Greenshaw High School

Age group 11–18 Inspection date(s) 13–14 June 2012 Inspection number 397475 Greenshaw High School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 103000 Local authority Sutton Inspection number 397475 Inspection dates 13–14 June 2012 Lead inspector Lesley Farmer

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Type of school Academy converter School category Community Age range of pupils 11–18 Gender of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 1590 Of which, number on roll in the sixth form 330 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mike Cooper Headteacher William Smith Date of previous school inspection 13–14 June 2007 School address Grennell Road Sutton Surrey SM1 3DY Telephone number 0208 7151001 Fax number 0208 6417335 Email address admin@suttonlea.org 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 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

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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 pe ople. 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’.

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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.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.

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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

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days' notice. Inspectors observed a total of 47 lessons taught by 42 teachers and held discussions with groups of students, staff and three members of the governing body, including the Chair of the Governing Body. Inspectors observed the school’s work, looked at school documents and development plans, the school’s self-evaluation, tracking data showing students’ progress, teachers’ lesson plans and students’ work. Joint observations of lessons were conducted with five senior leaders. In addition, inspectors took account of the responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and analysed the questionnaire responses of 112 parents and carers, 38 staff and 149 students and took their views into account.

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Information about the school

Greenshaw High School is a larger-than-average-sized secondary school. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below average. Most students are of White British heritage. The school has an integrated speech and language unit and the proportion of disabled students and supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is higher than the national figure. The school meets the government’s floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for students’ attainment and progress. It has gained various awards including the British Council Global Schools award.

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Information about the school

Since the last inspection a new headteacher has been appointed who has been in post for two and a half years. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Key findings

 This is a good school. It is justifiably rated very highly by students and their parents and carers. Students’ attainment is above average, as a result of carefully planned and motivational teaching. Behaviour is exemplary. The headteacher provides inspirational leadership, ensuring that teachers and leaders at all levels are ambitious for students and highly effective in driving improvement. Overall effectiveness is not outstanding because teaching is not yet consistently leading to outstanding progress.  The sixth form is outstanding. The school sets ambitious targets for all students and their progress is rigorously monitored at school, group and individual level. Achievement is good overall and outstanding in the sixth form.  Teaching is typically good and sometimes outstanding. Teachers are knowledgeable and keen to explore innovative approaches to accelerate learning. Learning is exceptional when tasks are skilfully matched to the needs

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Key findings

of students and present a high level of challenge. In a small minority of lessons however, where assessment information or the use of additional adults does not influence planning enough, students’ progress is slower.  Students’ behaviour is outstanding. The highly inclusive nature of the school, along with its clear ambition for all students to succeed, promotes a keen enthusiasm for learning.  Leaders and managers at all levels, including the governing body, know the school well. Their drive for high quality teaching is unrelenting and staff performance is robustly monitored. Their influence and effectiveness are outstanding, resulting in students and staff that are keenly supportive and ready to continually challenge themselves to ‘be remarkable’. The headteacher is conspicuous in his visibility. The approach is highly effective; all parties are determined to follow his lead and raise their game to the level of outstanding.

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Key findings

The combination of positive student attitudes and the outstanding curricular offer ensure that the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development provided is exceptional. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching, so as to promote rapid and sustained progress at all times, by:  making full use of the school’s comprehensive assessment information to plan tasks that are accurately matched to the needs of learners  making astute and well-timed decisions in lessons about when to re-shape activities where necessary, to promote deeper learning  improving the quality of planning between teachers and additional adults so that their potential to support learning is fully exploited, as seen in the best practice across the school.

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Achievement of pupils

Students show great enthusiasm for learning. The ‘be remarkable’ philosophy of the school is very apparent in the students’ willingness to engage with lesson activities. The very large majority of parents and carers rightly believe that their children make good progress at the school. In the majority of lessons, teachers demonstrate an astute understanding of how students learn and make progress. For example, in an outstanding Year 8 geography lesson, students were required to reflect on differing perspectives towards population growth. Pace and challenge were high and students were required to act as researchers, accessing a range of information set out in different parts of the room. They were expected to express their views and offer solutions. Students engaged actively in the task and motivation was high. During the final session the teacher challenged students to reflect further by means of carefully

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Achievement of pupils

structured questioning that probed deeply. As a result, all students progressed rapidly and levels of enjoyment were high.

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Achievement of pupils

Students join the school with attainment that is above average. Over time they make good progress from their starting points. Examination results have improved and attainment is significantly above average by the end of Year 11, with GCSE results above those seen nationally. In 2010 rates of progress in English were slower than in mathematics. Decisive action has rightly been taken to address this issue. Lesson observations, work scrutiny and the school’s monitoring systems now show that progress in English is rapidly improving to above the national rate. Attainment in mathematics is above average. Students acquire literacy, including reading, skills well across the curriculum and there is outstanding support for students who enter the school with low prior attainment in English.

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Achievement of pupils

Aspirational targets are set and progress towards these is rigorously monitored at departmental and senior level. As a result, many are now making rapid progress. All groups of students achieve well, including disabled students and those with special educational needs. For those in the specialist speech and language unit, achievement is outstanding because of the quality and effectiveness of the support that they Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Achievement of pupils

receive as well as the rigour with which their progress is monitored.

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Achievement of pupils

In the sixth form, students’ achievement is outstanding because of the exemplary care, guidance and support that they receive. From starting points just below the national average, they make excellent progress to attain grades at or above the national average in both A and AS levels.

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Quality of teaching

Lesson observations, discussions with students and the quality of work in students’ books indicate that teaching is good overall, with examples of outstanding practice. The very large majority of parents and carers feel that their children are well taught and the inspectors agree. Lessons are characterised by teachers’ secure and enthusiastically conveyed subject knowledge, high expectations and confident use of resources, including information and communication technology. Student engagement is high and behaviour is actively supportive of learning. Feedback to students in lessons and through marking enables them to be clear about what they need to do to improve and how to go about it.

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Quality of teaching

The best lessons are sharply focused and are driven by well-executed plans that have explicit and measurable learning objectives linked to students’ abilities and targets. In these lessons the learning is pacy and teachers make optimum use of the time available to probe with questioning and challenge students to reflect at a deeper level.

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Quality of teaching

In a Year 12 design lesson, students worked independently converting sketches to hard copy examples of Bauhaus-type design. Teacher facilitation was excellent, engaging with students on an individual basis, encouraging all to push themselves still further. Student engagement was strong and levels of resilience and independence were high because of the quality of planning and the teacher’s expert application of his knowledge and skills. As a result, all students progressed well, with some outstanding examples of attainment.

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Quality of teaching

In the small minority of lessons where teaching was satisfactory, planned activities were not as well matched to students’ different ability levels and some were not appropriately challenged. In these lessons insufficient use was made of the school’s assessment information and teachers sometimes missed opportunities to reshape tasks during the lesson to either consolidate learning or accelerate progress. While there is mostly excellent practice in the school in the deployment of additional adults to support learning, particularly for disabled students and those with special educational needs, this was not so well planned in some lessons and the potential to accelerate learning was not fully realised.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

A clear strength of the school is its strong ethos, encapsulated in its philosophy to ‘be remarkable’. A sense of accepting responsibility, strong values and respect for others Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

permeate throughout. Students take an evident pride in their school and were keen to point out to inspectors how greatly they value the staff. They say they feel safe in school and parents and carers agree. Attendance is above average and punctuality to school has improved significantly during the last year, which gives testimony to the importance students attach to their learning. Students assert that disruption to learning is rare, but when it does occur it is dealt with swiftly and very effectively by staff. This is borne out by the levels of permanent and fixed-term exclusions which are lower than national rates and reducing over time. They have a clear understanding of the types of bullying that can occur, understand the nature of risk and act responsibly. Inspectors found no evidence to suggest that any form of bullying occurs other than infrequently and is dealt with effectively by staff.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Exemplary safeguarding and care arrangements, combined with good relationships, are evident features of the school’s success. In particular, the inclusive nature of the school, the ways in which all students are supported, including those in the speech and language facility, disabled students and those with special educational needs, the reinforcement of outstanding achievement at an individual level and the celebration of that by all contribute to an exceptional climate for learning, central to which is the principle of mutual respect and equality. Students manage their own behaviour exceptionally well. They understand their responsibilities to each other in lessons and are active and considerate learners.

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Leadership and management

The headteacher provides clear, dynamic and unequivocal direction. He is ably supported by a very effective leadership team and an equally strong contingent of subject and pastoral leaders. Governors too are highly ambitious for the school. School leaders and the governing body have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development They effectively ensure that arrangements for safeguarding meet statutory requirements alongside procedures for child protection, which are exemplary.

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Leadership and management

There is a rigorous and consistent approach to monitoring the quality of teaching and leaders have a good understanding of how to raise its quality to outstanding. Performance management is robust and linked to an extensive programme of professional development and coaching. Outstanding effectiveness in the sixth form, and provision for disabled students and those with special educational needs, alongside significant improvements in current progress rates in English and mathematics for example, attest to leaders’ very strong capacity for continuing improvement.

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Leadership and management

The outstanding broad and balanced curriculum is imaginatively developed to meet the needs of all learners. It makes an exceptional contribution to students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development through the planned provision, such as the summer term cluster arrangements whereby curriculum areas jointly deliver themes and the weekly drop-ins from local pastors alongside a wide variety of enrichment opportunities, including international trips and visits. Student involvement in its Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Leadership and management

design has ensured that it meets the needs of differing groups equally well, with a range of carefully constructed pathways that support progression to courses available in the school’s sixth form or at nearby colleges with which the school has established mutually beneficial partnership arrangements.

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Leadership and management

There is a strong commitment to equalities at the heart of the school’s work. Assessment information is meticulously analysed to ensure individuals and groups make at least good and improving progress. Students are encouraged to be good, considerate individuals who value and respect differences. There is a high level of engagement with parents and carers, demonstrated through their strong support for parents’ evenings and other events and strengthened by effective communications between home and school.

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Leadership and management

Over the last two years, the school has taken a lead outreach role within a large national network of schools which has benefited staff at all levels in the development of their leadership capacity.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils. Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 54 42 2 2 Primary schools 14 49 32 6 Secondary schools 20 39 34 7 Special schools 33 45 20 3 Pupil referral units 9 55 28 8 All schools 16 47 31 6

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements have been introduced from 1 January 2012. This means that inspectors make judgements that were not made previously. The data in the table above are for the period 1 September to 31 December 2011 and represent judgements that were made under the school inspection arrangements that were introduced on 1 September 2009. These data are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk). The sample of schools inspected during 2010/11 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools. Primary schools include primary academy converters. Secondary schools include secondary academy converters, sponsor-led academies and city technology colleges. Special schools include special academy converters and non-maintained special schools.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning and development taking account of their attainment.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the pupils’ work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attendance the regular attendance of pupils at school and in lessons, taking into account the school’s efforts to encourage good attendance.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Behaviour how well pupils behave in lessons, with emphasis on their attitude to learning. Pupils’ punctuality to lessons and their conduct around the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving based on its self-evaluation and what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Floor standards the national minimum expectation of attainment and progression measures.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the governors and headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Learning: how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Overall effectiveness: inspectors form a judgement on a school’s overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils’ attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Safety how safe pupils are in school, including in lessons; and their understanding of risks. Pupils’ freedom from bullying and harassment. How well the school promotes safety, for example e-learning.

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carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s

main findings from the inspection of their school.

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Inspection of Greenshaw High School, Sutton SM1 3DY

Thank you for the very warm welcome you gave us when we visited your school recently. Particular thanks to those of you who completed questionnaires or gave up time to meet with us. We judged your school to be good with outstanding features.

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Inspection of Greenshaw High School, Sutton SM1 3DY

The headteacher and senior staff are highly skilled in enabling you to ‘be remarkable’, by insisting that everyone in the school, staff included, aspires to be ‘outstanding’ in everything that he or she does. This approach is working extremely well. It has effected some impressive improvements in the last two and a half years in: achievement; the sixth form which is outstanding; and other aspects, such as your punctuality to school and the improvements in attendance and behaviour which are excellent. Everyone connected with the school is determined that you should succeed and your response to their efforts has been exemplary.

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Inspection of Greenshaw High School, Sutton SM1 3DY

The school’s culture of high expectations and the staff belief in you provide you with an excellent platform for learning and help you prepare successfully for life beyond school. You told us you feel safe and your behaviour in and around school and positive attitudes to learning in lessons are outstanding. You make good progress and enjoy your education because you are well taught and have a good range of options from which to choose. You have an outstanding team of leaders in the school whose support for your learning is exceptional.

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Inspection of Greenshaw High School, Sutton SM1 3DY

In order for you to do even better, we have asked that teachers ensure that where lessons have additional adults they plan together so that additional support can be put to maximum benefit. We have also asked teachers to challenge you at all times, by making even better use of the assessment information that they have about you to plan their lessons to accelerate your learning to the full.

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Inspection of Greenshaw High School, Sutton SM1 3DY

You told us that the school has changed for the better in the last two years. We agree and I trust that you will seize every opportunity in your time left at Greenshaw to challenge yourselves still further. You can help by ensuring that your excellent punctuality and above average attendance rates are maintained, and by continuing to respond positively to your teachers’ feedback and challenging yourselves to steadfastly give of your best.

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Inspection of Greenshaw High School, Sutton SM1 3DY

Lesley Farmer Lead inspector procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', 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 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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