Setting

Mr Peter Travis Headteacher Broomfield School Wilmer Way London N14 7HY

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Special measures: monitoring inspection of Broomfield School

Following my visit with Annette Rhodes and Rosemary Litawski , Additional inspectors, to your school on 13–14 March 2013, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the inspection findings.

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Special measures: monitoring inspection of Broomfield School

The inspection was the fourth monitoring inspection since the school became subject to special measures following the inspection which took place in October 2011. The full list of the areas for improvement which were identified during that inspection is set out in the annex to this letter. The monitoring inspection report is attached and the main judgements are set out below.

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Special measures: monitoring inspection of Broomfield School

Progress since being subject to special measures – good

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Special measures: monitoring inspection of Broomfield School

Progress since previous monitoring inspection – good

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Special measures: monitoring inspection of Broomfield School

Newly qualified teachers may be appointed.

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Special measures: monitoring inspection of Broomfield School

This letter and monitoring inspection report will be posted on the Ofsted website. I am copying this letter and the monitoring inspection report to the Secretary of State, the Chair of the Governing Body and the Director of Children’s Services for Enfield.

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Her Majesty’s Inspector

Tribal 1–4 Portland Square Bristol BS2 8RR T 0300 123 1231 Text Phone: 0161 6188524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Direct T 0117 3115319 Direct F 0117 3150430 Email : matthew.parker@tribalgroup.com

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place in October 2011

 Strengthen leadership and management by:    improving the accuracy, consistency and robustness of self-evaluation   increasing the impact of senior leaders in addressing key weaknesses   strengthening school improvement planning by ensuring that planned actions are measured against clearly defined timelines and that success criteria are linked, precisely, to measurable outcomes for students.    Raise attainment in science by:    ensuring there is no inadequate teaching in science and that the large majority of science lessons secure at least good progress   ensuring that the science curriculum is sufficiently well planned to enable all students to make good progress   ensuring that the leadership and management of science have a clear, immediate and rapid impact in raising achievement in Key Stage 4 and in the sixth form.    Improve the quality of teaching and learning by:

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place in October 2011

 ensuring there is no inadequate teaching  increasing the proportion of good and outstanding teaching through sharing the best practice seen in teaching and the use of assessment to promote better learning.

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place in October 2011

 Raise achievement and attainment in the sixth form by:

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place in October 2011

 reducing the proportion of students who fail to pass or complete their courses in Year 12  ensuring teachers and students have a clear understanding of students’ targets and that progress towards these targets is monitored consistently so that underachievement is identified and addressed more quickly  strengthening the impact of monitoring and evaluation on outcomes for all students.

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place in October 2011

 Ensure the curriculum at Key Stage 4 and in the sixth form fully meets the needs and aspirations of lower-attaining students. 

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Evidence

Inspectors observed the school’s work, scrutinised documents and met with the headteacher, a representative from the local authority, several different groups of staff and senior leaders, four different groups of students and the Chair of the Governing Body. Inspectors observed 19 lessons, including 14 conducted jointly with the school’s middle and senior leaders. They also carried out two sets of shorter observations, with senior leaders, focusing on marking and assessment and provision for students with English as an additional language.

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Context

Since the last Ofsted monitoring inspection in December 2012, the head of the specialist unit for students with autistic spectrum disorder, the head of religious education and a science teacher have left the school. An assistant headteacher seconded from a local school has been appointed permanently. A head of science and a second in science have been appointed and will take up their posts in the summer term. Two governors have resigned from the governing body.

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Achievement of pupils at the school

Since the last monitoring inspection, the school has worked hard to close the gaps in students’ achievement brought about by a legacy of poor teaching over time. A range of interventions has been put in place to support students’ learning. For example, interventions to support literacy have resulted in rapid gains in reading ages. The school has further sharpened its systems for collecting and analysing information about students’ progress. These now allow incisive analysis of progress against challenging targets. Improved teaching, targeted interventions and improved teacher awareness are combining to close gaps in achievement.

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Achievement of pupils at the school

During Key Stage 3, progress in mathematics is swift. Key Stage 3 science progress has been accelerated and gaps have been closed with fewer students than at the time of the last monitoring inspection behind where they should be. This is as a result of eradicating inadequate teaching in science. The school’s information on students’ progress shows that there is still some variability and remaining underachievement in English. For example, while students make more progress than they did, approximately a quarter of Year 9 students are behind their target grades. However, the school is acutely aware of this and working to accelerate progress with some early evident impact. Recent mock examinations and module results in science GCSEs show that an increasing proportion of students in Year 11 are likely to gain A* to C grades in their summer examinations when compared with 2012. The school is concerned by

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Achievement of pupils at the school

relatively weaker results in English mock examinations. However, a series of strategies are in place to ensure that current Year 11 students achieve more than in 2012. These include new controlled assessments in English, for most students, which are already boosting attainment.

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Achievement of pupils at the school

Most of the sixth form teaching observed by inspectors was good or better. The school has ensured that all students are enrolled on courses that they can succeed in. This has resulted in vastly improved retention of students with few dropping out of courses they have started. Students in Year 12 and 13 say that the atmosphere of the sixth form has been transformed and there is now a clear focus on aspiration and achievement. The school’s information shows that most students are continuing to make expected or better levels of progress and achieving well against their targets. Achievement data are well shared with students and support is quickly put in place to support those students who are in danger of falling behind.

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Achievement of pupils at the school

Recent AS- and A-level module examination results from January show there is some remaining variation in achievement across the subjects taught at the school. For example, progress and achievement in mathematics continue to be consistently good. Year 13 examination results were also good in sociology considering students’ starting points. Year 12 results showed variation with some underachievement in psychology, sociology, economics and business studies. However, Year 12 underachievement was partially a result of injudicious entry for examinations. School leaders are working closely with affected students to ensure that this will be rectified in summer examination retakes.

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Achievement of pupils at the school

Progress since the last monitoring inspection on the areas for improvement:  Raise achievement and attainment in the sixth form – good  Raise attainment in science – good

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The quality of teaching

High-quality teaching has continued to be the top priority for the school. The significant improvements reported at the last inspection visit have continued to be embedded. The capacity of subject leaders to effectively monitor, support and identify where improvements need to be made has been built by senior leaders. Joint observations between inspectors and subject leaders show that there is a very accurate shared understanding of the quality of teaching in the school. Since the last inspection visit, there has been a further reduction in the proportion of teaching that requires improvement and inadequate teaching has nearly been eradicated. Students report that when they have supply teachers they are much better than they used to be. This is as a result of careful induction for supply staff and rigorous monitoring of their performance. Inspection evidence shows that there is now a healthy proportion

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The quality of teaching

Outstanding teaching was seen during the inspection in Spanish, English, mathematics and history in the main school and also in a Year 13 theatre studies lesson . All of these teachers had, in common, the highest aspirations and expectations of their students who consistently rose to the challenge. For example, in the Year 10 history lesson about the Rosenbergs, the teacher very effectively matched the work to the ability of the students using the examination requirements. High expectations and stimulating resources helped to excite students about their learning. The teacher then supported all students to make good or better progress in their writing. This was done by the combination of effective support from a teaching assistant and carefully targeted writing frames to support the students who needed it. There is remaining variability in the standard of teaching across the school. However, teaching staff, including those who are new to the school, are continuing

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The quality of teaching

to benefit from a carefully planned programme of targeted training sessions. Teachers continue to say that training is of a high standard and is improving their confidence to stretch and challenge their students.

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The quality of teaching

There has been a focus on the needs of disabled students and those with special educational needs since the last inspection. Teachers’ increased awareness and improved collaborative working with teaching assistants, who have been attached to faculty areas, have boosted students’ progress. Where teaching requires improvement, it is usually because the work set does not stretch the more able students in the class. Teachers do not always plan activities that challenge students to think for themselves and sometimes they set work below the level at which students are currently working. This limits the amount of progress made by students, particularly the more able. Marking to show students how to improve has continued to improve. Teachers now consistently write clear suggestions for improvement and expect and usually receive a response from students.

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The quality of teaching

Progress since the last monitoring inspection on the areas for improvement:  Improve the quality of teaching and learning – good

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Most students behave well both in lessons and around the school. Students increasingly come to school ready and willing to learn; they are aspirational about their futures. Students say that staff expectations are clearer and more consistent than ever. Sanctions for poor behaviour or attendance are consistently applied and students say that this has had an impact on their own behaviour. For example, one Year 11 student was clear that she was now on time to school because she did not want to face the consequence of not being. The number of fixed-term exclusions has reduced. Attendance and punctuality have continued to improve as a result of the rigour of monitoring and intervention. Attendance is now at national levels for secondary schools and the proportion of students who are persistently absent is falling. The school is aware that there is still work to be done to improve the attendance of some groups of students, particularly those with special educational

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

needs supported at school action plus. Sixth form and Year 11 students have been pleased to be involved with the new prefect system. However, Year 11 students remain keen to be even more involved in the decision-making processes of the school.

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The quality of leadership in and management of the school

The headteacher and senior leadership team have successfully embedded the changes that were evident at the last monitoring inspection. Assessments of students’ achievement have been externally moderated to ensure accuracy. The school’s information systems are giving leaders robust evidence to evaluate improvements in students’ progress. Self-evaluation is increasingly detailed and accurate. Regular reviews of subject area performance have been undertaken and departmental self-evaluation and action planning are being reintroduced. At whole- school level, detailed improvement planning has been based around governing body committees and action plans flow incisively for each of the three teams established at the time of the last visit: the 14–19 Curriculum Pathways team, the Data Management and Student Achievement team and the Teaching and Learning team. Plans now have sharper success criteria and clearer timescales, and governors find

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The quality of leadership in and management of the school

monitoring the impact of improvements easier as a result.

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The quality of leadership in and management of the school

The line management of senior and middle managers, through the three teams, has delivered a more coherent and effective chain of accountability. Team working has improved the consistency of subject leadership. All subject leaders involved in joint observations with inspectors made accurate judgements of the quality of teaching and gave good-quality feedback to teachers focused on further improvement. The introduction of achievement directors to replace traditional heads of year has put greater focus on tracking students’ progress. Interventions after school and during holiday periods are far better targeted as a result.

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The quality of leadership in and management of the school

Most students and staff are very positive about the improvements the school is making. For example, teachers returning from maternity leave speak of the transformation in the morale and atmosphere of the school. Leaders at all levels recognise that while significant improvement has taken place, there is much still to do to ensure that the current Year 11 students achieve their full potential and that the legacy of underachievement in other years is completely removed.

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The quality of leadership in and management of the school

The curriculum model has been successfully finalised for Key Stages 3 and 4 to support all abilities to achieve. The work undertaken in reviewing, developing and improving the curriculum at Key Stage 4 to allow current Year 9 students to choose from three pathways has been effective in motivating students from all abilities to try to achieve their best. For example, those wishing to follow the pathway containing three separate science courses know they have to achieve at a certain level in science and are working hard to do so. Changes to the school day to allow students in Key Stage 5 access to courses offered through the collegiate system in Enfield have had positive benefits for the school. Key Stages 3 and 4 students prefer the structure and say it allows them to concentrate better in the afternoon. Key Stage 5 students now have a wider choice through the school and collegiate system. Many are achieving well through collegiate teaching, for example those Year 13

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The quality of leadership in and management of the school

students studying physics at another school. School leaders are well aware that the curriculum is dynamic. They know changes to the school population, including reduced projected numbers for Year 7 and possibly Year 12 and increased numbers of students at an early stage of learning English, may require further curriculum modifications.

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The quality of leadership in and management of the school

The governing body has a clear understanding of the school’s current strengths and further improvements that need to be made. Governors are increasingly effective in challenging the school leadership. Lines of communication with senior leaders are strong due to governors’ committees linking closely with the three leadership teams.

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The quality of leadership in and management of the school

Progress since the last monitoring inspection on the areas for improvement:  Strengthen leadership and management – good  Ensuring the curriculum at Key Stage 4 and in the sixth form fully meets the needs and aspirations of lower attaining students – good

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External support

The school continues to be strongly supported by the local authority. Commitments have been made to support the school’s budget to improve the fabric of the building and mitigate any short-term drop in student numbers. The local authority has also moderated the school’s assessments and helped complete reviews of subjects and provision for students with English as an additional language. The local authority review of provision for disabled students and those with special educational needs helped the school to restructure and these students are now making more progress.

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