King Harold Business & Enterprise Academy

King Harold Business & Enterprise Academy Broomstick Hall Road, Waltham Abbey, EN9 1LF

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 Although standards have risen notably in the last two years, the proportion of students making the expected progress does not exceed the national average.  Teaching in most subjects remains inconsistent, although the proportion of outstanding teaching has improved.  Students do not make good progress in those lessons where teachers fail to reshape tasks or extend questions.  In some lessons, low key tasks limit students’ progress.

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The school has the following strengths

 Effective action has been taken to secure good behaviour, punctuality and rising levels of attendance.  Additional government funding has been used effectively to support a wide range of vulnerable students. The progress of those students is in line with, and often notably stronger than, that of the majority of students in the academy.  The merger of the governing body with a partner school in the Kemnal Academy Trust has notably enhanced the governing body’s effectiveness as a ‘critical friend’ the performance management of senior staff is now effective.  The monitoring of teaching is accurate and effective steps have been taken to stabilise staffing. This is driving up the quality of teaching and, in turn, students’ achievement.  Outstanding budget management has eliminated the significant budget deficit that existed when the school joined the academy trust, and also secured major government grants towards the refurbishment of the

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The school has the following strengths

school.  The students’ attitudes to learning are a positive feature in every lesson; movement around the building is a reflection of the academy’s strong social and moral expectations.

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Information about this inspection

 The academy was contacted at noon on the day preceding the inspection. The inspection team conducted 47 lesson observations, including joint observations with members of the senior management team.  The inspection team considered the monitoring and evaluation of teaching conducted by senior staff in the previous academic year. Inspectors were able to see every member of staff teach. A total of 24 hours was spent directly observing teaching.  All staff were offered professional feedback and HMI evaluated the feedback provided by senior leaders to those teachers who were the subject of the joint observation exercise.  Meetings were held with groups of students, members of the governing body, a representative of the Kemnal Academy Trust, and nominated staff. Informal discussions with students took place throughout the inspection.  The inspection team took account of the 20 responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent

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Information about this inspection

View) in planning the inspection and observed the academy’s work. Inspectors looked at a range of documents provided by senior managers, the minutes of the governing body meetings, and the academy’s most recent self-evaluation. Inspectors also evaluated the staff questionnaires.

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Inspection team

David Jones, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Roger Waddingham Additional inspector Mina Drever Additional inspector Michael Stanton Additional inspector Matthew Haynes Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a smaller than average secondary school. The large majority of students are White British. The percentage of students from minority ethnic backgrounds is two thirds of the national figure; the proportion of those who speak English as an additional language is low.  The percentage of students known to be eligible for free school meals is average. The proportion of disabled students registered by the school with or those who have special educational needs is above average, as is the number with a statement of special educational need or receiving support at ‘school action plus’.  There are a number of children who are looked after by the local authority in each year group and others who receive additional support funded by the pupil premium.  A joint governing body was established with the neighbouring Debden Park Academy on 1 September 2011; both are part of the Kemnal Academies Trust.  The academy makes occasional use of full-time or part-time alternative provision at Ware

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Information about this school

College, Grace Academy, and Harlow Children Support Service.  There are two private sector child care facilities on site that are not managed by the governing body.  The bursar currently supports Debden Park Academy.  The academy meets the government’s current floor targets.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the proportion of good teaching by:  ensuring that in every lesson effective questioning is used to reshape tasks and enhance students’ progress  making staff more accountable for students’ performance.  Continue to raise attainment so that performance compares favourably with national figures by securing good teaching across subject teams.  Extend the role of middle leaders in monitoring teaching and achievement so that provision in all subject areas is effective.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The proportion of students securing five higher grade GCSE, including English and mathematics in 2012, is likely to be close to the national average. This is a notable improvement since the last inspection. However, the average points scored by students in their best eight examination results are likely to remain below the national figure.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The percentage of students making the expected progress in English and mathematics has risen but remains close to the national median.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Although the performance of those students with disabilities and those who have special educational needs varies, individuals make good progress and those who receive support at ‘school action plus’ level progress at least as well as, and often better than, their peers.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Vulnerable students, including those supported by the pupil premium, make better progress than the majority of their peers as a result of good quality interventions and personal support. The small number of last year’s Year 11 students for whom the academy provided alternative provision made similar progress to the majority of their peers.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 In lessons students make good progress when teachers listen to, carefully observe and skilfully question in order to reshape tasks and the explanations available to improve learning.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils made good or better progress in approximately 60% of the lessons observed by inspectors.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching was good or better in over half the lessons observed during this inspection and was considered outstanding in one lesson in six. In the very best lessons, tasks were well planned, questioning was skilful, and teachers’ nurtured high level discussion that facilitated independent learning. The use of assessment and examination board mark schemes are notable features of these very strong lessons.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Good lessons were well planned but missed opportunities existed. These lessons were not outstanding because although they produced some high level student responses, not enough time was given to nurturing the discussion possible.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teachers have been made aware of the needs of vulnerable and disabled students and those who have special educational needs. The additional support provided by teachers and classroom assistants is often insightful.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Where teaching required improvement, opportunities for developmental questioning that could have nurtured significant achievement were missed. In a number of these lessons, opportunities to enhance subject-based literacy and/or numeracy were missed or tasks were not always linked sufficiently well to prior learning.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Only a few lessons made constructive use of the information and communication technology resources available in the classroom.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 In the very small number of lessons where teaching was found to be inadequate, learning activities were not sufficiently challenging with the result that students made inadequate progress.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The students’ attitudes to learning were a positive feature in every lesson. Even when tasks offered limited challenge, students completed what was asked of them.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Attendance continues to rise and is just above average. This improvement is the result of the rigorous monitoring of attendance, clear systems and protocols, and improved communication routes with parents and carers of students who are poor attenders.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Punctuality to school and to lessons is good. Students move around the site promptly and gather in easy social groups during breaks; they have a good understanding of safety matters. These all reflect the students’ positive attitudes to learning, particularly where teaching is good or better. Staff supervision is low key but effective.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Parents and carers who responded to the Parent View questionnaire were positive about the academy: nine out of ten felt their child was happy and well looked after; all felt their child was safe in school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The number of students on roll is rising. Students who joined discussions with inspectors were overwhelmingly positive about the care and academic support available. One young man who spoke informally to HMI said, ‘This is a great place, you can learn here.’

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher and her senior team consistently communicate high expectations. Staff have a positive opinion of the headteacher’s efforts and leadership.

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The leadership and management are good

 The monitoring of teaching by senior staff is robust. The senior leadership team worked alongside HMI in the joint evaluation of teaching and the views they expressed consistently matched the judgements given by the inspectors. As a result, the inspection team drew on the academy’s evaluation of teaching as an accurate record. Teaching standards have been met.

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The leadership and management are good

 Senior leaders have managed significant staff change in the last academic year, however, middle leaders are not, as yet, consistently involved in monitoring teaching and learning and could do more to secure effective provision and higher standards in subject areas.

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The leadership and management are good

 Self-evaluation is robust and the academy’s actions are carefully planned, concerted and effective.

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The leadership and management are good

 The academy trust has provided stability, good governance, staff support and professional development.

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The leadership and management are good

 The academy’s curriculum has been reorganised to provide effective opportunities for learning for all groups of students, including disabled students and those who have special educational needs. It promotes positive attitudes to learning, good behaviour and enhanced access to the English Baccalaureate examination structure, as well as a broad range of experiences that contribute well to the pupils’ achievement and to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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The leadership and management are good

 The academy’s arrangements for safeguarding pupils meet statutory requirements.  The governance of the school:  drawing on the expertise within the academy trust, provides robust challenge to the headteacher; the performance management targets set are well considered and, as a result, achievement has improved  exercises outstanding budget control through the bursar which has helped the headteacher to secure a stable financial platform and significant premises refurbishment.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school

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Grade Judgement Description

is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 136342 Local authority Essex Inspection number 402740

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School details

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

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School details

Type of school Academy School category Foundation Age range of pupils 11–16 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 623 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Joan Westbury Headteacher Denice Halpin Date of previous school inspection 30 September 2009 Telephone number 01992 714800 Fax number 01992 654130 Email address office@kha-tkat.org guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', 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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School details

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 and as part of the inspection.

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School details

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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School details

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 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 people. 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,

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School details

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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School details

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

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