It’s an ‘improving’ school, but an Isle of Wight secondary college has been unable to upgrade its Ofsted rating.
Carisbrooke College has been handed a ‘requires improvement’ rating again from the education watchdog, following an inspection in May.
Begley: Relentlessly committed to further improvements
Head of school, Karen Begley, said they remain relentlessly committed to further improving the experiences of the school’s young people and ensuring they obtain the very best possible outcomes.
Ofsted inspectors noted pupils learn in a calm and orderly environment where their achievements are celebrated and rewarded, which helps them recognise the importance of doing their best.
Thoughtful care and support for SEN pupils
Pupils who go to the school’s special education unit, the Einstein Centre, receive thoughtful care and support where needs are carefully identified and adapted to.
In three out of four of the inspection criteria the college was rated as good, but the ‘quality of education’ section still requires improvement.
Inconsistency across subjects
Learning across subjects is not consistent, the inspectors said, and while leaders have focused on making improvements to the quality of the curriculum and teaching, it has not yet led to pupils receiving a ‘good quality of learning’ across the school.
A standard lesson format has been implemented to help pupils build their knowledge and understanding but not all teachers use this structure consistently.
Pupils don’t have strong enough foundation of knowledge to build on
Processes to identify and fill gaps in pupils’ learning are not being used effectively by teachers, inspectors said, which meant pupils do not have a strong enough foundation of knowledge to build on and they do not achieve as well as staff want them to.
The school is improving and leaders are implementing measures to increase how much pupils learn in readiness for future education or employment.
Staff are proud to work at the school and share leaders’ commitment to the school’s improvement journey,
Bullying and safeguarding
Bullying at Carisbrooke is rare and quickly addressed, inspectors said, and pupils are confident issues are taken seriously.
Safeguarding arrangements are effective and leaders made sure it is central to the work of all staff.
Parr-Burman: Will continue to implement and embed improvement strategies
Matthew Parr-Burman, executive headteacher for the Isle of Wight Education Federation said the college will continue to implement and embed improvement strategies and ensure consistency across all areas.
He said.
“We are ambitious for our young people and want them to achieve even higher in the future.
“I am proud of the progress that is evident within this report and the hard work and dedication of our staff.”
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which News OnTheWight is taking part in. Some alterations and additions may have been made by OnTheWight. Ed
