346355

Aviation House T 08456 404040
125 Kingsway F 020 7421 6855

London enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk
WC2B 6SE www.ofsted.gov.uk
25 January 2010
Dame Maureen Brennan

Headteacher
Barr Beacon Language College
Old Hall Lane
Walsall
WS9 0RF
Dear Dame Maureen
Ofsted 2009-10 survey inspection programme: the impact that links

between parents/carers and schools have on supporting and
encouraging young people’s achievement, well-being and personal
development
Thank you for your hospitality and cooperation, and that of your staff, during
my visit on 13 January 2010 to look at the impact that links between
parents/carers and schools have on supporting and encouraging young
people’s achievement, well-being and personal development.
As outlined in my initial letter, as well as looking at key areas of the aspect,

the visit had a particular focus on how the school’s work with parents and
carers affects a range of outcomes for students.
The visit provided valuable information which will contribute to our national
evaluation and reporting. Published reports are likely to list the names of the
contributing institutions but individual institutions will not be identified in the
main text.
The evidence used to inform the judgements included: interviews with

parents, staff and students; scrutiny of relevant documentation; and
observation of the school at work.
The overall effectiveness of the school’s links with parents/carers and its
impact on the outcomes for students are good.
The impact of parental involvement on outcomes
The impact of parental involvement on outcomes is good.
 You provide a great deal of useful published information to parents and

carers before and during their children’s time in the school.
 Parents’ evenings have been reorganised as a result of parental input.
Parents report that these events are very useful and most parents attend
regularly. Other school events are supported similarly well and have seen
an increasing number of parents attending over time.
 The ongoing flow of information from school to home is very constructive.
Parents are enthusiastic about the positive impact of praise postcards on
their children’s motivation.
 Parents are quickly informed of any problems with attendance, behaviour,
effort or attainment. Parents and students report improvements in
behaviour as a result of this engagement. Recent examination results
indicate that standards are rising.
 Day-to-day procedures for promoting attendance and punctuality are very
good. The school is working hard, with positive results, to raise attendance
and reduce persistent absence by highlighting its importance to parents.
 The well-organised school website engages parents effectively in the
routines of the school. Clearly this development is not as useful for the few
families without ready access to computers.
The impact of parental involvement on the quality of provision
The impact of parental involvement on the quality of provision is satisfactory.
 Parental expertise is used rarely as a resource for learning but the school
is actively engaged in plans to boost this. Some parents volunteer their
services and are engaged in activities such as language exchanges.
 Homework is set consistently across the curriculum and parents and
students say completion rates are high. Parents mostly see their role as
supporting completion rather than being actively involved in home
learning.
 Parents help review the effectiveness of events through questionnaires.
Most parents are very happy with recent improvements at Barr Beacon but
do not feel actively involved in shaping them. They feel the school would
be responsive to their ideas should they give them.
 Parents understand what their children are learning through regular
sharing of information and most try to support this learning.
Improvements in examination results demonstrate that the school’s
strategies are increasingly effective.
 Transition processes are effective and allow the school to gather good
information before students start school.
The impact of the parental involvement on inclusion
The impact of the parental involvement on inclusion is good.
 This is an inclusive school. The way in which parents and carers are
engaged makes it more so. The school cares passionately about its
students and supports families-in-need through a multi-agency approach.
This has been particularly successful in supporting students with the
potential to become disengaged with education. Some parents reflected
that this had resulted in their children gaining qualifications and college
places that otherwise would have been lost to them. Parents of students
with autistic spectrum disorder were full of praise for the recently
established support group they can attend.
The impact of leadership and management on the involvement of

parents
The impact of leadership and management on the involvement of parents is

good.
 You and your senior staff have a clear ethos of a close engagement in
your work with parents. You have an acute awareness of your community
and the school’s place in it. This has resulted in very good relationships
with parents who regard the school as a warm, welcoming place.
 The vital role of parents and carers is mentioned positively many times in
the school improvement plan. Work with parents is being driven through
the Leading Parental Partnerships Award. However, not all staff, parents
or governors are currently aware of this work.
 Governors share your view of the importance of parental involvement.
They agree that they could contribute more to the development of
parental expertise in the curriculum as they become more established.
 The school is increasingly effective in breaking down any barriers parents
perceive towards their engagement. Parents report high levels of
satisfaction with the way the school is developing. A parental forum is
planned.
 Parents spoken to comment very favourably about the school’s
communication, including the response time to enquiries. The small
number of complaints the school receives are usually resolved amicably.
Areas for improvement, which we discussed, include:
 auditing and systematically developing the use of parental expertise to

enhance provision for students in the school
 ensuring all staff, governors and parents are aware of the work on the
Leading Parental Partnership Award and the contribution they could make
to it
 developing the planned parental forum to ensure parents feel empowered
in shaping the direction of the school.
I hope these observations are useful as you continue to develop the impact of
the work of parents and carers in the school.
As I explained in my previous letter, a copy of this letter will be sent to your

local authority and will be published on the Ofsted website. It will also be
available to the team for your next institutional inspection.
Yours sincerely
Peter Gale
Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Aviation House T 08456 404040

125 Kingsway F 020 7421 6855

Dame Maureen Brennan

Dear Dame Maureen

Ofsted 2009-10 survey inspection programme: the impact that links

As outlined in my initial letter, as well as looking at key areas of the aspect,

The evidence used to inform the judgements included: interviews with

The impact of parental involvement on outcomes

The impact of parental involvement on outcomes is good.

 You provide a great deal of useful published information to parents and

The impact of parental involvement on the quality of provision

The impact of parental involvement on the quality of provision is satisfactory.

The impact of the parental involvement on inclusion

The impact of the parental involvement on inclusion is good.

The impact of leadership and management on the involvement of

The impact of leadership and management on the involvement of parents is

Areas for improvement, which we discussed, include:

 auditing and systematically developing the use of parental expertise to

As I explained in my previous letter, a copy of this letter will be sent to your

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