St Helena School

St Helena School Sheepen Road, Colchester, Essex, CO3 3LE

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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 Requires improvement 3 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3

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

 Teaching is variable within subjects and across the school, especially at Key Stage 3. Too many lessons do not provide enough challenge for students of different abilities.  Standards are not high enough in some subjects, including English, mathematics and science.  The quality of feedback and marking does not always help students with their next steps in learning.  Whilst students behave well most of the time, their attitudes towards learning are not positive enough to help speed up their progress.  Not all leaders make best use of evidence when checking the effectiveness of the areas for which they are responsible. This results in some policies not being consistently applied, for example in managing students’ behaviour.

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The school has the following strengths

 Some teaching is good and outstanding and results in students making good progress.  Students’ achievement is good in some subjects, particularly at Key Stage 4.  Relationships between students and staff are improving. The attention given to students whose circumstances make them vulnerable is strong, and this contributes to a community which includes all students.  Students feel safe and they are well cared for.  The headteacher leads the academy with determination and the support of other leaders and governors. Leaders have an accurate understanding of what needs to be done and as a result teaching is improving.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited 42 lessons or part-lessons. Lesson observations were shared with senior leaders. Short visits were made to observe the behaviour of students and best practice in teaching.  Work in students’ books was analysed with senior leaders.  Inspectors looked at a range of documents, including the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plan, evaluations of the school by outside consultants, minutes of meetings of the governing body and its different committees, records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.  Inspectors spoke to students about reading, met with different groups of pupils, and interviewed a sample of staff. They also spoke to members of the governing body, a representative from the local school partnership, and from the local authority.  The views of parents were sought through the school’s surveys. Inspectors considered the 36 responses to the on-line questionaire (Parent View). They also considered written comments

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Inspection team

Brian Netto, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Martin Dale Additional Inspector Heather Housden Additional Inspector Alan Jarvis Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 St Helena is an average-sized secondary school. It converted to an academy on 1 March 2012, and works in an formal partnership with a group of other local academies. When its predecessor school was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be satisfactory. Since it opened there has been a signifcant change in staff.  Most students are of White British heritage.  The proportion of students who speak English as an additional language is above average.  The proportion of students known to be eligible for the pupil premium is well above average. This includes students in the care of the local authority, pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those from service families.  The proportion of disabled students and those with special educational needs supported through school action is below average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average.

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Information about this school

 The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for students’ attainment and progress.  A small number of students in Years 10 and 11 study vocational courses at local colleges, ensuring that they leave school with recognised qualifications.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of good and outstanding teaching so that there is more consistency between and within different subjects particularly at Key Stage 3, by:  continuing to make full use of partner schools and the local authority to enable staff to observe best practice elsewhere  building on the improved monitoring systems so that teachers are supported to make improvements  making sure that teaching encourages more positive engagement from the students, and helps them take more responsibility for their own learning.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise attainment in English, mathematics and science so that it is at least in line with national averages by June 2014 by:  providing activities which engage and extend the learning of boys and more able students  making sure that marking and feedback consistently give students clear guidance on how well they are doing and explains the next steps for them to improve their learning.  Increase the accountability of senior leaders and subject managers for improvements in the quality of teaching and feedback to students, by:  giving leaders training and support to help them make better use of information on how well the students are doing in order to speed up their progress in all classes.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Students who are more able as well as boys are not progressing as fast as many of their peers. Activities are not always designed to engage and stretch them. This is particularly the case in mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 In 2012, attainment in English and mathematics was well below average. The school enters students early for GCSE in these subjects. School information shows that this is having a beneficial impact on motivating students to exceed their target grades. As a result, attainment in both subjects is rising.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Students enter the school with levels well below average. Progress is now much quicker, and for most students it is good across all subjects.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Students given additional support through the pupil premium make good progress, as reflected in their average point scores in English and mathematics at the end of Year 11. The school has a small number of students from service families and too few looked-after pupils to be able to report on. Funds are used to make sure that they get good support in small groups, and that they have opportunities to go on visits without paying. As a result the school is effectively narrowing the gap with other students in school, and with other students nationally. This demonstrates the school’s firm commitment to equality of opportunity and to eliminating any discrimination.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The progress of disabled students and those who have special educational needs is in line with their peers because of the extra help they get.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Students who speak English as an additional language also make progress in line with their peers, as their needs are well met through additional support.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Plans are in place to support students eligible for the Year 7 catch-up premium when it comes on stream with their literacy and numeracy skills, though it is too early for these initiatives to have an impact on their progress.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 There are regular checks on students who attend alternative provision, and they are making good progress on their chosen courses.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching requires improvement. There is too much variation within and between different subjects. In too many lessons teachers have expectations which are too low. This results in activities which do not offer sufficient challenge.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The best teaching is characterised by effective planning to meet different needs. Year 7 made good progress in a science lesson on the symbols used in circuits. This resulted from the teacher’s effective feedback, and work well-matched to the students’ needs. However, too much variation in feedback and marking leads to inconsistencies in the teaching of science.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching is much better with examination classes than it is in Key Stage 3. There is more consistency in teaching in English than there is in mathematics or science.  Year 10 students were fully engaged in the making of bread in a food technology lesson. They responded well to the high expectations of the teacher and to the fast pace of the lesson, making good progress.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 There are good opportunities for media to be used to enhance the learning of the students across the curriculum. For example, Year 7 developed a good understanding of film techniques in analysing ‘The Pirates of the Caribbean’ movie. Similarly, a group of more-able Year 7 students explored three-dimensional rotation in a mathematics lesson by using a computer programme. Teachers used well-chosen examples from the design of jet engines, so students were fully engaged in the investigation and made excellent progress.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Marking and feedback is inconsistent across the school. Too many books are left unmarked, and students are often left with little guidance on what they need to do to improve their work. The best marking and feedback provides students with clear next steps and detailed feedback against success criteria. This helps to engage the student in a dialogue with the teacher so that they can focus on any areas of weakness.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 This was seen for example in Year 11 revision classes in mathematics, where students developed confidence in assessing their own strengths and weaknesses. This is also more evident in some subjects such as French, textiles, art and photography.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Some staff and parents expressed concerns about the way that the behaviour of a small minority of students led to disruption of learning. Students also said that although behaviour was improving, at times poor behaviour slowed the pace of learning. The inspection team observed a few lessons where this was the case.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Students say that they appreciate the new system of credits and debits. This is helping them to moderate their behaviour. As a result incidents of unacceptable behaviour and fixed-term exclusions have been in rapid decline. However, procedures are not always consistently applied by all staff.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Sometimes students do not give their full attention to their work and as a result its quality suffers. Some student books showed a lack of care in presentation. This was mostly related to teaching which failed to engage their interest.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Students say that bullying does happen but that it is rare and is dealt with fairly by the school. They are well informed about how to deal with cyber bullying, and can speak confidently about other types such as racist or homophobic bullying.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Students are generally well behaved around the site. Many take on roles and responsibilities which help those whose circumstances make them vulnerable feel supported and valued. This makes the community calm and orderly. Students report feeling safe.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Attendance is improving and is above average.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Leadership and management require improvement because some leaders have not secured consistent improvements since the school opened. The quality of teaching remains variable, and students’ attainment below average by the time they leave the school.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The headteacher is making a positive difference. From September 2012 the headteacher introduced a robust procedure for assessing the performance of staff. Staff are now accountable for the progress made by the students and for ensuring that school priorities are met. They are given extensive support to help them achieve these aims, though this is more effective for some than others.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Information on how well the students are doing is collected regularly, and has been used effectively to give the school an accurate view of its strengths and areas for improvement. However, not all leaders and managers make good use of this information in their checks on learning.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The school spends the additional funding which supports students eligible for the pupil premium to help speed up their progress. For example money has been used to employ additional staff to reduce class sizes, and to pay for early entry to examinations.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Subjects and courses have been designed to meet the different needs of the students. College placements and other offsite provision are helping to make sure that students follow the best route to achieve their goals. Regular communication with these students helps to keep them on track. There is a wide range of visits including trips abroad. Alongside the varied after-school and lunchtime clubs, many of which the students have asked for, subjects are making a positive contribution to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The local authority has supported the school well over time, and makes sure that its support complements that of the partner academies. Together they help to see that the school has the capacity to improve.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The governance of the school:  Governors contribute to the strategic direction and management of the school, including the effective use of resources such as the pupil premium. They use their knowledge and expertise to challenge leaders and managers about the school’s performance in relation to national trends, and to the performance of their partner academies. They have rigorous systems in place to manage staff performance and this has helped to eliminate much inadequate teaching. They understand the link between quality of teaching and pay, and support the promotion of staff where this reflects improved student achievement. They make sure that arrangements to safeguard students meet statutory guidance and that all other requirements are met, including the features of the website. Their training has been strengthened through membership of the local academy partnership.

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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 137944 Local authority Essex Inspection number 402778

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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 11–16 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 933 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Kay Phillips Headteacher Zoë King Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 01206 572253 Fax number 01206 543049 Email address contact@st-helena.essex.sch.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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