Mulberry Academy Woodside

Woodside High School White Hart Lane, Wood Green, London, N22 5QJ

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected This inspection: Outstanding 1 Achievement of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school.  Achievement is outstanding. Students start the school in Year 7 with standards well below those found nationally. By the end of Year 11 they achieve at above national levels. Students’ progress in English and mathematics is significantly faster than the progress of students in most schools.  Effective leadership around the use of pupil premium funding has led to students supported by this additional funding making outstanding progress.  Strong relationships between all staff and students contribute to an outstanding ethos and culture of learning. Teachers have excellent subject knowledge and a huge enthusiasm for passing on this knowledge. In turn, this is matched by students’ passion to learn.  Students’ behaviour is outstanding. Students are happy and proud to attend the school, demonstrating excellent attitudes to their learning.  Most teaching is outstanding and teachers

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

have the highest expectations for their students. Teachers constantly work with students to achieve the very best.  Marking and feedback of students’ work are thorough and purposeful. Opportunities for students to act on this feedback are regular and well used. Teachers make good use of marking to contribute to the very detailed understanding they have of their students.  The school sets very challenging targets for every student that joins the school. These are carefully monitored and reviewed. Extensive support is provided to enable every student to reach these targets.  All the staff within the school know their students exceptionally well. The headteacher can talk with authority about the progress of individual students. Individual students talk about the school and its staff feeling like their family.  Students are very safe at school. The extensive programme of personal development provides students with the skills necessary to stay safe

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

outside of school. Students’ well-being is at the heart of the school’s ethos.  The headteacher sets the highest expectations, supported by leaders at all levels, who share the desire to constantly improve. Governors provide both challenge and support and have a very clear vision for the school’s future direction.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 39 lessons, of which 11 were joint observations with senior leaders. A tour of other lessons was also conducted with the headteacher.  Inspectors met with groups of students, senior leaders, middle leaders and a representative group of staff from across the school. In addition, inspectors met with a representative from the local authority and three governors, including the Chair of the Governing Body.  The number of parents and carers who responded to Parent View (Ofsted’s online questionnaire) was too small for any conclusions to be formed. However, the inspection team reviewed independent parental surveys conducted on behalf of the school between 2009 and 2012, and the school’s own parental questionnaires. These included responses from parents and carers attending parents’ evenings for Years 7, 8 and 11, during this academic year.  Inspectors also took into account the views expressed in the 85 responses to the staff

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Information about this inspection

questionnaire.  A range of school documentation was scrutinised. This included students’ work, attainment and progress data, the school’s self-evaluation and development plans, records of professional development, the school’s view of teaching, and records of students’ attendance and behaviour. In addition, the school’s safeguarding records and procedures were reviewed.

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Inspection team

Kevin Flanagan, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Brian Lester Additional Inspector Penny Spencer Additional Inspector Sharon Wallin Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is a smaller than average-sized secondary school.  Woodside High School converted to become an academy school in November 2011. When its predecessor school, Woodside High School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be outstanding.  The headteacher is a National Leader in Education (NLE) and Woodside High School is currently providing support to Earlham Primary School.  The school is a strategic partner in the New River Teaching School Alliance.  The proportion of students eligible for the pupil premium (additional government funding for students known to be eligible for free school meals, who are looked after by the local authority or whose parents or carers are in the armed forces) is well above the national average.  The proportions of students who come from minority ethnic backgrounds or whose first language is not English are well above the national average. The school serves a very diverse

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Information about this school

population, with no one ethnic minority group providing a majority or even a significant minority within the school population.  The proportions of students with special educational needs who are supported through school action, at school action plus or who have a statement of special educational needs are well above the national average.  The numbers of students who join the school after the start of Year 7 and before the end of Year 11 are significantly higher than in most schools.  A very small number of students in Years 10 and 11 attend alternative educational provision at CONEL (College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London) or at Waltham Forest College.  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?

 Continue to increase the proportion of outstanding teaching and learning by:

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 further developing both the whole-school teacher coaching programme and teachers’ personal development plans  reinforcing the improvements to teaching already secured and moving yet more teaching from consistently good to consistently outstanding.

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Inspection judgements

The achievement of pupils is outstanding

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Inspection judgements

 Students who join the school in Year 7 have prior attainment that is very low when compared to national standards. On average they are one year behind students of a similar age. By the end of Year 11, the proportion of students who gain five or more GCSE passes at grades A* to C including English and mathematics is above the national average.  The school sets students very ambitious targets. Progress towards these targets is regularly and carefully monitored to ensure outstanding progress. These targets are reviewed regularly and often revised upwards to provide further challenge to students.  Pupil premium funding is used well. Its impact is externally assessed and reviewed regularly. While much of this funding is directly linked to securing academic improvements, a significant proportion has been used to develop students’ personal and emotional well-being. This additional support has had a strong influence on the school’s culture and ethos, and ultimately

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Inspection judgements

students’ achievement.  Pupil premium students outperform their peers within the school. They achieve close to half a grade above their peers in both English and mathematics. Similarly, more pupil premium students at this school make expected progress in both English and mathematics than non-pupil premium students do nationally.  The low levels of literacy that the students enter the school with are a considerable barrier to progress. To ensure that this barrier to progress is tackled, the school has developed a very effective whole-school literacy programme. The whole-school literacy programme is highly effective. Students take regular reading tests and are placed within a carefully structured programme; this is leading to rapid gains in reading.  The school makes good use of additional funding to support the development of students’ literacy and numeracy. Small class sizes, additional teachers, phonics, and one-to-one support

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Inspection judgements

are used in a well-planned programme. In addition, the school ensures that its teaching and learning framework is focused on literacy and academic language development.  The school has made use of early entry in mathematics. These early entries have supported the outstanding progress in mathematics.  A small number of students make use of alternative provision at two local colleges. The use of this alternative provision is skilfully managed and students make similar progress to their peers. This is due to strong senior leadership oversight and a strong relationship between the school and colleges.  The progress of the most able students, although higher than the national picture, is not yet as strong as that of other students’ outstanding progress within the school. However, strong levels of academic challenge are embedded within the classroom and the school is adapting its curriculum further to meet the needs of all students. For example, there is now an established

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Inspection judgements

triple science group this has extended the curriculum offer for the most able students.  Students who speak English as an additional language are exceptionally well catered for and they make exceptional progress. Every teacher has received training to support these students and outstanding practice is evident across the school.

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Inspection judgements

 Teaching is outstanding. Senior leaders have a detailed understanding of the strengths and areas for development for all teachers, checked by external partners.  The school uses its strong understanding of current teaching ability to inform its staff development programme. All staff are involved in the development of outstanding teaching through cooperative practice, leading to a culture of peer accountability and support throughout the school. The investment in staff development has led to significant improvements to teaching over time.  Staff regularly open their classrooms to other teachers, including visitors from other schools. The school has invested in technology to allow best practice to be shared across the school on several display screens and this is regularly used. The headteacher also makes daily visits to classrooms to ensure that outstanding learning is taking place.  Teachers have high expectations, which they communicate strongly to their students. In turn

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Inspection judgements

students actively engage with their learning.  Classrooms and the school as a whole provide an excellent working environment. Lessons are calm, often start before the bell is sounded and are characterised by zero tolerance of misbehaviour.  Teachers have a clear understanding of the needs of their students. This is developed from small class sizes, good use of progress data and excellent inter-personal relationships. These strong relationships create a climate which helps students to feel very secure, and one in which they can be brave and risk failure without fear.  Marking by teachers provides excellent feedback to students. Students routinely mark and comment on each other’s work. Students act as a critical friend and provide supportive yet challenging feedback to their peers. This helps them make good progress.  Literacy and language development, including speaking and listening, is a key component of the

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Inspection judgements

curriculum. Opportunities for the development of literacy are rarely missed and there is a strong emphasis on the use of technical and subject-specific language. This supports most students in making rapid gains in subject knowledge.  Teaching assistants and other adults take an active role in students’ learning. Strong training and clear direction mean that teaching assistants have an extensive range of strategies to improve learning. They accelerate students’ progress and model strong expectations.  Students praise their teachers. Many cited teachers as the single best thing about the school. Teachers’ commitment to ‘being there’ for all students is clearly appreciated.

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Inspection judgements

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

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Inspection judgements

 The behaviour of students is outstanding. Incidences of challenging behaviour are rare and on the occasions they do happen they are managed well. Students’ positive behaviour within the school contributes significantly to progress and this link is clearly understood by the students.  The school’s work to keep students safe and secure is outstanding. Students feel extremely safe within school. They attend school in large numbers before the day starts and even greater numbers stay on the school site at the end of the day. Students take part in a range of academic and extra-curricular activities, but some stay simply to play because they feel safe.  Students spoke with great pride about the school and their behaviour reflects this. The school site has no litter, every student has an immaculate uniform, and every book has good presentation. Students are unfailingly polite, positive and engaging.  Behaviour logs show that the rare instances of negative behaviour are dealt with effectively by

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Inspection judgements

staff, and that full records are kept and analysed for trends. Students themselves are clear that staff will deal with bad behaviour. They know who to report concerns to and are clear these will be followed up.  Student voice is very strong. Opportunities are regularly given to students for them to voice their opinions and ideas, and contribute to school life. For instance, students in Key Stage 4 have a say in the consequences for misbehaviour of other students through the student behaviour council.  The school has a very strong personal development programme. This ensures that students have the skills to keep themselves safe away from the school environment. However, there is an equally strong focus on tolerance and respect for others and this contributes to a respectful atmosphere throughout the school.  Attendance is average and improving. This is as a result of determined action by the school,

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Inspection judgements

including the use of significant support by school staff for students whose circumstances make them vulnerable and issuing fines to parents and carers where appropriate.  The school has developed an extensive and very effective support network for students. Learning mentors, counsellors and a nurse, as well as others contribute to exceptional support. The school has also developed extensive links with other agencies and uses these to draw in extra resources for students and their families.  The school has also trained a large number of older students to act as mentors and student support. Other students spoke highly of the skilled way that these mentors support them as their peers. For many students, these peer mentors are the first point of support within the school.

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Inspection judgements

The leadership and management are outstanding

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Inspection judgements

 The headteacher has been instrumental in bringing about outstanding improvements at the school, with the key being effective distributed leadership. Leaders at all levels within the school are empowered, accountable for their roles and act with confidence and autonomy. Leaders act as role models throughout the school.  The very able and supportive senior leadership team has an in-depth understanding of the strengths of the school. Its members are acutely aware of the areas for development and are open about these with governors and all staff. They set ambitious, but realistic targets and guide the school relentlessly towards them.  The leadership and management of teaching are excellent. The school has a very accurate picture of teaching. Improving teaching and therefore learning is an explicit aim, readily repeated by all staff.  Tracking of students’ progress is already excellent. However, the school believes that this can be

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Inspection judgements

improved still further and with governors’ support have commissioned a bespoke tracking and intervention system. This exemplifies the strong desire to continually question provision within the school and to seek to improve what is already very strong practice.  The headteacher challenges underperformance and does not shy away from making difficult decisions. There is a very strong development programme for all staff.  The headteacher and governors ensure that the school recruits and retains the very best staff. Performance management rewards teachers where they successfully improve student outcomes. Clear succession planning is developing the capacity to improve still further.  As a result of strong senior leadership, middle leadership is good and improving. Middle leaders are clear about their role and are confident in carrying it out. They speak highly of the support for them from the senior leadership team.

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Inspection judgements

 Staff are positive about the leadership and management throughout the school. They believe that the school’s leaders and managers are improving the school and allowing them to make a difference to students’ lives. All staff who completed the questionnaire agreed that the school is well led.  The school has worked hard to build links with parents and carers. Great efforts are made to ensure that the school listens to the parents and carers. Questionnaires are issued and collected at every parent evening and the school has introduced the ‘Family Forum’ to encourage closer ties to home. Attendance at parental events has never been higher; only six students from Year 9 were not represented at an options evening on the first night of the inspection.  The school is fully compliant with safeguarding arrangements. However, this does not do justice to the extent to which the school works to keep its students safe. Starting with the headteacher

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Inspection judgements

and running throughout the school, there is a strong ethos for the students and their welfare sits at the centre of every decision.  Community partnerships are outstanding. The school has developed very close links with a local primary school and provides both administrative and teaching staff at no cost to the primary school in order to help raise standards for the pupils there. The school regularly hosts visitors and provides training for other schools, simply to add value to the community.  The school is now an academy, but it has continued to develop a very strong relationship with the local authority. The local authority provides very light touch support for the school.

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Inspection judgements

 The governance of the school:  Governors receive detailed information about the school to effectively hold senior leaders to account for school improvement. Governors know their role is to both support and challenge senior leaders. Governors are fully equipped to take on both parts of this role.  Oversight of financial management is strong. Governors have a good understanding of the school’s finances and the possible implications and risks to the school. They have carefully weighed up these risks when required to and have shown leadership where necessary.  The governing body has a clear vision for the future of the school and is actively seeking ways to support the long-term success of the school. It is acutely aware of the need to develop and retain its best staff, ensuring that the school will continue to benefit from the excellent standard of leadership it has now.  The performance management of the headteacher is strong. Governors ensure that targets set

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Inspection judgements

for the headteacher lead to improved student outcomes.

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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 137745 Local authority Haringey Inspection number 431738

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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 11–16 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 807 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Gerard Kelly Headteacher Dame Joan McVittie Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 0208 889 6761 Fax number 0208 365 8164 Email address mail@woodsidehighschool.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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