E-ACT Shenley Academy

Shenley Academy Shenley Lane, Northfield, Birmingham, B29 4HE

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 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 achieving five good grades at GCSE including English and mathematics is improving strongly. Most students make good progress in their learning from their different starting points.  The gap in attainment between students on free school meals and other students has been significantly narrowed.  The extent to which students feel and are kept safe is exceptional.  The academy has been successful in improving behaviour and attendance, reducing the rates of exclusions and persistent absence.  A large majority of teaching is good. Much of the teaching in English is outstanding and there is at least some outstanding teaching in almost all subjects.  The sixth form is good. Students make good progress and are well prepared for the future.  Senior leaders and governors provide strong and determined leadership, focusing their energies on raising standards and improving

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

teaching.  The level of support for the most vulnerable students is good and ensures that they are prepared well for their next steps in education, employment and training.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 In all groups of students, the proportion that made more than the expected progress when they left Year 11 in 2013 was not as high as the national average.  Teaching and marking in mathematics and languages is not as consistently good as it is in other subjects. Consequently not all students are making the progress they can.  In the small proportion of lessons that require improvement or are inadequate, students do not always stay focused on their learning. Very occasionally this leads to low-level disruption.  Not all subject leaders are as involved in checking the quality of teaching, or are able to interpret data on pupils’ attainment and progress as sharply as other leaders.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 37 lessons, of which 20 were jointly observed with either the Principal or another senior leader. In addition, inspectors made a number of other short visits to lessons.  Meetings were held with groups of students, two parents, members of staff including senior and middle leaders, members of the governing body including the Chair, and a representative of the multi-academy trust.  There were insufficient responses for inspector to take account of the online questionnaire, Parent View.  A visit was made by an inspector to see the offsite alternative provision for a small group of Year 11 students.  Inspectors observed the academy’s work and scrutinised a number of documents, including the academy’s own self-evaluation, data on students’ recent attainment and progress, behaviour and attendance logs , policies including safeguarding, reviews and reports from the multi-academy trust and recent minutes of the governing body’s meetings.

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Information about this inspection

 During this inspection inspectors asked additional questions designed to ascertain the academy’s view of the impact and effectiveness of the multi-academy trust’s services to support school improvement. This information will contribute to work being carried out by Ofsted to assess how well the support provided by the multi-academy trust is helping to improve the academies for which it is responsible.

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Inspection team

Mark Sims, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Gwendoline Onyon Additional Inspector Douglas Folan Additional Inspector Shahnaz Maqsood Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The academy is a broadly average-sized secondary school and is sponsored by E-ACT, a charitable multi-academy trust.  Most students come from White British backgrounds. The proportion of students from minority ethnic backgrounds is below average and the percentage known to speak English as an additional language is low.  The percentage of students supported through the pupil premium (pupils for whom the academy receives additional funding, including those known to be eligible for free school meals) is very high.  The proportion of disabled students and those who have special educational needs supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is well above the national average. Most of these students have moderate learning difficulties or behaviour, social and emotional difficulties. None of the academy’s disabled students and those who have special educational needs receive support through school action.

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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.  The academy uses Southside Alternative Provision to provide courses off site for a small number of students in Key Stage 4.  The Principal spends half a day a week as Executive Headteacher of a neighbouring secondary school and the Vice Principal has been seconded as full-time acting headteacher at the same school for a year.  The Chair of the Governing Body has been in post since summer 2013.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Accelerate students’ progress in mathematics and languages by making sure that:  the teaching in mathematics and languages is as consistently good as it is in other subjects  more able students and those who find learning difficult are always challenged to make as much progress as they can from their different starting points  marking in these subjects matches that of the very best subjects so that students consistently know what they need to do to improve.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management by ensuring leaders at all levels, including subject leaders:  have a secure understanding of data on students’ progress in relation to what is expected nationally and what is above the expected progress  are involved in checking the quality of teaching in their areas of responsibility and providing written as well as oral feedback on the outcomes  are sharing the best examples of teaching in their subjects or areas of responsibility.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The proportion of students who have gained five or more good GCSE grades at A* to C including English and mathematics has improved over time and in the most recent examinations was broadly average. The proportion of students gaining a good grade at GCSE in English was very high. Standards were not as high in mathematics and low in languages.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Students have made good progress from their different starting points. The proportions of different groups of students making expected and above expected progress in English and mathematics are close to national figures.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In the large majority of lessons seen most students, including disabled students and those who have special educational needs, those who are higher attaining and those who find learning difficult, were making good progress. This was as a result of lessons that were well planned to take account of their previous learning and set high expectations for all.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Attainment improved in 2013 as leaders put in place a series of measures to raise students’ achievement. Particularly successful was the introduction of graduates as intervention support assistants to ensure students at risk of falling behind caught up. This has had particular benefits for students making accelerated progress in Years 7 and 8 in English and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The academy has been very successful in quickly narrowing the attainment gap for students receiving additional support from the pupil premium at GCSE, so that it is almost in line with the national average for all pupils gaining five good grades including English and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In lessons seen students made rapid progress when they were given the opportunity to develop their speaking and listening skills debating relevant topical issues and when they were set challenging questions and targets in their writing.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Data from the academy indicate that students on GCSE courses are already working at above the results recorded in 2013, despite starting from a lower position than the previous year group. The proportion on track to achieve the highest possible grades, including in mathematics, is higher than at this time last year. Students are making good progress in all year groups.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Students attending the offsite alternative provision make good progress in their literacy and numeracy skills and achieve well in their chosen courses.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In a small proportion of lessons where the quality of teaching was less than good not all students achieved well if the work was not set at an appropriate level or if in a very small number of cases students switched off from their learning.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The academy no longer enters students early for GCSE examinations.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In the sixth form students make good progress form their low starting points to reach broadly average success rates in their course. Attainment has risen in most subjects at A and AS level. Achievement is good in the range of vocational courses offered. The proportion of students gaining the highest possible grades at AS level is rising although the proportion gaining the highest possible grades at A level remains low. Retention rates are broadly average but higher for A level courses. The number attending the sixth form has risen after declining in previous years.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching has improved since 2012 and is good. The large majority of teaching seen in lessons was good and a significant minority was outstanding, across a wide range of subjects in both the main school and the sixth form. Students reported that they thrive in lessons where they are engaged in research and practical activities, especially in science and subjects where they get to use information and communication technology (ICT).

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers have high expectations of students and challenge them do as well as they can through probing questioning and setting of aspirational targets, for example as seen in an outstanding sixth form lesson on government and politics where students could see what they need to do to achieve an A grade.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers carefully check students’ starting points and previous learning before moving on to the next stage in the lesson. Teachers know each student’s learning needs well which enables them to plan well for the range of abilities in their classes.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Marking and feedback to students in most lessons gives students a clear idea of how well they are doing and how they can reach the next stage in their learning. At its best, for example in English, performing arts subjects and physical education students are involved in marking work and response to teachers’ written comments and questions.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In other subjects teachers plan well for opportunities to develop students’ literacy and numeracy skills. Students reported that they have access to wide range of multi-media resources to extend their ICT skills across a range of subjects.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Students have extended opportunities to discuss themes in religious education and geography lessons such as sacrifice and dementia which contributes well to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Not all the teaching is at least good in mathematics and languages. Where it requires improvement or is very occasionally inadequate work is not sufficiently challenging for the more able or is too difficult for some who may find learning difficult. A small number of students then drift off task.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Marking is not consistently good in all lessons. Students do not always know how they can improve their work from teachers’ written comments.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of students is good. They arrive promptly to lessons and settle to work quickly. The overwhelming majority show a positive attitude to learning and get on well with each other, including those from different backgrounds, in group tasks. They listen maturely to each other and teachers.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Students conduct themselves well around the academy and on the playground, even in wet weather conditions. They take pride in their appearance.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Sixth formers have the opportunity to mentor younger students. Older students in Key Stage 4 support younger ones well through the vertical tutor-group structure.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 For the very small number of students who do not behave well the isolation unit provides an opportunity for students to reflect on their behaviour and to be reintegrated quickly. The number of fixed term exclusions is falling rapidly and hardly any are for repeat offenders. There have been no permanent exclusions this year.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The high standard of behaviour occasionally dips in lessons, usually linked to the quality of teaching, and this leads to pupils becoming distracted. There are occasional instances of disruptive behaviour.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Attendance is higher than the national average and improving. The proportion of persistent absence is falling. The academy has very thorough systems in place to tackle absence and the small number of parents spoken with confirmed that first-day absence is always followed up quickly with a text to them. Attendance during this academic year has also been high.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The academy has worked well with the small number of students who were at risk of becoming disengaged with their education. The attendance of these students now attending offsite alternative provision has improved significantly. They have become motivated by vocational courses offered to them and this has enabled them to remain in education and training.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The academy’s work to keep students safe and secure is outstanding. All groups of students feel very safe and secure at school and at the alternative provision. The academy works relentlessly to make sure its systems and checks are as thorough as they can be, for example in the risk assessments carried out when any students are working off site.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Staff are trained very well to ensure students are aware of different kinds of homophobic and racist bullying. Issues are dealt with sensitively through tutorial time and in lessons. Students from a range of different backgrounds reported relations are good in school. There have been no reported incidents of homophobic or racist bullying. Students are acutely aware of the risks of the internet.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The very small number of parents and carers spoken with agreed that behaviour is good in school and that their own children were safe and well looked after in school and had their specific individual needs met well.

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The leadership and management are good

 Actions taken by senior leaders have led to rapid improvements in achievement and teaching since a dip in GCSE results in 2012. The Principal and other senior leaders have an accurate view of the academy and know how well students are doing through regular checks. Senior leaders judge the quality of teaching accurately. They have taken effective action to tackle previous weaknesses in teaching or in the performance of subjects.

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The leadership and management are good

 Systems for checking students’ progress are very thorough so that teachers and students know how well they are doing and where individuals are falling behind.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupil premium and Year 7 catch-up funding is used well to provide targeted support for some students. This has led to very rapid improvements in these students’ progress, with many catching up well in Years 7 and 8.

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The leadership and management are good

 The academy works well in partnership with other schools, both within and beyond the multi- academy trust. The academy makes effective arrangements for alternative provision for those older pupils who do not attending regularly and this has led to a significant increase in their participation.  The sixth form partnership enables the academy to offer a wider range of courses to its students. Consequently the curriculum offers a wide range of opportunities, both academic and vocational, in both the main school and the sixth form. For higher-attaining students events such as ‘maths challenge’ ensure they are sufficiently challenged. Students in Key Stage 4 have additional time to study English and mathematics which has led to improvements. Where subjects have less curriculum time, for example in RE, leaders have made good use of ‘home takeaway’ to enable students to spend more study time at home. More-able students can take

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The leadership and management are good

alternative curriculum pathways at GCSE such as triple science.

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The leadership and management are good

 The leadership of the sixth form is good. Students going into and leaving the sixth form are well prepared for the next steps in their education, training and employment. They receive good support in completing university applications. Students are highly positive about the level of support and guidance they receive as well as the additional opportunities on offer, such as The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

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The leadership and management are good

 The academy provides well for students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness through thought provoking lessons, tutorials and assemblies, exploring themes such as the current on ‘reflection.’ The school provides has an extensive out of hours performing arts and sport provision .

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The leadership and management are good

 The academy meets all its safeguarding statutory requirements ensuring the safety and wellbeing of its students.

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The leadership and management are good

 The small number of parents spoken with said that the academy communicates effectively with them and they are very well informed about their children’s progress. They are appreciative of the range of catch up sessions available before and after school and during the holidays.

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The leadership and management are good

 Not all subject leaders are involved in formal arrangements to check teaching in their subject, including where non-specialists teach the subject, nor in sharing the best examples of teaching within their department. Not all are sufficiently secure in their interpretation of data about students’ attainment and progress.

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The leadership and management are good

 The academy is challenged over its performance by the multi-academy trust through regular adviser visits to the school and through E-ACT’s representation on the governing body. Over the last year there has been a more significant focus from the trust on achievement and the quality of teaching and leadership. The multi-academy trust provides performance data compared to national averages so that the performance of the school can be measured against national expectations. Reviews are carried out with the adviser in area subject areas identified as at risk of underperforming. This has led to recent changes in leadership of departments in English and mathematics, for example.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors are highly knowledgeable and skilled and are well trained to carry out their duties. They know the strengths and weaknesses of the academy well.  At meetings of the full governing body and its committees they challenge leaders about the performance of academy, focusing on students’ achievement.  They know which subject departments are not performing as well as others and hold leaders to account through commissioning reviews and asking for termly updates from the Principal on progress. They challenge leaders through their subject link roles.  The governing body is highly committed to ensuring pupil premium funding is directed to where it will have most effect. It tracks rigorously the progress of and provision for pupils supported through the fund as well as disabled students and those who have special educational needs. Governors know how well these groups are doing.

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The leadership and management are good

 Governors work well in partnership with the multi-academy trust but are also prepared to challenge the trust, for example on imposed safeguarding policies and over funding arrangements.  They make sure there is a clear link between teachers’ performance and pay increases.  The multi-academy trust has provided a range of training, for example in analysis of achievement data to enable governors to ask challenging questions from an informed position. It has not however carried out a review of the effectiveness of the governing body.

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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 135911 Local authority Birmingham Inspection number 440656

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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 Academy sponsor-led 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 980 Of which, number on roll in sixth form 154 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair David Banton Principal Ruth Harker Date of previous school inspection 2 November 2011 Telephone number 0121 464 5191 Fax number 0121 464 3711 Email address enquiry@shenleyacademy.org.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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