St Ignatius College

St Ignatius College Turkey Street, Enfield, Middlesex, EN1 4NP

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 Students’ achievement is not consistently good. Achievement varies across year groups and students are not making enough progress in a number of subjects, particularly mathematics.  There is too much teaching which does not take account of the different needs of students. Not enough teachers use information about what students know already to plan lessons that challenge and motivate students to reach the highest levels.  The way that teachers use questioning does not always check all students’ understanding, or stretch them to think harder about their work.  Marking is inconsistent across subjects. It does not always inform students how well they are doing or what they need to do to improve their work.  Senior leaders have focused on attainment and have not taken account of students’ progress over time. This has led to an over generous evaluation of the quality of teaching and students’ achievement.  Senior leaders have introduced more rigorous

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

systems to improve the quality of teaching and learning. However, these are not yet consistently applied by all staff so that students’ achievement has not improved at a fast enough rate.

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The school has the following strengths

 Students’ behaviour is good. They are keen to learn, and are respectful and courteous towards each other and adults.  The sixth form is good. It is well led and students make good progress because of their very positive attitudes to learning and good teaching.  Students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is exceptionally well supported through the strong religious ethos within the school.  Students say they feel safe and well cared for.  The newly appointed interim headteacher and senior leadership team have raised expectations and increased teachers’ accountability; as a result, teaching is improving.  Governors know the school well and are clear about what needs to be done to improve teaching and learning. Increasingly they are challenging senior leaders to do better.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 42 part lessons, 11 of which were observed jointly with senior staff. A number of other lessons were visited to sample the quality of marking of students’ work and their progress over time.  Inspectors examined students’ books, talked to students about their work and heard them read in lessons. They observed other aspects of the school day, including registration time, students’ behaviour at break and lunchtime, and their arrival and departure from the school.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, senior and other leaders, and five groups of students. In addition discussions took place with three representatives from the governing body, including the Chair, and with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors took account of the views of 118 parents and carers who responded to Parent View, the online questionnaire, a telephone conversation with a parent, and 47 responses to the staff

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Information about this inspection

questionnaire.  A wide range of documents were reviewed, including the school’s own data on students’ recent examination results and current progress, its self-evaluation and development plan, information about the work of the staff linked to performance management and training arrangements, monitoring of teaching, students’ behaviour and attendance, the safeguarding of students and governance.

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Inspection team

Ann Behan, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Patricia Barford Additional Inspector Jennifer Bray MBE Additional Inspector Peter Stumpf Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 St Ignatius College is a larger-than-average sized oversubscribed boys’ Catholic secondary school. It is one of only five Jesuit secondary schools in the United Kingdom.  A large proportion of students come from minority ethnic groups, mainly from Black African, Black Caribbean, White British, White Irish and Any Other White backgrounds.  The proportion of students who speak English as an additional language is above average, with few that are at the early stages of development.  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 through a statement of special educational needs is average.  The proportion of students supported by the pupil premium, which in this school provides additional support for looked after children and students know to be eligible for free school meals, is above average.

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Information about this school

 About one eighth of students in Years 7 and 8 benefit from the nationally funded catch-up programme, which is for students who did not achieve the expected Level 4 in reading or mathematics at the end of Key Stage 2.  A very small number of students attend provision off site at Westminster Kingsway College, The Boxing Academy, and the College of North East London Haringey.  A new interim headteacher took up post at the beginning of the current term. There have been changes also to the composition of the senior leadership team.  The school 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?

 Raise students’ achievement through teaching that is always good or better by making sure that all teachers:  use information about students’ progress and abilities to plan work that is set at the right level for them  use questioning more effectively to check students’ understanding and to deepen their learning  ensure that marking consistently informs students of what they have done well and what they need to do to improve their work.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management by:  extending the use of existing good practice to help others to improve their teaching  ensuring that all policies are applied consistently by all staff.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Achievement requires improvement because too many students are not making consistently good progress across a number of subjects, including mathematics.  There has been a decline in the proportion of students gaining five good GCSE passes, including English and mathematics, since the previous inspection from well above the national average to broadly in line in 2012 and 2013. Given students join the school with attainment that is well above the national average this indicates that students are not making the progress that would be reasonably expected of them.  The progress of students in English is improving at a faster rate than in mathematics. In 2012 the proportion of students making expected progress was in line with the national average and in 2013 this rose to be above. The proportion of students exceeding expected progress was below the national average in 2012 and in 2013 rose to be in line with the national figure.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

Current assessment information and work seen during the inspection suggest that this improvement is set to continue. This is a result of better teaching and more rigorous leadership in the department.  Although the progress of students in mathematics is getting better, it is not as rapid as in other subjects. In 2012 and 2013 the proportion of students making expected progress was similar to the national average. The proportion making above expected progress was below the national figure in 2012 but rose to be above in 2013. Current assessment information indicates improvement in both measures.  The school is making good use of the pupil premium to provide additional support for eligible students. They make similar progress to other students across all year groups and the results are broadly in line with similar students nationally at GCSE. In 2013, in English, eligible students were roughly a third of a grade behind their classmates. In mathematics, the gap was just less

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

than half of a grade below. These gaps were less than those in 2012 and current assessments suggest they are reducing further in both subjects.  Students eligible for the Years 7 and 8 catch-up programme are given additional support in developing their literacy and numeracy skills and as a result the gap between them and other students is narrowing.  Disabled students, those with special educational needs, students from minority ethnic groups and those who speak English as an additional language make at least similar progress to their peers, and in some cases better progress because of well-planned and targeted support.  Students who joined the school with good results make similar progress to other students in most subjects. However, in English in 2012 and 2013 the proportion of them making better than expected progress was below the national average. Current assessment information shows that their progress is getting better because of improved teaching in English.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The school uses early entry for GCSE mathematics for selected high attaining students. This has had a positive impact on results as almost all of these students achieve the highest GCSE grades and progress to study at AS level in further mathematics in preparation for entry to the sixth form.  A small number of Years 10 and 11 students take work-related courses off site. The quality of provision and progress of these students is checked regularly and they achieve at least as well as their peers.  Students moving to the sixth form from the main school and those who join from other schools locally join with attainment that is broadly average. They make good progress and the proportion of students reaching the higher grades at GCE A level in 2013 were the best the sixth form has achieved. However, there was a dip in the proportion of students reaching the higher grades at AS level and the number of students staying on at the end of Year 12 has been below

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

average. The school has reviewed the courses that it offers and has recently introduced more work-related and applied courses which are better suited to some of its students. Early information shows that these courses are being well received by students and their progress is at least good.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching requires improvement because it varies too much across subjects and year groups. There is not enough teaching of high quality particularly at Key Stages 3 and 4. Teaching is better in the sixth form.  In too many lessons, all students complete the same work. Some students finish their work early and have to wait too long before they are given more challenging problems to solve. Consequently, they are not stretched and spend too much time on tasks that are too easy for them.  Teachers’ questioning sometimes does not require students to think more deeply about their reasoning before replying. In some lessons teachers are content to allow volunteers to answer and miss the opportunity to check the understanding of other students in the class.  The quality of marking is inconsistent across departments, and across teachers within subjects and year groups. Some exemplary marking was noted, particularly in the sixth form and in some

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

areas of English and science, where teachers offered constructive comments on how students could improve their work. However, in a number of cases, particularly mathematics, there was no evidence of teacher feedback in books, and other marking involved little more than a few ticks and comments of praise without any information on what students had done well or guidance on what they needed to do to improve further.  The school has introduced a policy to promote literacy across the curriculum, and in the better lessons students are given the opportunity to practise their speaking and listening skills, and use extended writing. However, this is not consistent across all subjects.  Where teaching is at its best, teachers have high expectations, and use their good subject knowledge and information they have about what students already know, to plan activities that are at the right level for all groups of students in the class. They are skilful in using questioning

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

to check students’ understanding and adapt activities to stretch the most able while ensuring others who are stuck get additional help and support so that all make at least good progress.  Among the examples of the best teaching seen by the inspectors was a philosophy and ethics lesson where Year 13 students were distinguishing between legal and moral responsibilities, discussing and challenging one another on topics ranging from street urchins in Columbia to rogue bank traders. Another was a Year 10 German lesson where students were enthusiastically practising using complex word orders, connectives and phrases in preparation for a controlled speaking assessment.  Learning support assistants are usually well deployed. They play a key role in supporting disabled students, those with special educational needs, those who speak English as an additional language and those students who are eligible for extra help through additional

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

government funding. As a result these students make at least similar progress to their peers.  The quality of teaching in the sixth form is good. The small group sizes and good use of tracking systems enable teachers to match more accurately work to individual needs and abilities. The support and guidance students receive are good and many go on to study at university.  Most parents and carers who responded to Parent View felt their child was taught well.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of students is good in lessons and around school. They have good attitudes to learning. There is a calm and purposeful atmosphere built on respect and promoted through the religious ethos of the school.  Relationships between teachers and students are strong and built on trust. This establishes a good starting point for learning. Students are prompt to lessons, bring the necessary equipment, and settle down to work quickly. They collaborate well with one another when given the opportunity especially in pair and small-group work. Students told inspectors that lessons run smoothly, that poor behaviour is rare and that rules are fairly applied by all staff.  The school’s work to keep students safe and secure is good. It provides them with good spiritual support. Students say they appreciate the calm atmosphere, the opportunity to develop and test their religious beliefs, and the way the school helps and encourages them to contribute to the

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

wider Catholic community.  Students feel safe, know how to identify bullying, particularly cyber bullying, and are clear about what to do if it happens. They say that bullying is uncommon, incidents of racist and homophobic behaviour are very rare, and on the few occasions that they occur the school deals with them effectively.  Students were very positive about the information they receive through citizenship lessons. They talked about staying healthy, the adverse effects of alcohol and misuse of drugs, and the dangers of gang involvement.  Sixth-form students are good role models for younger students. They have very positive attitudes to learning, and make significant contributions to the academic and spiritual life of the school.  Behaviour and safety are not outstanding because where teaching does not fully engage or interest students some lose concentration.  Attendance is above the national average and persistent absentees are reducing. Exclusions are

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

below the national average and falling. The school works hard to keep vulnerable students in school.  Most parents and carers responding to Parent View felt the school kept their child safe and well cared for and dealt with bullying well.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Leadership and management require improvement as teaching and achievement are not yet good. There is too much difference in how well different groups of students progress in some subjects, and although the quality of teaching is getting better it is not consistently good across the school.  The newly appointed interim headteacher and the senior leadership team are aware of the strengths and areas for improvement in the school, and are raising expectations and the accountability of staff. However, the focus on students’ attainment in the past, rather than their progress, has meant that although their actions to improve teaching have met with some success, teaching has not improved at a fast enough rate.  More systematic checks for monitoring the quality of teaching linked to training, and more detailed policies for teachers to follow have recently been introduced. However, not all leaders have made sure that these have been adopted and applied by all of the staff, for example the

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The leadership and management requires improvement

marking and literacy policies. As a result these changes have not yet brought about sufficient improvement so that teaching is consistently good in all subjects.  Subject leadership is strengthening, particularly in the core subjects. Recently appointed heads of department are clear about their roles and are setting about checking the work in their areas with rigour through better tracking of students’ progress, and through more focused lesson observations.  The systems for managing the performance and training of staff are focused clearly on improving teaching and raising students’ achievement. Increasingly the headteacher and governing body are using these systems successfully to challenge weaker teaching. Pay progression and financial rewards are closely linked to challenging targets.  Leadership and management of the sixth form are good. The head of sixth form is focused on raising standards of achievement and tracks students’ progress carefully. Any signs that students

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The leadership and management requires improvement

are falling behind are dealt with swiftly through well-targeted support.  The curriculum has been revised so that it provides a wider range of subjects and qualifications that meet the needs of all students. Recently more work-related courses have been introduced into the sixth form which provide an alternative route for those students in Year 11 who do not reach higher grades at GCSE and who are not suited to the more academic courses that the school has promoted in the past.  Good links with primary schools, colleges and universities, local businesses, and good external careers advice aid student progression at different times in their education. Almost all students are successful in moving to education or training at the end of Year 11 and Year 13.  The school promotes students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development outstandingly well. One sixth form student said, ‘The Jesuit teaching, “a man for others”, is promoted very

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The leadership and management requires improvement

strongly in this school, and staff lead by example’. Students appreciate the wide range of extra- curricular activities and trips that are available, and are proud that students from the many different cultures represented in school get on so well together.  There is a very positive working relationship between the school and the local authority. The support provided by the local authority is helping the school improve the quality of teaching, particularly in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science, supporting the development of middle leaders and advising governors on the appointments of senior leaders to the school.  The school enjoys positive relationships with parents and carers. Most parents and carers who responded to Parent View felt that the school was well led, that teaching was good, and that they would recommend the school to other parents and carers.  The school works hard to ensure that all students have equal opportunities and equality of

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The leadership and management requires improvement

access. It uses pupil premium funding and Year 7 catch-up funding to provide additional teaching and pastoral support for eligible students and to make sure they have full access to all extra-curricular activities and educational trips.  The governance of the school:  Governors are well informed about the school and aware of the need to improve the quality of teaching and raise achievement. They visit the school regularly, take part in lessons and talk to senior and middle leaders, staff and students. They have built up an accurate picture of the work of the school, and together with the training that they have received on analysing data, are able to compare the performance of the school against that of other schools nationally. Governors are clear about the link between the quality of teaching and success of students and the performance management and pay progression of staff.  Governors make sure that all statutory child protection and safeguarding policies and

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The leadership and management requires improvement

procedures are in place, and undertake all the relevant training to keep abreast of changes. They have worked with the local authority to reduce a deficit budget and are keen to ensure that resources are used effectively. They monitor closely the use of additional government funding and the effectiveness of its use for those students who are eligible for additional support. They monitor the effectiveness and impact of their decisions, and those of senior leaders, to ensure best value.

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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 102058 Local authority Enfield Inspection number 440461

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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School details

Type of school Secondary School category Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 11–19 Gender of pupils Boys Gender of pupils in the sixth form Boys Number of pupils on the school roll 1078 Of which, number on roll in sixth form 176 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair John Donnelly Headteacher Andrew Dickson Date of previous school inspection 25–26 May 2011 Telephone number 01992 717835 Fax number 01992 652070 Email address admin@st-ignatius.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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