Regent High School

Regent High School Charrington Street, London, NW1 1RG

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Overall effectiveness

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

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  By the end of Year 11 attainment is broadly average, which represents good progress from students’ starting points.  All staff share the headteacher’s and governors’ relentless drive to raise the achievement of students and results are improving rapidly.  Behaviour in and out of lessons is good and students feel safe.  Students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is well promoted in the life of the school.  Teaching is good. Teachers monitor students’ progress well and use individual support to ensure all students achieve ambitious targets.  The choice of subjects available for students to study is broad and there is sufficient variety to cater for students’ individual learning needs and interests.  The sixth form is good. The achievement of students leaving in Year 13 is good, especially for students studying vocational qualifications.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There is not enough outstanding teaching. This is because some teachers do not consistently check students’ learning during lessons and marking does not always give students guidance on how to improve.  There are still a few subjects where the rate of improvement is not quite fast enough to enable all students to make good progress.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection team observed 27 lessons including several jointly with senior staff. They examined students’ books and discussed work with students in each year group and across a range of subjects. The team also conducted a series of brief observations of learning in classrooms and around the school.  Meetings took place with groups of students and staff. Inspectors also met with the Chair of Governing Body, and a representative from the local authority.  There were eight responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and views of parents obtained by the school were taken into account.  The views of 41 staff who returned questionnaires were also taken into account  Inspectors observed the school’s work, looked at students’ results and evaluated the school’s records of student progress. They examined the school’s analysis of students’ behaviour, attendance, and punctuality and safeguarding records.

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Information about this inspection

 The school’s self-evaluation report, improvement plans, performance management systems and use of pupil premium funding were reviewed.

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Inspection team

Pamela Fearnley, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Robin Gaff Additional Inspector Karen Roche Additional Inspector Nardeep Sharma Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school changed its name from South Camden Community School to Regent High School in September 2012.  The school is smaller than the average-sized secondary school. Sixth form students mainly study courses at the school but a small proportion move between this school and others in the local authority to attend lessons and the achievement of these students is good.  The largest groups are from Bangladeshi and African backgrounds. Over three quarters of the students have English as an additional language. There are fewer girls in the school than boys.  About three quarters of students are known to be eligible for the pupil premium (additional funding for specific groups, including those known to be eligible for free school meals). This is significantly higher than average.  An above average proportion of students are supported through school action. Similarly the proportion of students supported through school action plus or with a statement is also

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Information about this school

above average.  The school has a resource base on site which caters for students with physical and medical needs.  The school uses Global Generation; a local charity and Westminster Kingsway College for its alternative provision.  The school has an informal partnership with another secondary school and a further education college for students studying post-16 courses and also offers support to local primary schools.  The results achieved by students meet the current government floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for students’ attainment and progress between Year 7 and Year 11.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching and achievement to outstanding by:  ensuring a larger proportion of teaching results in students making outstanding progress  ensuring teachers pay closer attention to checking students’ understanding during lessons  improving the active participation of all students in lessons  increasing the use of marking comments which give students guidance on how to improve their learning.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Accelerate the progress made in history and geography to match that of other subjects.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Students typically enter the school with knowledge and skills at significantly below average levels. Throughout Key Stage 3, attainment rises and progress significantly improves so that by the time students leave at the end of Year 11 their achievement is good.  Students’ reading skills improve quickly due to well-targeted literacy support.  GCSE and equivalent results obtained by Year 11 students have improved well since the previous inspection due to the very strong emphasis on learning, and more consistently good teaching. Students achieve well because, where additional support is necessary, they are supported by lessons outside the classroom. Results for students who achieved eight good GCSE and equivalent grades are now comparable with national results.  In 2012, all students made at least expected or greater than expected progress between Years 7 and 11 and a significant proportion made outstanding progress. Students who arrive

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The achievement of pupils is good

during the year also make good progress due to effective mentoring and support provided by all teachers and support staff.  The progress of students who start Year 7 with high attainment also improved in 2012. This is shown by the significant increase in the proportion of students awarded A* or A GCSE grades.  The achievement of the majority of students in lessons seen was good across a range of subjects. The achievement of disabled students and those who have special educational needs, including those working in the resource base, is similar to that of others. Students with English as a second language also make progress comparable with similar students nationally in English and mathematics. Those who benefit from pupil premium funding make strong progress and achieve well as reflected in the narrowing gap in average points scores between these students and their peers.  Attainment in the sixth form is comparable to national standards and high for students

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The achievement of pupils is good

studying vocational courses, despite the entry requirement to study post-16 courses being historically low. Regardless of place of study, within school or outside, the achievement of students studying BTEC courses is better than those studying for AS and A level. The success of the school’s drive to improve students’ life chances is reflected in the greater proportion of students progressing to higher education.  There are still some subjects, for example geography and history, where achievement, although improving, is at a slightly slower rate than in English and mathematics.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Significant improvements have resulted in the large majority of teaching being consistently good or better. This is the result of the actions taken by the school to improve teaching quality since the last inspection.  Teachers have secure subject knowledge; they plan carefully, pay attention to individual needs and learning styles and use technology confidently. They know how their students learn best and adapt their teaching styles appropriately. Assessment data are used well in lessons to inform lesson planning which meets the needs of all students.  Questioning is often used well to check the level of students’ understanding and to provide support or challenge. However, in the few lessons where questioning was less focused students did not make as much progress.  Teaching focuses well on developing students’ literacy, especially their written skills. The school is beginning to develop students’ reading skills further by generating a passion for

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The quality of teaching is good

reading across all subjects.  Lessons are planned to ensure students take responsibility for their own learning by working together collaboratively to develop their group skills. Students are encouraged to share ideas and selected to be group leaders and mentors.  Teaching supports students’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural development strongly. In a Year 10 science lesson, students discussed and distinguished between the dangers and benefits of using drugs for medical and recreational purposes and were expected to understand the potential risks of each type.  Marking is generally good but the frequency with which students receive detailed written comments is inconsistent across subjects. This is especially true of comments given as students complete each taught unit of work.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Students treat each other and adults with cheerful respect. Differences of culture, lifestyle, and ethnic background are accepted as natural in this diverse and cohesive community. In meetings with inspectors, students were keen to reassure them behaviour had improved and was usually good in most lessons.  Inspectors observed students being very supportive of each other in most lessons, showing mature respect for each other’s views and opinions.  Students say the recently introduced Vertical Tutorial Communities, which are mixed tutor groups for students in Year 7 to Year 13, have made a significant contribution to students feeling involved in the whole school community. For example, in a Green Community assembly, students listened intensively to messages about being socially responsible and had the confidence to share their opinions to their peers without fear of being ridiculed.  A number of student mentors support the school’s day-to-day running effectively and the

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

student voice is actively embedded into every aspect of school life.  Students feel safe in and around the school. Bullying is rare and students are aware of the different forms of bullying, including cyber bullying and homophobic bullying; they are also clear about how to respond. A large majority of responses on parent and carer and staff surveys indicate students’ behaviour is managed well and is good.  Fixed-term exclusions have fallen dramatically as a result of the newly introduced whole- school code of behaviour, sanctions and rewards.  Attendance is high and persistent absence has reduced significantly.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders and managers share a commitment to driving up standards, providing a secure foundation for students’ future well-being and establishing the school as the parental school of choice in the local and wider community.  The priorities in the school improvement plans are communicated clearly. Leaders are fully aware of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement and this is shown by the accurate self-evaluation. The support given by the local authority has been purposeful and effective in assisting the school to raise attainment and expectations.  The headteacher provides strong and decisive leadership and is well supported by her senior leadership team. The senior leadership team’s capacity to secure and maintain improvement is reflected by the significant yearly improvements in attainment and achievement and the successful implementation of the key areas for improvement identified in the last inspection

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The leadership and management are good

report.  Individual members of staff have clear roles and responsibilities and the quality of teachers’ work is systematically monitored and evaluated formally and informally. The results of this are the improvements in teaching and students’ improving standards.  Senior and middle leaders undertake formal observations of their teams. Effective practice is identified and shared and any practice not judged as being good is targeted and addressed through the school’s targeted professional development programme.  Data are used well by all teaching staff to track students’ progress and plan the necessary cross-school interventions. This ensures that all students entered early for English and mathematics GCSE examinations achieve well and reach their full potential.  Staff have a range of annual performance management targets. These are monitored and reviewed then used to support pay progression decisions. The performance management of

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The leadership and management are good

the headteacher is conducted by the governing body. Teachers’ performance is directly linked to the quality of teaching and results in pay awards. This is having a positive impact on students’ achievement across the school.  Funding for students known to be eligible for the pupil premium is used well to help ensure that the achievement of these students is comparable to or better than that of others in the school. This demonstrates the school’s commitment to being fully inclusive and ensuring all students have equal opportunities to succeed.  Good procedures are in place to secure the safety and well-being of students and ensure they are free from harm while being taught on a school site which is currently undergoing extensive building works.  The curriculum, including the specialist subjects, supports students to achieve well because it is planned and continually evaluated and adapted to respond to students’ learning needs. For

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The leadership and management are good

example, the variety of vocational courses has increased in the sixth form and the school teaches Key Stage 3 science in two years rather than three so more students can choose to study two science GCSEs.  The school also offers an inspiring alternative curriculum which is studied off site for older students who achieve well in their business and urban sustainability BTEC course.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  is effective in supporting the school to reach its targets. The Chair of the Governing Body is well informed of the school’s strengths and areas for development and is able to accurately judge all aspects of the school’s work. The governing body has set up specific committees to critically analyse students’ results, assess whether the quality of teaching is improving and ensure effective performance management is in place to reward good, and deal with poor, performance. It has specific annual training to ensure all members understand school data, allowing them to confidently challenge the headteacher and senior leaders as appropriate. Governors are aware of the use of the funding for pupil premium and question the headteacher to ensure this funding is used to have maximum impact.

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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 is

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Grade Judgement Description

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 100051 Local authority Camden Inspection number 404708

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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 Secondary 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 812 Of which, number on roll in sixth form 190 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jill Hoffbrand Headteacher Rosemary Leeke Date of previous school inspection 21–22 June 2011 Telephone number 020 7387 0126 Fax number 020 7387 0709 Email address enquiries@regenthighschool.org.uk 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, please

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School details

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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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