Haberdashers' Crayford Academy

School report Haberdashers' Aske's Crayford Academy Iron Mill Lane, Crayford, Bexley, DA1 4RS

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of Students Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Achievement of Students Good 2 Early years provision Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and students

 Most students who have been with the academy for more than two years make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. The progress of those students who joined from Slade Green Junior School in September 2013 is improving.  Progress improves as students pass through the academy.There is stronger progress in Year 10 and Year 11. Attainment in these year groups is high and rising in numerous subjects.  Teaching is typically good across the academy. Most teachers are ambitious. They help students understand clearly what they are supposed to learn.  Students enjoy the activities and opportunities for learning that the academy provides. As a result, they want to come to school and work hard.  Students with special educational needs learn well at this academy because they are confident, well supported and as ambitious as other students.  Most students behave well in this school. They respect each other and the adults that help them

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Summary of key findings for parents and students

learn. They feel safe and have no worries about any type of bullying.  Leaders within the academy work hard to develop students into confident and motivated young people who value education and respect their communities.  The Local Governing Body understand this academy well. They challenge and hold leaders to account so that the academy continues to improve.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There is not enough outstanding teaching in the academy. A small proportion of the teaching requires improvement.  Students who are able to learn faster are too often not given work that is hard enough for them.  The advice that teachers give students to help them improve their work does not help enough students across the academy.  Leaders do not always focus clearly enough on how well students make progress in lessons when they judge the quality of teaching and give advice to teachers about improving learning,

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching in 41 lessons and parts of lessons. These included joint observations with senior leaders, and observations of students receiving additional support. In addition, the inspection team examined students’ work in their books and listened to students read.  Meetings were held with groups of students, the members of the Local Governing Body, senior leaders and middle leaders.  Inspectors took account of the 74 parents’ responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View), discussions with parents as they brought their children to school, responses to staff questionnaires and conversations with staff.  Inspectors observed the academy’s work and looked at documentation, including policies and improvement plans relating to staff development, students’ achievement, teaching, the curriculum, behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Mehar Brar, Lead inspector Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 Since the last inspection the academy has grown from 360 students to 1,432 students. This is due mainly to the take-over of Slade Green Junior School in September 2013, which had been judged as requiring improvement when inspected in July 2013. Inspectors observed the academy’s work and looked at documentation, including policies and improvement plans relating to staff development, students’ achievement, teaching, the curriculum, behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.  The academy operates over two sites, one at Crayford and the other at Slade Green. It is overseen by a Local Governing Body.  The academy is expanding in line with its originally planned growth. In this academic year the academy has its first group of Year 11 students. Plans to offer sixth-form provision from September 2015 at the Crayford site are well advanced.  Students are sometimes taught in single-sex groups in the secondary phase.

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Information about this school

 The majority of students are White British. The remainder come from a wide range of backgrounds, the largest being those of Black African, other White and Traveller heritages.  The academy has a lower number of girls compared to other schools nationally. There are fewer girls than boys in most year groups.  The proportion of students supported through the pupil premium (additional government funding for students known to be eligible for free school means and children who are looked after) is much higher than that seen in other schools nationally.  The academy offers resourced provision for students who have autistic spectrum disorder. Several other students have a statement of special educational needs relating to speech, language and communication, moderate learning difficulties, or emotional and behavioural difficulties.  The proportion of students with English as an additional language is above the national average.

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Information about this school

 The proportion of students who join and leave this academy at times other than the start of the year is similar to other schools nationally.  Four students are educated for some of their time with three different off-site providers; one at North West Kent Alternative Provision Service, two at Breakthrough Education and one at Pathways Short Stay School.  Students’ attainment and progress at the end of Key Stage 2 in 2014 meet the government’s floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The academy shares its site with a local authority children’s centre, which was not included in this inspection.  The academy provides a breakfast club on both sites.

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What does the academy needs to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching from good to outstanding so that more students make outstanding progress and all teaching in the school is at least good by:  making sure that pupil-progress measures are more clearly and rigorously used to check how well students are learning  ensuring that teachers provide suitably difficult work for those students who can learn faster so that they make the best progress possible  extending the advice that teachers give students to improve their work across the whole academy, so that all students are able to learn more deeply and more quickly  provide teachers with feedback about the quality of their teaching that helps them understand how they can adopt suitable measures to ensure that student progress can be increased.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher leads by example. His belief in making this academy the best it can be is echoed by leaders at all levels. He has developed a highly committed staff team, the vast majority of whom were very positive in their feedback about how leaders help them to give their best. A shared sense of determination helps everybody believe that they can succeed through hard work and by working together.  Leaders of subjects in the school are clear thinking, determined and knowledgeable. They understand their subjects well and how they should be taught. They have clear priorities and demonstrate high-quality practice very effectively.  The academy places great importance upon additional training and support for all staff. A range of programmes are helping improve the quality of teaching. Teachers have targets for improvement and are held accountable for the progress of their students.  Leaders thoroughly check the quality of teaching in the academy, watching lessons, looking at the quality

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The leadership and management are good

of students’ work, and scrutinising teachers’ assessments. These records do not, however, pay enough attention to how well students make progress in lessons. Feedback given to teachers to help them improve their lessons does not always help them to understand how student progress can be increased.  The curriculum is broad and balanced. It is well resourced and the classrooms are attractive places in which to learn. Students enjoy rich additional experiences, including sports clubs and musical performances. They appreciate the many visitors to the school, such as recent science graduates, and opportunities for outdoor learning. Preparations for changes in the assessment system have been planned with other schools in the federation.  The school provides students with clear information and guidance about careers and prepares students well for their future learning decisions, such as by continuing their studies in the sixth form. This is helping

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The leadership and management are good

to raise student aspirations and make parents more aware of how they can help their children to succeed.  The academy prides itself upon the development of character. Students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development contributes well to this. In preparation for life in modern Britain, students learn about how different people live across the world. They learn about the importance of democracy and how to be good citizens wherever they live.  The primary sports funding has been used expeditiously to increase the provision of sport. More students are now taking part in sport and the academy is continuing to identify wider uses for this funding. It has yet to evaluate the impact of this funding on the overall development and learning of students.  The local authority provides useful support by checking the accuracy of school assessments. The federation provides help with policy development and promoting high standards in all areas of the work of

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The leadership and management are good

the academy.  The inspection team agrees with parents, students and staff that Crayford Academy is a safe place to work and learn. Training is provided as necessary to help ensure that everybody understands their responsibilities in helping maintain the safety of each other.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the academy:  The Local Governing Body hold senior leaders accountable for how well the school is performing and improving. They understand the academy’s priorities and share responsibilities, for example, by having a specific governor responsible for child protection. Regular visits to the academy, reports from the headteacher, and links with the wider federation keep governors well informed. As a result, governors have successfully ensured that the academy continues to improve, that assessments are accurate and rigorous, and that the academy promotes an understanding of their responsibilities as members of the local and wider community. Governors know about the quality of teaching and make sure that the pay policy is linked to teacher performance. They are familiar with pupil achievement information, including that relating to students supported by pupil premium funding. Governors carry out all their legal

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The leadership and management are good

responsibilities, including ensuring the safety of the staff and students in the academy.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of students is good. Parents, students and staff all agree. Students enjoy attending school and work hard in lessons. They respect their academy environment as well as respecting each other. A few students need some supervision to stay focused on their work. In some lessons, students are content to settle for following the teacher’s instructions and are not confident about how to take their learning further.  Academy records examined by the inspection team show that there are very few incidents of poor behaviour among students. Different groups of students, boys and girls, and those from different cultural backgrounds, learn and play as part of a harmonious community.  Students said that they have no concerns about any prejudice-driven name-calling or bullying. A Year 9 assembly on the topic, as well as discussions with students, showed the mature approach they take in discussing issues around discrimination, and voicing concerns about homophobia and people’s rights.

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Behaviour

 Attendance at the academy is above average. There is little persistent absence. All students arrive on time. The academy manages a breakfast club which supports attendance by providing parents with the opportunity to leave their children at the academy before the start of the school day.  Students make good use of the alternative provision, enjoying the opportunity and following courses which interest them. They behave well and make a good effort to learn.

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Safety

 The academy’s work to keep students safe and secure is good. Safety checks and risk assessments are carried out thoroughly to ensure that students and staff are safe at all times.  Students understand how to keep themselves safe, and say that they feel safe. They learn about using the internet safely, about road safety and safety from strangers. Older students learn about the dangers of chemical and alcohol abuse.  Students attending the alternative provision are kept safe by effective supervision and clear systems for checking their welfare.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Students learn well because teachers make clear what is to be learnt and organise lessons well so that students have enough time to complete their set work. Teachers use their strong subject knowledge to examine ideas in detail, sharing their experiences with their students in order to help deepen their learning. Students who are able to learn faster are not always given the opportunities to complete their work at a quicker pace, or to attempt more difficult work as soon as they are ready.  Relationships across the school are overwhelmingly positive. Teachers and students demonstrate respect for each other. They value each other’s efforts to promote good learning. This strong foundation combines with established routines, a well-maintained environment and high expectations to help most students make good progress.  In a few lessons, students showed they were unclear about what they had to learn, and teachers did not

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The quality of teaching is good

give them enough advice about how to improve their work. In these lessons, students became frustrated and their learning slowed.  Most departments have teachers who are qualified as examiners for their subjects. They use this expertise and external support to make sure that student assessments are accurate and reliable.  Other adults in the classroom generally make a good contribution to students’ learning because they understand what teachers want the students to be able to do.  Staff, parents and students agree that teaching is good. Parents from Slade Green Campus commented on how much better their children are learning since their school became part of Crayford Academy.

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is good

 Published results for the academy one year after its take-over of Slade Green Junior School showed that student attainment by the end of Year 3, and by the end of Year 6 for reading, writing and mathematics, was broadly average. The progress made by most students, according to the published figures, was also only average.  The most up-to-date information shows that pupils who have been with the academy for more than two years have made good progress in all their subjects. An increasing number of students from Slade Green Campus are now also making good progress since joining the academy in September 2013.  Students make particularly good progress in their understanding and application of phonics (the sounds that letters make) in Key Stage 1. This strength in reading is also quickly growing for older students in the primary years.  Most students have made good progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the time they leave

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is good

school in Year 6. There is no difference in the progress made by boys and girls either before or after Year 6.  By the end of Year 10, continuing into Year 11, most students have made good progress in most subjects across the curriculum. Many benefit from skilled teaching which challenges them well.  The most able pupils, in most year groups, do not always make the progress of which they are capable.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, together with pupils who speak English as an additional language, make good progress. This is because they are well supported by teaching assistants who develop their confidence and motivation as well as subject-specific skills.  Disadvantaged pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Overall their attainment is no different to that of other pupils in the academy. It is still lower, by two months, than the average national attainment of pupils receiving this funding when pupils are in Year 6. By the end of Year 10 their

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is good

attainment and progress are no different to that seen nationally and sometimes better by half a grade.  The few students who learn off-site with other education providers have only recently started, and it is too early to come to any measured conclusions about their progress.

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is good

 Leaders and other staff in the early years are clear about their roles and responsibilities, including those in relation to safety and child protection. They are careful to develop safe and enjoyable areas where pupils can learn. They provide good support to other staff, including those new to teaching.  Those pupils who join the school in the Nursery do so with levels of skills and knowledge that are below those typical for their ages, especially in communication, language and literacy. They make good progress across the early years so that, by the time they enter Year 1, the majority are meeting national expectations.  Pupils make good progress in all areas of their development. This includes those who speak English as an additional language and those with special educational needs. Those who join at other times than the beginning of the school year make commendable progress considering the shorter time they have

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is good

available to catch up.  Pupils have regular opportunities to develop their language and number skills, and build their confidence. They respond well to requests and instructions, and many ask questions if they want to know more. During play they show positive attitudes towards each other. Boys and girls and those from different cultural backgrounds all play and learn well together.  Teachers carry out accurate assessments of the pupils soon after arrival. Parents say they feel well informed and involved in their children’s learning. By the time they enter Year 1, most are already becoming confident learners.  Pupils contribute well to the health and safety of their classrooms. They help tidy up, play safely and show concern for each other, such as when one of them falls over. They understand the risks associated with different play resources.

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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 Students’ needs. This ensures that Students 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 Students’ needs. Students 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 Students 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 135951 Local authority Bexley Inspection number 452075

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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 All-through School category Non-maintained Age range of students 3–18 Gender of students Mixed Number of students on the school roll 1,432 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Andy Barlow Headteacher Richard Farrow Date of previous school inspection 21–22 March 2012 Telephone number 01322 402180 Fax number 01322 402181 Email address creception@hahc.org.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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