Setting

Mr Christopher Hilton Headteacher Harborne Academy Harborne Road Edgbaston Birmingham B15 3JL

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Requires improvement: monitoring inspection visit to Harborne Academy

Following my visit to your academy on 22 September 2014, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. Thank you for the help you gave me and for the time you made available to discuss the actions you are taking to improve the academy since the most recent section 5 inspection.

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Requires improvement: monitoring inspection visit to Harborne Academy

The visit was the first monitoring inspection since the academy was judged to require improvement following the section 5 inspection in April 2014. It was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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Requires improvement: monitoring inspection visit to Harborne Academy

Senior leaders, governors and the sponsor are taking effective action to tackle the areas requiring improvement identified at the recent section 5 inspection. The academy should take further action to:

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Requires improvement: monitoring inspection visit to Harborne Academy

 evaluate the use of the pupil premium funding by commissioning an external review of this spending.

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Evidence

During the inspection, I met with you, members of your senior leadership team, three members of the governing body and a representative of the sponsor, Birmingham Metropolitan College, to discuss the action taken since the last inspection. I made short visits to a number of classrooms with you and spoke to students. Additionally, I evaluated the academy’s development plan, reviewed documentation related to students’ achievement, safety and wellbeing, and the academy’s arrangements to manage the performance of teachers. Serco Inspections Colmore Plaza 20 Colmore Circus Queensway Birmingham B4 6AT T 0300 123 1231 Text Phone: 0161 6188524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Direct T : 0121 6799154 Direct email : aidan.dunne@serco.com

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Context

Since the previous inspection, an interim Chair of the Governing Body has been appointed following the retirement of the previous leader. The sixth form opened on the academy site in September 2014.

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Main findings

As the headteacher, you are driving improvements and making changes to leadership and staff roles and responsibilities.

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Main findings

The academy’s records show that improvements to teaching are beginning to make a difference to students’ achievement. These records also show that students supported by the additional pupil premium funding are now making progress that is nearer to that of their classmates than has been the case in the past. You have evaluated how well this additional funding has been spent.

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Main findings

2014 GCSE results were variable. Students’ achievement in mathematics improved on the previous year’s results and those students supported by the pupil premium funding made more progress than their peers in this subject. However, results in English were weak and teachers’ predictions for students’ achievement were not met. An appropriate plan of action is in place to tackle this and other weaknesses in the subject.

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Main findings

Leaders are now gathering a wider range of evidence to decide on the quality of teaching, which takes more account of how quickly students are making progress. The management of teachers’ performance is now more rigorously linked to how students achieve and training for teachers are linked to the academy’s improvement priorities. Leaders are taking decisive action where the impact of teachers’ performance is of a concern.

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Main findings

The sponsor has a good understanding of the academy’s strengths and weakness and is providing increased levels of challenge to you and other leaders. Governors have responded to some of the issues raised at the previous inspection. An external review of governance has been completed and governors are awaiting the final report which you have agreed to send to me by email. Governors and the sponsor have acted on the initial findings, such as introducing ‘link’ governors to different aspects of the academy’s work and consulting on restructuring the governing body. However, an external review of how well the pupil premium funding is being spent has not been commissioned. This must take place as soon as possible and a copy of the report also sent to me by email.

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Main findings

Ofsted may carry out further visits and, where necessary, provide further support and challenge to the academy until its next section 5 inspection.

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External support

Bartley Green Teaching School is providing support to the academy in relation to developing leadership in the English department and to support colleagues in that department with improving teaching and the curriculum. This is at an early stage and so it is too soon to comment on the impact. You are also working with other headteachers on a project to review each other’s schools.

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External support

Colleagues from the sponsor have successfully supported leaders to develop the sixth form provision and continue to provide teaching expertise in key subjects.

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External support

I am copying this letter to the Chair of the Governing Body, the Director of Children’s Services for Birmingham local authority and as below.

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Her Majesty’s Inspector

cc: The Education Funding Agency; the DfE Academies Advisers Unit

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