Villiers High School

Villiers High School Boyd Avenue, Southall, UB1 3BT

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 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 Good 2

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

 While many students make good progress during their time in school there are some groups of students who do not make as much progress as they should.  GCSE results are below the national average and there has been no trend of improvement in recent years.  Although teaching is improving there is still too much teaching that requires improvement and not enough outstanding teaching.  The sixth form requires improvement because there is too much variability in achievement between subjects and too many students are not successful in their AS-level examinations.

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

The school has the following strengths.  The vision and drive of the new headteacher has rapidly brought about considerable improvements in teaching and in the behaviour of the students.  Governance has been strengthened so that governors can now hold the school to account effectively.  The school is a caring and happy community. Students are very respectful of each other and of the different beliefs and cultures in the school.  Students attend regularly, are proud of their school, behave well, enjoy their learning and want to do well.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in 46 part lessons; 13 of these observations were carried out jointly with senior staff.  Inspectors held meetings with senior and middle leaders, members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority. Discussions took place with students from all age groups in the school, both formally and informally.  Inspectors looked carefully at a range of documentation, including the school’s own evaluation of how well it is doing, the school improvement plan, statistical information about students’ achievement, attendance and exclusions, information about the use of the pupil premium and governing body minutes.  Inspectors considered the 10 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) along with the summary of the results of questionnaires given to parents and carers of Year 7 and Year 11 pupils at recent parents’ evenings. They analysed the results from 50 completed staff

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Inspection team

Ann Short, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Mike O’Sullivan Additional Inspector Allan Barfoot Additional Inspector David Gutmann Additional Inspector Roger Garrett Additional Inspector Elizabeth Bull Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is a slightly larger than average secondary school.  The sixth form was opened in September 2009 and is smaller than most sixth forms nationally.  The school is ethnically very diverse. Almost all students come from minority ethnic groups. The largest proportion of these is of Indian heritage.  The proportion of students who speak English as an additional language is very high.  The proportion of students known to be eligible for the pupil premium (students known to be eligible for free school meals, students looked after by the local authority and those from armed service families) is much higher than average. There are no students from service families and three students who are looked after by the local authority currently in the school.  The proportion of students supported at school action is lower than average, while the proportion with a statement of special educational needs and supported at school action plus is

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Information about this school

broadly average.  The proportion of students who join the school at other than normal times is well-above average.  A small number of students attend an engineering course at Ealing, Hammersmith and West London College for part of the week.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for students’ progress and attainment.  The current headteacher has been in post since September 2012.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the proportion of good and outstanding teaching by:  making sure that all teaching uses information about students’ progress and abilities to set tasks which are well matched to the different needs of the students so that they all can make good progress  involving students in their own learning by more discussion and group-based activities so that they develop their understanding and think more deeply about their learning  raising expectations of what students are capable of achieving.  Raise achievement by:  matching tasks more clearly to the different needs of students, in particular disabled students, those with special educational needs and those entering the school with low attainment  ensuring that sixth form students choose the right courses for them and that action is always quickly taken to help them when they are finding learning difficult  providing sufficient challenge to develop the thinking of all students in order to improve the

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

proportions of students achieving higher grades at GCSE and A and AS level  ensuring that all teachers are held rigorously to account for the achievement of their students.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The majority of students join the school with attainment which is below the national average.  Results in the key measure of five or more A* to C GCSE grades including English and mathematics are lower than the national average. Although there has been no recent upward trend in examination results, information held by the school indicates that students currently in the school are now making better progress.  While many students make good progress overall during their time in the school there are significant groups who do not make as much progress as they should. These include some students with special educational needs and students who come to the school with low attainment.  Many students make good progress in English and in mathematics, with more students than average making more than the progress expected of them in these subjects.  There is regular tracking of the progress of students and this is used to provide additional

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

support when students are not doing as well as they should. Teachers all have detailed information on the progress of their students but they do not always use this to plan activities in their lessons which match differing needs.  Many students who speak English as an additional language make good progress but some, including some at the early stages of learning English, are not given as much support as they need in lessons.  The proportion of pupils joining the school at other than normal times is much higher than average. Some of these are at the early stages of learning English. The school provides additional support for these pupils and some make good progress, but others find it difficult to catch up with their classmates.  Achievement in the sixth form varies across different subjects. Students make better progress at A level than at AS level where progress is not as good as it should be. Too many students are

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

not successful in their AS-level examinations. Sometimes this is because they are not on the right courses. Too few achieve the higher grades at both A and AS level. Tracking of students’ progress in the sixth form is becoming more effective so that teachers can help them when they are having difficulty in meeting their targets.  Students eligible for the pupil premium make good progress, including in English and in mathematics, because of the good support and provision that they receive. In 2012 these students attained approximately a grade lower than their classmates in mathematics and less than half a grade lower in English. The gap in the average point score is much less than average. Information held by the school indicates that the gap will be smaller in the examinations this summer.  Most of the Year 7 students supported through the Year 7 catch-up premium are making good progress in developing their literacy and skills.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The small number of students who attend courses at college for part of the week attend regularly. Their progress is not monitored as rigorously by the school as it should be.  The school does not enter students early for GCSE examinations.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Although the proportion of good teaching has improved since September there is still too much teaching which requires improvement and not enough teaching which is outstanding.  Where teaching requires improvement it is often because the tasks set are not well enough matched to the different needs of the students. For some the work is too hard while for more- able students it is too easy and they are not sufficiently challenged to develop their thinking. In some lessons the teacher talks too much and students are not as actively involved in their learning as they should be.  Purposeful homework is set regularly for GCSE and sixth form classes. It is less consistently set in Key Stage 3.  The quality of marking has improved since the previous inspection and in many lessons students are given clear advice on how to improve their learning. There is evidence that students are encouraged to respond to the marking and act on the advice. However, a few teachers do not

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

complete marking regularly enough and the quality of marking across the school is not yet consistently good.  The proportion of teaching which is good or better is higher in the sixth form than in the main school.  Some good examples of peer- and self-assessment were seen, with students using clear criteria to identify areas for improvement.  Teachers have good subject knowledge and they know the students well. Students and teachers show respect for each other so that students can learn in a secure and happy environment where they are encouraged to gain confidence in improving their work.  Many teachers check learning well throughout the lessons by questioning individual students and groups of students about what they are learning and what they need to do to improve. Sometimes opportunities are missed to use questioning to make the students think more deeply.  Where teaching is good, teachers plan carefully and use a variety of strategies to motivate and

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

enthuse the students so that they enjoy their learning and want to learn. For example, in a Year 12 biology lesson students were completely engrossed in identifying the small invertebrates they had collected themselves from the school’s pond. In a Year 7 athletics lesson students enthusiastically and accurately assessed their own performance and that of their peers. They concentrated hard on using prompts given by the teacher to explain how they could improve their throwing techniques so that very good progress was made.  Students are encouraged to read regularly through a variety of activities. Students who have difficulty with reading or who want to read more can join reading groups taking place at lunchtime, after school and in breakfast club.  The school is now developing a clear focus on literacy and numeracy across different subjects in the curriculum.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Students behave well in lessons and around the school. They want to learn and during the inspection no time was wasted in managing behaviour. They are proud of their school and are polite and respectful to each other, to staff and to visitors.  Students report that behaviour in school has improved since the arrival of the new headteacher and that it is now good. Most parents, carers and staff agree that behaviour is well managed in the school.  The behaviour for learning policy has been revised; students and teachers now understand clearly what the expectations of the school are. A variety of rewards encourages and recognises good behaviour. There is very good support for students who have difficulty in managing their behaviour, for example through the positive behaviour mentors. School records show that incidents of poor behaviour are reducing. Exclusions are lower than average.  Students feel very safe in school and report that bullying of any sort is rare. They say that if it

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

happens it is dealt with effectively. They are taught how to keep themselves safe, for example when using the internet, through assemblies, tutor time and through the curriculum.  The school has worked hard to improve attendance which is now above average and there are robust systems in place to ensure that it continues to improve. Students generally arrive punctually to lessons and there are always teachers in the corridors to make sure that they hurry on their way.

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The leadership and management are good

 The vision and drive of the new headteacher has brought about significant improvements in behaviour, teaching and learning and leadership and management since he took up his post in September. This improvement is not yet reflected in external examinations. However, lesson observations and scrutiny of students’ work confirm the school’s analysis that progress is being accelerated.  Staff and students describe with enthusiasm the difference the headteacher has made and express confidence that under his leadership the school will continue to improve. One student explained that ‘he makes us feel that he is engaged and is caring about our learning’.  He is well supported by other leaders with particular responsibilities so that there is now a shared commitment to improving the school and good planning for further developments. Leaders are accurate in their evaluation of how much progress the school is making.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders have rightly focused sharply on improving teaching in the school and now rigorously and accurately check the quality of teaching and learning. Teachers have been supported to improve their teaching through a programme of focused professional development.  Performance management has not been well enough used in the past to improve the achievement of students and until recently the links with salary progression have not been clear. Targets are now more demanding and staff are being better held to account.  The curriculum is broad and balanced with a good range of choice. A detailed review has identified current strengths. Some areas for improvement have also been agreed and changes will take place from September, for example increasing the time spent in Key Stage 3 from two to three years to allow students more time to develop the skills they need. There is a wide range of courses on offer in the sixth form but this has resulted in many small classes.

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The leadership and management are good

 The social, moral, spiritual and cultural development of the students is strong and supported by opportunities to engage in additional activities beyond the school day. Students show understanding and respect for each other’s cultures and beliefs. They want to behave well and to help each other and their school community.  Leaders have worked hard to improve relationships with parents and carers. Attendance at parents’ evenings has improved and a large number of parents and carers attended the newly formed Parent Teacher Association. Special events have taken place to involve parents and carers of particular groups of students in the learning of their children.  The school has made good use of the good support provided by the local authority, especially in improving governance and teaching and learning.  Policies and procedures for safeguarding students are fully in place. The school takes steps to

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The leadership and management are good

ensure the behaviour and safety of students when attending off-site provision.  The governance of the school:  The governing body is very committed to improving the school. New governors with a range of relevant skills have been appointed and ways of working have been reviewed so that the school is now held effectively to account. Governors have undertaken training, including training on understanding performance data, and they visit the school regularly. They have a good knowledge of the achievement of the students and of the quality of teaching in the school. Governors understand performance management and how it is now being used to take decisions about staff salary progression. The use of pupil premium funding is monitored appropriately.

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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 101928 Local authority Ealing Inspection number 400515

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Secondary School category Foundation Age range of pupils 11–19 Gender of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 1,140 Of which, number on roll in sixth form 110

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Shahid Khan Headteacher Remo Iafrate Date of previous school inspection 12−13 May 2010 Telephone number 020 8813 8001 Fax number 020 8574 3071 Email address info@villiers.ealing.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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