Setting

Mr N Thomas Principal Winton Community Academy London Road Andover SP10 2PS

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Winton Community Academy

Following my visit with Lesley Voaden, Additional Inspector, to your academy on 6 and 7 November 2014, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the inspection findings. Thank you for the help you gave during the inspection and for the time you made available to discuss the actions which have been taken since the academy’s previous monitoring inspection.

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Winton Community Academy

The inspection was the second monitoring inspection since the academy became subject to special measures following the inspection which took place in December 2013. The full list of the areas for improvement which were identified during that inspection is set out in the annex to this letter. The monitoring inspection report is attached.

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Winton Community Academy

Having considered all the evidence I am of the opinion that at this time:

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Winton Community Academy

The academy is making reasonable progress towards the removal of special measures.

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Winton Community Academy

The sponsor’s statement of action is now fit for purpose.

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Winton Community Academy

The academy may not appoint newly qualified teachers before the next monitoring inspection.

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Winton Community Academy

This letter and monitoring inspection report will be published on the Ofsted website. I am copying this letter and the monitoring inspection report to the Secretary of State, the Chair of the Governing Body, the DfE Academies Advisers Agency and the Director of Children’s Services for Hampshire.

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Additional Inspector

Tribal Kings Orchard, One Queen Street, Bristol BS2 0HQ T 0300 123 1231 Text Phone: 0161 6188524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Direct T 0117 311 5323 Direct email : suzy.smith@tribalgroup.com

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place in December 2013

Rapidly improve achievement so that students make consistently good or better progress across all subjects and at all levels, especially in English, by making sure that: - all leaders, managers and teachers collect accurate information and use it consistently to check students’ progress against their starting points and match it to the quality and consistency of teaching and learning - the progress of students eligible for pupil premium, disabled students and those with special educational needs is tracked and recorded accurately so that support can be targeted effectively - subject leaders and teachers understand what constitutes good and outstanding achievement, so that they can check students’ work correctly and predict accurately what each student is able to achieve. Improve the quality of teaching by: - eradicating low expectations so that leaders, teachers and students strive relentlessly for the best

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place in December 2013

- making sure that teachers use information about students’ different levels of abilities and needs to challenge all students and extend their thinking - planning ambitious, varied and exciting activities in all lessons to revive students’ interest in learning and allow them to improve their attitudes, gain confidence and self-esteem, and behave consistently well. Rapidly improve the effectiveness of leadership and management and governance by: - restructuring leadership at all levels so that roles and responsibilities match those required of senior and middle leaders and are focused strongly on raising achievement - reviewing the range and level of subjects offered for study at Key Stage 4 so that all students, particularly the most able, can reach their full potential - making sure that all senior leaders and leaders in charge of subjects regularly check the quality and consistency of teaching and know how to improve it

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place in December 2013

- making sure that the governing body has reliable and accurate information to check whether actions taken to improve performance are improving achievement.

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Evidence

During the two days inspectors observed 21 part-lessons, six of which were conducted jointly with senior leaders. The inspectors also conducted two walks around the academy, one with the Principal and one with the Regional Director for the sponsor, in which a number of lessons were visited for a short while. In lessons, inspectors talked with students and viewed their work. Inspectors held interviews with the Principal, senior leaders, groups of managers responsible for subject areas, teachers and groups of students. The lead inspector met with members of the governing body and the Regional Director for the Academies Enterprise Trust. Inspectors scrutinised documents including those showing information about the progress of students, the attendance figures, the training staff have undertaken and the impact of the use of the pupil premium money (funding allocated to provide extra support for those students who are disadvantaged). The single central record,

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Evidence

which confirms that safeguarding checks have been made on staff, was viewed and other arrangements for safeguarding were also examined. The lead inspector considered the revised statement of action from the sponsor, the academy development plan and action plans, and the self-evaluation document which the academy had prepared.

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Context

Since the previous monitoring visit there have been a significant number of changes in the teaching staff. A permanent Principal began in September 2014, replacing the interim arrangements which had existed since January 2014. A new part-time Assistant Principal also joined the academy with specific responsibility for the coaching and mentoring of teachers. Four members of the teaching staff have left and six new permanent teachers have joined. Three others are currently working in the academy on shorter contracts. The head of one pastoral team has left and has been replaced.

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Achievement of students at the school

The proportion of students who achieved five good GCSE grades in 2014, including English and mathematics, declined slightly when compared with 2013 results. The results were as leaders had predictedremaining stubbornly below the government’s floor targets (the minimum expected percentage of students who should attain these grades). These figures disguise the fact that attainment has risen; English rose slightly and mathematics rose by 11 percentage points and is now nearer national averages. However, in the majority of other subjects results were below national averages and this, together with the school’s early entry policy in English and mathematics, contributed to overall poor performance. Students also took a number of examinations which were not accredited towards GCSE. Girls did far better than boys. The proportion of Year 11 students who made reasonable progress in English has increased and is now close to the national average. The proportion of students who

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Achievement of students at the school

made reasonable progress in mathematics was similar to the previous year and is also in line with national averages. The proportion of students who made more than the progress typically found nationally in mathematics rose, and is now above national averages. This was as a result of considerable extra support given to the Year 11 students in English and mathematics.

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Achievement of students at the school

Those students who are eligible for support from pupil premium funding or who have special educational needs, did not attain well. However, they made better and faster progress in English and mathematics when compared to the previous year. Consequently, the gap between disadvantaged students and their peers has narrowed.

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Achievement of students at the school

Since September, leaders have introduced a new, more robust system which enables staff to have more information about individual students starting points and their expected rates of progress. This system requires staff to check the progress of students at regular intervals. As a result, staff identify and pinpoint underperformance more rapidly, providing extra support in a more timely manner. The system highlights the performance of groups of students including those who are supported by the pupil premium and those with special educational needs. This system is new and staff have had training in its use; while early indications are that students are making better progress, not all staff are using the new system to best effect in lesson planning.

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The quality of teaching

The quality of teaching has been a major priority for the academy and there is a genuine desire among staff to improve their practice. However, there is still too much inconsistency and there is not enough teaching that is good. In the more effective lessons, teachers provide activities and tasks which excite students’ curiosity and which challenge them to think. Through careful planning and consideration of the students’ known starting points, teachers structure the learning so that students make rapid progress. They use questioning skilfully and ongoing assessment aids learning. In a physical education lesson the teacher constantly assessed the rate of learning of individual students and deftly adapted the level of challenge for individuals and groups to ensure all made rapid progress.

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The quality of teaching

However, the academy is well aware that in too many lessons the rate at which students make progress is not fast enough. In these lessons, despite the introduction of a common format, planning remains weak with objectives being stated in terms of content rather than what students should be able to do by the end of the lesson. Teachers do not always use information about students’ prior attainment to match tasks sufficiently well to fit the needs of different groups. However, in mathematics in Years 10 and 11 teachers accurately identify work which individual students find difficult and then provide further individual support. A higher level teaching assistant confidently refreshed students’ understanding of decimals;they were then able to apply this successfully to a more difficult mathematical investigation.

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The quality of teaching

Nevertheless, in some other lessons students who need additional help are not given suitable written support or materials to help them with their learning. The academy is aware of this and has just begun to address this with help from a special educational needs consultant. Work in some classes, especially in the lower years, is not yet sufficiently challenging and does not stretch students’ thinking. In Year 7, although the Evolve curriculum is designed to introduce and support students on entry to the academy, at times the work repeats that done in primary schools.In lessons, although most teachers check for understanding, they do not always adapt the lessons quickly enough in order to move the learning on more rapidly.

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The quality of teaching

The academy has revised its marking policy and this is now more comprehensive. Marking is done regularly but teachers do not consistently give feedback which contains the next steps, nor are all students following up on the corrections. The presentation of work in books varies. The majority is very neat, well organised and underlined but work in others is scrappy, with doodles in the margins; at times this is not commented upon and so poor presentation persists.

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Behaviour and safety of students

Students report that behaviour in lessons has improved considerably. They state that on occasions there is still low-level misbehaviour by some students in lessons but that this has reduced considerably since September. They report that it is dealt with promptly and consistently by staff. They say that the Principal is always visible in the corridors, classrooms or playground and expects good behaviour and this has had a positive impact. The new behaviour system has reduced the number of incidents and there have been no exclusions this term. The system of isolation and altered hours has been used on a few occasions;the importance of learning and completing work when in this isolation is reinforced strongly. During the inspection, the vast majority of the students were polite, courteous, opened doors and spoke openly to the inspectors. In lessons, most wanted to learn and were interested in their subjects.

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Behaviour and safety of students

When lessons were not so engaging, a few showed less interest and were content to sit back and not contribute, although they didn’t cause low-level disruption.

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Behaviour and safety of students

Students feel safe within school and show a good awareness of e-safety. They report that any form of bullying is rare and is dealt with very quickly. The importance of regular attendance is stressed throughout the whole school, in assemblies and mentor periods and through posters and charts in classes and corridors. Attendance has increased and is now just above national expectations.

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The quality of leadership in and management of the academy

In the half term in which he has been in post, the Principal has built upon the foundations laid by the Interim Principal and has accelerated the rate of change. The academy has now begun to make more rapid progress in its journey. He has set a very clear direction, and is entirely focused upon improving achievement and ensuring that teaching is of a higher quality. He has a very accurate understanding of the academy’s strengths and weaknesses and how these need to be addressed.

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The quality of leadership in and management of the academy

The new senior leaders are taking a much more strategic role and are monitoring the quality of learning closely. They are regularly observing lessons, checking the work in books, scrutinising information about students’ progress and helping teachers to improve. They are fully supportive of the new Principal and are constantly seeking ways to improve the work of the academy. Their impact upon improvement is becoming more evident; their judgements on the part-lessons jointly observed matched the inspectors’ judgements.

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The quality of leadership in and management of the academy

Since September all but two of the middle leadership team are new to post and two more are set to join later this term. They are aware of their roles and responsibilities and have begun to check the work of their departments through examining books and information about students’ progress. They have produced detailed development plans and these are being used sensibly to measure progress. They are receiving coaching to help them develop their roles. And increase their effectiveness.However, given the number of new middle leaders and their relative lack of experience, it is not yet possible to make a full assessment of their impact.

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The quality of leadership in and management of the academy

The curriculum has been restructured at Key Stage 4. The introduction of new GCSE courses, such as triple award science, now allows more-able students to access higher-level qualifications. Most BTec courses have been replaced with GCSE options. A Foundation Learning Programme has been introduced for those students who need additional support, but this still allows curriculum access to GCSE courses. The timetable has also been altered to allow for more specialist teaching and there is a greater emphasis upon improving literacy skills. It is too early to judge the impact of this change.

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The quality of leadership in and management of the academy

The governing body is now receiving detailed and accurate information from the Principal and governors are asking far more challenging questions. Governors conscientiously check the academy is meeting the actions set in the development plan. Governors have also accessed more training to help develop their knowledge further. Governors appreciate the Principal’s comprehensive weekly bulletin to them and report that they find the information easily digestible. They are well aware that considerable challenges still remain and ensuring the academy recruits sufficient, effective teachers remains a major priority.

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External support

The Academies Enterprise Trust has provided effective support to the academy. Following the judgement at the first monitoring inspection it has now taken appropriate steps to ensure that the statement of action is fit for purpose.

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External support

The Academies Enterprise Trust Regional Director visits the academy regularly. He rigorously holds the Principal to account, has helped with the restructuring of the senior leadership team and is the Chair of the Governing Body committee which monitors the progress towards the academy action plans. The trust has conducted helpful reviews in English, mathematics and special educational needs and is giving valuable advice and assistance through consultants.

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External support

Considerable support for other subjects is also being provided by consultants and a neighbouring National Support School. This is providing induction and training for two newly qualified teachers employed by the academy. Other schools are also allowing staff to visit to observe good practice. The academy has plenty of useful support which is beginning to have an impact.

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