The Douay Martyrs Catholic School

The Douay Martyrs School Edinburgh Drive, Ickenham, London, UB108QY

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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 determination and drive of the headteacher has enabled the school to make significant improvements in results. His ambition to achieve the highest standards for his students has been supported by his senior leadership team and all staff in the school.  Behaviour is good and contributes well to students’ achievement. Students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is strong. They are keen and ambitious and respond well to challenges. Students treat each other and adults with respect and courtesy and feel very safe.  Students’ GCSE results have been above the national average since 2010 and although results in 2013 show a slight decline they are still above the national averages for all schools.  The pupil premium funding is used effectively to ensure that eligible students do as well as other students. Overall they make better progress than their peers.  Teaching is good, with a growing proportion

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

outstanding. Students enjoy lessons and comment very positively on the help they are given in classes.  The sixth form is good. Students make consistently good and sometimes exceptional progress. They benefit from high-quality teaching and a curriculum which is appropriate to their needs.  The governors are justifiably proud of the school and are clearly focused on driving continued improvement of teaching and student achievement by challenging and supporting the school.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because:

 In Key Stage 4 students’ progress in English is not as rapid as it is in mathematics.  Boys achieve less well than girls, particularly at Key Stage 4.  There is not yet sufficient outstanding teaching as activities in some lessons do not always meet the needs of the most-able and provide appropriate challenge.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 48 lessons some of which were observed jointly with members of the senior leadership team.  Meetings were held with the headteacher and a number of senior staff. The inspectors also took account of 94 responses to the staff questionnaire.  Inspectors looked closely at the school’s work, including the school’s analysis of how well it is doing and its improvement plans. The inspectors also looked at the school’s information on students’ progress and students’ work as well at documents relating to behaviour and safeguarding and minutes of meetings of the governing body. They also looked at attendance and exclusion figures.  Meetings were held with three groups of students and four members of the governing body. Contact was made with the local authority by telephone.  Inspectors took account of the 90 responses from parents and carers recorded in the online questionnaire (Parent View), together with a letter and one telephone conversation with a parent

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Inspection team

Moazam Parvez, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Cliff Mainey Additional Inspector Jennifer Barker Additional Inspector Madeleine Gerard Additional Inspector Simon Hughes Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The Douay Martyrs is a larger than average-sized secondary school. The school became part of the Multi Academy Trust in March 2012. When its predecessor school, The Douay Martyrs School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good.  The proportion of students known to be eligible for the pupil premium is below the national average. The pupil premium is additional funding for students known to be eligible for free school meals, those from families in the armed services and those in local authority care. There are a few students in the care of the local authority or from service families in the school.  The largest proportion of students are from White British backgrounds and the proportion of students from ethnic minorities is above the national average.  The proportion of disabled students and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is above the national average. The proportion of these supported through

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Information about this school

school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is slightly below average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for students’ attainment and progress.  There are currently no students who attend off-site alternative provision either on a full-or part- time basis.  The school’s buildings are on two sites separated by a busy main road; this affects punctuality to lessons as well as presenting difficulties for the school and the students.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching by:  ensuring that tasks and activities in lessons meet the needs of all students but particularly the most-able, and challenge them to extend their knowledge and skills, especially in English  ensuring that teachers’ marking of students’ work consistently provides students with clear and specific guidance on what they need to do to improve and that teachers’ written comments are followed up by students.  Improve the achievement of boys, particularly in Key Stage 4.  Explore strategies with the local authority to resolve important issues caused by the split site in order to enhance the educational experience of students at the school and allow the school to improve achievement still further.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Students’ attainment on entry to the school in Year 7 is slightly above the national average. The proportion of students achieving five or more GCSE passes at A* to C including English and mathematics was 70% in 2012 which is well above the national average. Attainment has dipped in 2013 but it still remains above the national average.  Overall, the proportions of students making the expected progress in English and in mathematics are well above the national averages and the proportion making good progress is higher in mathematics. However, most-able students make less progress in English compared to the national averages. The leadership team has addressed this and the school’s own tracking information shows that this has been improved. It is also confirmed by lesson observations and scrutiny of work during the inspection.  In 2012, students known to be eligible for free school meals achieved only one half of a GCSE

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The achievement of pupils is good

grade lower than all other students in English and mathematics, a gap that is significantly less than that found nationally. This is due to the effective use of this funding to provide additional support and teaching resources.  Early GCSE entry for candidates in mathematics in Year 11 has proved to be effective. If necessary, the school provides students with appropriately targeted intervention and the opportunity to enhance their grades through resitting the examination at the end of Year 11.  Students who are eligible for the Year 7 catch-up premium receive additional support to develop their literacy and numeracy skills. As a result, they make at least similar progress to that made by other students, particularly in reading.  There are no significant variations between the achievements of different groups of students over time, including for those whose first language is other than English.  Disabled students and those who have special educational needs who are supported through

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The achievement of pupils is good

school action, school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs progress as well as all other students in the school and much better than the national average.  The attainment of most-able students is below that found nationally particularly in English and science. Also the proportion of students gaining the highest grades tends to be below the national average.  Achievement in the sixth form is good, although students have in the past made better progress in Year 13 than in Year 12. Students make outstanding progress in mathematics, history and English.  As a result of excellent support provided by the school, increasing numbers of students are attending the top universities. This year several were able to apply to Oxford and Cambridge universities.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is good, and an increasing proportion is outstanding and this is helping students to achieve well in a range of subjects. Students enjoy lessons because they respect their teachers and commented very positively on the help they are given in class.  Questioning is used well by teachers to engage students and enable them to explore concepts and ideas as well as challenging them to build on their answers.  There are many effective strategies used by teachers to extend students’ learning and problem- solving skills. For example, in a geography lesson students were working well in groups to determine the best ways to analyse and present data from a field trip for their controlled assessment.  Teaching assistants contribute well to the learning of students who need additional support, including those with special educational needs. Good examples were seen where teaching assistants supported students with literacy.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In an outstanding Year 10 mathematics lesson, the teacher had excellent subject knowledge and modelled solutions well so students could use the examples to confidently solve high-level problems. Students made rapid progress because the pace was brisk and the work was very challenging but well suited to their abilities.  Typically, teachers’ expertise is strong and the pace of teaching is good. Teachers set high expectations which 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 them to National Curriculum levels and examination techniques. Students know the level at which they are working and are able to explain what they would need to do to move to the next level or grade.  In the sixth form, the majority of teaching is good or outstanding. Effective teaching and feedback are used to support individual needs and this leads to improvement in the students’

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The quality of teaching is good

work. For example, students in a Year 12 information and communication technology lesson made outstanding progress because of the teacher’s skill in using a very wide range of internet- based resources to improve the students’ understanding of the implications of the information age.  Where teaching is not good or outstanding, it is often because the planning does not use assessment information well enough to support the needs of the students in the class. Sometimes this means that the work does not sufficiently challenge the most-able students.  Marking of work is frequent and up to date but in some cases does not provide students with clear guidance on how to improve their work.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Students’ behaviour around the school is exemplary and in lessons is good. Students responded well to staff instructions and as a result learning in lessons was mostly good. Students are courteous to each other, their teachers and to other adults. They enjoy their learning and appreciate the opportunities offered to them. Behaviour is not outstanding because students are often passive learners and this limits their opportunities to make outstanding progress.  Attendance is improving and is now in line with national levels. Although exclusions are above national averages they have been falling year on year.  The movement of students between the two sites is closely monitored to ensure their safety and well-being. The school has employed staff to ensure the safety of students when crossing the busy main road.  The governing body and the headteacher have approached the local authority to support the

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

school securing a single site to ensure students’ safety as well as reduce the negative impacts of lateness to lessons caused by the travel time between the sites.  The school provides a safe learning environment and students say they feel safe in school. They told inspectors that there are very few cases of bullying, and that bullying is dealt with quickly and effectively by teachers. Students have a good understanding and knowledge of how to keep safe, for example in road safety and e-safety. Almost all parents and carers responding online through Parent View agree and this is a view shared by almost all teachers who responded to the staff questionnaire.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher and his senior leadership team work closely together and have a relentless focus on school improvement. This has improved attainment which has remained above national averages since 2010. Although the progress in English and mathematics is above national averages for the last three years, in English this has dipped significantly in 2013. The leadership team has implemented strategies to address this and the school’s internal tracking systems are indicating that this will improve for next year’s results.  The school’s position as a training school, working with another organisation, has benefited all leaders and staff in the school through the provision of high-quality training and support.  Performance management systems are effective and teachers express their appreciation of the high-quality professional training provided by the school. The school works closely with the Multi

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The leadership and management are good

Academy Trust to develop leadership capacity, support school self-evaluation and in training school governors.  The school’s leadership and management have a good understanding of the school’s many strengths and have correctly identified areas for the school’s continued improvement through their accurate self-evaluation and associated action planning.  The headteacher and his leadership team have successfully improved the quality of teaching through close monitoring and targeted professional development for all staff. This has led to more effective sharing of best practice between staff so that students now make good progress over time in almost all subjects.  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 for staff. The school now has a new agreed pay and appraisal policy in place.

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The leadership and management are good

 Senior leaders responsible for tracking students’ performance have developed effective systems for monitoring the performance of individual and groups of students. This allows teachers to regularly review students’ progress and improve achievement of those students at risk of making less progress. In order for this to be even more effective teachers must use this information in planning all lessons so as to meet the needs of students more fully.  The procedures for safeguarding meet requirements. The school has recently taken measures to improve the external security of the school site.  The strong Catholic ethos of the school helps to effectively promote students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development at the school. Large numbers of students participate in the wide range of cultural and sporting opportunities on offer including the army cadets and through very successful and well-established fund raising for charities including Cafod, Salvation Army,

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The leadership and management are good

Hospices and Homeless charities as well as many others. The school has very well-established links with schools in Tanzania which allow the school to develop students’ multicultural awareness and a sense of global citizenship.  The governance of the school:  Governors provide good challenge and support for the school and its leadership. They are knowledgeable about the progress and attainment of students and make good use of the training they have received in interpreting school data to evaluate the quality of teaching in the school. The Chair of the Governing Body is well informed and is able to use his position as a priest in the diocese to listen to and ascertain the views of parents and carers. The governing body uses the expertise among the governors to support the management of the school’s finances and resources. The governors have a good understanding of their role in overseeing performance management and the link to any staff salary increases. They know

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The leadership and management are good

how the additional Year 7 catch-up and pupil premium funding is spent and are actively involved in the evaluation of the impact on the progress for the students concerned.

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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 137925 Local authority Hillingdon Inspection number 425632

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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 11–19 Gender of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 1,335 Of which, number on roll in sixth form 214 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Fr Timothy Hutton Headteacher Mr Martin Rainsford Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 01895 679400 Fax number 01895 679401 Email address office@douaymartyrs.co.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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