ContinU Plus Academy Summary SEF 2016-17
Core Values- “We will work it Out”
The Context of the ContinU Plus Academy
The ContinU Plus Academy is a very good Alternative Provision Free School. Our catchment area includes Wyre Forest, Hagley, Dudley, Bromsgrove and Redditch. We offer bespoke provision to 90 permanently excluded pupils, or education for pupils referred from high schools that require alternative education. The school is a strategic partner with ContinU Trust Schools, is very successful and now has a waiting list of referrals as we are at full capacity for the first time since opening our doors in 2014.
Our school is a happy place, successful and has an excellent reputation in the local community. Central to our ethos is the success and mental wellbeing of every child in the school, and for us this means a complete package of academic challenge, vocational opportunity, meaningful post 16 transition, a therapeutic response at point of need, with consistently improving behaviour in line with length of placement.
Our aim is to reintegrate our Key Stage 3 pupils where appropriate and to provide a stable, supportive and aspirational school base for Key Stage 4 pupils, from which they can flourish post 16/17.
The school has just finished recruitment for our first cohort of post 16 learners, in order to enhance the life chances of our most vulnerable.
For the 3 years since our conception, our learners have experienced 100% positive transition to placements post 16. It is now our intention to ensure that placements are 100% sustainable.
Outcomes of students:
Grade = Good
Results
The ContinU Plus Academy is celebrating this year’s GCSE results in which we have again surpassed national averages by 30%, ranking us amongst the highest achieving AP providers in the country (DFE Latest AP performance tables 2015-16).
The school is delighted that almost half (42%) of students who attended the school, sometimes for just six months to one year, have left with five GCSEs or more – with 100% achieving both qualifications and a confirmed college placement or job to go to. 61.5% of our pupils have achieved 5 qualifications or more, when including entry level and vocational qualifications.
This is an extraordinary achievement for the school considering the fact that the national average for students achieving five GCSEs or more in this sector is currently sitting at 12.3% nationally. The nature of the results is attributable to both the high quality staff at the school as well as the support of Worcestershire mainstream schools and the local authority. Students realise very quickly after arriving at our school that they can change their life chances by embracing the alternative and creative approach to learning and achievement employed at the ContinU Plus Academy. It is their determination and hard work, despite significant challenges, that is to be celebrated with these results.
In the face of a national curriculum agenda that has increased academic content in GCSE Qualifications and withdrawn coursework elements, our cohort has faced significant challenges.
The school is now focusing on the introduction of a more varied curriculum, with a wider number of qualifications, including non GCSE Level 1 and 2 Qualifications.
| Subject A*-G | All England AP schools (%) | The ContinU Plus Academy (%) |
| English Language | 87.2 | 69* |
| Maths | 65.4 | 100 |
| Science | 81 | 95 |
| Geography | 74.5 | 100 |
| History | 61.4 | 25** |
| Health and Social Care | 83.9 | 100 |
| Hospitality and Catering | 88.7 | 100 |
| Physical Education | 81.8 | 90.9 |
| Outdoor Education (Level 1) | 24.2 | 87.5 |
*following introduction of the new English GCSE specification (9-1), first reported in 2017
**GCSE History will not be a Year 11 option for the Academic year 2017/18 but will return in 2018/19.
This table takes data from the AP performance data tables for England 2015/16 and does not include dual registered pupils – these figures for England AP schools would drop further as a direct result of increased difficulty in 9-1 qualifications. The CPA is sticking to GCSEs where other AP schools are turning to alternatives that are less rigorous and reduce opportunities for positive and sustained destinations. The CPA is including increased numbers of ‘other’ Level 1 equivalent qualifications further down the school to increase outcomes without jeopardizing the future aspirations of our pupils – GCSEs will remain the focus of the Year 11 curriculum.
(https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/revised-gcse-and-equivalent-results-in-england-2015-to-2016)
In 77.8% of subjects offered ContinU Plus Academy pupils outperform the National expectations in terms of pure outcomes.
Outcomes over time
| Measure | 2014/15 | 2015/16 | 2016/17 |
| Average Qualifications | 3.65 | 4.41 | 5.31 |
| 5+ Qualifications (%) | 26.1 | 64.7 | 78.9 |
| 5+ Qualifications Level 1+ (%) | 26.1 (13/23) | 47.1 (8/17) | 42.1 (8/19) |
| A*-G EMS (%) | 56.7 (13/23) | 82.3 (14/17) | 72.7 (8/11) |
| Entry Level English (L2/L3) (%) | n/a | n/a | 27/73 |
| Entry Level Maths (L3) (%) | n/a | n/a | 100 |
| Whole School National Progress (%) | n/a | 76 | 77.4 |
| 2015/16 | 2016/17 | ||
| Measure | Outcome | Measure | Outcome |
| *Average Stress/Anxiety | 10.3 | *Average Stress/Anxiety | 13.9 |
| **%Predicted Grade 0 (En/Ma) | 41/53 | **%Predicted Grade 0 (En/Ma) | 58/84 |
| ***New in Key Stage 4 (%) | 47 | ***New in Key Stage 4 (%) | 78.9 |
*SDQ tests report low stress below 17, moderate stress below 20 and severe stress if above 20
** Predicted English and maths grades are based on ACCESS tests on entry
***’New in Key Stage 4’ could mean a January of Year 11 intake with CPA having just 5 months to address all issues (pupils entering before Year 9 show most progress)
Headlines
- Pupils are leaving CPA with increasing numbers of qualifications
- Pupils are leaving CPA with greater quality qualifications now than two years ago and are performing better in English, maths and science compared to 2015/16 despite the cascading of more difficult content in new GCSE 9-1 specifications
- Entry level qualifications have been successfully introduced and assist in reducing stress and anxiety as pupils gain confidence from successfully passing exams before the pressures of the Summer examinations
- Whole school National progress has stabilized at around 77%
Next Steps
- Away days were successfully introduced in 2017/18 in order to help reduce pupil stress – this will continue from 2018 onwards
- Psychologist support has been introduced and pupils in need regularly meet with trained support practitioners
- Pupils are completing Level 1 qualifications in careers and wellbeing to help understand and reduce stress, raise aspiration and focus attention on working towards positive destinations
- Targets have been adjusted to motivate staff towards helping pupils make further progress and expectation is that National progress will exceed 85% by the end of 2017/18
- The CPA is now at capacity meaning that no Year 11, and very few Year 10 pupils, can be admitted in year – this will facilitate longer periods of consistency in teaching, learning and pupil wellbeing support
- Additional mock exam windows for 2017/18 to allow pupils to acclimatize to examination expectations earlier, better inform progress/need for intervention, improve entry decisions and ensure that back up qualifications are completed by pupils
2017/18 Targets;
85% of all CPA students to be making Nationally expected progress or better
2015/16 – 76%
2016/17 – 77.4%
Although the numbers fluctuate according to half termly referral windows the end of year percentages of all CPA students has increased over the past two years.
85% of CPA Year 11 leavers are to achieve 5 or more GCSE qualifications, or equivalent, including English and maths
2014/15 – 26.1 2015/16 – 47.1 2016/17 – 42.1
Percentage of cohort achieving 5 or more qualifications including Entry level and vocational
2014/15 – 26.1 2015/16 – 64.7% 2016/17 – 78.9%
We have seen an increase in the number of students achieving more qualifications over the past two years when compared to the baseline data generated in 2014/15. Students are now achieving over 4 qualifications per year and our target for 2017/18 is that students achieve 5 or more. Since 2014/15 we have seen an increase in the number of students achieving 5 or more qualifications from 26.1% to over 60% with a spike of 70.6% in our strongest ever set of results in 2015/16
80% of Year 11 students are to ‘close the gap’ in core subjects
2015/16 – 72.5% 2016/17 – 75.7%
We have seen a decrease in the number of students closing the gap in English and science over the last two years* and an increase in the number of students closing the gap in maths. Overall core averages show an increase in the number of students closing KS2 gaps in the core over the past two years.
Average ‘gap close’ across the Core subjects
English
2015/16 – 82.3% 2016/17 – 68.8%
*a further 5.3% of pupils made Nationally expected progress *a further 11% of pupils made Nationally expected progress
Maths
2015/16 – 52.9% 2016/17 – 81.8%
*a further 23.5% of pupils made Nationally expected progress
Science
2015/16 – 82.4% 2016/17 – 76%
*a further 12% of pupils made Nationally expected progress *a further 15.8% of pupils made Nationally expected progress
2016/17 Legacy Target;
100% of Year 11 students are to achieve a ‘pass’ grade in all of the GCSE subjects for which they were entered
2014/15 – 78.2%
2015/16 – 86%
2016/17 – 87.3%
We have seen an increasing trend over the past 3 years with greater proportions of Year 11 students passing all of the GCSEs that they are entered for.
Outcomes for Pupils
- Technical and vocational awards (Level 1 and 2) introduced to Key Stage 4 including media studies, careers and wellbeing
- Bespoke Key Stage 5 curriculum to secure positive future destinations – upgrades for subjects and introduction of new pathways
- Introduce a HAD policy and ensure that achievement gaps are closed leading to high level destinations
- Improve performance of disadvantaged pupils to be in line with peers – focus on sub-groups including PP, LAC, HAD, GRT, EHCP, boys and girls
- Remove inconsistencies between subjects and ensure that subject RAPs are robust – engagement with home schools, primary (feeder) schools and external support
- Introduce a more robust assessment and reporting system that better informs stakeholders of progress and areas for development
- Review IAG provision and increase students exposure to careers and aspirations through knowledge pathways – including introduction of new qualifications
- Accredited courses introduced to Key Stage 3 including Entry Level (1-3), Level 1 qualifications (English, maths and science)
Quality of Teaching and Learning: Grade =Good
85% of Lessons judged to be good or outstanding.
New PM procedure in place, with rigorous triangulation of data – clear assessment and monitoring calendar issued to all staff at start of year.
Areas of weakness addressed with replacement of weakest staff and monitoring procedures. War Cabinet SLT weekly involvement and support for underperforming staff re- progress.
73% Teachers are RAG rating Green in PM with no concerns
Support/Training in place for all teachers RAG rated Amber or red
Teacher attendance average 96.2%
Impact of Performance Management- 33% of staff on National Leadership Qualifications.
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