Archbishop Tenison's CofE High School

Archbishop Tenison's Church of England High School Selborne Road, Croydon, CR0 5JQ

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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.  The headteacher sets high expectations of the school community. All senior leaders are committed to maintaining high standards and delivering further improvements.  Students achieve well in many subjects. In English, significant numbers make outstanding progress.  The sixth form is good. Students are positive about the high-quality teaching they receive.  Students behave well and feel safe. Bullying is rare and students know what to do if it should occur. Students’ attendance is high.  Spiritual, moral and social values are promoted well and underpinned by the school’s ethos.  Students who need extra help, including those supported at school action or with a statement of special educational needs, are given effective help. As a result, gaps in attainment between different groups are closing.  Teaching is good. Teachers’ imaginative use of resources motivates and engages students.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Governors have a clear knowledge of the school’s strengths and areas for development. They carefully monitor the quality of teaching and provide effective challenge to the school’s leaders.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 In some lessons, students are not provided with enough opportunities to work independently or challenged to think more deeply.  Teachers’ marking does not always provide enough detail about how students should improve their work.  Not all middle leaders are consistent when they check the quality of teaching or its impact on students’ learning and progress.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 38 lessons, including 10 jointly observed with senior leaders.  They observed tutor time, break times and an assembly in the local church. They looked at a range of students’ work.  Inspectors met with groups of students of different ages and abilities. They discussed achievement, teaching, behaviour and safety.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, senior and middle leaders, two external partners working with the school, a representative from the local authority and three members of the governing body.  Inspectors took into account the 74 responses to the on-line Parent View survey, two letters from parents and 41 responses to the staff questionnaire. They spoke to two parents of students at the school.  Inspectors checked the school’s records of students’ attainment and progress, attendance and exclusions, safeguarding procedures, and the headteacher’s report to the governing body.

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Inspection team

Russell Bennett, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Neil Gillespie Additional Inspector Sam Ofori-Keyreh Additional Inspector Mike O’Sullivan Additional Inspector Nasim Butt Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Archbishop Tenison’s is slightly smaller than the average-sized secondary school, with a large sixth form.  The school has sixth form partnership arrangements in place with two other Croydon secondary schools.  The proportion of students from minority ethnic backgrounds is much higher than the national average. Nearly half of the students are of White British heritage. The next largest groups are of Black African and Black Caribbean heritages. The proportion of students who speak English as an additional language is below the national average.  The proportion of students eligible for pupil premium funding, which is additional money provided for looked after children, students known to be eligible for free school meals and children of service families, is below the national average. There are no children of service families in the school.  The proportion of disabled students and those who have special educational needs supported

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Information about this school

through school action is below that in other schools. The proportion supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is similar to the national average.  A very small number of students attend off-site courses at Educational Excellence, Let’s Play and Capel Manor College.  The school 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?

 Improve teaching, so that more is outstanding and none is less than good, by making sure that all teachers:  have the highest expectations of what students can achieve  challenge students to think more deeply and further develop their independence as learners  mark students’ work using a consistent approach, which clearly identifies specific areas for improvement and allows students to reflect on how they can make better progress.  Strengthen the skills of all middle leaders by:  ensuring that leaders of subjects consistently apply the same high standards when checking on the quality of teaching and its impact on students’ learning and progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Students join the school with starting points that are slightly above the national average. The proportion of students achieving five A* to C grades in GCSE examinations has been consistently above the national average for the last three years, although it was not as high in 2012 as previously. The school has taken robust action and current tracking data show that students are making much better progress towards reaching challenging targets.  Students make rapid and sustained progress in English. High-quality teaching, effective leadership and consistently high expectations have ensured that all groups of students achieve exceptionally well. Although students do not make the same rapid gains in mathematics, most achieve well. Improvements to the teaching of mathematics have ensured that students are making good progress.  Pupil premium funding is used effectively to support students who are eligible for additional

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The achievement of pupils is good

help, including looked after children. They make particularly good progress in English. In 2012, their average point scores were higher than all students nationally. In mathematics, while the gap was greater between those students supported by the pupil premium and those who were not, it was similar to that seen nationally. Current interventions are being successful in closing this gap.  In Year 7, support for developing the reading and writing skills of these students is helping to improve their progress rapidly.  School leaders identified that disabled students and those who have special educational needs did not make as much progress as other students in some subjects in 2012. These students are now making more rapid progress as a result of targeted support from teachers and additional adults.  Students make good progress in the sixth form and achieve well from their starting points. Although there was a dip in attainment in 2012 at AS and A level, senior leaders have taken

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The achievement of pupils is good

rigorous action to decisively check this decline. Students in the current Years 12 and 13 are making good progress.  In some subjects, the proportion of students attaining A* and A grades at GCSE is significantly above average. These include English literature, history and religious education. However, in 2012 there was variability in standards between subjects. For example, students achieved less well in science, geography and German.  The school does not enter students early for GCSE examinations.  The very small number of students who study alternative courses off-site makes good progress from their individual starting points.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Most teaching is good or better. Lessons are well planned and teachers draw on a range of resources to engage students. Regular and frequent checks by senior leaders ensure that teaching is improving over time.  Good relationships between students and their teachers are a key feature of most lessons. Orderly and established routines make students feel secure and confident about communicating their ideas. In an English lesson, students were challenged to explore the features of a short story, using extracts from Kafka and Hemingway. They showed high levels of engagement and quickly deepened their understanding through structured discussion with other students.  In the best lessons, teachers set high expectations of what all students can achieve. They give clear explanations and make sure that questioning is challenging and targeted to include every individual student. They are skilled at developing students’ independence and provide a range of

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The quality of teaching is good

tasks which develop students’ communication and writing skills. Students are encouraged to take a lead in explaining their learning and developing their own lines of enquiry. In a very small number of lessons, teachers’ expectations are not high enough and students make less progress because they are not challenged to think deeply enough for themselves or to develop their answers fully.  In a mathematics lesson, students were highly motivated by an activity using dice and cards to develop their understanding of probability. The associated tasks were carefully matched to the different abilities and needs in the class, so that all were challenged to think more deeply and apply problem-solving skills. As a result, they made outstanding gains in their understanding.  Teachers have good subject knowledge and a clear understanding of how best to ensure that students make progress through different levels and grades. In the most effective lessons,

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The quality of teaching is good

students are confident about explaining their targets and the areas in which they need to improve. Where the teaching is less effective, students do not have such a clear understanding of how they can improve their work.  The quality of written marking and feedback is too varied. Some high-quality marking clearly identifies what students need to do to improve and students say that they find this helpful. Some work is marked less helpfully and the comments do not provide enough guidance on the next steps students should take to improve their work.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Students say that they feel safe and get on well with each other. They know that they can go to members of staff if they need help or advice. Students show politeness and courtesy towards visitors.  They value opportunities to take on positions of responsibility, such as becoming a house captain. Key Stage 4students say that they would like further opportunities to express their views. For example, they think it would be a good idea to become mentors for younger students.  Most students demonstrate positive attitudes to learning and are keen to do well. They usually behave very well in lessons and take pride in their work. Occasionally, when teaching is less than good, low-level disruption occurs and students show less focus when completing the tasks they are set.  Exclusion rates are low. The school makes careful use of internal exclusion when students’ behaviour is not acceptable and this has a positive impact on reducing the numbers of repeated

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

incidents. The school has strengthened its behaviour policy. This includes clearly stated expectations in the ‘setting the standard’ rules. A very small number of teachers do not use this approach consistently to manage students’ behaviour.  Attendance levels are high and the school has worked hard to reduce persistent absence. There are well-developed systems for tracking the absence of all groups of students, including those who attend off-site courses. Effective support is given if the attendance of an individual student becomes a concern.  Bullying is rare and students say that any form of discrimination is not tolerated.  Most parents and teachers agree that the school manages behaviour well and that students are safe.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher sets the tone and has a passionate belief that all staff should have the highest expectations of what all of the students can achieve. The school’s ethos makes a strong contribution to students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Leaders actively foster positive relationships and promote equal opportunities. As one member of staff commented, ‘Christian values genuinely make a difference and give meaning to learning together.’  Senior leaders have rigorous systems for checking on the progress that students are making throughout the year. Leaders of subject areas and year groups use this to check that all students are making sufficient progress. However, this information is not used consistently by all staff to plan lessons that are matched to the needs and abilities of all students.  Senior leaders are well aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. Improvement

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The leadership and management are good

plans are detailed and targets are appropriately challenging.  The school has effective processes to monitor the quality of teaching. These include formal observations and regular ‘pop-ins’ to check on the quality of learning in lessons. The school has worked closely with an external consultant to help individual subject teachersto become more effective. This has had clear impact on improving the quality of teaching in science, mathematics and languages. Senior leaders recognise that there are inconsistencies in the skills of middle leaders and are tackling this through targeted support and monitoring.  The headteacher has ensured that rigorous arrangements are in place for managing the performance of staff. All teachers are set a target, which is related to improving students’ achievement. Leaders ensure that professional development plans are in place to support individual members of staff. Teachers’ pay progression is linked to whether the students in their

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The leadership and management are good

classes achieve well.  Students study a broad range of subjects. This provides them with a balanced programme of study, which includes opportunities to develop their spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding. Appropriate adjustments are made to cater for different groups of students. For example, those who require additional support in Key Stage 3 study one modern foreign language and receive additional teaching to help them improve their reading and writing.  The school is rightly proud of the range of enrichment and intervention programmes. These include ‘Maths Gym’ booster classes, additional GCSE ‘twilight’ courses and ‘Deep Revision Days.  Since the last inspection, school leaders have made significant improvements in communication and engagement with parents. High numbers of parents attend regular parents’ information evenings. Recently, the school has invited parents in to support the progress of their children in

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The leadership and management are good

mathematics and science. The great majority of parents who responded to the Parent View survey agreed that the school keeps them well informed about their children’s progress and would recommend the school.  Safeguarding policies and procedures meet all statutory requirements. Staff and members of the governing body are fully committed to ensuring that students are safe.  The local authority has adopted a light touch approach to the school over the last three years and considers the leadership and management of the school to be good. The support has included termly visits to focus on the achievement of students and the quality of improvement planning.  The governance of the school:  The governing body has an ambitious vision for the school and a good knowledge of its key priorities. Governors have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They receive regular, detailed reports from the headteacher. They review the quality of

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The leadership and management are good

teaching and its impact on students’ achievement. They check on the progress that groups of students are making and know how pupil premium and other funding has been spent, although they have not evaluated the impact of specific interventions on raising standards. Governors ask challenging questions of the school’s leaders, including subject leaders, and are fully involved in monitoring the school’s progress towards demanding targets. They are fully involved in making decisions about teachers’ pay progression. Governors ensure that all statutory policies and procedures are reviewed on a regular cycle.

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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 101811 Local authority Croydon Inspection number 413302

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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 Voluntary aided 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 760 Of which, number on roll in sixth form 229 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Simon Smith Headteacher Richard Parrish Date of previous school inspection 27–28 February 2008 Telephone number 020 8688 4014 Fax number 020 8681 6336 Email address office@archten.croydon.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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