Chingford Foundation School

School report Chingford Foundation School

p.1

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 Outstanding 1

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders and governors, through careful strategic planning, have improved the school over a number of years and are committed to making it even better.  The sixth form is outstanding. The curriculum matches the needs of the students extremely well and they make substantial and sustained progress. This has led to rapid improvement in outcomes.  The majority of students make good progress throughout the school and achievement in English is particularly strong. Levels of attainment have been rising steadily.  Teaching has improved steadily and is good. High- quality support and robust systems for performance management have aided this.  The behaviour of students in lessons and around school is good. Students conduct themselves well and show respect for each other and staff.  Outstanding systems for safeguarding and a deep commitment from staff mean that students are very well catered for and are kept extremely safe. This

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

care and support have created a harmonious and inclusive school community.  The Executive Principal also leads another secondary school and, together with other leaders, has provided effective support for a primary school. This demonstrates a firm commitment to the betterment of outcomes beyond Chingford Foundation School.

p.1

It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There is inconsistency in the quality of marking across the school. Students are not always provided with feedback that aids their learning or challenges their understanding.  In some subjects, including mathematics, disadvantaged students do not make as much progress in comparison as other students in the school or those nationally.  In a few lessons, some students are not always fully engaged in their learning and this sometimes limits the progress they make.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited 36 lessons and six of these observations were conducted jointly with the school’s leadership team. Inspectors made a number of shorter visits to lessons to help evaluate particular aspects of teaching.  Discussions were held with the Executive Principal, senior and middle leaders, and a range of other staff. Inspectors held interviews with different groups of students and spoke informally with students throughout the inspection. A meeting was held with the Chair of the Governing Body and the Chair of the multi-academy trust to which the school belongs.  Inspectors took account of 84 responses to Parent View and the views of 83 staff who responded to the staff questionnaire.  The inspection team scrutinised a wide range of documentation about students’ achievement, attendance, behaviour and safety. Inspectors looked at the school’s evaluation of its own performance, the five-year

p.2

Information about this inspection

plan for future improvement, anonymised records of performance management, records relating to the quality of teaching, minutes of the governing body and those of the multi-academy trust.

p.2

Inspection team

Sai Patel, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 Chingford Foundation School converted to become an academy school on 1 September 2012. When the predecessor school, also called Chingford Foundation School, was last inspected, it was judged to be good overall. This was the first inspection of the school since it became an academy.  The school is part of a multi-academy trust, Chingford Academies Trust. The trust sponsors one other secondary school and provides support to a primary school.  The school is larger than the average-size secondary school.  The school has specially resourced provision for students with special educational needs. This supports students with speech, language and communication needs. The provision is integrated into the school and caters for 25 students.  The proportion of students from minority ethnic groups is slightly higher than the national average, with small proportions of students from a variety of minority ethnic backgrounds. The proportion of students

p.3

Information about this school

who speak English as an additional language is higher than the national average.  The proportion of disabled students and those with special educational needs is broadly in line with the national average.  The proportion of students known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which is additional government funding provided for disadvantaged students, is in line with the national average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for students’ attainment and progress.  The school uses no alternative provision.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Provide greater consistency between and within subjects and in the achievement of disadvantaged students by:  improving the quality of marking in a range of subjects so that students receive high-quality feedback to extend their learning  ensuring that all teachers engage students fully to deepen their knowledge and understanding  reducing any variability in teaching in some subjects, such as mathematics.  Further develop students’ attitudes so that the students take greater responsibility for advancing their own learning.

p.3

The leadership and management are good

 The Executive Principal, directors of the multi-academy trust, and governors provide strong leadership, and a clear vision which is shared by all staff. Strong relationships at all levels lead to a safe, caring and calm school community. Careful strategic planning has led to continuous and sustained improvement over a number of years, and this is most evident in the sixth form.  The school has a detailed approach to monitoring the quality of teaching. Tailored training, focused on improving teaching, meets the needs of staff. Systems for reviewing the performance of teachers are robust and linked directly to students’ outcomes. Only when teachers meet these stringent targets is teaching rewarded, and this has contributed to the steady improvement of the school. Leaders do not shy away from tackling weak teaching and provide support where it is required. Teachers who have qualified recently are positive about the school and receive good support based on individual need. Staff are

p.4

The leadership and management are good

overwhelmingly positive about the school and are proud to be part of it.  The school has reorganised its systems for line management and has focused on increasing the effectiveness of its middle leaders. The impact of this is already evident in rapid improvements in many areas. The school provides targeted training specific to middle leaders and they are very positive about the support they receive from senior leaders. Middle leaders recognise the strengths of the school and can identify future areas of development accurately. Detailed and well-considered plans for development show their contribution to the sustained improvement of the school.  Challenging academic targets for students are set by the school and their progress toward achieving these reviewed frequently. Students speak positively about the guidance and support they receive and say it helps them to improve their work. The school presents information and data in a clear and simple way,

p.4

The leadership and management are good

and this allows teachers and leaders at all levels to identify and tackle any underperformance quickly.  The school recently changed the curriculum with a view to deepening students’ understanding and increasing their achievement. All students study religious studies at Key Stages 3 and 4. A range of other activities throughout the year serves to enhance the curriculum beyond purely academic pursuit. These include the ‘enhancement week’ and a wide range of after-school clubs that promote participation in the arts and sport. The ‘Beyond Horizons’ programme caters for more able students and includes a range of additional activities such as learning Latin and visits to universities. The sixth form curriculum is highly effective and sixth form students are required to participate in sport every week.  A range of events and activities helps students to make informed choices about the next steps in their

p.4

The leadership and management are good

careers. In Year 11, somestudents undertake a period of work experience and this develops their employability skills and understanding about the world of work. Students are able to access guidance from an independent careers adviser. Guidance in the sixth form is very strong.  The curriculum helps to develop students’ understanding of equality, tolerance and respect. This prepares them for life in modern Britain and is evident in the respect they show for each other, staff and visitors. The school is careful to ensure that all students have equality of opportunity and, where required, provides additional resources to enable this. The school tackles any form of discrimination swiftly.  Pupil premium funding provides a wide range of support to increase the learning and achievement of disadvantaged pupils. Leaders are clear about the use of the funding and gaps in achievement are closing. The impact of spending is evident most clearly in English; in 2014, disadvantaged students made better

p.4

The leadership and management are good

progress than other students nationally. In mathematics, a gap remains. Leaders recognise this as a priority, and have put in place a range of strategies to address this, but it is too early to see the impact of these actions.  Leaders have used Year 7 catch-up funding well to support students who join the school with the lowest starting points. A range of targeted support means that a large majority of these students make progress in literacy and numeracy in line with their peers through the course of the year.  Leaders monitor attendance well and record appropriately the small number of instances where students are educated off site for short periods of time.  The school’s evaluation of its own performance closely matched inspection findings. Leaders are able to identify clearly the strengths of the school and areas for further development. Well-founded evidence underpins their view and their conclusions were astute and accurate.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 Parents and carers are very positive about the school. The very large majority of those that responded to the Parent View questionnaire would recommend the school to others.  Staff views are also very positive. The overwhelming majority understand the goals of the school and believe it to be well led and managed.  The Chingford Academies Trust provides effective and efficient support in a variety of ways, including the management of finance, personnel, health and safety, and premises.  The school meets statutory requirements for safeguarding.  The governance of the school:  Governors provide strong support for the leadership of the school. Detailed reports provided by the Executive Principal inform them of the performance. Briefings on the quality of teaching supplement this information. Governors ask insightful questions of school leaders and hold them to account for their actions.  Governors are able to interpret data accurately and this enables them to identify strengths and areas for

p.4

The leadership and management are good

future development. Governors are aware of the recent gains made in the progress of disadvantaged students in English, and recognise the need for the mathematics to follow suit. The Chair of the Governing Body has elected to oversee the impact of pupil premium directly.  The governing body uses a wealth of information to support the performance management of staff. The governors have an accurate awareness of the quality of teaching and speak positively about improvements in it over time. They are cognisant of the actions taken by leaders to address weak teaching and support offered to individual teachers.  Governors are right to be proud of the inclusive ethos of the school. They are passionate about the welfare and safety of students and have received up-to-date training on safeguarding.

p.5

Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Students conduct themselves well around the school and established routines mean that they settle quickly in lessons. In general, attitudes to learning are good and students readily engage with their learning. However, in a small number of instances, a few students do not engage as fully as they could in their learning and this limits their progress.  The school environment is well maintained and there are no signs of litter.  The school deals with instances of errant behaviour swiftly. Information provided by the school shows a significant decline in the number of negative incidents and this is a result of the introduction of new systems for managing behaviour.  Attendance has improved steadily over a number of years and is now above the national average. Persistent absence follows a similar pattern and is below the national average. Current attendance data show that this trend is likely to continue.

p.5

Behaviour

 The very large majority of parents and carers who contributed to Parent View and all of the staff who completed the questionnaires support the view that behaviour is well managed.

p.5

Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding.  Systems for safeguarding and safer recruitment are meticulous, methodical and effective. Analysis of several case studies demonstrates the extraordinary lengths taken by the school to keep vulnerable students safe at all times. A wide range of staff supports the well-being of students and staff work extremely well with external agencies to ensure a coherent approach to care.  Students have a very good awareness of the many different forms of bullying, including cyber bullying. Their awareness of wider issues around safety when using the internet is particularly strong. External support from the police and fire service has increased students’ ability to stay safe outside of school. Students know how to report bullying, and other issues around safety, to adults and are secure in the knowledge that staff will respond effectively to their concerns.

p.5

Safety

 A very large majority of those parents and carers who expressed a view on how the school deals with bullying on Parent View believed the school to be effective in its actions. An even greater proportion agreed that students were safe at this school.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching over time is good and not yet outstanding because too much variation exists in some subjects.  In the best lessons, careful planning and strong subject knowledge of the teacher mean that the needs of all students are catered for. Careful questioning challenges students and they make rapid gains in their skills, knowledge and understanding. However, this is not always the case and, in some lessons, some students do not make the progress they are capable of.  The quality of written feedback provided to students is variable. There are some examples of exemplary practice, such as in religious studies or English, where clear direction on how to improve allows students to extend their learning and they readily act upon this advice. However, the monitoring of the quality of marking is not consistent and this leads to variation in its impact on students’ learning across the school.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 The school promotes literacy well and inspectors observed students reading confidently in lessons. Numeracy is developing, although not with the same impact, and there are number of new initiatives to raise its profile. A wide range of support is in now in place to help individuals develop their skills, including sixth form students helping those in other year groups.  Support provided by teaching assistants is most effective when they support learning through differentiated activities developed through careful dialogue with teachers.  The school promotes the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of students very well. This is achieved through a wide range of different means, including all students undertaking religious studies. Outstanding teaching in this area means students have a strong awareness of the difference between right and wrong and a strong appreciation of other faiths and cultures. Their engagement in thought-

p.6

The quality of teaching is good

provoking discussion means that their learning extends well beyond the classroom.

p.6

The achievement of pupils is good

 From their average starting points, many students make good or better progress. Attainment is better than the national average and current data indicate continued improvement in the future.  The achievement of students is good, rather than outstanding, because the performance of disadvantaged students in some subjects still lags behind those of other students in the school and those nationally.  The progress made by disadvantaged students has improved over time, most notably in English, but less so in mathematics. In English, disadvantaged students make progress that is in line with their peers and achieve, on average, half a grade lower. They make better progress than non-disadvantaged students nationally and the grades they achieve are in line with national figures. In mathematics, disadvantaged students achieve, on average, a grade lower than other students in the school and half a grade lower

p.6

The achievement of pupils is good

when compared to students nationally.  Support for students with special educational needs, including those who access the specialist provision, and those who speak English as an additional language is personalised and effective. This means they make good progress in lessons. In English, they achieve in line with their peers, but less so in some other subjects, including mathematics.  Those who speak English as an additional language and those students from different ethnic backgrounds make progress in line with their peers.  The achievement of the most able students is good and has improved steadily over a number of years. It is most evident in the sixth form. An increasing number of lessons challenge the most able students to extend their learning and develop their own ideas. Leaders use data to identify and track the most able students from the point at which they enter the school, and the ‘Beyond Horizons’ programme caters well

p.6

The achievement of pupils is good

for their needs.  A range of activities to support literacy and numeracy in Year 7, provided through additional catch-up funding, means the progress of targeted students is improving steadily.  The school does not enter students early for examinations.

p.6

The sixth form provision is outstanding

 Students’ achievement in the sixth form has shown rapid improvement and is now outstanding. Disadvantaged students outperform their peers.  Students demonstrate mature and very positive attitudes to learning and are confident role models. They are ambitious, motivated and show a real willingness to develop their own learning and that of others. Sixth form students play an important role in the life of the school and are keen to be involved further. They are proud of their school and speak very highly of the support they receive from staff.  Teachers have in-depth knowledge of their subjects and are able to impart their enthusiasm on students through skilful questioning and mature dialogue. Written feedback to students on how they can improve is detailed and constructive.  Students make better than expected progress at AS and A level. Their attainment has also shown rapid improvement and the proportion achieving the highest grades is significant.

p.6

The sixth form provision is outstanding

 The academic curriculum meets the needs of the students exceptionally well. The combination of this curriculum with very good teaching, and the resulting high levels of achievement, is at the heart of why the sixth form is outstanding.  There is a wide range of activities to support students’ very strong personal development, including safety and healthy lifestyles. As a result, students are able to identify risk and are able to keep themselves safe. They take seriously their role in supporting younger students on similar matters.  Leadership and management of the sixth form are outstanding. Rigorous systems for tracking progress mean that support is in place quickly when required. A comprehensive range of advice and guidance provides students with clear information, and an increasing number gains a place at the most prestigious universities. Tracking of destinations is thorough and all students move on to employment, education or

p.7

The sixth form provision is outstanding

training. Induction into the sixth form is well structured and personalised dialogue means that students in Year 11 select courses appropriate for their future career.

p.7

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

p.8

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.

p.8

School details

Unique reference number 138691 Local authority Waltham Forest Inspection number 449251

p.9

School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.9

School details

Type of school Secondary School category Academy converter Age range of pupils 11–18 Gender of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 1,412 Of which, number on roll in sixth form 227 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Rosemary Chopin-John Executive Principal Mark Morrall Date of previous school inspection n/a Telephone number 020 8529 1853 Fax number 020 8506 3875 Email address contact@chingford.waltham.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 .

p.9

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.

p.10

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

p.10

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

p.10

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’.

p.10

School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.10