School report
Holly Lodge Girls' College
140 Mill Lane, Liverpool, L12 7LE
Inspection dates
19–20 May 2015
Overall effectiveness
Previous inspection:
Good
2
This inspection:
Requires improvement
3
Leadership and management
Requires improvement
3
Behaviour and safety of pupils
Good
2
Quality of teaching
Requires improvement
3
Achievement of pupils
Requires improvement
3
Sixth form provision
Good
2
Summary of key findings for parents and pupils
This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because
Students are not always challenged to do their very
best and teachers sometimes do not set aspirational
targets for them.
Senior leaders, including governors, do not always
have a clear and accurate view of the progress
being made by students of all abilities across year
groups and in a wide range of subjects.
The use of pupil premium funding has not resulted
in a significant narrowing of the gap in the progress
made by disadvantaged students in comparison to
their classmates. The gap remains too wide.
Strategies to support the development of
mathematical skills across the school are now in
place, but have not had time to make a positive
impact on students’ numeracy development.
The school has the following strengths
Bullying is rare and students say should it happen,
they know staff will deal with it swiftly.
Attendance has risen rapidly so that it now matches
the national average. Persistent absence rates
continue to fall.
Exclusions are very low overall and support for
students who have difficulties with behaviour is
good.
Leadership of the sixth form is good and students
progress well.
Support for literacy across the school is strong and
is helping students to make better progress across
all subject areas.
Inspection report:
Holly Lodge Girls' College, 19–20 May 2015
2 of 10
Information about this inspection
Inspectors observed teaching and learning in lessons and parts of lessons, four of which were jointly
observed with three senior leaders.
Formal discussions were held with four groups of students, a representative from the local authority,
governors and senior and middle leaders.
Additionally, informal discussions were held with students at break time and around the school to gather
their views about behaviour and learning.
Inspectors scrutinised the work in students’ books, both as a formal exercise in mathematics, English and
science, as well as in all lessons observed during the inspection.
Inspectors scrutinised a range of supporting documentation, both publicly available and that provided by
the school, with regard to safeguarding and child protection, minutes of governing body meetings,
performance management, progress data and external reports.
Inspectors took into account the 57 responses to the staff questionnaire and emails from parents. At the
point of the inspection, there were only 10 responses to the online questionnaire Parent View, so
inspectors also took into account school leaders’ own parental surveys taken over the academic year at
parents’ evenings.
Inspection team
Colin Scott, Lead inspector
Additional Inspector
Rachel Wall
Additional Inspector
Bernard Robinson
Additional Inspector
Bimla Kumari
Additional Inspector
Inspection report:
Holly Lodge Girls' College, 19–20 May 2015
3 of 10
Full report
Information about this school
Holly Lodge Girls’ College is smaller than the average sized-secondary school. The number on roll has
reduced significantly over the last three years.
The proportion of students known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium is almost twice the
national average. The pupil premium provides additional funding for those students known to be eligible
for free school meals and those who are looked after by the local authority.
Most students are of White British heritage. The proportion of students who speak English as an additional
language is slightly below the national average.
The proportion of disabled students and those who have special educational needs is average.
Some limited use of alternative provision for a few students is made, using support from:
- Fazackerley Student Support Centre
- New Heights School and Everton Free School
- Alder Hey Educational Health Care.
The school holds the Silver Quality Assurance Mark for reading.
The Chair and vice-chair of the Governing Body have been in post less than a year.
The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for
students’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 11.
What does the school need to do to improve further?
Improve the progress of all groups of students across all subject areas, by:
- ensuring teachers always have high expectations of their students
- leaders always giving teachers timely and accurate information about the levels of ability of their
students so that they can plan lessons that challenge them, particularly for the higher and lower abilities
- making sure all teachers assess the progress students are making in their lessons regularly
- ensuring the school marking policy is applied consistently by all teachers, so that students know exactly
how to improve their work
- sharing the good practice that already exists within the school to improve the quality of teaching and to
support an increase in students’ excitement for learning.
Improve the leadership and management of the school, by:
- developing the skills of senior and middle leaders to manage the performance of teachers through
identifying accurately the progress groups of students make over a period of time
- using pupil premium funding more effectively, so that it narrows gaps more rapidly in the progress
disadvantaged students make compared to their classmates
- developing data-tracking systems so that leaders at all levels, and teachers, can use accurate
information about student’s progress effectively
- supporting governors to develop their skills in holding school leaders to account
- ensuring governors always have the most accurate information available, particularly on the impact of
the provision on all groups of students and the performance of subject areas, so that they can ask
leaders searching questions about improvements.
An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and
management may be improved.
An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium should be undertaken in order to assess how this
aspect of leadership and management may be improved.
Inspection judgements
The leadership and management
requires improvement
Inspection report:
Holly Lodge Girls' College, 19–20 May 2015
4 of 10
Leadership and management require improvement as the progress students make is not as rapid as it
should be. There continues to be a large gap in the progress of disadvantaged students compared to their
classmates and this gap is not closing as quickly as it should.
The new school data systems are still developing and senior leaders do not have a clear and consistent
view of the progress of groups of students in order to secure a rapid increase in the rates of improvement.
Students’ targets are based on what is expected of most of their peers nationally and are sometimes
exceeded. Leaders do not always adjust these targets to take faster progress into account and, as a
result, the progress students make slows.
Leaders at all levels have not secured a consistent approach to the agreed school marking policy so that
students are always aware of how to improve their progress and standards.
The leadership of teaching is supporting staff to develop more rigorous approaches to students’ learning.
However, their views of the quality of teaching are not always accurate and, as a result, do not always
ensure that teachers have high expectations of all students.
There is a strong culture of care and an ethos of improving teaching which develops students well and
leads to good behaviour. It prepares them for their next stages of education or training and helps them to
understand the values of life in modern Britain. For example, leaders boosted students’ knowledge of how
democracy has developed in the United Kingdom by linking their understanding of the suffragette
movement to the recent general election. This resulted in a deeper understanding of equalities and the
rights of women, along with the processes by which elections are held in the United Kingdom.
The curriculum meets the needs of learners extremely well, given the available staffing for the size of the
school. Leaders support teachers successfully in running a wide variety of courses and ensure that
teachers know their subjects well. This means that students are able to choose courses that suit their
personal needs and promotes equality of opportunity well. There is strong provision of careers
information, advice and guidance and this is helping students prepare for life in modern Britain.
Leaders track behaviour issues well and can identify any patterns of negative behaviour quickly. This
includes racism, homophobia or bullying via social media. Students say that staff constantly support them
in understanding cultures different from their own, in acting appropriately and with empathy for
individuals and also in ensuring that any discrimination or misunderstanding of beliefs or faiths is
challenged. These approaches ensure that good relations between students are fostered well.
Middle leadership is good overall. Leaders are supportive of the school and senior leaders and have a good
understanding of the needs of their own subject areas and some priorities of the school. Leaders have
successfully used some pupil premium funding to improve attendance rates, so that disadvantaged
students now attend regularly. However, this funding has not secured a rapid closing of the gaps between
the progress these students make compared to that of their classmates.
The very few students who attend alternative off-site provision are monitored well. Leaders always know
where these students are, the progress they are making and what their attendance and behaviour is like.
This is because there are rigorous reporting procedures between the providers and the school.
The school receives some challenge and support from the local authority, which leaders welcome and
which is having some positive impact. For example, leaders have recently undertaken training
commissioned by the local authority to develop their own skills in being able to monitor the progress of
students and the performance of staff more accurately. Leaders say that this is still work in progress and
acknowledge that this type of training is important for all levels of leadership, so that they have a clearer
view of performance measures.
Leaders’ views of areas for development for the school are mostly accurate. The headteacher has an
astute understanding of priorities. For example, literacy across the school is now strong as a result of
being made a priority and supports students’ progress across many subjects.
Leadership of the sixth form is good and has led to higher rates of progress for students than seen in the
main school.
The use of ‘catch-up’ funding to support Year 7 students is used well to enable less literate students to
make rapid gains in their reading ages, so that they can access what the school has to offer successfully.
Some of this funding supports transition activities from primary school.
Parents are very supportive of the school, of its care for students and of the guidance staff give to the
children. They are also very supportive of the leadership and management of the school. Staff also
recognise that increasing students’ rates of progress is of vital importance if the school is to improve
further.
The school ensures that safeguarding procedures meet statutory requirements and are effective.
The governance of the school:
Inspection report:
Holly Lodge Girls' College, 19–20 May 2015
5 of 10
- While governors are committed to the future of the school and its students, their practice is not as
effective as it should be.
- They have supported the headteacher well in dealing with the recent and ongoing restructuring of the
school workforce. Governors and the headteacher have worked hard to ensure that this has been
carried out with diligence, sensitivity and care and to secure both the future financial strength of the
school and the curriculum the school can offer.
- Sometimes governors do not always challenge school leaders as fully as they might. They too readily
accept the information they are given by school leaders with regard to the progress students make.
They do not check on the validity of that information, for example by commissioning external reports of
how well the school is doing.
- Governors are fully aware of relevant school policies. However, they are not as clear about the impact
of these policies, for example in relation to how the school promotes traditional British values.
- Teachers have targets set by their leaders. Governors do not allow staff to progress through the pay
scales automatically, if their students do not reach their achievement targets.
- The use of the pupil premium has been monitored by governors and they can describe the impact it has
had on improving the attendance of disadvantaged students. However, they are not clear about the
impact the funding is having on closing gaps in achievement between disadvantaged students and their
classmates.
- The relatively new Chair and vice-chair of the governing body acknowledge that current governors’
practice is not sharp enough to bring about a more rapid rate of student progress and school
improvement.
The behaviour and safety of pupils
are good
Behaviour
The behaviour of students is good.
Students are well dressed, punctual to lessons and extremely courteous to members of staff and each
other. They are happy and in lessons, where challenge is realistic, they relish the work and get excited
about what they are doing. Their understanding of different faiths, cultures, backgrounds, lifestyles and
beliefs is good.
Both staff and parents are overwhelmingly positive in their view that students’ behaviour makes a good
contribution to learning. Students interviewed were also keen to say that poor behaviour is rare, both in
classrooms and at break times.
Attitudes to learning are mostly positive. Students are keen to do well and eager to learn. Scrutiny of
books shows that in most lessons students care about their work and that they act upon any challenges
given to them by their teachers . However, not all teachers challenge students in line with the school’s
learning policy, and in those few lessons students’ attitudes to learning are not as positive.
The monitoring of behaviour for the few students who attend alternative off-site provision shows that they
behave as well as their classmates in school.
Inspectors were impressed with the movement of students around the school and the way they behaved
as they walked between lessons and interacted with each other during break times.
Incidences of low-level disruption to lessons are rare, but students say they do occur, particularly in those
few lessons where teachers’ expectations are not high enough.
Safety
The school’s work to keep students safe and secure is good.
Students say that they feel safe and are safe. Both staff and parents agree with this view. In practical
lessons they describe how they are reminded constantly about the use of safety equipment and they can
describe in detail how they keep themselves safe in those lessons.
Students say that there continues to be a small concern around the use of social media in and outside of
school. They say the school gives them clear guidance about how to remain safe when online. Leaders
express their occasional frustration at the increase in social media and how students sometimes do not
keep themselves as safe as they should. However, they remain resolute in continuing to drive home to
students the safety message regarding all types of online behaviour. Students are responding well to this.
The work of leaders to promote good attendance is working well. Despite the school having historically
low rates of attendance, leaders have been successful in ensuring that levels are now matching the
national average for secondary schools and are higher than for similar schools.
Inspection report:
Holly Lodge Girls' College, 19–20 May 2015
6 of 10
Persistent absence rates remain low because of leaders’ relentless pursuit of students who take too much
time off school. There are now no groups of students for whom attendance at the school is worse than
other groups.
School leaders are successful in ensuring that exclusion rates remain low compared to similar schools and,
because behaviour policies are effective, permanent exclusions have not been used for some time.
The quality of teaching
requires improvement
Teaching requires improvement because over time it has not secured good progress for students in Key
Stages 3 and 4, particularly in reading, English and mathematics. While teaching is improving, it is not
consistently good.
The challenge for groups of students varies across subjects and year groups and is not always set at
appropriate levels for students’ abilities. This is particularly the case for those students of higher and lower
ability.
Teaching in English, supported through leaders’ priority of promoting literacy across the curriculum, is
improving steadily and the progress of students is more consistent. There are also indications of an
improvement in teaching in humanities and science, especially in Key Stage 3.
Leaders have already and accurately identified that numeracy skills are underdeveloped across the school.
It is now a school priority because staff are aware that this lack of numeracy development is hindering the
progress students can make in some subjects, in the use of formulae in science, for example.
Opportunities are sometimes missed to help students practise and reinforce their numeracy skills in
subjects other than mathematics. Teachers do not always know clearly the levels of ability of the students
they teach. On these occasions, lessons are not planned or pitched appropriately to stretch students to do
their very best.
Marking is not always regular enough to ensure teachers are fully aware of the progress students are
making. Similarly, some marking does not follow the agreed school policy and as a result, students are not
always clear about how they can improve their work.
Scrutiny of students’ work shows that at times the work does not always challenge them enough. For
example, they often get all of their answers right and they are quick to complete the work. This indicates
that at times the work given may not be appropriate for their needs, as it does not stretch and challenge
them effectively.
Students say that they receive appropriate homework and that, when it is given, it supports their work in
the classroom well.
In lessons where levels of student progress are high, it is clear that this is the result of teaching which
inspires, enthuses and excites them to do their very best because of challenges which stretch them and
make them think deeply.
Teachers know their subjects well and students are confident in what they are being taught. Teachers
have strong established relationships with their students which result in a positive atmosphere for
learning.
The use of other adults in classrooms supports learning well. They are deployed effectively by the class
teachers to ensure students are supported fully in their studies.
Questioning is good overall. Questions help to develop students’ thinking and deepen their understanding.
The achievement of pupils
requires improvement
The achievement of students requires improvement because they enter the school with well below
average attainment and over time they reach standards that are also well below average by the end of
Year 11. In 2014, the number of good passes students gained in their GCSE examinations, including
English and mathematics, fell further than it did nationally.
In publicly available data in 2014, the progress rates across all groups of students, including those who
speak English as an additional language, in both English and mathematics was below the national
average. The gaps between the progress of disadvantaged students compared to their classmates in
school remained wide. Over time, for both subjects, they are slowly narrowing, although indications from
the school’s own data show that this year the gaps are expected to remain wide, until reducing again in
2016. This is due in part to the ability levels of the students in the current Year 11.
In mathematics in 2014, disadvantaged students were about a grade behind their classmates and just
Inspection report:
Holly Lodge Girls' College, 19–20 May 2015
7 of 10
over a grade behind non-disadvantaged students nationally. In English they were just under a grade
behind their classmates and a grade behind non-disadvantaged students nationally.
Current progress measures across all year groups across a range of subjects indicate that there are
improvements, for example in humanities and science in Key Stage 3, but attainment remains variable
across the school.
Disabled students and those who have special educational needs are supported reasonably well. They
continue to make progress that is slightly slower than their classmates, but which requires improvement
overall.
The few students who attend alternative off-site provision make the same rate of progress as their peers
in school.
Higher ability students are not always reaching the standards in GCSE examinations of which they are
capable, particularly in English and mathematics. However, there are some subjects where more do attain
the highest results, in science subjects, for example. This is because they are suitably challenged in these
subjects.
The school has not entered any students early for GCSE this year.
The sixth form provision
is good
Students who study vocational subjects leave with standards significantly above national averages and
those who study academic subjects leave with standards broadly in line with national averages, but with
an improving picture. Given their starting points, this indicates good progress and achievement.
Leadership is good. Leaders are more accurate in their judgement of the progress being made in the sixth
form and of the quality of teaching students are receiving. Teaching is good and is leading to more rapid
progress over time.
Leaders have been successful in ensuring that many students choose to stay on in the sixth form from
Holly Lodge Girls’ College Year 11, due to good support and guidance and a rich curriculum.
Sixth form students are extremely complimentary about the support they receive and the care of their
teachers. They say they are happy and safe in school at all times.
There are no significant differences in the progress different groups of students make compared to their
classmates across the sixth form.
Support for students to explore potential higher education routes or careers is strong. Students say that
their teachers regularly talk to them about their future options and help to give them good guidance in
developing their ideas.
Behaviour across the sixth form is outstanding. Students have high levels of personal aspiration and show
responsible attitudes to learning. They are extremely courteous to each other and to their staff. They say
misbehaviour simply does not happen in the sixth form.
Inspection report:
Holly Lodge Girls' College, 19–20 May 2015
8 of 10
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 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.
Inspection report:
Holly Lodge Girls' College, 19–20 May 2015
9 of 10
School details
Unique reference number
104688
Local authority
Liverpool
Inspection number
461903
This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.
Type of school
Secondary
School category
Community
Age range of pupils
11–19
Gender of pupils
Girls
Gender of pupils in the sixth form
Girls
Number of pupils on the school roll
751
Of which, number on roll in sixth form
104
Appropriate authority
The governing body
Chair
Hayley Todd
Headteacher
Julia Tinsley
Date of previous school inspection
14 March 2012
Telephone number
0151 228 3772
Fax number
0151 228 0161
Email address
[email protected]verpool.sch.uk
Any complaints about the inspection or the report should be made following the procedures set out in the
guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website:
www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300
123 4234, or email e[email protected]v.uk.
You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted
will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to
inspect and when and as part of the inspection.
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
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) regulates and inspects to
achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners
of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children
and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training,
work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in
prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services
for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.
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.
If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please
telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.
You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you
give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way.
To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection
reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.
Piccadilly Gate
Store St
Manchester
M1 2WD
T: 0300 123 4234
Textphone: 0161 618 8524
E: [email protected]v.uk
W: www.ofsted.gov.uk
© Crown copyright 2014