Mayfield School

Mayfield School Pedley Road, Dagenham, RM81XE

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 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 relentless drive of the headteacher and other leaders continues to secure real improvements at the school, which ensure that standards remain high.  Students enter the school with well below average attainment. All groups, including disabled students, those with special educational needs and those who speak English as an additional language, make at least good progress.  Many students achieve outstanding levels of success in their GCSE English, mathematics, languages and science examinations.  The development of students’ literacy skills is strong across the curriculum.  There are many opportunities for students to attend clubs and extra classes in addition to lessons during the day.  The sixth form is outstanding. Students are very well taught and are making excellent progress from their starting points.  Teaching is good and improving. Students are taught well by dedicated teachers committed

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

to supporting their learning.  Newly qualified and more experienced staff gain from good training and the very clear advice as to how to improve their teaching further.  Students say they feel safe in the school and fell well cared for. Parents say their children enjoy being at the school.  Behaviour is good and many show enthusiasm and positive attitudes to learning in lessons. Students are polite and respectful to each other, their teachers and other adults.  Leadership, including governance, is effective and teaching standards are rising, leading to good achievement. Leaders at all levels are now striving to become an outstanding school.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Leaders have not yet secured teaching that is consistently never less than good.  Teachers’ marking does not always help students to improve their work.  The most able are not always sufficiently challenged.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching in 53 lessons, of which 15 were joint observations with senior leaders. In addition, they made a number of shorter visits to lessons and tutorial sessions.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, the school’s leaders and managers, and groups of staff.  Members of the inspection team held meetings with four groups of students, representing all age groups in the school. Discussions also took place with students informally.  A meeting was held with the Chair and other members of the Governing Body. Conversations were also held with the School Improvement Partner who has been working closely with the school.  The inspection team observed the school’s work and scrutinised documents, including the school’s own evaluation of how well it is doing, the school improvement plan and statistical information about students’ achievement, attendance and exclusions.  There were 11 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and 48 responses to the staff

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Information about this inspection

questionnaires. Additional comments were received from parents, and consideration was given to the views expressed by families in response to the school’s own surveys completed by parents of students on roll.

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Inspection team

Rob Ridout, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Samuel Ofor-Kyereh Additional Inspector Martin Watson Additional Inspector Jane Ladner Additional Inspector Sandra Teacher Additional Inspector Noureddin Khassal Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is much larger than the average-sized secondary school.  The great majority of students are from a wide range of ethnic minority groups. Over two thirds of students are from Asian backgrounds and for many students English is believed not to be their first language.  The proportion of students eligible for the pupil premium is well above the average school in England. The pupil premium is additional funding given to the school for students who are known to be eligible for free school meals, children who are looked after by the local authority, and those with a parent in the armed services.  The proportions of disabled students or those who have special educational needs supported by school action are above those of other secondary schools, as is the proportion of students supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs.  A very small number of students are enrolled on alternative programmes operated by local

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Information about this school

colleges.  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?

 Enable all students, especially the most able and those entitled to the pupil premium funding, to make faster progress by ensuring that :  students of the highest ability are fully stretched and students of the lowest ability are supported, so that work is at the right level of difficulty in order for them to achieve well  the consistency of marking is improved so that all students have a clear understanding of how to develop their work and are able to demonstrate to their teachers that they have understood and acted on the advice given  leaders check that these improvements are in place.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Students join the school with literacy and numeracy skills that are well below national averages. The proportion of students who secured five good GCSE passes at grade C or above including English and mathematics rose at a faster rate than that seen nationally between 2010 and 2013.  Students’ attainment at the end of Key Stage 4 is slightly above the national average. Over the past three years, most students, including those with English as an additional language, those from minority ethnic groups, disabled pupils and those with special educational needs have made good progress.  The proportion of students making expected progress and more than expected progress in both English and mathematics is well above the national average.  Inspectors’ observations and scrutiny of work confirm that current students are making outstanding progress in English, mathematics, modern foreign languages and science.

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The achievement of pupils is good

Achievement in humanities is good and improving further.  Students make good progress in BTEC vocational courses, and an above-average proportion achieve merits and distinctions.  Students are entered early for examinations. This helps build their self-esteem and gives them greater confidence in themselves. Students are achieving better grades in English because of this approach.  In 2013, the attainment at GCSE of those students eligible for the pupil premium was below that of other students in the school. Their results were just under a grade lower in mathematics and just over half a grade in English.  Money has been spent well on extra help for students eligible for the extra pupil premium funding. One-to-one teaching, small group work and extra resources have considerably helped to improve their reading, writing and mathematical skills. They achieve better than similar students nationally and school data show that current students eligible for these monies are

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The achievement of pupils is good

making faster progress than before and reaching higher standards. There is now no gap between their performance and that of their peers in school.  Most groups of students are making good progress. Students from minority ethnic backgrounds and those who speak English as an additional language achieve well. Disabled students and those with special educational needs are achieving as well as their peers and some are making excellent progress. This is because they receive good individual attention. Parents and carers appreciate this support.  The school makes good use of the Year 7 catch-up funding. The extra money provides support and extra help both in and out of lessons for students who find reading difficult. They make up lost ground quickly. This supports and helps in many subjects where reading is key to their learning success.  Achievement in the sixth form is outstanding. Students have consistently achieved results in both

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The achievement of pupils is good

their academic and vocational courses that place them in the top 15 per cent of schools nationally. The achievement of sixth form students is very carefully monitored and support is quickly and effectively put in place for anyone who is under achieving. The result is that students progress very well in most of their A Level and vocational courses.  The progress of the small number of students educated off site is closely tracked and supported. Discussions involving the students, their teachers and college tutors ensure most are achieving well and are gaining the skills necessary to gain suitable employment or further training.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is of a good standard in all year groups and is rising, due to effective management initiatives and high quality staff training. Teaching is outstanding in the sixth form.  Teachers have high expectations of their students and create a positive learning environment where they are attentive, cooperative and can concentrate. Teachers plan lessons so that students are clear what they are going to learn and how they are expected to develop and consolidate their existing knowledge and understanding.  Teachers and teaching assistants work closely together to manage, support and guide students learning well so that they move from one activity to another quickly but at a pace appropriate to them.  In a great many lessons, teachers enable students of all levels of ability to make good progress. Teachers use their own good subject knowledge to ensure that their explanations are clear and so students know what is expected of them. Questioning is used well by teachers to help

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The quality of teaching is good

students think about the concepts they are studying and quickly identifies any misunderstanding.  Inspectors observed some highly effective teaching which encouraged rapid learning and a high standard of the quality and presentation of students’ work. For example, in a mathematics lesson in Year 13 where progress was outstanding, groups of students were engrossed in an activity to resolve equations and were absorbed in the challenge of finding the solutions to the problems. Their enthusiasm and commitment to their learning were clear as they all engaged with the activity fully.  A small minority of teachers do not plan tasks that provide a sufficient variety of challenge or support to match the wide range of abilities in their classes, particularly for the most able students. This results in these students occasionally finding the work too easy or too difficult.  Teachers’ marking and feedback to students, although very effective in some classes, lack

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The quality of teaching is good

consistency across the school. Not all teachers provide clear enough advice for students about how to further improve their work. Teachers do not always make sure that students follow up this advice by applying it and showing their teachers that they have understood.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of students is good. Students are polite, well-mannered and courteous towards each other and the adults that work with them. Inspectors were made to feel extremely welcome by all and were impressed by the warmth and openness showed to them by students during social time. There is a high level of mutual respect amongst all staff and students.  Behaviour in classrooms is good. Students’ attitudes to learning are generally positive in most lessons because teachers support, challenge and engage them in relevant activities. In a minority of cases, the presentation of work can be improved.  Students respond quickly to the requests of teachers and demonstrate good social skills when working in groups in the classroom or when moving around the school at lunch or break time. Behaviour is especially good in the dining room, where students queue in an orderly fashion before sitting to talk with friends.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Participation in a wide range of activities is a strong feature of students’ life at the school. They are keen to take part in drama, sport, visits to other countries and voluntary work in their community. Older students exhibit great maturity and empathy for others. The work of Year 13 students was recently celebrated in the Ilford Recorder when they raised £1300 for cancer research.  Exclusion levels have been high. This is because the school has very high expectations of the students and does not tolerate indiscipline. Behaviour is improving and exclusions are declining and attendance is at least in line with national averages. Students are punctual to lessons.  Attendance is rising because of the actions of the school. Students of particular concern to the school are targeted and supported to improve their own attendance. Rewards for good attendance play a key part in securing better attendance levels which are now broadly in line

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

with the national average.  The school’s work to keep students safe and secure is good. Students say that bullying is rare and they are confident that when it does happen, the school will address it robustly and an appropriate adult will deal with it well. Parents strongly agree with this view.  Students have a clear understanding of the different types of bullying and are very aware of the potential dangers of the internet and the use of mobile phones, and how to guard against these risks.  Students whose circumstances make them especially vulnerable are exceptionally well looked after by the school. After-school clubs, lunchtime events and additional home support all contribute to the safety of these students.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher, leaders and staff all embrace the same vision for the school. Actions to raise the performance of disadvantaged students have been implemented and are being pursued more rigorously this year. The positive impact of this work is already being seen and contributing to the good and improving standards in the school.  The senior leadership team, along with middle leaders and governors, all want the school to do well for their students, for them ‘to do better and be the best they can be’. Together they have the passion, drive, ability and ambition to improve the school further.  Middle leaders have a good understanding of their responsibilities and are effective in providing good support for the development of their teaching teams. They are very aware that they are accountable to senior leaders and value the guidance they receive from them. Practices are well embedded and improved teaching is resulting in good levels of achievement.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school employs very effective methods for checking how well it is doing and for setting targets for improvements. School leaders know themselves well and are clear what steps they need to take to move the school forward.. Inspectors agreed with the school’s own judgements on the quality of teaching, behaviour and achievement. As a result, the school provides an education of good quality.  Teaching is led and managed well. The checks on the quality of teaching are both rigorous and robust. Teachers are set clear and demanding targets that relate to their performance and the achievement of the students they teach. Pay progression is clearly linked to the success of their students.  Checks on students’ progress are increasingly effective in tracking how successful students are, in providing appropriate support to those that need it and in securing at least good outcomes for them.  The school is fully committed to providing high quality professional development to its staff. Best

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The leadership and management are good

practices are shared within the school and with expertise from other schools.  The curriculum is good. School leaders tailor courses to meet the particular needs and aspirations of students. Opportunities are built into it to support literacy across many subjects and in all years. Equal opportunities and students’ spiritual, moral and social development are well catered for, with the chance for many to explore sensitive issues in a safe, secure environment. Provision in the sixth form provides appropriate learning pathways for students to go on to further education and employment.  Safeguarding meets statutory requirements. Arrangements for checking on the identities of all adults who have access to students are rigorous.  The support provided by the local authority has been very light touch and appropriate for the school’s needs. Mayfield clearly secures good outcomes and has shown that it has the capacity

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The leadership and management are good

to continue to improve rapidly in the near future.  The governance of the school:  Governors are committed to the school and provide good support and challenge for all school leaders. Their backgrounds give them a good breadth of skills and expertise to do this. They are knowledgeable about both educational and financial issues. A thorough understanding of the school’s performance data gives them an insightful understanding of its strengths and the areas where they must demand improvement. They have made it a priority for the school to ensure that disadvantaged students are as successful as their peers in the school and that all appropriate funding secures this goal. There is a good awareness of how the pupil premium funding is spent and the impact this is having on outcomes. Governors have a good knowledge of the quality of teaching. They ensure that the performance management targets set for all staff, including the headteacher, are aligned with the school improvement plan and

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The leadership and management are good

their success measured in terms of student progress linked to pay progression. They execute their safeguarding responsibilities well. Governors are very excited about the next stage of the school’s life as it prepares to take on its new buildings and increase in size.

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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 102858 Local authority Redbridge Inspection number 440971

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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 Comprehensive School category Foundation 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 1465 Of which, number on roll in sixth form 288 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair David Backhouse Headteacher Andrew Rehling Date of previous school inspection 28–29 September 2010 Telephone number 02085905211 Fax number 02085975729 Email address admin@mayfieldschool.net 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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