Winchmore School

Winchmore School Laburnum Grove, Winchmore Hill, N21 3HS

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 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, ably supported by a determined and energised team of senior and middle leaders and a strong governing body, has strengthened leadership and brought about improvements in the quality of teaching, students’ achievement and their behaviour. His vision and impact are valued by the whole community.  Students enter the school with low prior attainment and make good progress, achieving standards at the end of Year 11 that are above average, including in English and mathematics. Checks on current learning indicate that improvement is continuing and gaps between the performance of some vulnerable students and their peers are closing rapidly.  Teaching is consistently good and some is outstanding. Teachers’ expert questioning and passion for their subjects extend students’ understanding.  The sixth form is good. Students are well supported to make informed decisions regarding their next steps and career choices.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

They have plentiful opportunities to take on responsibilities and make a positive contribution to school life.  Behaviour is good and contributes well to students’ achievement. They are great ambassadors for their school. Students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is strong. They are keen and ambitious and respond well to challenge. The school is a harmonious community where students treat each other and adults with respect and courtesy and feel very safe.  The school is proud of the contribution of the expressive and performing arts specialism to students’ achievement and personal development. The wide range of activities and opportunities enriches the good curriculum and the life of the school and community.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Students’ achievement is not outstanding because teachers do not consistently use the information they have on students to plan for outstanding progress from their starting points.  Students do not always get enough time in lessons to learn for themselves in order to reach the levels of which they are capable.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 47 lessons or part lessons taught by 47 teachers. Fourteen lessons were observed jointly with the headteacher or senior leaders.  Meetings were held with the Chair of the Governing Body and two other governors, staff, including senior and middle leaders, groups of students and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a range of school documentation, including teachers’ planning, the school’s self-evaluation and development plans, assessment information, monitoring files, governing body minutes, safeguarding information and student’s work.  Inspectors took account of 75 responses to Ofsted's on-line Parent View questionnaire, and the 18 questionnaires completed by staff.

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Inspection team

Beverley Perin, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Patricia Barford Additional Inspector David Boyle Additional Inspector Ogugua Okolo-Angus Additional Inspector David Smith Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Winchmore School is a larger than average sized secondary school.  The proportion of students from minority ethnic groups and those who speak English as an additional language is almost four times the national average.  The proportion of disabled students and those who have special educational needs who are supported through school action, who require additional professional support at school action plus and who have a statement of special educational needs is much higher than the national average.  Almost half the students are known to be eligible for additional government funding, including the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for children in local authority care, students known to be eligible for free school meals and those from families in the armed forces and Year 7 catch-up funding. This is above the national average.  A small number of students in Year 10 and Year 11 attend a range of off-site provision to

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Information about this school

support their learning, known as the ‘Winwec’ programme. This is a programme tailored for individual students.  The school meets the government’s floor standard, which sets the minimum expectations for students' performance.  The school has Artsmark Gold status.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching by:  planning appropriately challenging activities that will enable all students to make rapid progress from their individual starting points  ensuring that all teachers give students enough time to work, independently or in groups, to enable them to deepen their knowledge and understanding and reach the levels of which they are capable.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Most students enter the school with below average literacy and numeracy skills. Students, including the most able, make good progress and attain standards in their GCSE and equivalent qualifications that are above average.  The proportion of students making good progress in English and mathematics from their starting points is similar to and, in many cases, higher than that achieved by their peers, nationally. This is because teaching is good.  Achievement for students eligible for the pupil premium is mostly good. In English and mathematics in 2013, Year 11 students who were eligible for the funding attained between half a grade and three quarters of a GCSE grade below their peers. This is an improvement on the 2012 results. Although they achieve less well than their peers in the school, they make better progress and attain higher standards than eligible students nationally as a result of small group

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The achievement of pupils is good

sessions, in class support and revision classes.  The school enters students early for GCSE examinations when teachers judge that they are ready to achieve their best grades. Students are re-entered for the examinations if they do not do as well as they could.  As a result of well-targeted support, students who are disabled or have special educational needs, those who speak English as an additional language and students from a range of minority of ethnic groups achieve well.  The students who attend alternative provision make good progress and their attendance is above average.  Students eligible for the Year 7 catch-up programme make good gains in reading and mathematics and are closing the gaps in achievement with their peers.  Progress and attainment since 2012 in most subjects, including French, ICT, music and dance, have improved because of the changes made by leaders in the way that they check students’

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The achievement of pupils is good

progress and measure the performance of teachers.  The achievement of students in the sixth form has improved and is now good because the school has changed the curriculum. Teachers now ensure that students are guided to courses that are most suited to their needs.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching is good. Students accurately explained to inspectors where teaching needs to improve so that they can make outstanding progress.  Relationships are characterised by trust and mutual respect. Students know that teachers and other adults want them to succeed and they respond positively, showing awareness of regular routines and enjoying opportunities to work together. Students listen attentively and try hard to do their best; the climate for learning is good.  Typically, teachers’ expertise is strong, the pace of teaching is good and teachers’ high expectations encourage students to be engaged and motivated. Teachers plan structured lessons with a range of interesting activities. They give them detailed steps to follow, linking this to National Curriculum levels and examination techniques. Explanations are clear, resources are well designed and teachers constantly check students’ understanding. Teachers use questions

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The quality of teaching is good

skilfully and make students think hard. The written word is an important feature of learning and students with weaker reading skills are encouraged to improve, helped by adults to do so.  Disabled students and those with special educational needs are well supported by teaching assistants who plan together with teachers to help students catch up and make good progress. Inspectors saw this in many lessons, including in English, art and geography.  Marking is generally good across the school. Teachers keep a close eye on how well students are achieving; students’ work is marked frequently and teachers give clear feedback on how students can improve their work, pointing out where they have been successful.  In the sixth form, the majority of teaching is good. Feedback is targeted to individual needs; students respond to the guidance and this leads to improvement in their work. For example, students in a Year 12 Business Studies lesson made good progress because of the teacher’s

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The quality of teaching is good

guidance on how to write more effectively in ‘academic’ English. This was especially helpful for students who speak English as an additional language.  Teaching is not outstanding because students do not always have enough time to explore new ideas. In addition, teachers do not consistently use the information they have on students to plan for them to make rapid progress from their starting points.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Students’ behaviour around the school and in lessons is good and often better. Students are keen to do well; they respect their teachers, enjoy their learning and appreciate the opportunities offered to them. Behaviour is not outstanding because students are often passive learners. This limits their opportunities to make outstanding progress.  Students have good attitudes to learning; they work enthusiastically and respond readily in class, showing a collective ambition to do their best.  Students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is strong. They have positive relationships with each other and adults and value the vertical tutoring system, which they describe as a contributory factor to defining the school as a cohesive and inclusive learning community. Students undertake charity work, such as fundraising.  Students and their parents confirm that students feel very safe in school. Few incidences of

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

bullying occur and, if they do, students are confident that they would be dealt with promptly and effectively. Students understand what constitutes bullying, including homophobic, racist and cyber bullying.  The active student council has a strong and influential voice. Staff and students speak highly of the student council work undertaken in partnership with an external agency to counteract homophobic attitudes.  Attendance has improved for all students. The rate of fixed-term exclusion has fallen and attendance at the time of the inspection was above average.  The attendance and behaviour of students who attend alternative provision off-site for part of the week are robustly checked. Staff constantly support these students so that their achievement and personal development are good and they give them good guidance for their next steps in education and training.

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The leadership and management are good

 Strongly supported by the governors, the local authority, staff, students and parents, the headteacher has imbued the school with a fresh sense of purpose and a common drive to raise achievement. He has built effective teams of middle and senior leaders and has established a culture where only the best is good enough. Staff and students recognise the improvements in the school, such as in behaviour. Leadership is not outstanding because the many changes have not yet had time to result in outstanding teaching or student achievement.  The school’s evaluation of its strengths and areas for improvement is honest and rigorous and leads to a good school improvement plan that has measurable outcomes and an evaluation of actions that the school has undertaken. All leaders know the expectations of them and this helps them to improve their performance.  Leaders check the quality of teaching accurately and through careful monitoring of student

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The leadership and management are good

performance they identify areas for improvement. Outcomes have improved in many subjects, including English, mathematics, science, drama and modern foreign languages, as a result of targeted actions to improve the quality of teaching and use of assessment information.  New teachers value the support, coaching and feedback received from mentors and other professionals. All staff benefit from a range of development opportunities. The school is establishing partnerships with local outstanding schools to extend its work within a teaching school alliance.  There are clear links between teacher performance, student outcomes and the appraisal system. The headteacher and the governing body take account of this when agreeing salary progression.  The school has zero tolerance of discrimination. Making sure that everyone has the same chance to succeed is at the heart of the school’s values and policies.  The curriculum is regularly reviewed. Additional vocational courses have been introduced to

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The leadership and management are good

support learners in Key Stage 4 and the sixth form. Literacy and numeracy are a key focus and this supports students to make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. The curriculum has a good impact on students’ personal development.  There is a wide range of opportunities through the school’s enrichment programme. The excellence of the school’s arts specialism is recognised through the Artsmark Gold status. Students especially appreciate the opportunity to work together on productions such as the ‘Little Shop of Horrors’. The school has a wide range of extra curricular activities, trips and visits and monitors attendance to these activities carefully to ensure that vulnerable students benefit from opportunities to enrich their life experience.  The local authority provides good support for the school through effective personalised development and training for school leaders.  Safeguarding is a priority for the school, including training in child protection issues for staff.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors support and challenge the headteacher and senior leaders to raise standards and deliver value for money. Governors consider issues relating to the quality of teaching. They are well informed about students’ performance and have a good understanding of the performance of vulnerable students. They evaluate the strategies to improve achievement for students who are in receipt of funding through the pupil premium. Governors directly monitor all aspects of the school, including through meetings with staff, students and parents. All statutory responsibilities are met and governors undertake regular training to maintain and develop their skills and understanding.

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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 102045 Local authority Enfield Inspection number 427395

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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 Community 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 1475 Of which, number on roll in sixth form 291 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Belinda Chapple Headteacher Jim Owen Date of previous school inspection 3–4 February 2010 Telephone number 020 8360 7773 Fax number 020 8360 8409 Email address headsoffice@winchmore.enfield.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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