Setting

Miss Tayo Akamo Acting Headteacher Broomfield School Wilmer Way London N14 7HY

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Special measures: monitoring inspection of Broomfield School

Following my visit with Karen Roche and David Lewis, additional inspectors, to your school on 21 and 22 March 2012, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the inspection findings.

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Special measures: monitoring inspection of Broomfield School

The inspection was the first monitoring inspection since the school became subject to special measures following the inspection which took place in October 2011. The full list of the areas for improvement which were identified during that inspection is set out in the annex to this letter. The monitoring inspection report is attached and the main judgements are set out below.

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Special measures: monitoring inspection of Broomfield School

Progress since being subject to special measures – satisfactory

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Special measures: monitoring inspection of Broomfield School

Newly qualified teachers may not be appointed.

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Special measures: monitoring inspection of Broomfield School

This letter and monitoring inspection report will be posted on the Ofsted website. I am copying this letter and the monitoring inspection report to the Secretary of State, the Chair of the Governing Body, the Director of Children’s Services for Enfield and the local Young People’s Learning Agency.

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Her Majesty’s Inspector

Tribal 1-4 Portland Square Bristol BS2 8RR T 0300 123 1231 Text Phone: 0161 6188524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Direct T 0117 3115319 Direct F 0117 3150430 Direct email :matthew.parker@tribalgroup.com

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place in October 2011

 Strengthen leadership and management by:    improving the accuracy, consistency and robustness of self-evaluation   increasing the impact of senior leaders in addressing key weaknesses   strengthening school improvement planning by ensuring that planned actions are measured against clearly defined timelines and that success criteria are linked, precisely, to measurable outcomes for students.    Raise attainment in science by:    ensuring there is no inadequate teaching in science and that the large majority of science lessons secure at least good progress   ensuring that the science curriculum is sufficiently well planned to enable all students to make good progress  ensuring that the leadership and management of science have a clear, immediate and rapid impact in raising achievement in Key Stage 4 and in the sixth form.    Improve the quality of teaching and learning by:

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place in October 2011

 ensuring there is no inadequate teaching  increasing the proportion of good and outstanding teaching through sharing the best practice seen in teaching and the use of assessment to promote better learning.

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place in October 2011

 Raise achievement and attainment in the sixth form by:

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place in October 2011

 reducing the proportion of students who fail to pass or complete their courses in Year 12  ensuring teachers and students have a clear understanding of students’ targets and that progress towards these targets is monitored consistently so that underachievement is identified and addressed more quickly  strengthening the impact of monitoring and evaluation on outcomes for all students.

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place in October 2011

 Ensure the curriculum at Key Stage 4 and in the sixth form fully meets the needs and aspirations of lower-attaining students. 

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Evidence

Inspectors observed the school’s work, scrutinised documents and met with the headteacher, a representative from the local authority, several different groups of staff and senior leaders, three different groups of students, the Chair of the Governing Body, the chair of rapid recovery group and the two consultant headteachers working with the school. In addition, they talked informally to students during lessons and break times. Inspectors observed 24 teachers teaching 24 lessons. Nine of these lesson observations were carried out jointly with members of the senior leadership team.

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Context

Since the Ofsted inspection in October 2011 there have been significant staff changes. The headteacher and one of the permanent deputy headteachers left the school before Christmas. The head of sixth form and the head of the science department, the Key Stage 3 science coordinator and head of physics have also left the school. At the time of the inspection four temporary teachers were covering parts of the science timetable. Three new teachers have been appointed and are due to join the school at various times before September. Two consultant headteachers from national support schools in the borough are in post part time supporting the acting headteacher who was seconded from one of the support schools in December. One acting deputy headteacher is also seconded from the same school. Leadership roles and responsibilities have been re-allocated to ensure coverage and accountability. The school has a new Chair of the Governing Body and has appointed

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Context

two new governors from the governing body of an outstanding school. An acting deputy headteacher will be leaving at the end of the current term. The school has advertised for a permanent headteacher and expects to make an appointment by the end of April 2012.

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Achievement of pupils at the school

Achievement across the curriculum, including in the sixth form, is inconsistent. The school exceeds government floor targets and achieved its best ever GCSE results in 2011. However, these good results mask significant weaknesses and inconsistencies. For example, students make good progress in mathematics in the main school and sixth form and at least satisfactory progress in English. However, progress in science in the main school has been inadequate over time and there is still significant underachievement. Achievement of different groups of students is also inconsistent. Most groups make adequate progress in their learning but there are a few who make inadequate progress including disabled students and those with special educational needs identified by the school as needing significant extra support.

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Achievement of pupils at the school

Following the previous inspection the school recognised that its student data systems were not ‘fit for purpose’. A new data system has been put in place and staff are required to enter data at regular intervals for groups in the main school and sixth form. This system has the facility to provide rigorous data for each student, teaching group, teacher, and a variety of student-linked characteristics. Teachers are beginning to use this system to inform their planning. So far there have been a small number of data entry opportunities but, over time, this system has the potential to give the school robust evidence upon which to sharply intervene with underachieving students. Data already collected have enabled leaders to better understand underachievement in science and the sixth form; a series of planned interventions for students are in place.

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Achievement of pupils at the school

At the time of the previous inspection a significant proportion of teaching and learning in science was inadequate. The school, with the support of local authority advisers and support school staff, has sought, with some success, to improve the quality of teaching. Improved teaching schemes have been put in place in Key Stages 3 and 4 and a revised curriculum plan established for September. The proportion of inadequate lessons, while still too high, has reduced markedly and the timetable has been rearranged to prioritise the learning of examination groups.

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Achievement of pupils at the school

In the sixth form, students report that limited, or poor, advice in the past has resulted in a significant number of students embarking on courses that they have not completed. A number of students have changed between courses early in Year 12, and some students have dropped out of Year 13 courses. The school has acted to mitigate previous poor practice as best it can. Most sixth form students have been interviewed to establish aspiration, targets and establish robust data on the combination of courses students are following. The school has a strong commitment to providing the best support that it can; students are positive about the support their teachers provide. Additional options to meet the needs of a wider ability range are in place for September 2012. More rigorous and appropriate entry requirements are in place to ensure that students are recruited to appropriate courses in the future. All learning seen in sixth form lessons by inspectors, including in science, was

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Achievement of pupils at the school

satisfactory or better. Outstanding learning was seen in a Year 13 government and politics lesson where students were challenged in their thinking about the political significance of appointments to the Supreme Court. Rigorous recent reviews by the school show that, despite improvements, inadequate lessons still persist in the sixth form.

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Achievement of pupils at the school

Progress since the last section 5 inspection:  Raise achievement and attainment in the sixth form – satisfactory  Raise attainment in science – satisfactory

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The quality of teaching

The proportion of good or better teaching has increased since the previous inspection and there are more lessons in which students make good progress. Approximately half of lessons observed by inspectors were good or better; this is in line with the school’s own data. However, teaching and learning are inconsistent across and within departments, and there are vacancies with temporary staff in a few curriculum areas, most notably science.

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The quality of teaching

Robust and accurate monitoring by the leadership team and external review are leading to precise data on the quality of teaching. Where teaching is best, teachers' subject knowledge and their secure understanding of examination requirements are well utilised to enable students to perform at their best. Lessons are planned thoroughly. Teachers use assessment data and their knowledge of how students learn to plan a wide range of strategies that engage and motivate. The best teachers have confidence, due to their good relationships with students, to be flexible and adapt their lessons when they know that planned activities are not pitched at the right level. Students readily act on teachers' advice and feel confident in lessons to ask for help when required, to read aloud and offer their views and responses to questions.

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The quality of teaching

In some lessons, particularly, but not exclusively, those taught by temporary teachers, too much time is spent on managing the low-level disruption by a minority of students. Tasks are not always pitched appropriately for the ability of students and the most able students are infrequently challenged. There are significant inconsistencies in the marking of students’ work. An excellent example, seen in one set of science books, where the teacher had assessed work and provided students with clear guidance on how to improve, was not replicated in other teachers’ practice. In some areas students feel that their work is not marked regularly enough and/or teachers’ comments are vague or received too late for them to be meaningful. Teaching assistants give good support to students in lessons. However, this is not always optimised due to inconsistent liaison with teachers prior to the lesson.

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The quality of teaching

Progress since the last section 5 inspection:  Improve the quality of teaching and learning – satisfactory

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Safeguarding procedures are robust and students feel safe in school. They recognise that support mechanisms are successfully implemented to prevent them from being injured or bullied. Anti-bullying is a high priority for staff and students and they are confident that, should bullying occur, it will be dealt with efficiently and quickly. Students who arrive speaking English as an additional language sometimes find the behaviour of other students intimidating and upsetting. At some times they can feel uncomfortable because of overcrowding in corridors but rarely feel at risk. Most students behave responsibly around school and in the lessons where the quality of teaching is at least satisfactory. The new behaviour code, where used, is beginning to have an impact as students are motivated by the opportunity to earn rewards.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Attendance is broadly average in the main school. However, lack of clear expectations over time of attendance in the sixth form mean that it is too low. Many students, in the main school and sixth form, have a relaxed attitude to arriving at school on time and a significant number ‘drift in’ during registration. In contrast, students are usually very punctual to lessons; this contributes positively to a sharp start to lessons and a focus on learning.

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The quality of leadership in and management of the school

The executive team of acting headteacher and supporting consultant headteachers has determination to drive rapid improvement in the school. The leadership team has been restructured to deliver the post-Ofsted action plan and all members have clear areas of responsibility and accountability related to the plan. The post-Ofsted action plan has clear actions closely linked to defined timelines; success criteria are clearly based on outcomes for students. However, while plans are appropriate and starting to lead to improvements in provision, the impact on student outcomes is still limited.

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The quality of leadership in and management of the school

Systems for self-evaluation have been imported from the support schools and the school now has a much sharper understanding of its strengths and weaknesses than at the time of the previous inspection. The senior team is aware that these systems will need review over time taking into account the school’s context. Departmental reviews and marking scrutiny have recently been introduced to the self-evaluation process. These are beginning to raise self-awareness and consistency within and between departments. However, senior leaders are clear there is much still to be done generally and also to make middle leadership consistently effective.

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The quality of leadership in and management of the school

Permanent members of staff and those seconded from support schools are sharing the roles of senior members of staff who have left the school. Senior leaders are developing confidence in their new roles supported by the acting headteacher and her consultant headteachers. However, the appointment of new permanent senior roles, including headteacher, is pending. This means that while significant planning has been put in place, quite rightly, binding decisions are still to be taken. For example, the curriculum offer did not meet the needs of all students at the time of the previous inspection. Significant planning and liaison with students and their parents and carers over needs and aspirations have taken place. A new curriculum plan is in place for September 2012, with more options for lower attaining students, in the main school and sixth form. However, the school is waiting for its new headteacher before confirming plans. Similarly, the structure of the school day,

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The quality of leadership in and management of the school

coupled to poor timetabling, has led to many students having their curriculum time concentrated in the same day to the detriment of their learning, particularly in the sixth form. The school is aware of these problems and is planning to address them for the new school year. Governors have recognised that they were not functioning effectively and have started to sharpen their practice in holding the school to account. The Chair of the Governing Body has restructured governance with the support of two new governors from an outstanding school. A rapid recovery group has been established led by three governors including the local Member of Parliament who is chair. This group has taken the lead in commissioning local authority reviews and communicating progress about improvement to parents and carers through the Broomfield Bulletin.

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The quality of leadership in and management of the school

Progress since the last section 5 inspection:  Strengthen leadership and management – satisfactory  Ensure the curriculum at Key Stage 4 and in the sixth form fully meets the needs and aspirations of lower-attaining students – satisfactory

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External support

The local authority provides the school with a high level of support. The brokered support from the national support schools is making a valuable contribution to strengthening leadership capacity. One of the consultant headteachers, for example, will also assist in the appointment process for a new permanent headteacher. Considerable support has been allocated to science with two Advanced Skills Teachers and two advisers working with the department. This is beginning to have a positive impact on the quality of teaching.

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External support

The local authority was asked to amend its statement of action for the school as it was not fit for purpose. It did not include information regarding how parents and carers were to be kept informed about the school’s progress or detail about changes to governance. Amendments have now been made to improve the plan and it is now fit for purpose although further changes are planned in response to adjustments to the school’s own plans and targets.

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