Harris Academy Beckenham

Harris Academy Beckenham Manor Way , Beckenham , BR3 3SJ ,

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected 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.  Achievement is improving rapidly. Students make good, and sometimes outstanding, progress because they are taught well and are given support to catch up if they are falling behind.  Additional funding to support disadvantaged students is spent very well so that most are able to make the same good progress as other students in the academy.  Teaching is good and improving. Features of good and outstanding teaching are shared effectively across the academy so that new teachers and those that need to improve quickly gain the knowledge and skills they need. Leaders and governors check how well teachers are meeting their targets exceptionally well.  Behaviour and safety are good. Poor behaviour has been tackled effectively because all staff manage behaviour in the same way. Students understand what is expected of them and any students that misbehave are supported in developing positive attitudes.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The sixth form is good. Leaders check that the range of courses matches the needs and abilities of all students.  Leaders and governors give a very clear message to students, staff and parents and are uncompromising in driving improvement.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Although teaching develops students’ reading, writing and spelling well for most students, the less able do not make consistently good progress.  The quality of teaching for small groups of students outside lessons is too variable. As a result, these students do not all develop good enough skills to keep up with the brisk pace in other lessons.  Teachers in charge of subjects need further training and support to develop their skills so that they can check whether the different approaches teachers use in lessons and the feedback they give to teachers allow all students to learn quickly enough.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 35 lessons, of which five were jointly observed with senior leaders and leaders in charge of subjects. Visits were made to further lessons accompanied by a manager to assess the quality of the learning of literacy across the academy.  Meetings were held with the Principal and senior leaders, leaders in charge of subjects, the Chair of the Governing Body and two other governors, a representative from the academy chain and four groups of students.  Inspectors took account of 65 responses to the staff questionnaire and 21 responses to the on- line questionnaire (Parent View) received by the end of the inspection.  The inspection team observed the academy’s work, scrutinised the academy’s information about students’ achievement, examined records relating to behaviour, attendance and exclusions, and looked at documents used by leaders and governors to monitor and evaluate the academy’s

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Inspection team

Anne Wellham, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Simon Hughes Additional Inspector Roger Garret Additional Inspector Mike Sullivan Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Harris Beckenham became an academy in September 2011. Its specialist subject isscientific enterprise . It is an average-sized secondary school with a small, sixth form.  The majority of students are boys. Girls were admitted into Year 7 and Year 12 in September 2012.  The proportion of students for whom the academy receives the pupil premium is much higher than the national average. This is additional government funding for students in the care of the local authority, those with a parent in the armed forces, and those known to be eligible for free school meals.  The proportion of students from minority ethnic groups is well above the national average with the largest proportions being from Black African and Black Caribbean heritage. The proportion of students who speak English as an additional language is higher than average.  The proportion of students supported at school action is in line with the national average. The

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Information about this school

proportions of students supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs are above average. The main identified needs are speech and language learning difficulties.  The academy does not provide education or training for students away from the site.  The academy meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectation for students’ attainment and progress.  Since the academy opened, there have been significant changes in staffing. In September 2012, 24 new teachers joined the academy. A new coordinator of English joined in September 2012 and a new coordinator of science in January 2013.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching so that it is consistently good or outstanding by:  adapting teaching so that students have time to absorb the key messages in the lessons and understand fully before moving on to the next activity  giving clear examples to students of how they can improve their work when marking books and building time into lessons for students to respond  checking that all students with weak skills in writing and spelling, who are taught outside lessons in small groups, make good progress.  Develop the skills of teachers in charge of subjects by:  continuing to share expert knowledge and features of outstanding teaching across the academy so that they can learn from what is working well  making sure that they understand how to use information from observing lessons and examining books to check if teaching is having a positive impact on students’ learning.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Since the academy opened there has been a rapid improvement in the proportion of students achieving five or more A* to C grades, including English and mathematics. Students are achieving results that are almost in line with students in other schools. This represents good progress because students enter the academy from low starting points. Students’ achievement is not yet outstanding because there remain variations in the performance of students in some subjects and the writing and spelling of less-able students are not being developed consistently well.  Students do exceptionally well in mathematics because many make more levels of progress than is expected of them. Students did not make such good progress in English in 2012. The academy predicts that progress in English in 2013 will improve for students taking GCSE English this year as a result of better teaching and intensive revision.  Many students start the academy with weak skills in reading, writing and spelling. Good

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The achievement of pupils is good

attention is paid to developing literacy skills in lessons across all subjects because all teachers adopt the same approach. Additional help for students to boost reading skills is effective, including for those students at the early stages of learning English.  Less-able students who receive extra teaching in small groups outside lessons to improve their spelling and writing do not make enough progress. Teaching is not all of the same good quality, so some students struggle to keep up in other lessons and fall behind in their work.  The progress of students who enter early for GCSE examinations in mathematics is checked carefully. Additional teaching and support allow a higher proportion of students to achieve C grades at GCSE than other students nationally. Extra revision sessions are being used well to provide opportunities for more able students to achieve the higher grades.  The academy is using additional funding well to narrow the gap between the achievement of

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The achievement of pupils is good

students eligible for the Year 7 catch-up and pupil premium and the other students in the academy. Students eligible for the pupil premium in Year 11 in 2012 achieved average scores in GCSE examinations that were almost in line with other students in the academy. Students eligible for pupil premium made better progress in mathematics than other students nationally.  Senior leaders track all students’ progress thoroughly and precisely so that they have a very clear picture of how well students are learning, including those eligible for pupil premium funding, those from minority ethnic groups and those who speak English as an additional language. This information is used well to target extra support and additional teaching to make sure that every student has an equal chance to succeed.  Disabled students and those who have special educational needs make the same good progress from their starting points as other students in the academy as a result of well-managed and

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The achievement of pupils is good

targeted support in lessons.  Achievement in the sixth form is improving and the majority of students make good progress. Leaders have taken decisive action to review the subjects on offer and support students who were studying courses that were not matched to their needs when the academy opened.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Good teaching is allowing students to make up for previous gaps in their learning. Students develop good attitudes to learning because teachers plan lessons very carefully and use a range of approaches and different activities to maintain students’ interest and enthusiasm.  Leaders draw well on the support offered by the academy chain to share features of good and outstanding teaching and to train several new teachers who are inexperienced or recently qualified. Teaching is not outstanding because there is still a proportion of teaching that requires improvement, particularly in improving the quality and consistency of teaching to develop writing and spelling for less-able students.  The most skilful teachers use the detailed information they receive about students’ needs and abilities to check how well students are learning carefully during the lesson, so that they are given time to grasp the key points before moving on. In a few lessons the pace is too brisk, so

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The quality of teaching is good

students who find it difficult to write fluently and accurately struggle to keep up.  Teaching is most effective when teachers allow the students to take a lead and develop their own ideas. In a BTEC sports lesson, Year 12 students made outstanding progress because the lesson was tailored precisely to meet their individual needs. The students took the lead, choosing activities and checking their learning themselves while the teacher prompted and challenged them to achieve their very best.  Marking is usually regular and detailed and points out what students need to do to improve their work. Students are able to make these improvements when they are given examples of how to respond and are given time in lessons to act upon advice.  Most teaching uses questioning to support learning well because it is used to challenge students to explain their answers and extend their thinking to the next level. On some occasions,

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The quality of teaching is good

teachers’ questioning guides students to the answers too easily or is used too often to check that they are paying attention.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Behaviour has been transformed since the academy opened because everyone understands the rules and all staff share a common approach to making sure that the rules are obeyed. Students are polite and friendly and usually move around the building calmly and sensibly.  It is not outstanding because, although there have been rapid improvements in behaviour, students’ conduct and manners are not excellent.  Students show good attitudes to learning in most lessons because they are developing positive relationships with staff and each other, which make it easier for them to learn. Occasionally they lose interest and concentration in lessons where they have to listen for long periods or if they cannot understand what to do.  The proportion of students who are excluded from the academy for short periods has reduced. There are much fewer serious incidents. This consistent approach to managing behaviour is

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

helping students who find it difficult to behave because they are set firm boundaries.  Attendance is average, and improving. Students’ understanding of the importance of coming to school is growing as good attendance is celebrated and the impact that it has on learning is made clear to them. Fewer students are staying away for long periods, but there is still more work to be done to improve the attendance of a few students.  Students feel safe. They know how to avoid risks when using the internet and understand the different forms that bullying can take, including name calling and teasing. They say that any bullying that does occur is dealt with quickly and effectively by staff. Girls in Year 7 and Year 12 report that they found it easy to settle and are well supported.  Year 7 students report how proud they are to be at the academy and how much they enjoy taking part in the wide range of activities that are on offer outside lessons. Older students’ views

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

are more mixed as these students have had to deal with many more changes. They recognise that their learning has improved and that they are expected to achieve the best results they can.

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The leadership and management are good

 The principal provides strong and uncompromising leadership. She is supported by senior leaders, governors and staff, who share her passion and determination for continuous improvement. Decisive action has been taken since the academy opened to eradicate any weaknesses.  Senior leaders and governors check the progress of all groups of students meticulously. If any students fall behind swift action is taken to provide extra support or additional teaching to help them catch up. As a result, there are no significant differences between the progress different groups of students make.  Leaders and governors check the quality of teaching very thoroughly across the academy. Teachers are set challenging targets that can be measured against outcomes. They are not able to move up the salary scale unless every aspect of each target is met.  Training is used effectively to develop skills and give teachers, especially those that are

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The leadership and management are good

inexperienced or new to teaching, the confidence to try new approaches. Leaders draw well on the support available from the Harris federation to share expert knowledge and features of outstanding teaching so that staff can learn from what works well.  Leadership is not outstanding because teachers in charge of subjects need further training to develop the skills needed to check achievement and improve the quality of teaching in their subjects. When observing lessons, they are able to identify when teachers are good at using interesting and varied approaches, but these are not checked carefully enough against the quality of students’ learning. This leads to some variability in the evaluation of the quality of teaching.  Additional government funding that the academy receives to support the achievement of students known to be eligible for the Year 7 catch-up and pupil premium is spent explicitly on

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The leadership and management are good

activities and resources that improve these students’ learning, build their confidence and raise their self-esteem. This allows them to make similar progress to other students in the academy.  Students study a good balance of subjects and benefit from a range of clubs and activities outside lessons. Each subject provides opportunities to broaden students’ awareness of British society and the wider world and to raise their aspirations and increase their self-esteem. Students enjoy practising for artistic and musical performances and competing in sports events. These experiences promote their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well.  The governance of the school:  Governors are strong leaders. They know exactly what is happening in the academy because they receive very clear and detailed information from the principal and senior leaders, and they make frequent visits to check that what they are being told is accurate. They understand

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The leadership and management are good

how the academy’s results compare with those of other schools and of the progress made by different groups of students, especially those supported by the Year 7 catch-up and pupil premium funding. They will challenge leaders if they feel that students’ achievement is not improving quickly enough. They expect teaching to be good or outstanding and know how targets are set to reward teachers or challenge them to improve.  Governors fulfil their statutory responsibilities well and are very thorough in making sure that students are safe.

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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 137121 Local authority Bromley Inspection number 399867

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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 Secondary 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 799 Of which, number on roll in sixth form 165 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Karl Hoods Headteacher Rebecca Hickey Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 02086508694 Fax number 02082537778 Email address info@harrisbeckenham.org.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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