Madeley Academy

Madeley Academy Castlefields Way, Madeley, Telford, TF7 5FB

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Students achieve well. From below-average starting points, students make good progress so that, by the end of Year 11, they reach standards which are in line with national averages in most subjects.  The school is well led. The headteacher has high expectations of staff and students. She has built a team which is committed to improving the quality of teaching and increasing the rates of progress made by students.  Teaching is usually good or better, and consistently so when students are taught in small groups. Teachers know their subjects well. Students who fall behind with their work are well supported to catch up.  Students at risk of not doing well make good progress. This is because they receive extra support tailored to their needs.  Students feel safe in lessons and around the school. They have good attitudes to learning and get on well together.  Members of the governing body are well

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

informed about the school’s work and consistently challenge the school to raise its expectations of students and staff.  The sixth form is good. Students do well in their examinations. Many have secured places at university.  The range of subjects and courses on offer is outstanding.  The opportunities for students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are outstanding.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The work set by teachers does not always stretch more-able students and is sometimes too hard for less-able students.  Students do not receive consistent advice about how to improve their work.  Leaders and managers have not made enough use of the existing good practice to improve teaching and marking.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 34 lessons, of which 18 were joint observations with senior leaders. In addition, the inspection team made a number of other short visits to lessons and observed areas around the school at break and lunchtime.  Inspectors also looked at examples of students’ work. They also considered the quality of marking and written feedback to students.  Meetings were held with three groups of students, four members of the governing body, including the Chair, the headteacher of the sponsoring academy and senior leaders and other teachers with responsibilities.  Inspectors took account of the 39 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View), telephone calls from parents, and 84 staff questionnaire responses.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including the school’s self-evaluation and development plan, the school’s own data on students’ current

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Information about this inspection

progress, monitoring documentation, records relating to behaviour and attendance, and documents relating to safeguarding.

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Inspection team

John Mallone, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Janet Harvey Additional Inspector Janet Catto Additional Inspector Mary Hinds Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Madeley Academy is an average-sized community academy.  Most students are White British. The number of students from a minority ethnic background is small and few speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of disabled students and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is below average. The proportion of students supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average.  The proportion of students eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for students known to be eligible for free school meals, those from service families or those looked after by the local authority, is almost double the national average. In this school, it applies only to those eligible for free school meals and those looked after by the local authority.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations

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Information about this school

for students’ attainment and progress by the end of Key Stage 4.  The school has a very few students who receive alternative education using the services of Telford and Wrekin Council’s Education Development Service.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching and further accelerate students’ progress in all lessons by:  ensuring that students have more frequent opportunities to work independently in lessons  more consistently using assessment information to tailor work more precisely to students’ individual needs.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality and monitoring of marking by:  giving students clear guidance through regular marking so they know how to improve their work and ensuring that they have the opportunity to make those improvements  more consistently marking students’ work for spelling, grammar and punctuation, especially the spelling of key subject-specific words  providing training for teachers in marking to a consistently high standard  leaders making checks on teachers’ marking to ensure that it occurs more regularly and is of a high standard.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Students join in Year 7 with attainment which is below average and achieve broadly average GCSE results in Year 11. In 2012, the proportion of students gaining five A* to C grades at GCSE including English and mathematics fell slightly, because of weaker results in mathematics, but remained broadly in line with the national average. Teaching has now improved in mathematics and students are making good or better progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Students are entered early for GCSE examinations in English language and mathematics. They have made better than average progress in English in the last two years, although few attain the highest A* grade. Those who achieve well in mathematics go on to study at AS level in Year 11. This enables higher attainers in mathematics to progress more quickly.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Although attainment at GCSE remains average overall, performance varies between different subjects. The school has accurately identified subjects where achievement is weaker and has taken steps to improve students’ progress and attainment. As a result, students in Year 11 are now achieving better in a number of subjects, notably mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Boys perform as well as girls in examinations. This is partly the result of lessons which engage the interest of boys as well as girls and the use of positive role models within the school.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Sixth Form students make good progress, especially in vocational subjects. They do well in examinations and the large majority of current Year 13 students have secured offers of places at universities. Because of the small numbers involved in individual subjects, it is not possible to make comparisons with national averages.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In 2012, pupil premium students were one and a half grades behind others in both English and mathematics. The school’s robust assessment data and inspection evidence suggests that this gap is narrowing for those students in the current Year 11.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Catch-up funding is used to provide support for weaker readers in Years 7 and 8, who now read more often and have a better understanding of phonics (letters and the sounds they make). This means that they are overcoming their difficulties with certain combinations of letters and are more confident in breaking down words to sound them out.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school provides extra support for disabled students and those who have special educational needs. They make good progress because their work is broken down into sufficiently small steps, with further targets identified and reviewed regularly. The few students from minority ethnic backgrounds and those who speak English as an additional language also make good progress. The school successfully ensures that students have equal opportunities.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The small numbers of students who study courses with an alternative provider achieve well and their progress is closely monitored. In the last five years, almost all students have stayed in education or entered employment or training when they left Year 11. The quality of guidance that they receive and the appropriate courses that they study have made an important contribution to this success.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Where teaching is good or better, teachers ensure that lessons are well paced and use a variety of activities that engage students’ interest and are planned to match individuals’ needs and abilities. In a Year 9 GCSE history lesson, for example, students were keen to learn how to fox- trot and dance the Charleston as part of exploring the influence of popular music in the 1920s. This helped all students to make rapid progress in the lesson.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The best teaching gives students frequent opportunities to work independently and tailors work for different abilities. In a Year 10 science lesson, for example, more-able students designed their own experiment while the teacher supported less-able students in conducting an experiment he had devised. Teachers’ strong subject knowledge contributes to lessons which students enjoy, and their calm approach to behaviour management means that students remain on task.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers consistently use questioning effectively to check students’ understanding. When questions are tailored to individuals’ needs, progress is quicker, especially for more-able students.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers make good use of the school’s facilities to provide a dynamic environment which is both stimulating and nurturing.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In the very small minority of lessons where teaching requires improvement, teachers do not tailor work for individuals or small groups of students. In addition, students do not have the opportunity to work independently. As a result, the work is too easy for some, who become bored, and too difficult for others, who fail to make progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of marking varies between subjects and teachers. Marking in English is consistently good. The best marking clearly identifies what students have done well and what they need to do to improve. They are not always given the opportunity to make the required improvements. In very rare cases, work is not marked on a regular basis. Teachers do not always identify students’ errors in punctuation, grammar and spelling, including of subject-specific vocabulary.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In the smaller groups found in the sixth form, teachers know their students well and tailor work more consistently to their individual needs and abilities. Strong subject knowledge, coupled with clear advice and guidance on how to improve and increased amounts of student autonomy, especially in vocational subjects, mean that students make better progress than in the main school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Behaviour in lessons is good. Students show positive attitudes to learning and are well motivated to succeed.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Behaviour around the school is good, including at break and lunchtime. Students consistently show respect towards staff and one another. The prefect and ‘champions’ systems encourage students to take responsibility.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Students have a clear moral understanding of right and wrong and are frequently encouraged to think of others, both in the school and in the wider community; for example, by raising funds for various charities.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Students whose circumstances make them vulnerable, disabled students and those who have special educational needs are well supported so that they feel secure, socialise and study with other students.  Bullying is uncommon. Incidents of racist and homophobic bullying are very rare and the school deals with these effectively. Students know how to identify bullying and where to turn for support when it occurs. The school has worked to protect students when they are online and to give them ways of dealing with cyber-bullying.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The number of exclusions has fallen sharply and is now below average. The new system of internal exclusion is working well.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Attendance has improved in each of the last five years and is in line with similar schools. Incentives for good attendance have helped to reduce absence, especially among disadvantaged students.

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The leadership and management are good

 Senior leaders have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and have clear plans to address areas of concern. They are committed to raising standards and work closely with department leaders to bring this about. Progress in several subjects, notably mathematics and science, has improved as a result.

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The leadership and management are good

 There are new systems for managing the performance of teachers and to give pay rises when these are justified. Teachers report that these systems contribute to improving their professional development by clearly linking targets to the national Teachers’ Standards.

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The leadership and management are good

 Recent staff appointees have contributed to school improvement, especially in the development of the sixth form and vocational education. Strong leadership has led to a rise in achievement in English.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school’s systems for analysing and monitoring students’ progress are robust. There is a particular emphasis on raising standards for those most at risk of falling behind.

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The leadership and management are good

 Checks on the quality of marking by senior and department leaders have not increased its consistency. Teachers have not received enough training or had enough opportunities to work together to share the best examples of marking.

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The leadership and management are good

 Although there is a systematic and thorough process of lesson observations, there has not been enough use of good and outstanding practice to help improve the performance of other teachers to raise the standard of teaching.

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The leadership and management are good

 The curriculum is outstanding, with broad, balanced and relevant provision for all students and strong links to the community and local employers. Vocational education is a particular strength: students who struggle in their other lessons blossom when given the independence and sense of purpose provided by courses in hair and beauty or construction, for example. The involvement of local employers is key to this success; for example, in the annual recruitment fair.

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The leadership and management are good

 Provision for students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. There are many opportunities for students to develop their appreciation of British and international culture through music, theatre and art, both within the school and through the extensive programme of additional educational visits.

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The leadership and management are good

 Students also have good opportunities to engage in cultural and sporting activities outside the normal school day, including taking part in musical and theatrical productions (most recently The Wedding Singer and Heroes) and a wide variety of team and individual sports. Thought for the Week, school assemblies and personal tutorials do much to enhance students’ moral development, which is also frequently addressed in lessons.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school has used pupil premium funding to improve achievement in English and mathematics by providing one-to-one sessions with specialist teachers and extra revision. It has also used the money creatively to provide additional opportunities to engage disadvantaged students in activities outside the school, which supports their academic achievement. There are good systems for monitoring these students’ progress.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school’s main sponsor, Thomas Telford School, supports developments by sharing key staff, including senior leaders, and working on joint staff training initiatives. It has also helped fund the school’s building programme and supported extra-curricular activities for disadvantaged students. For example, a mathematics trip to Disneyland to investigate its business model has been supported in this way.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school’s arrangements for safeguarding students meet all current regulatory requirements.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors take a keen interest in and have a good understanding of the way the school works. They work closely with the senior and department leaders and meet with them regularly so that they know about the quality of teaching. Governors know how well students are achieving, including those in receipt of the pupil premium, and consistently challenge senior leaders to improve the rate of progress. Governors have a good understanding of the new system for managing teachers’ performance and teachers’ pay. They closely monitor the school’s budget, including the spending of money from the pupil premium, and are active in seeking ways to solve problems. All governors receive regular training.

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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 135149 Local authority Telford and Wrekin Inspection number 412417

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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 11–18 Gender of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 1058 Of which, number on roll in sixth form 140 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Roy Harrison Headteacher Maria Satchwell Date of previous school inspection 11 November 2009 Telephone number 01952 527700 Fax number 01952 404884 Email address admin@madeleyacademy.com guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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School details

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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