SIR FREDERICK Gibberd College has been told that a number of aspects of its service “requires improvement”

Government inspectors Ofsted came to the Tendring Road school on December 3rd and 4th, 2024.

Overview

The report has acknowledged the fact that the school’s new building was condemned after just two years of opening. The site was fully closed to pupils for 19 days in the academic year 2023/24.

Due to the closure of the school building, the sixth form was disbanded and Year 7 pupils were taught at another school. Pupils in Years 8 to 11 spent eight months learning in marquees. Since May 2024, pupils are back on the school’s site and are now learning in prefabricated buildings. The sixth form restarted in September 2024.

Here are highlights of the report

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are highly resilient at this school. They have weathered the storm of learning in
marquees and other schools. They are now settled learning together on one site in
prefabricated buildings. Pupils appreciate staff’s efforts to make such adjustments
bearable. They know that staff have their well-being at heart.

For a range of reasons, including school closure, the delivery of the curriculum over time
has not worked as well as it should.

Sometimes pupils have had to learn the content of some subjects in the wrong order or omit certain topics due to the limitations of the physical environment. While the sequencing of the curriculum is back on track, some staff are not paying sufficient attention to what pupils already know and can do. This has led to some low expectations with pupils struggling to learn and manage their behaviour.

The sixth form has restarted with vigour. Even though student numbers are small, there is
a broad and ambitious curriculum in place. Students enjoy supporting the younger pupils
through their student leadership and mentoring roles. The school council enthusiastically
supports the student leadership team to make their school a better place to be. Pupils
benefit from an extensive extra-curricular offer and trips to enhance the curriculum.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The sixth-form curriculum and its delivery are working well. This was the case when the
school first introduced this phase. At that time, students achieved well in their A-level
results and most went on to higher education. The sixth form reopened in Septembe

Students benefit from expert teaching. They are gaining the foundational
knowledge they need for study at this level.

In the main school, the quality of curriculum delivery is variable. Some staff are new to
the school and the way in which the curriculum works. The school, with support from the
trust, is providing training. Teachers are learning how to break content down so that
pupils understand. The use of recall activities is helping pupils readily remember recent
learning. Teachers are thinking carefully about the questions they ask to know how well
pupils have secured knowledge. However, the information that teachers glean is not used
well to adapt the curriculum for the differing needs of the pupils.

The trust has supported the school to strengthen its procedures for the identification of
pupils’ special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The quality of the pupils’
support plans is improving and there is more helpful guidance for staff. The school’s
expectations for SEND provision are in place in most classrooms, such as providing
prompts for written responses. However, staff are inconsistent in their use of targeted
strategies for the specific needs of pupils. This hampers some pupils’ access to the
curriculum.

The school’s early reading programme is having limited impact. There has not been a
smooth transition between the stopping of one phonics programme and the starting of
another. The school has taken a long time to understand where gaps in pupils’ phonics
knowledge lie.

As a result, pupils who struggle with their reading have had little support
during the autumn term. The school is using a range of strategies to promote reading.
Pupils understand its importance for learning across the curriculum. Sixth-form students
are avid readers who read widely for their studies.

The school’s site is calm and orderly. This includes in lessons, where pupils’ conduct is
compliant. However, the school has not cultivated strong behaviours for learning where
pupils make the right choices. The school’s suspension rate has increased substantially,
particularly for persistent disruptive behaviour. Some pupils are receiving repeat
suspensions where strategies to improve their behaviour are not working. This affects
pupils’ progress through the curriculum, as, when they are suspended, these pupils are
not attending school.

Programmes for pupils’ personal development are well considered. Students in the sixth
form experience a range of opportunities to help prepare them for adult life, including
undertaking work placements that match their aspirations. Younger pupils benefit from
employer engagement activities, but they have yet to receive independent careers
information, advice and guidance. The trust is supporting the school to access this. Pupils
are respectful of difference. They are confident in their understanding of protected
characteristics and multiculturalism.

In some areas of the school’s provision, efforts to bring about improvement are
hampered. This is because the information that leaders gather to analyse and evaluate is
partial or incomplete. This makes it difficult to see where strategic action is needed. While
the local governing body asks questions to understand the school, it is not undertaking its
role sufficiently to help the trust hold the school to account.

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is inconsistency in how staff record concerns. On occasion, the chronology of
actions taken is unclear. This was identified at the trust’s most recent audit. There is an
improvement plan in place to help the school address this area. That said, while the
school’s record-keeping is not as detailed as it should be, vulnerable pupils are kept safe.
This is because the safeguarding team acts promptly on the information it is given. The
team readily liaises with external agencies to ensure that vulnerable pupils and their
families get the support they need.

There is an established safeguarding culture in the school. Staff know pupils well and are
alert to the local risks that pupils face. Staff receive regular training and are up to date in
their knowledge of government guidance. Pupils know how to stay safe when online.
They receive age-appropriate advice about the use of social media and their digital
footprint.
The trust ensures that the school makes the necessary pre-employment checks before it
employs staff.

What does the school need to do to improve?
(Information for the school and appropriate authority)
◼ At times, teachers do not use the information they have to adapt the curriculum
effectively for the differing needs of the pupils. This means that some pupils do not
progress through the curriculum as well as they should. The school should ensure staff
consistently support the range of needs in their classes so that pupils achieve well.
◼ The school has been slow to implement suitable support for pupils who struggle to
read. This means that some pupils do not have the reading expertise they need to
access the curriculum. The school should quickly address this gap in its provision so
those pupils who find reading difficult are given the support they need.
◼ The school is not taking effective action to reduce the number of suspensions. Pupils
are not getting the support they need to alter their behaviour. As a result, some pupils
receive repeat suspensions, and some escalate too quickly through the consequences
system. The school should review its use of the behaviour policy and strengthen
support so that pupils make the right decisions about their behaviour.
◼ Insufficiencies in record-keeping and the use of information are hampering the school’s
ability to see clearly where improvements are required. This is affecting its decision-
making and subsequent actions. As a result, certain key areas have not improved. The
trust should provide further training so leaders at all levels record, analyse, evaluate
and use the information available to them effectively for school improvement.
◼ During the disruption to the school site, the local governing body lost focus on its
monitoring role in other areas of the school’s provision, such as the curriculum. This
reduced how well it contributed to the trust’s work to hold the school to account. The
trust should revisit with governors their core responsibilities so they help the trust
board hold the school to account effectively.

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The Chief Executive of BMAT, Helena Mills has written to parents.

‘As you may know, Ofsted conducted an inspection of Sir Frederick Gibberd College on the 3rd and

4th of December 2024. The report is now available on our website. The report highlights several

strengths, including our “highly resilient” students and dedicated staff, who “have their well-being at

heart”.

The inspection also acknowledged the challenges we have all faced, particularly the disruption

caused by ongoing building issues and the “limitations of the physical environment.”

The report also identifies some areas for improvement. The Trust and the School will be working

together to address these issues, including with additional resources. We will keep you updated as

this progresses.

“If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at [email protected].

As ever, thank you for your continued support for our school. Our staff continue to go above and

beyond to make SFG an inclusive and successful school, as we believe the good results in our first

round of GCSEs last summer demonstrate”.