West Coventry Academy

Tile Hill Wood School and Language College Nutbrook Avenue, Coventry, CV4 9PW

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Sixth form provision Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Students’ achievement is good. They leave the school with GCSE results that are broadly in line with the national average. This represents good progress given their below-average starting points.  Teachers have high expectations. They know their students well and draw on good subject knowledge to plan lessons that challenge and engage all groups of students.  The progress of disabled students, those with special educational needs, those for who English is an additional language, and those who are disadvantaged, is good because of carefully tailored additional support.  Students’ behaviour is good. They are polite and courteous and there is a calm and purposeful atmosphere around school. Their positive attitudes in lessons help them to learn well.  Students feel safe and are proud of the way the school celebrates different cultures. They show a clear understanding and awareness of British values of respect and tolerance.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The curriculum matches students’ interests and abilities well. Students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted successfully through a number of subjects, and a variety of well- attended enrichment activities.  The sixth form is good. Students achieve well as a result of good teaching and their positive attitudes to learning. They are given good support and guidance and are well prepared for the next stage in their learning and for future employment.  The school is improving because the headteacher and members of the senior leadership team provide strong leadership. They have introduced changes which have brought about improvements in the quality of teaching and raised students’ achievement.  Governors are well informed about the quality of teaching and students’ progress and are increasingly challenging school leaders to do better.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Attainment and progress in mathematics are not yet as high as in English, because the tasks teachers set for students are sometimes too easy.  Some teachers do not give regular written feedback on how well students are doing or what they need to do to improve their work.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited 42 lessons to observe the progress and engagement of students. Eight of these observations were carried out jointly with members of the senior leadership team.  Other aspects of the school day were observed, including registration time, students’ behaviour at break, lunchtime and between lessons, and students’ arrival and departure from the school.  Inspectors reviewed the quality of the work in students’ books to judge the effectiveness of marking, the progress of students over time and the accuracy of the school’s assessment data.  Discussions were held with the headteacher, senior staff and subject leaders, and five groups of students. A meeting took place with the Chair of the Governing Body, and there was a discussion with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors reviewed a wide range of documents including: the school’s data on students’ progress; self-

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Information about this inspection

evaluation and improvement plans; training arrangements for teachers and other staff; checks on the quality of teaching; attendance records and behaviour logs; minutes of governing body meetings; documents relating to students’ safety; and documents relating to the management of teachers’ performance.  Inspectors took account of the views of the 30 parents and carers who responded to the online questionnaire, Parent View, and the 33 responses to the staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Ann Behan, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Tile Hill Wood School and Language College converted to become an academy school on 11 July 2011. When its predecessor school, Tile Hill Wood School and Language College, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good.  The school is a larger than the average-sized secondary school.  The majority of students are from White British backgrounds and over a quarter of the students are from other minority ethnic groups, the largest of which is of Pakistani heritage. Around a fifth of students speak English as an additional language. This is an above average proportion.  Just over a quarter of the students are supported by the pupil premium, which is similar to the national average. This is additional government funding for students who are known to be eligible for free school meals or who are looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of disabled students and those who have special educational needs is just under a fifth,

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Information about this school

which is similar to the national average.  There are 19 students who are working towards work-related qualifications offered by a number of alternative providers based in Coventry. They study at Henley College, Chamber Training Coventry and Warwickshire (CWT), Coombe Abbey, Belgrade Theatre, Learn2, Moor Farm Stables, and Heart of England Hair and Beauty.  The school is part of the West Coventry Sixth Form Consortium which includes Woodlands Academy and Westwood Academy.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for students’ attainment and progress by the end of Year 11.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching by making sure that all teachers mark students’ work regularly and frequently, tell them how to improve it, and check that they follow the advice given.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve students’ achievement in mathematics by making sure that all teachers use information from assessments to set tasks that are sufficiently challenging for students of different abilities.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher and the senior management team provide strong leadership and are well supported by all of the staff. Almost all responses to the staff questionnaires were positive. One member of staff commented, ‘The school team work well together to identify areas for improvement and continually strive to achieve the best possible outcomes for our young ladies.’

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The leadership and management are good

 Senior leaders know the school’s strengths and what needs to improve through their regular and rigorous checks of the school’s work. Their development planning is thorough and focuses on providing the best opportunities for all students. They have taken effective steps to address the dip in attainment in mathematics by providing additional training for staff and increasing support for individual and groups of students. Subject and team leaders are playing a greater part in monitoring the work of the school and are increasingly held accountable for the success of their areas of responsibility. The sixth form is well led and managed.

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The leadership and management are good

 The regular and systematic monitoring of the quality of teaching, supported by well-targeted training, has led to improvements in teaching and learning. Performance management systems have been revised and they are now rigorous and thorough. Pay awards are directly linked to the quality of teaching and students’ progress. This is having a positive impact on students' achievement.

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The leadership and management are good

 The use of additional funding received through the pupil premium and the Year 7 catch-up programme has been revised recently. Previously, pupils premium funding had been used to improve the pastoral support for eligible students and this improved their attendance and progress. However, in 2013, the gap between their attainment in GCSE examinations and other students in the school widened. There has been a change in emphasis and the school is now using the funding to provide additional teachers in English and mathematics with responsibility for disadvantaged students, for one-to-one teaching support, and for working with students in small groups. As a result, the gaps are starting to narrow, particularly in English.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school provides a wide range of courses that are well suited to the interests and abilities of students and reflect the school’s language college specialism. The school’s emphasis on improving literacy and numeracy skills ensures that students are ready for the next stage in their education. Partnerships with the local primary and secondary schools, colleges and universities, and good internal and external careers advice, are key strengths of the school and aid students’ progression at different times in their education. Almost all students are successful in moving to education or training at the end of Year 11, and almost all students leaving the sixth form go on to universities of their choice.

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The leadership and management are good

 Students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted successfully through a wide range of experiences in assemblies and in lessons. There are numerous clubs, cultural visits and educational trips to destinations in Europe, and exchanges with Japan, that are well attended by students. The school actively celebrates a range of cultures and religions, and promotes an understanding of the British values of tolerance and respect. It makes sure that all students have the same opportunities to take part in all aspects of school life. There is no evidence of discrimination.

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The leadership and management are good

 There is a very positive working relationship between the school and the local authority. The local authority has provided governors with a variety of training to help them fulfil their roles effectively.

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The leadership and management are good

 Arrangements for safeguarding are thorough. The school liaises well with providers of off-site and work- related courses, and closely checks the attendance, behaviour, safety and progress of the students who attend the alternative provision.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors have a good understanding of the quality of teaching and achievement in the school. They gain information through presentations and reports from the headteacher and other senior leaders, through visits to the school, and by talking to staff and to students.  Governors have received a wide range of training from the local authority so that they are able to perform their role successfully. They know how to use published data to compare the performance of the school against others nationally and are increasingly asking challenging questions to make sure that the headteacher and other leaders keep focused on improving standards.  Governors oversee the recently revised systems for performance management well. They make sure targets that are set are linked to the quality of teaching and students’ achievement, and that pay progression is linked to teachers’ success in meeting targets for students’ progress.

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The leadership and management are good

 Governors manage the finances of the school well. They are rigorous in making sure that the school gets best value when purchasing goods and services, and they have well thought-out plans for maintaining the fabric of the building. They look closely at how additional pupil premium and ‘catch-up’ funding are used and have a good understanding of how the additional funding is benefiting eligible students.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of students is good. There is a calm and purposeful atmosphere around school. Students are polite and friendly to one another and to adults. They look after the grounds and the building, and there is little evidence of litter or graffiti. Those students who attend alternative provision behave well.

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Behaviour

 Attitudes to learning are good. Students are punctual to lessons, arrive with the right equipment, respond positively and quickly to teachers’ requests, and collaborate well together. They take a pride in the presentation of their work and are keen to succeed. Sixth form students provide good role models for younger students.

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Behaviour

 The school has clear policies for dealing with inappropriate behaviour. Students said the systems that are in place are fair and that teachers manage behaviour well. They were very positive about the rewards system that has been introduced recently to celebrate good behaviour and attendance, and told inspectors that this has made a positive difference to the attitudes of students. This is reflected in the school’s tracking records, which show that the incidents of unacceptable behaviour have been reduced, as have the number of fixed-term exclusions.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep students safe and secure is good, both on the school site and at alternative provision. Students said that adults in school care for them well and that they are given good advice on how to stay safe. One student summed up their feelings by saying, ‘This is a friendly, supportive and safe school.’

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Safety

 Students value the information that they receive through assemblies and tutorials about healthy lifestyles and they know about the dangers of drugs and alcohol. They spoke knowledgeably about the dangers of the internet, use of mobile phones and social media, and explained how to stay safe when using them.

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Safety

 Students are clear about the different forms that bullying can take. They told inspectors that bullying rarely happens and that, on the few occasions that it does, it is dealt with promptly and effectively by staff. Students talk positively about the role of the anti-bullying ambassadors, who are students with special training to help other students who may be having difficulties. They are very proud of the way different cultures are celebrated and valued in the school.

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Safety

 Students’ attendance has improved recently and is now above average. The number of students who are persistent absentees has reduced because of the intensive support that the school has given to families of students with previously low attendance.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is typically good. Evidence from visiting lessons, from assessment data, and from looking at the quality of students’ work, shows that good teaching has helped all groups of students to achieve well.  Teachers in almost all subjects have high expectations and use accurate assessment information to plan activities that are at the right level for students’ different abilities. They give clear explanations and skilfully question students to check their understanding. Teachers adapt tasks and activities to challenge the most able students while ensuring that others get the support and help that they need.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching assistants are well deployed and work effectively with teachers to provide good support for individuals and groups of students. They make a valuable contribution to the learning of disabled students, those who have special educational needs, those for whom English is an additional language, and increasingly, those who are disadvantaged. They work on a one-to-one basis and help small groups in and outside of the classroom. Consequently, these students make progress that is at least in line with other students in school.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The teaching of reading has been a focus for development and there is a well-resourced library, the use of which is successfully promoted by the school librarian. Students read widely. In a Year 8 geography lesson on the Rain Forest and involving methods of research in the library, the teacher and librarian explained the advantages and disadvantages of using books and computers for different kinds of research. Students then collaborated well, in carefully arranged groups of different abilities, to find information. The teacher used very effective questioning to encourage students and deepen their understanding, and they responded with thoughtful and mature ideas which they were keen to share.

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The quality of teaching is good

 There are whole-school policies for literacy and numeracy which are having a positive impact across subjects. Increasingly students are provided with good opportunities to practise their writing skills and apply numeracy skills to problem solving.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Students are very positive about the quality of teaching that they receive. They appreciate the amount of extra time that teachers give them outside of lessons so that they are able to understand work and make good progress. One student said, ‘Teachers are enthusiastic and dedicated to helping us do our best.’

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The quality of teaching is good

 Most teachers use homework well to support and extend students’ knowledge and understanding.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Marking varies. At its best it gives clear guidance about what students need to do to improve and provides opportunities for students to reflect and respond to the teachers’ feedback and advice. However, this is not consistent across subjects or the school. Marking is particularly strong in English, art and modern languages. It is less effective in mathematics and science.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching in mathematics is not as strong as in English because, in some mathematics lessons, tasks are not always challenging enough. This has been an area for development, which is being addressed through staff training and sharing good practice. Teaching in mathematics is improving because of better use of assessment information and more detailed planning.

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is good

 Students join the school with attainment that is below the national average. In 2014, the proportion of students gaining five A* to C grades at GCSE including English and mathematics was in line with the national average. This was an improvement on the results in 2013. It represents good achievement given students’ starting points.

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is good

 The proportion of students attaining A* to C in English increased greatly in 2014, but the proportion in mathematics dipped slightly. Students’ progress in mathematics has not been as strong as that in English. Results in 2014 showed that more students made expected and better than expected progress in English than students nationally, while there was a dip in these portions in mathematics. The school has concentrated on improving the teaching of mathematics, and the school’s assessment data, and work in books, show that this is having a positive effect. Current Year 11 students are making good progress across all subjects and the gap between students’ progress in English and mathematics is narrowing.

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is good

 Students make good progress in modern languages, which is a specialism of the school. All students learn two languages at Key Stage 3, and almost all then go on to study at least one language at Key Stage 4. Results at GCSE show that students achieve well in relation to their starting points.

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is good

 The achievement of the most able pupils is good and is continuing to improve because staff plan more challenging tasks for this group of students. The progress of the most able has been stronger in English and modern languages than in mathematics and science. However, current information shows that their attainment is improving strongly across all subjects and the numbers gaining the highest grades is on an upward trend.

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is good

 Pupils who speak English as an additional language achieve well. Those at the early stages of learning English are provided with in-class support and are given very effective additional one-to-one teaching. As a result, they make rapid progress and quickly catch up their classmates.

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is good

 Disabled students and those who have special educational needs make good progress because teachers plan their work carefully and they are given extra support tailored to meet their particular needs. This good progress reflects the school’s success at promoting equal opportunities.

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is good

 The school does not currently enter students early for examinations.

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is good

 In 2013, in GCSE English, disadvantaged students were roughly one and a half grades behind their classmates and one grade behind other students nationally. In 2014, this narrowed to approximately one grade behind their classmates and a third of a grade behind other students nationally. In mathematics, in 2013, disadvantaged students were roughly one grade behind their classmates and one and a quarter grades behind other students nationally. In 2014, this gap widened to one and a third grades behind their classmates and one and a half grades behind students nationally . School assessments and work seen in books show that the gaps in both English and mathematics are narrowing for current Year 11, and across all other year groups. The progress of disadvantaged students is good because of the improved additional support that they are receiving.

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is good

 Students eligible for Year 7 catch-up support make good progress in developing their basic skills in numeracy and literacy because of the effective teaching and support that they receive. In 2014, school records show that these students made faster progress than their classmates.

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is good

 The Key Stage 4 students who study part time off-site make good progress because of good-quality, well- tailored provision.

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The sixth form provision is good

 Achievement in the sixth form is good for all groups of students as a result of good teaching and the positive attitudes of students. In 2013, students’ attainment at A level was average; it was below average at AS level. However, in 2014, although results declined slightly at A level, they were still roughly average, and, at AS level, results improved. This indicates students are making good progress in relation to their individual starting points. The work in students’ folders shows that this good progress is continuing.

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The sixth form provision is good

 Teaching is good. Teachers use their strong subject knowledge and enthusiasm to engage students fully in their learning. Teachers plan work well to cater for the different abilities across groups and subjects. This ensures that progress rates are similar for all groups, including disabled students, those who have special educational needs, and disadvantaged students.

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The sixth form provision is good

 The sixth form curriculum meets the requirements for 16-19 study programmes and equips students well for life after school. The school works in a consortium with two other local secondary schools to ensure that students have better opportunities to follow work-related options and have access to a wider choice of academic courses. The few students who enter the sixth form without at least a grade C at GCSE for English and mathematics are given good support to enable them to do well in their GCSE retake examinations.

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The sixth form provision is good

 Sixth formers have a high profile around the school and provide excellent role models for younger students. Their positive attitudes to their learning and mature behaviour set the tone for the rest of the school. Their attendance is good, and students contribute greatly to supporting the school’s activities by working alongside younger students as subject ambassadors, peer mentors and counsellors, and classroom assistants. They also support the local community by volunteering to work in local charity shops and primary schools.

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The sixth form provision is good

 Leadership of the sixth form is good. Monitoring and tracking systems check students’ progress and additional support is provided for any students who fall behind with their work. Students told inspectors that they appreciated the one-to-one meetings that they receive to check that they are keeping pace with other students in their groups, and to ensure they are on track to meet their target grades. The quality of careers information and guidance is good. An above-average proportion of students stay on to complete the courses they start. The vast majority who complete their courses go on to study at universities of their choice.

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The sixth form provision is good

 Students value the advice and guidance that they are given about keeping themselves safe in a range of situations.

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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 failing

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Grade Judgement Description

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 137209 Local authority Coventry Inspection number 448620

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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 11–19 Gender of pupils Girls Gender of pupils in the sixth form Girls Number of pupils on the school roll 997 Of which, number on roll in sixth form 186 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Roger Moore Headteacher Gina O'Connor Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 024 76426200 Fax number 024 76426203 Email address thwinfo@thw.coventry.sch.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 and 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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