The Bishop of Winchester Academy

The Bishop of Winchester Academy Mallard Road, Bournemouth, BH8 9PW

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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 Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  The academy has made great progress in improving students’ achievement, attendance and behaviour since it opened.  The Principal provides the academy with outstanding leadership. He is supported extremely well by senior leaders and by outstanding governance.  The quality of subject and other middle leaders has improved significantly and is now consistently at least good. This is a key factor in the improvements in teaching and students’ achievement.  Most students make at least good progress from very low starting points. An increasing number makes outstanding progress.  High-quality training has led to significant improvements in the quality of teaching, so that much is now good or better. Some teaching in a range of subjects is outstanding.  Students’ behaviour is outstanding. This is a huge success for the academy.  The outstanding curriculum has a significant impact on increasing students’ attendance and

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

enjoyment of learning and on the improvements in their achievement.  The academy has become highly successful in working with parents to support the all-round development of students.  Students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development permeates the life of the academy.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 A small proportion of students are not making the progress they are capable of.  A small amount of teaching still requires improvement to raise students’ achievements further.

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Information about this inspection

 This is the first inspection of the academy that opened in September 2010.  Inspectors observed parts of 43 lessons, 15 jointly with the Principal, another senior leader or a subject leader. Inspectors also conducted a number of student pursuits, following individuals and small groups of students over a sequence of lessons. In lessons, inspectors looked at the work of students and discussed their progress with them.  Inspectors held formal meetings with two groups of students. They also used lunch and break times to hold informal discussions with other students around the academy to gather their views, particularly about how much the academy has improved.  Inspectors held meetings with members of the senior leadership team, subject leaders, the Chair and Vice Chair of the Governing Body, and separately with three other members, and with a representative from the diocese. The lead inspector also held separate interviews with each of

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Information about this inspection

the three academy improvement partners.  The meetings included discussions about academy policies and procedures, the analysis of data and documented information, and records provided by the academy, including records of the monitoring of the quality of teaching and tracking students’ progress. The lead inspector worked with the Principal and other senior leaders to analyse the academy’s data on the progress being made currently by students in each year group, including boys and girls and those in different groups, such as those supported through the Year 7 catch-up and pupil premium and those with special educational needs.  Meetings with senior leaders and with the governing body included discussions of the academy’s self-evaluation and improvement planning.  Inspectors took account of the 122 responses to the on-line Parent View survey as well as the academy’s own surveys of the views of teachers, parents and students.

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Inspection team

James Sage, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector John Laver Additional Inspector Stephanie Matthews Additional Inspector Ian Robert McAllister Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The Bishop of Winchester Academy is sponsored by the Church of England, through the Diocese of Winchester, and by the University of Winchester and Bournemouth School for Girls.  It is a smaller-than-average-sized secondary school that operates in an area where there are schools that select for entry on grounds of ability. In most year groups there are more boys than girls.  The proportion of disabled students and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is average. The proportion supported at school action plus, or with a statement of special educational needs, is above the national average. The academy includes a designated unit for students with a range of complex needs; currently, there are nine students in the unit.  The overall proportion of students known to be eligible for the pupil premium (additional government funding for children looked after by the local authority, those eligible for free school

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Information about this school

meals and children whose parents are currently serving in the armed forces) is above the national average.  The proportion of students from minority ethnic groups is below the national average.  The proportion of students whose first language is not English is in line with the national average.  The academy will move into new buildings from September, although building work will continue as some parts of the academy are refurbished. Plans for opening sixth form provision from September 2014 are well under way.  The academy meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for students’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that all students make as much progress as they can by:  improving teachers’ use of questioning to provide opportunities for all students to be involved in discussions, to probe their reasoning and understanding, and to develop key teaching points  ensuring that all teachers use information about students’ progress to support and challenge those not making the progress expected of them  ensuring that all teachers monitor students’ progress against the intended learning outcomes planned for the lesson, as well as checking that they complete the set tasks.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Students make at least good progress from starting points that are very low. The achievement of students has improved steadily in the first two years of the academy and, significantly, in the current school year. Attainment has risen sharply to be in line with the national average. Students’ achievement is not outstanding overall because some students do not yet make all of the progress they are capable of.  Students’ achievement in English is good. The proportions of students making the expected levels of progress are above average and the achievement of girls has improved significantly to be much closer to that of boys. The achievement of the most able students has improved to be closer to the national expectations for this group. Students’ achievement in mathematics has also improved and is now mostly above national expectations.  Students known to be eligible for free school meals or supported through the pupil premium

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The achievement of pupils is good

achieve as well as other students in mathematics. Their achievement in English has also improved and the gap in attainment between this group and other students has almost closed.  Disabled students and those who have special educational needs make at least good progress and achieve well. They make particularly strong progress in English. Those in the designated unit also achieve well as a result of the specialist support they receive.  Students’ achievement is at least good in a wide range of subjects. Achievement in science has improved and is now good. However, in many subjects some of the most able students do not make as much progress as they could.  Many students enter the school with low levels of reading and writing. During Year 7 they improve significantly through high-quality focused support. This enables them to benefit from the well-planned attention to these aspects of their learning in many subjects in later years.

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The achievement of pupils is good

Their communication skills are often developed well, for example through the group discussions used in many subjects. However, some opportunities for this are missed, such as when mathematics or science teaching does not require students to explain their reasoning. Mathematical skills are often developed well, as seen in design and technology, geography and science.  The academy’s evaluation of the achievement of all groups of students and in all subjects is accurate. Evidence from inspectors’ scrutiny of students’ work and records of their progress over time, and from lesson observations, all agree with the academy’s evaluation.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of much teaching in a wide range of subjects, including in English and mathematics, is consistently good, and sometimes outstanding. A small proportion requires further improvement.  Senior leaders and leaders in charge of subjects make accurate judgments of the quality of teaching based on evaluations of students’ progress over time, from scrutiny of their work and from observations of teaching. Senior leaders’ evaluations show that there have been marked improvements in the quality of teaching over the last year; this is supported fully by the views of students and parents.  The academy has set clear minimum expectations for the quality of teaching, so that much is now at least good. Most teachers use a well-balanced mix of whole-class teaching, paired and small group work, and independent learning. Students are encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning and, as seen in physical education, in leading the learning. In a number of

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The quality of teaching is good

lessons, such as in French, mathematics and information and communication technology, excellent use is made of students supporting and helping each other. In art and design, for example, this is done well through peer evaluation and through students demonstrating the techniques they had used.  The best teachers use their creativity and skills to provide students with challenge, while maintaining high levels of enjoyment. Extremely high expectations of all students, combined with skilful teaching in an English lesson, ensured that all made at least good, and many outstanding, progress. Other teachers need to build on the minimum expectations to set higher levels of challenge and make sure that all students are making as much progress as they can.  All teachers use questioning as an effective teaching strategy. In many lessons it is used well to involve all students and to probe and develop their reasoning and understanding. In weaker

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The quality of teaching is good

lessons, questioning is less well directed, does not involve all students fully or does not check their depth of understanding sufficiently. In some lessons, discussions focus more on the completion of tasks than on the progress made against the objectives for the lesson.  In many lessons, although not all, students with disabilities and those with special educational needs are integrated well into lessons and they make as much progress as others. In these lessons, teaching assistants are used well to support the learning of these students; frequent discussions with the teacher keep a close check on their progress.  Students receive regular feedback on their work. Most students are clear about how well they are doing and what they need to do to improve. They are given good opportunities to discuss the feedback to make sure they know what to do next.  Teachers have access to detailed information about each student’s progress. The best teachers

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The quality of teaching is good

use this well to check individual progress and focus support where it is needed most to make sure that each student does as well as they can. This includes the most able and those students who have particular needs. For example, students with special educational needs were integrated extremely well in a music lesson to ensure they made good progress. In a mathematics lesson the teacher skilfully challenged three of the most able students who were not yet making the progress expected of them. However, this is not yet fully established across the school and is an area of improvement for some teachers.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Students’ behaviour and attitudes to learning have improved dramatically since the academy opened. No students are excluded from the academy and attendance has improved from a very low level to now be above average. Individual students are supported exceptionally well to help them meet the academy’s high expectations. Teachers, parents and the students themselves all acknowledge the huge improvements made by the academy.  It is noticeable that teachers rarely need to deal with poor behaviour. The academy’s ethos and the improvements in the quality of teaching promote good behaviour and positive attitudes to learning well. In lessons, students take responsibility for their own learning, actively support the learning of others, enthusiastically take part in group work and collaborate well. They respond extremely well when teaching is lively and engaging. They behave well even when it is not. They

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

work with enthusiasm in rooms that are not fit for purpose as the building work has caused the closure of science laboratories, art and design rooms, specialist food technology rooms and the academy’s library.  Despite the problems created by the building work and the closure of parts of the academy, students move around the site safely, they move to lessons promptly and arrive ready to learn. They show great respect for each other and for all of the adults in the academy.  Students are fully aware of all forms of bullying. The extremely inclusive approach of the school, the good promotion of equal opportunities for all and the excellent relationships fostered between students mean that any incidents of bullying are extremely rare. Students clearly understand how to keep themselves and others safe.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The Principal provides the school with outstanding leadership. He is supported extremely well by senior leaders, who have a good range of complementary skills and expertise, and by outstanding governance and high-quality external consultants. Senior leaders and governors are absolutely clear about where the quality of teaching, and its impact on improving students’ achievement, need to improve further. They have responded extremely well to the findings of the monitoring inspection in June 2012. As a result of this outstanding leadership, the academy has improved dramatically and continues to improve.  The quality of subject leadership has improved significantly under the guidance of senior leaders. This is an important factor in the progress the academy has made since it opened.  The academy’s systems for monitoring students’ achievement, the quality of teaching and the performance of subject departments are all extremely rigorous and link together particularly

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The leadership and management are outstanding

well. The progress of individual and groups of students, and that of each teaching group, is monitored frequently and carefully. This is used well to target any interventions to deal with underachievement.  The recently further improved and frequent subject and key stage reviews are extremely robust and focused well on the impact of teaching on student progress. There is close coordination between subject leaders and the two progress leaders – one for each key stage. The heads of house are also involved well, particularly when a student’s personal circumstances need to be considered.  The outcomes of these procedures are used well in the robust arrangements for the performance management of teachers and in planning the wide range of activities used to support teachers’ training and development. The evaluation of the performance of teachers is securely based on the achievements of the students they teach. There is a clear link between

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The leadership and management are outstanding

salary progression and the quality of teaching. These procedures have contributed to the improvements in the overall quality of teaching and to more being consistently good.  The extremely creative and flexible curriculum makes a significant contribution to the improvements in students’ achievement, as well as their attendance and behaviour. A range of pathways is very well matched to individual and groups of students’ needs and aspirations; this makes students want to come to school and helps them to enjoy their learning.  The promotion of all aspects of students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development permeates the life of the academy and helps to create the harmonious and cohesive learning community where all thrive. Careful attention is given to students’ all-round personal development as well as their academic achievement.  In the past the academy has had some difficulties in forming effective relationships with parents;

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The leadership and management are outstanding

this is much improved and parents are much more involved in the life of the school. Teachers frequently contact parents to give praise for students’ work and, when necessary, to work together to support better progress.  The academy makes highly effective use of a wide range of partnerships: to support those students who need additional help; to enrich the curriculum; to share best practice to raise the quality of teaching; and to provide external evaluations of its work to identify what needs to improve further. Its place in the local community is also much stronger.  The additional government funding the school receives through the Year 7 catch-up and pupil premium is used very well to raise the achievement of these students. The impact of the use of this funding is very carefully checked. The progress and attainment of these students are strong in mathematics and much improved in English, so that any gaps between the performance of

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The leadership and management are outstanding

these students and others have closed. The funding also contributes to the rapid gains in reading and writing for many students in early Key Stage 3.  The school’s arrangements for safeguarding students meet statutory requirements.  The governance of the school:  The governance of the academy is outstanding. Governors are involved in all aspects of the life of the academy. They have a detailed understanding of the quality of teaching, the performance management of teachers and how this links to students’ achievement. They provide the Principal and other senior leaders with a highly effective balance of support and challenge; they have the expertise and understanding to hold them to account well. They interrogate the academy’s data on the achievement of students, know how it compares with similar schools, and take a full part in subject and key stage reviews. The governors take careful account of the views of teachers and students in gathering information about the

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The leadership and management are outstanding

academy’s performance. They ensure the efficient management of financial and other resources, including the use of funding through the Year 7 catch-up and pupil premium. The governing body fulfils all of its statutory requirements, including those relating to safeguarding and child protection.

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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 136120 Local authority Bournemouth Inspection number 399773

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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 Foundation Age range of pupils 11–16 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 735 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Christine Dipple Principal Paul McKeown Date of previous school inspection not previously inspected Telephone number 01202 512697 Fax number 01202 513181 Email address info@tbowa.org 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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