Alec Reed Academy

Alec Reed Academy Bengarth Road, Northolt, UB5 5LQ

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 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

 Achievement in Key Stages 1 and 2 is not consistently good in all subjects.  Progress rates in English and mathematics are rising but the proportion of students achieving five A* to C grades is still below national averages.  The skills students learn in English and mathematics are not consistently reinforced across other subjects.  The sixth form requires improvement. Students do not make the progress they are capable of in most subjects. Retention rates are below average, although increasing.  The collection and use of data to help teachers best meet the needs of individuals, including the more-able students, vary across the academy.  Teachers do not yet share their strongest skills in planning and teaching demanding lessons often enough.  Marking does not always show students how to improve their work and reach their targets, and they do not always respond to the advice given.  Teachers’ expectations of behaviour are too

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

low in some lessons.  Links between the different key stages are not developed enough to ensure students make consistently good progress.  Subject leaders are at an early stage of monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of work in their departments.  Parents and carers are at present under- represented on the governing body, limiting their direct input to the academy.

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The school has the following strengths

 Senior leaders and managers, including governors, have accurately identified the areas of the academy requiring further improvement. Their actions are beginning to have an impact on improving teaching and raising standards.  Students feel safe and are eager to contribute to the development of the academy.  Students benefit from a good range of clubs and activities to reinforce their learning.  Students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is carefully nurtured.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection team inspected 49 lessons taught by 48 staff.  Inspectors held meetings with the interim Principal, governors, including the chair of governors who is also a representative of the academy trust, staff and groups of students.  Inspectors took account of the 49 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and the 87 staff questionnaires in planning and carrying out the inspection.  Inspectors observed the academy’s work. They also looked at the academy’s improvement plan, data on students’ attainment and progress, monitoring and self-evaluation procedures, a range of policies, and arrangements for safeguarding students.

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Inspection team

Michael Sutherland-Harper, Lead inspector Additional Inspector John Ubsdell Additional Inspector Alison Moore Additional Inspector Lynne Kauffman Additional Inspector Fatiha Maitland Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The academy is larger than the average-sized school. It incorporates a nursery, primary and secondary sections and a sixth form.  White British students are the largest ethnic group in a very diverse school community.  The proportion of disabled students and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is above the national average, as is the proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs.  The proportion of students for whom the academy receives the pupil premium is above average. This is additional government funding for children in the care of the local authority, children known to be eligible for free school meals and children from forces’ families.  An above-average proportion of students join the academy at times other than the usual starting point each year.  Alternative part-time education is currently provided for a small number of Year 11 students who

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Information about this school

follow courses at the Ealing Diploma Educational Centre in Greenford.  The interim Principal and interim vice-Principal had been in post for two weeks at the time of the inspection. The permanent posts have been advertised. The head of the primary school has been in post since January. There have been a considerable number of staff changes over the past 12 months.  The academy provides a breakfast club.  The academy meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for students’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise the quality of all teaching and learning to good or better by ensuring that:  teachers collect and use information on students’ progress better to meet the needs of all students, especially those who are more able  marking and assessment consistently indicate the next steps towards students’ targets, and students follow up the guidance provided by making corrections to their work  best practice in teaching is identified and shared across the academy  teachers insist on consistently good behaviour and work rate in lessons.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve attainment, especially in mathematics and English, by:  reinforcing literacy and numeracy skills in all subjects  reviewing students’ progress more regularly to ensure that it is rapid and consistently upwards throughout the academy, including the sixth form.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Develop the effectiveness of all leaders and managers by:  increasing links across the different key stages so that expectations and monitoring are consistent and rigorous  making sure subject leaders have a clear understanding of how to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of their procedures and planning, and implement these strategies  increasing the representation of parents and carers on the governing body to develop their direct involvement in working in partnership with the academy.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Children enter the nursery with attainment and skills below, and sometimes well below, nationally expected levels. They make good progress through the Early Years Foundation Stage, especially in personal, social and emotional development and communication and language.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 By the time they transfer to Year 1, children’s skills are broadly in line with those expected for their age in all subjects. Linking sounds to letters (phonics) is now being effectively developed in Key Stage 1, but not in older age groups. Writing is better than reading, with a recent emphasis on creative writing bearing fruit. Mathematical skills are securely developed, but at present pupils are making better progress in problem solving in Year 2, where staffing is more stable, than in Year 1. Skills in literacy and mathematics are not consistently reinforced in other subjects across all key stages.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Students’ rates of progress increase as they move through Key Stages 3 and 4, including in English and mathematics. More students are expected to gain five A* to C grades, including English and mathematics, this year based on current academy data. However, expected progress, although improving steadily, remains below national averages at present and is inconsistent between subjects. Progress between all key stages is not reviewed regularly enough to make sure that it is always rapid and consistently upwards.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Students who enter early for Year 11 mathematics perform better than their peers. The academy is extending this early entry to English language this year so students may benefit from studying more English literature in Year 11 and enhance their reading and comprehension skills.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Disabled students and those who have special educational needs make similar progress than their peers, and sometimes better. Their individual needs are identified early, and they are supported well in and out of most lessons by regularly trained staff.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Achievement in the small sixth form requires improvement. A-level results are slightly above national averages and have improved on the previous year, but attainment in work-related subjects is below that of the previous two years. AS-level results are broadly in line with national averages but progress at all levels is not reviewed regularly enough. The range of courses on offer is limited and retention rates, although improving, remain lower than seen nationally.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupil premium funding has been used with varying effectiveness to improve achievement through one-to-one support and small intervention groups. The Year 7 catch-up premium ensures that students are quickly assessed as they move from Year 6 and their individual needs increasingly met. Attainment in English and mathematics for students known to be eligible for free school meals is below that of other students. Gaps are closing slowly but closer tracking of students’ progress means that they are expected to be at the same level as their peers in the next six terms or less. Students who arrive at other than the normal times are quickly integrated because the academy places great emphasis on all students having equal opportunities to learn.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 In 2012 students funded by the pupil premium were two terms behind their peers in mathematics and four in English at Key Stage 2. At Key Stage 4, the difference is five terms in English and six terms in mathematics. Current school data indicates that the gap is closing more quickly than previously.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Students educated off-site make at least expected rates of progress. Attainment for these students is checked via regular progress reports from the provider to the associate Principal. Weekly visits are made and any underperformance is quickly followed up.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Reading skills are very varied but develop well for most students by the time they reach Key Stage 2 with accurate identification of reading ages. The academy is now implementing plans to improve reading further up the school because many students have limited opportunities to develop reading skills through additional work at home or in a library.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The large majority of parents and carers who replied to the online survey feel that their children are making good progress. Students feel that good teaching and pastoral care enable them to learn well.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching requires improvement. Some outstanding teaching was observed where students participated eagerly in the lesson due to the careful questioning and strong subject knowledge of the teacher. However, these features were lacking in too many lessons and where they were too teacher-led, behaviour deteriorated slightly as a result.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 In lessons where improvement was required, planning was not always based on careful collection and analysis of data on students’ progress. As a result, teachers took insufficient account of individual needs, especially for the more-able students, and their expectations of the work to be done and the behaviour expected were inconsistent and sometimes too low. When teachers waited for students to put up their hands, they missed opportunities to check on individual understanding among more hesitant students.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The academy pays close attention to the effective teaching of functional skills in English for students whose skills may be weaker. Good use of questions and clear targets related to examination criteria mean that many English lessons proceed at a brisk pace and lead to good outcomes. In mathematics, an increased emphasis on mental mathematics and providing clear examples is leading to more effective teaching.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Sixth-form teaching requires improvement because the quality of planning and the strategies used in lessons vary too much across subjects. In an outstanding lesson in BTEC sport, the teacher used his personal knowledge of students and the subject and his prior experiences to extend students’ responses. However, a number of sixth-form lessons have been taught by supply staff, and opportunities to develop teaching through sharing of best practice there and across the academy are limited.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Work is frequently marked with constructive comments that indicate the next steps towards targets, especially in English. However, marking is inconsistently detailed from key stage to key stage and across subjects. Students do not always follow up the guidance provided and make corrections that would avoid unnecessary repetition of errors. The standard of presentation expected is variable.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Where teaching is strongest, as in a Year 7 art lesson providing guidance on shape, form and scale, a wide range of different learning strategies, interspersed with regular checks on understanding, keep up pace and challenge for all ability groups and lead to high-quality end results.  Disabled students and those who have special educational needs are carefully supported in most lessons because they are well known to staff and also benefit from one-to-one tuition and small group work. The support provided is currently under review, with further training planned for all staff to ensure consistent approaches in all lessons.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Reading is reinforced through opportunities in a number of lessons to read aloud. However, the guided reading programme is at an early stage of development and teachers sometimes read out passages when they could be read by students. The academy is looking at ways to develop its library area and a culture of reading for pleasure.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Behaviour and safety require improvement. During the inspection, behaviour in and out of lessons was often good with the large majority of students showing positive attitudes to learning. However, both secondary students and primary pupils reported that they had experienced disruption to learning or inconsistent approaches to behaviour management, especially in lessons taken by supply staff. Parents and carers who responded to the online survey also expressed some concerns about the quality of behaviour management.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Behaviour policies are systematically monitored by the associate Principal and the behaviour (SaFE) team. Rewards and sanctions are understood by students. The school council is eager to contribute to further improvements in students’ attitudes to their academy.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Students feel safe. They have a clear understanding of the different types of bullying that can occur, including cyber bullying and homophobic behaviour. They feel safe because e-safety has a high profile and bullying is quickly dealt with by tutors and pastoral staff.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Incidents are carefully logged and monitored for repeat offending by individuals, but are not analysed to give an overview of numbers, actions and successes. Permanent and fixed-term exclusions have been above national expectations but are now falling.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Attendance is improving and persistent absence rates falling due to strategies applied through assemblies, meetings with and leaflets for parents and carers, and the use of external services, including the welfare officer, to follow up concerns. Attendance is better in the lower school than in the upper school at present. Sixth form attendance is below national averages but improving. Students are punctual to lessons.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Leadership and management require improvement. The interim Principal and vice Principal have only been in post for a very short time but in conjunction with the senior leadership team have accurately identified areas requiring improvement. They have devised clear plans for raising attainment and ensuring consistency of teaching and expectations across the academy. They recognise that achievement is increasing but inconsistent across subjects, and that there is also a need for greater liaison between the primary and secondary phases.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Leadership and management are not yet good because staffing is not yet fully stable after a considerable number of recent staff changes. At present, the head of the primary school is acting Early Years Foundation Stage leader, pending the appointment of a new coordinator. She provides good leadership and management skills. Subject leaders are redefining their roles in conjunction with the senior leadership team and through the preparation of departmental self- evaluations. At present their checks on planning and progress within departments are inconsistent and not always rigorous enough.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Procedures for managing staff performance are carried out in line with the national ‘Teachers’ Standards’ and the targets for improvement are outlined in the academy development plan. Staff are held accountable for the results of their classes and have begun to discuss between similar subjects how to ensure better results.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Leadership and management of the sixth form require improvement. The range of subjects on offer is under review but teaching quality and attainment are not closely enough monitored to ensure rapid improvement.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The new head of the primary phase has introduced clearer systems that are beginning to raise achievement, but recognises that further work is required to ensure consistency in expectations and procedures. Both she and the interim Principal are determined to increase links and discussion across the different key stages.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The range of subjects that students study is growing. A good number of additional clubs and activities, including a well-attended breakfast club, reinforce the subjects on offer but pathways are limited at present, especially in the sixth form. Students’ timetables are currently being reviewed to personalise what is offered to each student and more closely meet the needs of both lower- and higher-ability students.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Social, moral, spiritual and social development is closely tracked across subjects using computer software. The academy has a number of external awards, including for good citizenship and for particular groups. Physical education and drama are especially strong in developing these aspects, which are reinforced by regular visitors and speakers.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Safeguarding arrangements are effective. Staff and governors undergo regular training, including in safer recruitment and child protection.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The academy recognises the need to improve links and communication with parents and carers and is looking at ways to do this.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The governance of the school:  The governing body offers suitable challenge based on an accurate identification of the areas requiring improvement, for example the quality of teaching in different areas, through discussion with school leaders. Governors bring a good range of skills, including financial skills, to their work and have a secure understanding of data and how the academy is performing compared to others locally and nationally. Procedures for managing staff performance are rigorous. Promotion is not automatic but is based on a careful analysis of results. Governors recognise the need to increase the visits they make to see the academy in action. Governors are aware of the amount of the pupil premium, and monitor and review how it is used to help individuals and promote overall progress against the targets they have set. At present, parents and carers are not well represented on the governing body.

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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 134369 Local authority N/A Inspection number 412889

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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 sponsor-led School category Non-maintained Age range of pupils 3–19 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 1465 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Lawrence Carter Headteacher Alison Ross (interim Principal) Date of previous school inspection 13–14 January 2010 Telephone number 020 8841 4511 Fax number 020 8841 4480 Email address alison.ross@alecreedacademy.co.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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