Chenderit School

Chenderit School Archery Road, Middleton Cheney, Banbury, OX17 2QR

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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.  The proportion of students who have achieved five or more good GCSE grades at A* to C, including English and mathematics, has been above average since the academy opened in 2012.  Almost all groups of students, including disabled students and those who have special educational needs, make good progress in all year groups and across most subjects.  The main reason why students make good progress is because they benefit from teaching which is usually good and sometimes outstanding.  Most teachers show that they have high expectations of what students are capable of achieving, and plan challenging lessons. As a result students work hard and demonstrate very positive attitudes to learning.  Students behave well, both in lessons and at break times. They are polite, courteous and well mannered. They have a good understanding of safety matters and feel safe at school.  All leaders and managers, including governors,

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

have a good understanding of the academy’s strengths and areas for improvement. They are using this continuously and effectively to improve teaching and achievement.  Consequently, they have demonstrated that they have a strong capacity to ensure that further improvements are achieved.  The sixth form is good. Students make good and sometimes outstanding progress as a result of teaching that is consistently at least good and sometimes outstanding.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The proportion of middle-ability students who make and exceed the progress expected nationally in English and mathematics is not as high as it could be.  A small proportion of teaching is not as good as it should be.  Although good overall, the achievement of boys is not as good as that of girls.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 47 lessons, eight of which were jointly observed with senior leaders. The inspection team also made several short visits to other lessons to check on the progress and behaviour of different groups of students.  Meetings were held with four groups of students from Key Stages 3 and 4 and the sixth form. Other meetings were held with governors, senior leaders and staff, including those responsible for leading subjects.  Inspectors analysed 56 responses to the online parent questionnaire (Parent View). They also analysed 17 responses from a staff questionnaire.  Inspectors observed the work of the academy and looked at a number of documents, including those relating to the monitoring of teaching and the targets set for teachers to improve their work. They also looked at records relating to attendance, behaviour, bullying and safeguarding, the academy’s improvement plan and data on students’ progress.

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Inspection team

Richard Sutton, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Sa'ad Khaldi Additional Inspector Christopher Crouch Additional Inspector Patricia Symington Additional Inspector Beverly Dobson Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The academy is larger than the average secondary school with a sixth form.  The proportion of disabled students and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is much lower average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is average.  The proportion of students who are from minority ethnic heritages is much lower than average, as is the proportion who speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of students supported through the pupil premium, which is additional funding given to schools for certain groups such as students in local authority care and those known to be eligible for free school meals, is much lower than average.  A small number of students in Years 10 and 11 study part-time courses in a range of work- related subjects at Oxford and Cherwell Valley College.  The academy has a specialism in the visual arts.

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Information about this school

 The academy meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for students’ attainment and progress.  Chenderit School converted to become an academy school on 1 February 2012. When its predecessor school, also called Chenderit School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be outstanding.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching so it is consistently at least good and more is outstanding, by ensuring that:  the quality of marking and feedback is always very high, and students have enough opportunities to respond to the comments that teachers make  all teachers use achievement information effectively to plan lessons that are always well matched to the skills, abilities and interests of all students, particularly boys and middle ability students  teachers do not spend too long on providing introductions and explanations that prevents students from working productively in lessons.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the impact of leadership and governance, by:  helping more middle-ability students to make and exceed expected progress in English and mathematics by ensuring that monitoring activities focus rigorously on the achievement of this group of students  focusing improvement planning on making sure that the achievement of boys is as good as it is for girls.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In 2012 and 2013 the proportion of Year 11 students who achieved five good GCSE grades at A* to C, including English and mathematics, was above average. In the sixth form, the proportion of students who achieved the highest grades at both AS level and A level was above average in 2012 and improved further in 2013.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Students make good progress in all year groups and across many subjects. The proportion of students who made and exceeded the progress expected of them in 2012 and 2013 in English and mathematics was good. However, it was not as high as it could be, particularly for middle ability students, because teaching is not always as well matched to the needs of these students as it should be.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Students make consistently good and sometimes better progress in the sixth form in the majority of subjects that they study. There is, however, some variability in achievement in some subjects and this is why achievement overall in the sixth form is not outstanding.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In Key Stage 3, students make similarly good progress. Teachers help students to develop their reading, writing and communication skills to a good level in many subjects, not just in English lessons.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The small number of students who speak English as an additional language, those from ethnic minority heritages and disabled students and those who have special educational needs all make good progress. This is because the academy ensures the needs of these students are met well.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 A very small number of students are supported through additional Year 7 catch-up funding, which helps students who join the academy with attainment below the expected levels in English and mathematics. The academy uses this funding effectively to provide additional support by specialist teachers, which ensures that that these students are making good progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The academy spends the pupil premium in a wide variety of ways including, for example, on additional staff who provide support for reading and writing. Students of all abilities who are supported through the pupil premium are making good progress in all year groups. Examination results at the end of Year 11 demonstrate that the academy is successfully closing gaps between the attainment of these students and other students. This year, eligible students in Year 11 achieved, on average, similar grades to other students in both English and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The small number of students who attended Oxford and Cherwell Valley College all passed their courses, reflecting good progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Overall, girls achieve higher standards than boys. There are signs that the gap is narrowing in some subjects and year groups because teachers plan lessons which proceed quickly and are well matched to all students’ needs. However, this is not consistent across all subjects and year groups.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Students benefit from teaching which is good and sometimes outstanding. This is the main reason why they achieve well.  Good teaching in the academy is typically characterised by teachers using very good subject knowledge to set work which is well matched to the needs of students. This results in students being challenged at their own level, so that they can demonstrate good progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In Key Stage 4 and the sixth form, teachers show that they have a very good knowledge of examination requirements. This means that students are able to focus well on how to achieve higher grades.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The teaching of disabled students and those who have special educational needs is good overall. The specific support students receive from teachers and teaching assistants is often outstanding because it is precisely matched to their individual skills and abilities.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching assistants provide good support to students during lessons. They are appropriately skilled, through training the academy organises, so they are able to ask probing questions, for example, to help specific students develop their thinking and understanding. Other staff who work with small groups of students are skilled at teaching specific reading and writing skills to students who need this help.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Good and better sixth form teaching typically involves students managing their own learning and developing skills to work independently. For example, in a Year 12 religious studies lesson, students were challenged to manage a group response to an examination question which required them to not only develop their subject knowledge but also to manage the group and their time well.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teachers’ marking and feedback to students is good. Useful comments in most subjects enable students to improve their learning. These comments often result in an ongoing written dialogue with the teacher so that improvement is continuously monitored. However, this feedback is not consistently effective across all teachers, and this is one reason why a small proportion of teaching is not as good as it should be.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Not all teachers consistently ensure that work is as well matched to the skills and abilities of boys and middle ability students as it could be. This sometimes results in these groups of students not being appropriately challenged and consequently not always making the progress that they are capable of making.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Sometimes learning time is not maximised because teachers spend too much time providing introductions and explanations when students could be getting on with work more productively.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Students behave well, both in lessons and at break times. The vast majority are polite, courteous and well mannered.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Students respond very well to the good teaching. Most have good attitudes to learning and they are well motivated by teachers to achieve their personal best in most subjects.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 A particular feature of the academy is the high level of mutual respect, support and cooperation in lessons. Students work well with each other as well as their teachers, and this is highly conducive to good learning.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The students who inspectors spoke with were very positive about the academy. They appreciate the good teaching and the good personal support they can access if needed.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Bullying is rare in the academy. Students are confident that if a bullying incident does occur, adults will deal with the matter quickly and effectively. Students have a good understanding of the various forms in which bullying can occur, including cyber bullying.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Students feel safe in the academy and they have a good understanding of safety-related issues, including e-safety. They are also equipped with appropriate skills to assess and manage risk in a range of situations.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Behaviour and safety are not outstanding because when the quality of teaching is not as good as it should be, students are not as motivated to achieve their best. A small number of parents and staff do not believe that behaviour is always good and well managed.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher and senior leaders communicate high expectations of what all students and staff are capable of achieving. Consequently they have ensured that achievement and teaching have been good since the academy opened.

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The leadership and management are good

 Where teaching is not as good as it should be, senior leaders take swift and appropriate action to support and challenge staff so that students’ achievement consequently improves. For example, in the past year GCSE results have improved in religious studies and science as a result of effective strategies by leaders and managers to improve teaching.

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The leadership and management are good

 The strong and effective team of subject leaders show similarly high expectations of their staff and students. Each has an accurate understanding of the strengths and areas for improvement in their area as a result of effective and appropriately frequent monitoring.

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The leadership and management are good

 As a result of thorough systems for checking and monitoring performance at all levels, the academy has an accurate awareness of it own strengths and weaknesses. This informs the improvement plan, which is suitably focused on most of the important areas for improvement. However, it does not focus specifically on narrowing the gap between the achievement of boys and girls.

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The leadership and management are good

 The sixth form is led and managed well, and this is a key reason why achievement is good. Leaders have a good understanding of students’ needs and they provide good levels of support. Progress is monitored rigorously and any underachievement is identified early.

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The leadership and management are good

 The curriculum gives students exciting opportunities to develop their skills and understanding, particularly in Key Stage 3. For example, students learn geography through French. Students receive a good level of personalised support, and the leadership of teaching for disabled students and those who have special educational needs is a particular strength.

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The leadership and management are good

 In the recent past the academy has entered students early for GCSE mathematics and English. It has recognised that this approach has not met the needs of students, particularly the most able, and it is no longer using this approach. Some students take their science examinations in Year 10. This is an effective strategy as a good proportion of students who are now in Year 11 achieved the grades that were expected of them.

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The leadership and management are good

 All teachers are set targets to improve their teaching and guide decisions about pay increases. High-quality training enables them to work towards achieving their targets, and so further improve their teaching skills and the achievement of students.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders and managers, including governors, have not ensured that teaching is consistently good or better, and a small amount requires further improvement.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The governing body has a good and appropriately detailed understanding of the academy’s strengths and areas for development. Many governors understand students’ achievement data well and this enables them to provide a good level of challenge and support to the academy.  Governors receive monitoring information from the headteacher and senior leaders regularly. Consequently they are able to influence improvements in teaching and achievement well.  Relevant governors monitor the use and impact of the additional pupil premium and Year 7 catch-up funding, and they are aware that this gives good value for money because eligible students are making good progress.  The governing body is aware of how targets are set for teachers and monitor how these targets are linked to pay increases. They make sure that the school fulfils its responsibilities regarding safeguarding; all staff have been checked as required and are trained appropriately

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The leadership and management are good

to keep students safe and free from harm.  Governors have not challenged the academy as rigorously as they should have done with respect to the achievement gap between girls and boys.

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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 137878 Local authority Northamptonshire Inspection number 429617

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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 Academy converter 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 1131 Of which, number on roll in sixth form 270 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Etty Martin Headteacher Graham Tyrer Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 01295 711567 Fax number 01295 711856 Email address head@chenderit.northants.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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