Eastbury Community School

Eastbury Comprehensive School Hulse Avenue, Barking, IG11 9UW

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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 Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  The school has gone from strength to strength since the last inspection. There have been rapid and secure improvements in the progress made by students. The proportion of students achieving five or more good GCSE grades, including English and mathematics, is now above the national average.  The sixth form is good. The school offers a wide range of academic and vocational courses which are well matched to students’ needs and they make good progress.  Teaching is good. Leaders and managers have tackled satisfactory and inadequate teaching firmly so that it is now good and in some cases outstanding.  Students are justifiably proud of their school and recognise the many positive changes that have taken place. Behaviour is good and students feel safe at school. Students enjoy school, as is reflected by their good and improving attendance.  The headteacher’s passion for the school to reach the highest standards and ambition for

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

all students to achieve their best permeate the school. Leaders and managers across the school and the governing body share this vision and work relentlessly to drive further improvement.  Additional funding is used very well to support individual students’ needs and raise their aspirations.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The proportion of students making outstanding progress is not yet high enough, especially in the sixth form.  Although the quality of teaching is improving, there is not yet enough outstanding teaching. The quality of marking is not consistent across the school and it is not yet always as helpful as it could be.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in 49 lessons, including joint observations with senior leaders. The inspectors also visited an assembly, tutor time and the Additional Resource Provision for Deaf Children.  Inspectors held meetings with senior leaders, middle managers, groups of students, the Chair of the Governing Body and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors looked at a wide range of documentation including information relating to students’ attainment and progress, minutes of meetings of the governing body, the school’s self- evaluation and development plan and information relating to safeguarding.  Inspectors took account of the 32 responses to Parent View (the Ofsted online questionnaire) as well as the 21 responses to staff questionnaires.

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Inspection team

John Meinke, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Joanna Jones Additional Inspector John Mason Additional Inspector Kevin Morris Additional Inspector Diane Sherman Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Eastbury Comprehensive School is much larger than the average sized secondary school.  The proportion of students from minority ethnic groups is above average. The largest student groups include White British, Black African, Other White and Pakistani heritages.  The proportion of students who speak English as an additional language is above the national average.  The proportion of students known to be eligible for the pupil premium is above average. Pupil premium funding is intended largely for the benefit of pupils who are known to be entitled to free school meals.  The proportion of students supported through school action is above average.  The proportion of students supported through school action plus or by a statement of special educational needs is below average.  There is Additional Resource Provision for Deaf Children run jointly by the school and local authority on the school site. Twelve students currently attend the unit.

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Information about this school

 About 20 students attend vocational courses off site at Barking College and the Erkanward Centre.  The sixth form forms part of The Southern Consortium, which is a partnership with three other secondary schools.  The school is a specialist Mathematics and Computing College.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards which set minimum expectations for attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the amount of outstanding teaching so that a greater proportion of students, including those in the sixth form, make better than expected progress by:  ensuring that all teachers plan activities that challenge all students appropriately and enable them to take a greater responsibility for their own learning  planning more opportunities for students to deepen their knowledge and understanding through questioning, discussion and opportunities to work independently  spreading the good practice in marking and assessment that is present in some parts of the school so that students receive helpful feedback on how to improve their learning across all key stages and subjects.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Students join the school with levels of attainment which are below average.  Attainment at the end of Key Stage 4 has increased rapidly since the last inspection. The proportion of students attaining five or more good GCSE passes, including English and mathematics, is now consistently above the national average. The progress made by students is above that which would be expected and is in some cases exceptional.  Students in Key Stage 3 also make good progress.  Students in the sixth form make good progress. There have been some variations between subjects, with students making better progress in vocational subjects than in academic subjects. Leaders and managers have taken decisive actions to reduce this variation, including improving the advice and guidance given to students entering the sixth form and putting in place more appropriate entry criteria for A-level subjects.  Leaders and managers have been highly effective in closing any gaps for the attainment and

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The achievement of pupils is good

progress of any groups of students. The attainment and average point scores at the end of Key Stage 4 are now above the national average for many groups, including students of Black African, Other White and Pakistani heritages and students who speak English as an additional language, representing very good progress since joining the school. The attainment of White British students, including boys, has risen dramatically in recent years and is now above average and is catching up with that of other groups in the school.  Many of these increases have come about due to good use of additional funding such as the pupil premium to support individuals and groups. Pupils eligible for the pupil premium make good and sometimes exceptional progress and their average point score is above the national average for this group and compares favourably with other students in school. This is due to the astute use of pupil premium funding to finance a range of initiatives including additional

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The achievement of pupils is good

staffing, including support workers, mentors and weekend and holiday schools.  Disabled students and those with special educational needs make good progress. They are supported by carefully planned support which is monitored and evaluated well. Hearing impaired students supported by the Additional Resource Provision for Deaf Children also make good progress.  Students who attend off-site provision make good progress. Leaders and managers closely monitor their attendance and progress and meet regularly with students and their parents.  Early entry for GCSE examinations is carefully used to ensure that students can still achieve the highest grades.  The school’s specialist status has been used well to raise achievement. Attainment in GCSE and A-level mathematics has improved rapidly in recent years.  Good attention is given to developing students’ literacy skills. Literacy is developed well during lessons and tutor time, including the use of technical vocabulary, and additional

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The achievement of pupils is good

support is given to students whose skills are below that expected.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching has improved since the last inspection so that the vast majority of it is now good and in some cases outstanding. Discussions with students indicate that they feel it is good.  Teachers use their good subject knowledge and information about students’ abilities to plan activities that engage and challenge all learners. Questioning is used to challenge students and deepen their learning, although on occasion it is not used as well as it could be to pick up mistakes and deepen learning. Students are enthusiastic about their learning and answer questions willingly and with confidence.  Good relationships between adults and students contribute to a positive climate for learning in the school. This supports a safe environment where students are confident about sharing their ideas and taking risks. For example, in a GCSE media studies lesson students shared and challenged ideas about different cultures and stereotypes while remaining respectful to

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The quality of teaching is good

each other.  Where the quality of teaching is good or better, there is a brisk pace of learning and students are given opportunities to work independently. For example, in an outstanding English lesson students were challenged to develop writing at length, with timely intervention by the teacher. A teaching assistant supported students with special educational needs when needed while encouraging independent work. In an outstanding mathematics lesson skilful questioning and discussion were used to regularly check students’ understanding and correct misconceptions and mistakes. Students worked independently and confidently to tackle challenging problems.  However, not all planned activities are so well matched to meet students’ needs and occasionally they do not provide enough challenge. On occasion students are very dependent on their teachers to tell them what to do and are not encouraged to think for themselves.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In most lessons teachers make sure that students know well what they need to do to be successful. For example, in a Year 11 information and communication technology lesson students were very clear about what they needed to do to improve their work and this enabled them to aim for the highest grades. Most teachers mark students’ work regularly. However, the quality of marking is inconsistent across the school and teachers’ comments do not always help students to know how to improve their work.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils is good

 The school represents a harmonious community where students feel safe. Students are proud of their school and speak about how pleased they are that everyone gets on and different groups mix together well.  Discussions with students and staff show that behaviour has improved since the last inspection. Students are polite and welcoming to visitors. Behaviour in lessons is good and around the school. It is not yet outstanding because in a very few lessons where teaching is less strong there are occasional lapses in behaviour.  The school demonstrates a strong commitment to students’ well-being. They are effectively cared for by their teachers and other support workers. Leaders and managers carefully check the attendance, welfare and safety of those students who attend off-site provision. Evidence indicates that students behave well when they attend off-site provision. The school aims to meet the needs of individuals and groups well in order to remove barriers to learning and

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The behaviour and safety of pupils is good

raise aspirations. For example, mentoring programmes have been successfully used to engage White British boys and raise their aspirations.  Students are very clear that bullying is not tolerated and say that it is dealt with firmly on the rare occasions it happens. Inappropriate behaviour such as racism and homophobia are challenged and thus hardly ever happen. Students are clear about the different types of bullying, including cyber-bullying, and know how to keep themselves and others safe both in and out of school.  School records indicate that behaviour is improving over time and that exclusion rates have fallen significantly. Very few parents expressed concerns in the Parent View responses. The vast majority of students enjoy school and this is shown by their good attendance and punctuality.

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The leadership and management is outstanding

 The headteacher is passionate about improving the school and making sure that it meets the needs of all students as well as it can. There is a very clear commitment from school leaders and governors to care for the whole child so that students achieve their best, have high ambitions for their futures and stay safe and well. This is underpinned by good promotion of equality and has led to the rapid improvements in attainment, quality of teaching and behaviour that have happened since the last inspection. The capacity for further improvement is very strong.  Self-evaluation is accurate and is linked to appropriate planning for further improvement. Leaders and managers monitor the quality of teaching very carefully and have taken highly successful steps to eliminate inadequate teaching. A wide range of training is used to promote good and outstanding teaching. Performance management is rigorous and reviews

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The leadership and management is outstanding

of the work of teachers are closely linked to whether or not they move up the salary scale.  The local authority supports the school well. It has an accurate view of the school’s strengths and areas for development and has provided effective support, for example, by supporting a recently appointed head of department. The school actively seeks other external review to support school improvement.  Courses offered are well matched to meet students’ needs and aspirations. New courses have been introduced in Key Stages 4 and 5 to ensure that students are increasingly successful and all can progress to higher education or employment. This has led to a large increase in the number of students going to university and very few leaving the school without a known destination.  There are excellent opportunities for the development of students’ spiritual, moral, cultural and spiritual development. Students are given opportunities to explore different faiths,

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The leadership and management is outstanding

religions and cultures through tutor time, assemblies and lessons. Student groups integrate very well and differences are accepted and valued. Discrimination of any kind is not tolerated. Students have access to a very wide range of extra-curricular activities including breakfast clubs, sports clubs, debating clubs and school exchanges. The large majority of students attend at least one extra-curricular activity.  The school uses a wide range of strategies to work with parents. Attendance at parents’ evenings and other events is very high. A strength of the school is its commitment to serving the wider community. This includes working with local organisations such as Safer Neighbourhoods and offering support to families in challenging circumstances.  The governance of the school:  The governing body shares the headteacher’s passion for making sure that the school serves its students and community well. It knows the school well and accurately judges the school’s

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The leadership and management is outstanding

strengths and weaknesses. Governors are knowledgeable about the quality of teaching and the importance of performance management and are involved in making decisions about pay progression. Senior leaders make sure the governing body is well informed about students’ attainment and progress when compared to schools nationally, which enables governors to be able to challenge the school to improve further. Governors monitor the use of the pupil premium carefully to ensure that it has the maximum benefit for the students who are eligible for it. Governors have a firm grip on the school’s budget and plan carefully to ensure financial sustainability. Governors attend regular training to ensure that they are well informed about current local and national initiatives. The governing body carries out its duties with regard to safeguarding arrangements extremely well and these are exemplary.

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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 101244 Local authority Barking and Dagenham Inspection number 400466

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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 1737 Of which, number on roll in sixth form 263 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Roy Patient Headteacher David Dickson Date of previous school inspection 7–8 July 2010 Telephone number 020 8507 4500 Fax number 020 8507 4501 Email address office@eastbury.bardaglea.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

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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