Exam Results & Inspection

Outcome of Ofsted’s monitoring visit of Tendring Technology College (TTC) in March 2023 . 

A copy of the monitoring report is available here.

The progress made towards the removal of the serious weaknesses designation 

The new principal has been in post since September 2022. 

You have taken significant steps to continue to improve the curriculum. I looked specifically at English because your evaluation of the curriculum identifies English as a strength. I also scrutinised plans for other subjects within the curriculum. Subject leaders have carefully chosen the knowledge they want pupils to learn in English. This knowledge builds well on pupils’ prior learning. Teachers break learning down into manageable stages and explain clearly. This helps pupils to understand and learn better. Teachers identify misconceptions and provide pupils with support when they do not understand. This is helping pupils to grasp more complex ideas. 

The 2022 results at GCSE in a number of curriculum areas were low when compared with national averages. You identified the need to ensure pupils build knowledge better in some areas of the curriculum. Across the curriculum, you, and leaders, have provided training to develop teachers’ subject knowledge. As a result, teachers regularly revisit knowledge that pupils have learned before. This helps pupils to remember better. You regularly review how well teachers implement the curriculum. You continue to provide training for a small number of teachers to ensure they present knowledge more clearly. 

You have made clear your high expectations around pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to each other. You have established a more inclusive ethos in the school. Pupils, including pupils who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, report that incidents of homophobic bullying are now rare. Pupils know that you and your staff will act swiftly to put a stop to any bullying should it happen. 

As at the time of my previous monitoring visit, pupils’ conduct is contributing to a calm, orderly atmosphere in lessons and at breaktimes and lunchtimes. Pupils are ready to learn. They are respectful to each other, adults and visitors to the school. Pupils and staff have noticed and appreciate this. They report that behaviour continues to improve. Most staff apply the behaviour systems consistently. Although high, the number of pupils excluded from school has decreased considerably since September 2022. 

Most pupils attend well. You have taken some actions to improve pupils’ attendance. You have increased support within the school and draw from outside agencies to enhance this work. As a result, more pupils now regularly attend school than at the start of the academic year. However, for a significant minority of pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, attendance rates are significantly lower than the national average. The number of pupils who are persistently absent also remains too high. You know that you must continue to work with parents to ensure more pupils regularly attend school. 

You have allocated more curriculum time to the personal, social and health education curriculum at key stage 3 and at key stage 4. Increasingly, pupils know how to nurture 3 healthy relationships. Pupils understand how to respond to less-healthy behaviours. This helps them keep safe. Pupils I met with during my visit demonstrated positive attitudes towards those who are different from them. However, pupils’ knowledge of other major religions is limited. Safeguarding remains effective. Pupils know how to report a concern to an adult. Pupils also understand how to keep themselves safe when online. They appreciate how you and your staff care for their physical and mental well-being. 

Outcome of Ofsted’s monitoring visit of Tendring Technology College (TTC) in July 2022 . 

A copy of the monitoring report is available here.

'The school continues to be inadequate. However, leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action towards the removal of the serious weaknesses designation.  The school’s improvement plans are fit for purpose. '

The progress made towards the removal of the serious weaknesses designation  

Leaders, trustees and governors share an ambitious vision for Tendring Technology College. Since the previous inspection, they have established rigorous systems of accountability. Trustees and governors make regular checks on how well leaders’ actions secure improvement.   Leaders and the trust have provided suitable training for all staff around the construction of the curriculum. Teachers have a clearer understanding of the knowledge pupils need to learn. This knowledge links more logically to what they have learned before. Pupils are remembering and using more of their learning than they did previously. Teachers are starting to check and identify what pupils know and what they do not. Much of this work is new; teachers are becoming more confident in teaching the new curriculum.  Leaders have constructed a more coherent curriculum for personal, social and health education (PSHE). They have ensured that there is a greater focus on teaching pupils how to develop positive, healthy relationships. Leaders have allocated more teaching time for PSHE at key stage 3. 

Leaders have introduced a new system of managing pupil behaviour which staff and pupils understand well. Pupils know the consequences of negative behaviour. Leaders have adopted restorative approaches to managing behaviour. Pupils are aware of how their words and actions may affect others. Pupils can make amends for less positive behaviours. Staff and pupils agree that behaviour has improved. Pupils and staff attribute this to most teachers’ consistent application of the behaviour systems. Pupils’ behaviour across the two sites is generally calm and orderly.

Leaders ensure that staff receive regular safeguarding training. Staff understand the local risks that pupils may face. Through recent assemblies, pupils are aware of how to identify peer-on-peer abuse and how to respond and report it. There are robust systems in the school to ensure timely reporting of concerns. Leaders intervene quickly so that pupils receive the support they need. Pupils say they feel safe. Safeguarding is effective. 

Dear Parents/Carers, 

I am writing to let you know the outcome of Ofsted’s inspection of Tendring Technology College (TTC) in November last year. Very disappointingly, the school has been graded as Inadequate.  A copy of the inspection report is available here.

As we all know, TTC is a school that has had a really difficult few years, and there were clearly improvements that needed to be made. That work had begun long before Ofsted visited us, but we recognise that there is more work that we need to do. 

More positively, Ofsted’s report acknowledges that we have taken decisive action which is leading to improvements. We know there have been significant difficulties for some time, and since September, under new leadership with a new Chief Executive and senior team at AET we’ve been working hard to resolve these. We know we have not always got things right in the past and we are determined to do better. 

To address the extent of the challenges, AET recognised that TTC needed a full time Executive Principal, and since the start of the spring term, I have been in post. Whilst it is early days, I believe that we are making positive strides forward, particularly in terms of changing the culture and improving safeguarding.  Here, we are seeing the impact of appointing additional staff to the senior team, with specific expertise in safeguarding. We have additional training for staff in place, and new measures to improve behaviour. 

We have made improvements to how tutoring and pastoral support work in school, prioritising pupil wellbeing, and the additional counselling support we have provided has been very well received by pupils.  We also want to do more to listen to the views of students, staff and the community and will be reaching out with regular surveys and opportunities to come together to discuss any issues or concerns. 

I am personally committed to the school working more closely with you as parents and carers, as well as the wider community, as we continue to make the improvements needed at TTC. This work has begun and we are keen to build on this over the coming months and years.

I am sure you will share my disappointment about the overall grade of the Ofsted inspection, but I hope that this update provides some reassurance on the steps we are taking. 

Regards,
Graeme Napier
Executive Principal, Tendring Technology College

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Please click here to view performance tables on the Department for Education website.