Setting

David Hooker Principal Djanogly City Academy Gregory Boulevard Nottingham NG7 6ND

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Djanogly City Academy

Following my visit with Nigel Bragg, Her Majesty’s Inspector, Neil Gillespie, Additional Inspector, and David Martin, Additional Inspector, to your school on 2–3 December 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 Djanogly City Academy

The inspection was the third monitoring inspection since the academy became subject to special measures following the inspection, which took place in November 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 Djanogly City Academy

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

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Djanogly City Academy

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

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Djanogly City Academy

Having considered all the evidence, I am of the opinion that the academy may appoint NQTs.

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Djanogly City 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 and to the Academy Advisers Unit at the Department for Education. I am also copying this letter to the Chair of the Governing Body, the Director of Children’s Services for Nottingham and to the Education Funding Agency. 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 679 9169 Direct email :mathew.mitchell@serco.com Yours sincerely

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place in November 2013

 Make teaching consistently good or better by ensuring that: − teachers show consistently high expectations of what all students can achieve in lessons through always insisting on the highest standards of work and behaviour − lessons proceed at a suitably brisk pace so that students can learn quickly − assessment data are used consistently across all year groups, including in the sixth form, to match work to the learning needs of all students, including the most able and those who find learning difficult − questioning is used to provide challenge to students, so that they are able to think deeply and make more rapid gains in their knowledge and understanding − teachers mark students’ work regularly to give clear advice about how to improve it, and provide enough time for students to respond.

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place in November 2013

 Raise achievement throughout the academy, and particularly in English, mathematics and science, so that standards are at least in line with national averages by: − rigorously checking in lessons that all students are making accelerated progress, especially students supported through pupil premium funding, disabled students and those who have special educational needs − ensuring that all sixth-form students are placed on courses that match their levels of ability.

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place in November 2013

 Improve behaviour and attendance by: − setting clear and consistent expectations for students’ behaviour and conduct − ensuring that all students engage fully in learning in lessons − providing more effective support for students at risk of exclusion − reducing rates of absence and particularly the number of students who are persistently absent by working closely with their families to raise awareness of the importance of full attendance.

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place in November 2013

 Strengthen the effectiveness and impact of leadership, by ensuring that: − a permanent headteacher is appointed as soon as possible to lead the development of the academy − the progress teachers make towards the individual targets set to improve their skills is checked rigorously − all those responsible for leading and managing subjects are appropriately skilled and have a good impact on improving achievement, teaching and behaviour − the progress made by different groups of students is checked accurately across all subjects so that teachers can use this information to help speed up their learning − academy policies in relation to managing students’ behaviour are put into practice consistently.

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place in November 2013

 Ofsted will make recommendations for action on governance to the authority responsible for the school. An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

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Evidence

Inspectors evaluated the academy’s progress, drawing on evidence gathered at both sites, Gregory Boulevard and Sherwood Rise. Inspectors observed parts of 22 lessons, the majority of which were observed jointly with members of the senior leadership team. Inspectors held meetings with the Principal and other members of the senior leadership team, to discuss the impact of the changes they have introduced since September. Inspectors also met with four groups of students and spoke to other students in classes and during break and lunch times. Inspectors scrutinised a sample of students’ workbooks. Inspectors analysed a range of academy documentation including: the academy’s improvement plan; records of monitoring the quality of teaching; bullying and exclusion records; and other records relating to child protection referrals. Inspectors considered the 67 responses from academy staff to Ofsted’s questionnaire. There were no responses to Parent View,

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Evidence

Ofsted’s online survey for parents, for inspectors to consider at this inspection.

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Evidence

At the same time as this inspection, one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors conducted a survey visit to evaluate the quality of impartial and independent advice and guidance at the academy. This is the guidance students should receive in order for them to make informed choices about their next stages in education, employment or training.

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Context

There have been a number of significant changes since the last monitoring inspection in June 2014. Djanogly Learning Trust has entered into a formal agreement with the Torch Academy Gateway Trust (TAGT), to support improvements in the academy over the next three years.

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Context

The sponsor has appointed an entirely new leadership team to lead the academy. This includes a new Principal and senior leadership team. Two senior leaders now have oversight for the well-being of students on the academy’s two main sites. Other senior leaders have responsibility for tracking achievement and for improving the quality of teaching. The sponsor has appointed a new chair of governors, along with five other governors, to strengthen this area of the academy’s leadership.

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Context

A significant number of teaching and support staff left the academy last term. A number of these posts have been filled, but the academy still has a proportion of temporary teachers in many departments. The leader with responsibility for disabled students or those who have special educational needs (SENCO) also left last term. This role is now divided between two members of staff, with the Principal retaining oversight, until a new coordinator can be appointed. The academy sponsor took the decision to discontinue post-16 academic provision this year. There are 19 students studying hairdressing and barbering at the Sherwood Rise site.

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Achievement of pupils at the school

Achievement declined in 2014, with the academy falling below the government’s current floor standard. Just 30% of students achieved the benchmark of five GCSE qualifications, including English and mathematics. While the progress students made in English was close to the national average, it was well below this in mathematics. Similarly, achievement in science was inadequate. Only 26% of students left the academy with two GCSE qualifications in science subjects at a grade C or above. This represented poor progress from their starting points.

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Achievement of pupils at the school

Post-16 students also failed to make adequate progress last year. This was as a direct result of the poor guidance they received, resulting in many of them choosing qualifications to which they were unsuited. A third of the students who started in Year 12 completed the year with no qualifications at all.

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Achievement of pupils at the school

The new academy leadership team have acted swiftly to secure rapid improvements to achievement across the academy. The school day is longer, with more time spent on learning. The timetable has been adjusted to ensure the current Year 11 students benefit from the best teaching in the school. Leaders have prioritised the completion of controlled assessments in English and identified gaps in learning across the core subjects. Students in Year 11 have taken a ‘mock’ examination, which was externally moderated. This shows that achievement for this year group is now on track to improve strongly.

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Achievement of pupils at the school

Progress across the rest of the academy is also improving, because leaders are taking effective action to challenge weak teaching. Evidence from lesson observations and from students’ work demonstrates that students are making better progress than last year. However, this is from relatively low starting points, and they have a lot of ground to make up. Many students have weak literacy skills and this is acting as a significant barrier to their making rapid progress.

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The quality of teaching

The quality of teaching across the academy is highly variable. A significant minority of teaching is inadequate, and leaders have put in place effective strategies to support and challenge these teachers. However, there are examples of effective practice in each department, and leaders have been able to utilise this to target priority groups and therefore ensure that achievement improves.

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The quality of teaching

Leaders have established high expectations for teachers and students based on a vision of ‘Achievement. No excuses’. Consequently, the majority of teachers are now responding well to the support that it is place and have improved their planning and assessment practice. Most teachers mark books following the new school assessment policy. Some departments, such as mathematics, have developed a consistent approach to the application of this policy and teachers provide helpful guidance to students.

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The quality of teaching

Where effective practice is evident, teachers are planning work that is at a broadly appropriate level for their students. However, it is not yet finely tuned enough to meet the needs of all groups in classes, for example, those of more able students. Teachers have better access to and understanding of assessment data and effective teachers are using it well to ensure students make good progress over time.

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The quality of teaching

Where practice is less effective, teachers do not focus enough on what they want students to learn. Students complete a series of activities without clearly understanding what skills, knowledge or understanding they are trying to develop. Some teachers still anticipate poor behaviour, and so limit the amount of time students can talk and collaborate with each other. This prevents students with limited English from developing their speaking and listening skills. Teachers do not yet have the expert knowledge to support the development of students’ literacy skills. This is preventing many students from either accessing subject-specific information or from demonstrating what they do know in written responses.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Leaders have prioritised improving behaviour, attendance and punctuality, which has had a marked improvement on the atmosphere and culture of the academy. The academy is a calm, orderly environment and students report that incidences of poor behaviour in lessons are now much less common.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Students follow well the academy rules on movement around the corridors. This has stopped the previous scuffles and arguments that could erupt between lessons. The vast majority abide by the new rules, such as removing their coats inside and keeping their shirts tucked in. They speak respectfully to each other and to adults. Punctuality at the start of the day has significantly improved. Leaders have introduced an 8.25 ‘holding room’ for latecomers, with immediate sanctions. This has more than halved the number of students not getting in on time. Punctuality to lessons and readiness for learning are also high profile and teachers are vigilant in making sure this happens. While there remain a few stragglers at the start of each lesson, they are now in a definite minority.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Behaviour in lessons no longer impedes learning. The vast majority of students at the academy want to learn and will not tolerate their learning being disrupted by others. They listen well in lessons and respond quickly to instructions from teachers. However, their work in books does not fully reflect these positive attitudes to learning. The presentation and completion of their work can be poor, as teachers do not yet consistently demand the best from them.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Attendance at the time of this inspection was 92%, which is well below the average for secondary schools. Significantly, one of the reasons for this is the very high rate of fixed-term exclusions since September. Leaders insist on high standards of behaviour and take a ‘zero-tolerance’ approach to violence or harassment. Twenty percent of students have received exclusion since September – although for most, this was a one-off event.

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The quality of leadership in and management of the school

The new academy leadership team have brought about significant, rapid improvement across the academy. The Principal’s single-minded, resolute drive to secure a good education for all underpins everything they do.

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The quality of leadership in and management of the school

Leaders have very quickly established the scale of improvement that is needed. They have established accurate systems for recording attendance, punctuality, behaviour incidents, bullying and child protection concerns. From these, they have identified students and families who need more support. They liaise very closely with alternative providers to ensure students who use them attend and achieve there. Leaders monitor teaching very closely, and teachers are in no doubt they will now be held to account for the effectiveness of their practice.

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The quality of leadership in and management of the school

The effectiveness of subject leaders remains variable, largely because of changes to staffing at this level. The heads of the mathematics department are creating consistent approaches to planning and assessment, which is starting to build better practice across this subject. Leadership in English and science is at an earlier stage of development.

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The quality of leadership in and management of the school

Leaders understand that insufficient guidance and advice have been given to students in the past in order for them to make informed decisions about their future. There is no overarching strategy in place by which to raise students’ aspirations and inspire them to consider a range of available options.

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The quality of leadership in and management of the school

The sponsor has taken action to strengthen governance by appointing people who have the skills to hold leaders to account. The new chair of governors understands his role well. He makes unannounced visits to the academy, and observes students when they are learning and at social times. Other governors are also now gaining an independent view of the academy’s work. Governors have identified the information they need to check that the academy is improving quickly.

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External support

Academy leaders are well supported by Torch Academy Gateway Trust (TAGT) and adopt the school improvement process of the wider Trust group of schools. For example, TAGT progress boards for English, mathematics, science and humanities provide external support and moderation of teacher assessment in these subjects. This supports leaders in securing an accurate picture of achievement. The wider group of schools also offers the academy access to networks for subject leaders and teachers. This will enable them to share and learn from practice elsewhere.

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Priorities for further improvement:

 develop an academy-wide strategy for improving literacy to include training for all teachers and support staff  ensure that governors closely monitor the use of exclusions and work with leaders to ensure that vulnerable students are supported and the rate of exclusions reduces over the next two terms.

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