Daubeney AcademyOfsted inspection, 25 Jan 2013

Daubeney Academy Orchard Street, Kempston, Bedford, MK42 7PS

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected 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 Requires improvement 3

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

 Pupils do not achieve well enough in English, especially in writing. Boys, in particular, underachieve. They are not well motivated and do not enjoy writing.  The most able pupils do not always make as much progress as they could and, as a result, do not reach the levels of which they are capable. Teachers’ marking does not show pupils clearly enough about how to improve.  Pupils’ understanding is not always checked or extended well enough through teachers’ questions.  The monitoring of teaching is not rigorous enough. Points for improvement do not always clearly inform teachers how to improve their practice. The best practice is not shared well enough.

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The school has the following strengths

 Achievement in mathematics is good. Pupils make good progress and attain above age- related expectations.  Reading is improving because the academy has put effective strategies in place to support those pupils who need extra help.  The progress of those pupils who speak English as an additional language has improved.  Attendance has steadily improved and is above average.  Pupils generally behave well and have good attitudes to learning.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 26 lessons or part-lessons taught by teachers. The headteacher and other members of the senior leadership team accompanied the inspectors on visits to lessons.  Meetings were held with pupils, members of the governing body and staff.  Inspectors took account of the 19 responses to the online Parent View survey. They also took into account the 19 responses to the staff questionnaire.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and examined a range of documents, including the academy’s own records of pupils’ progress and attainment, monitoring documents, records relating to the performance management of staff and those relating to behaviour, safeguarding and attendance.

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Inspection team

Glynis Bradley-Peat, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Kevin Harrison Additional Inspector Hermione Horn Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The academy is smaller than most secondary schools.  Most pupils are White British. The remainder come from a variety of minority ethnic heritages.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is above average.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is broadly average, but the proportion supported at school action plus or through a statement of special educational needs is well below average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and for whom the academy receives additional income (the pupil premium) is below average.  There is no additional provision for pupils off the main academy site.  The academy meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The headteacher took up his post in September 2012 following a period when the school had two joint headteachers. One deputy headteacher took up post in September 2012 and the

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Information about this school

second in January 2013.  The school became an academy in April 2012. The predecessor school, Daubeney Middle School, was judged to be satisfactory when it was last inspected.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that it becomes consistently good by ensuring that:  work set in lessons is not too easy for the most able learners  teachers develop their questioning skills to promote students’ deeper understanding  the quality of teachers’ marking is improved so that pupils clearly understand the next steps they need to take to move their learning on and that they respond appropriately to the guidance they are given through marking  the best practice is shared.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise attainment and accelerate progress in writing, particularly for boys, by:  providing more opportunities for them to write in a range of contexts  providing good initial stimuli and allowing sufficient time to discuss their writing  celebrating their writing and promoting enjoyment  ensuring that they encounter successful male role models.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of leadership and management by ensuring that: − the quality of teaching is rigorously monitored to bring about more rapid improvement − results of the monitoring are evaluated effectively and contribute well to self- evaluation and the school development plan.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils’ attainment when they join the school is broadly average. They make the progress they should in reading and good progress in mathematics, but progress in writing is below that expected. Boys, in particular, do not make the progress they should. By the time pupils leave the academy at the end of Year 8, they are almost a year ahead in mathematics but are two terms behind in English.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils achieve well in mathematics because teachers plan successfully for the needs of a variety of learners and focus well on ensuring that pupils are able to apply in new contexts the skills they have learnt. Pupils’ exercise books show good opportunities for pupils to investigate for themselves. Their calculation skills are well developed.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils’ progress in reading has improved because the academy has put good strategies in place to support those who are falling behind. The competitive element of the programme ensures high levels of motivation. In addition, pupils who require intensive work to improve their knowledge of the sounds that letters make (phonics) receive good support from teaching assistants. Pupils are regularly expected to read aloud across a variety of subjects.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The progress of the most able pupils is sometimes not as rapid as it could be. This is because the work they are given is too straightforward and does not challenge them to think hard enough. Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make similar rates of progress to their classmates in English and mathematics. Their work is set at the right level and support from adults is effective.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils who speak English as an additional language generally achieve well. Work matches their needs and they are provided with opportunities to gain in confidence through a focus on speaking and listening.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils in receipt of the pupil premium benefit from the opportunities it funds for small-group and pair work. These have enabled them to catch up with some of their peers. In Year 6, in 2012, pupils known to be eligible for free school meals were the equivalent of around 18 months behind their peers but this is a smaller attainment gap than is found nationally.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Although lessons are planned in some detail, teachers do not use information about pupils’ previous attainment and progress well enough to ensure that all of them make the progress of which they are capable. Work is too easy for some pupils but too difficult for others. Teachers’ expectations of what pupils can do are sometimes too low, especially for the most able pupils.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Planning for writing does not consistently provide opportunities or stimuli which appeal particularly to boys. As a result, they are not always suitably motivated. Boys’ writing is not celebrated well enough and male role models are not used effectively to promote enjoyment in writing.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Marking and feedback are inconsistent. Whilst there are some good examples of marking where teachers’ comments clearly inform pupils of their progress and how to move forward, some exercise books contain few comments or simply have not been marked at all. Pupils do not all routinely respond to marking.  In lessons, clear initial questions are used well to recall previous learning and to check facts. However, the use of follow-up questions to probe, challenge and promote pupils’ deeper understanding is underdeveloped. Many teachers tend to concentrate on questioning only those students who put up their hands. This means that there are some pupils who do not prepare any answers. However, in mathematics, teachers use small whiteboards well to check the responses to questions of all pupils. A good example of questioning was observed where pupils in Year 5 were asked to predict the missing coordinates to make shapes and to justify their answers. This

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teachers have good subject knowledge which they use effectively to engage the attention of their pupils. Relationships between staff and pupils are positive and teachers have high expectations of behaviour.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Most teachers ensure that a range of planned activities in lessons promote pupils’ interest and motivation.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Most teachers are perceptive and monitor the progress their pupils are making. Some adapt their teaching during lessons to better meet students’ needs but this is not a common feature.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils behave well and they are courteous and polite to each other, their teachers and visitors, regardless of background. They go out of their way to ensure that other pupils are not left out of games and activities at break and lunchtime. This reflects the promotion of their good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school has successfully improved standards of behaviour at lunch and break-times. Incidents of silly behaviour have declined.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils praise the way that the academy deals with incidents of bullying and are confident that they are safe. There is access to counselling if necessary. They understand the different forms bullying can take. The academy’s ‘anti-bullying’ policy is comprehensive and pupils believe it is effective. The academy’s citizenship curriculum promotes ‘e-safety’ well.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ attendance is above average and few pupils are persistently absent. This is because the academy follows up any periods of absence rigorously.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils whose circumstances may make them vulnerable are effectively supported by adults. Consequently, their learning, behaviour and attendance are improving. Pupils experiencing difficulties are able to access a range of support, not just from the academy itself, but from other schools with which the academy works.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils work together well in pairs and groups which contributes positively to their social, moral and cultural skills. They share well and show respect for each other’s views.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The headteacher and senior team, supported by the governing body, has clear ambition for the academy. This is beginning to be shared with all staff. Priority has currently been given to developing systems, for example the new pupil progress tracking system, which have yet to have a full impact on pupil outcomes.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The academy’s view of the quality of teaching is more positive than that of the inspection team. Leaders are able to clearly identify inadequate teaching but there is less understanding of the features which constitute good teaching. Monitoring tends to focus too much on what the teacher is doing rather than how well pupils are learning.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Senior and middle leaders monitor teaching through observations, ‘drop ins’ and by examining pupils’ exercise books. Whilst these activities are becoming increasingly sharply focused and better matched to the development plan, there has not, until recently, been a determined enough drive to improve the quality of teaching quickly enough.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Academy self-evaluation feeds into academy improvement planning. It celebrates the strengths of the academy and clearly identifies key areas for further development. The short-term improvement plan contains goals, appropriate timescales and measureable outcomes. Both are working documents and remain under review. However, there is, as yet, insufficient evidence that the evaluation of monitoring is having a fast enough impact on improving teaching.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 There is a cycle of performance management which identifies appropriate strategies to support specific teachers. The newly published national Teacher Standards are gradually being implemented into the cycle. The academy ensures that good teaching is rewarded and rigorous appraisal procedures are in place which mean that leaders and the governing body take care to link teachers’ salaries with the progress their pupils make. All staff currently evaluate their own performance to identify strengths and areas for development. This informs the academy’s coaching system.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The recent review of what is taught is promoting more rigorous accountability of subject leaders. The range of subjects taught has been remodelled during the autumn term and a new timetable began in January. This is providing improved opportunities for pupil choice. For example, new subjects have been introduced, including dance and drama. However, as yet, there has been insufficient time for there to have been an impact on achievement.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 There is effective preparation for pupils as they transfer to their next school. Pupils are given some choice of subjects in Years 7 and 8. The recent changes, which afford more time for humanities, provide a firmer foundation for pupils who wish to pursue the English baccalaureate course from Year 9 onwards.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Arrangements for ensuring pupils’ safety meet requirements. Visitors to the school are checked thoroughly.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The governance of the school:  The governing body has a realistic understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development. Governors question leaders about their work, based on an analysis of documentation provided by the school. They check that systems to review the performance of the headteacher are suitable but are not fully aware of the management of teachers’ performance and how that is linked to the quality of teaching. Finances are managed effectively and the governing body meets all its statutory responsibilities. The governing body know how the pupil premium money is spent but are not completely clear about how much impact the funding is having on pupils’ progress.

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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 138067 Inspection number 402786

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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 converter School category Community Age range of pupils 9-13 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 463 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Ken Deveson Headteacher Jeremy Chopping Date of previous school inspection N/A Telephone number 01234 400111 Fax number 01234 400112 Email address jchopping@daubeney.bbvle.com 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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