shown
improvement; students make good progress from their starting points. The progress made in work-related
qualifications is very good, with outcomes being in the highest grade ranges.
Teachers demonstrate secure subject knowledge and plan lessons which engage students interest.
Students are set appropriate challenges so that they develop good learning skills, and their self-confidence
increases as they succeed in meeting each challenge. For those who find aspects of their studies difficult,
there are several levels of support available that help them to make good progress.
All groups of students in the sixth form make good progress and there are no significant gaps.
Disadvantaged students who are eligible for additional funding support make similar progress to other
students in the sixth form.
Good advice and guidance are given before students start their courses to help them to make appropriate
choices. A wide range of opportunities and experiences are available throughout the sixth form so that
students have good information about the options open to them in the next stage of their lives. Nearly all
successfully progress to university, further education or training courses in their chosen fields.
There is strong leadership of the sixth form to promote progress in learning and the development of
personal skills. Students behave well and develop positive attitudes to study and work, and a good
understanding of the world in which they live and how they can make a positive contribution themselves.
Students said that they particularly value the fortnightly session that they each have with a personal tutor.
Extended assembly sessions have well-planned themes and offer good opportunities for extending
knowledge and understanding. Students demonstrated that they have a good understanding about how
they can keep themselves safe from a wide range of risks.

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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 schools
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.

Inspection report: Budehaven Community School, 1516 January 2015

School details
Unique reference number

112045

Local authority

Cornwall

Inspection number

449581

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

1118

Gender of pupils

Mixed

Gender of pupils in the sixth form

Mixed

Number of pupils on the school roll

1,132

Of which, number on roll in sixth form

211

Appropriate authority

The governing body

Chair

Maureen Connelly-Webster

Headteacher

David Barton

Date of previous school inspection

1617 March 2010

Telephone number

01288 353271

Fax number

01288 353733

Email address

[email protected]

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Any complaints about the inspection or the report should be made following the procedures set out in the
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123 4234, or email [email protected].
You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your childs school. Ofsted
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You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about
schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link
on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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