Leeds East Academy

Leeds East Academy South Parkway, Seacroft, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS14 6TY

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Inadequate 4 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Sixth form provision Good 2

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 By the end of Year 11, attainment is below the national average. Progress that students make has improved, but too few students make good progress.  Improvement is most apparent in English and science, but progress in mathematics is not as strong.  Teachers’ expectations of what students can achieve are not always high enough.  Agreed approaches to teaching in the academy, such as the marking of students’ work, are not yet consistently applied.  Students’ attendance is below average, exclusions are currently high and there are still some students who do not take pride in their work.

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The school has the following strengths

 The Executive Principal’s aspirational vision and determination, supported by high-quality academy leaders and the highly effective local accountability board and academy trust has ensured the academy has improved considerably and rapidly.  Teaching is improving quickly across all subjects because teachers are well supported by their leaders and managers.  There are no gaps in the attainment and progress between disadvantaged students and others in the academy.  The behaviour of students around the academy and in classes has been transformed. Around the academy students move calmly and with purpose.  Students are safe because systems to protect them are effective and students are well supported, particularly those who are most in need. Students have confidence in their teachers to do their very best for them.  The personalised education and support students in the sixth form receive ensures they make good

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The school has the following strengths

progress and move on to suitable higher education or training courses.  Students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is strong and they are well prepared for the diversity of life in modern Britain.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors reviewed a range of documents, including the school’s own data on current students’ progress, planning and monitoring documentation, records relating to behaviour and attendance, documents pertaining to safeguarding and external reports on the school’s overall effectiveness.  Students’ current and earlier work was evaluated. Inspectors also undertook joint observations of lessons and reviewed, with senior and middle leaders, students’ work.  Inspectors spoke with a wide range of students. They also spoke to members of the Local Accountability Board (LAB) and school staff, including those with management responsibilities and teachers new to teaching.  Fifty members of staff completed an inspection questionnaire and their views were taken into account.  There were insufficient responses to evaluate on Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire. However, the inspection team considered similar questionnaires issued by the academy and completed by parents.

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Inspection team

Neil MacKenzie, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Full report

In accordance with section 13 (5) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires significant improvement.

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Information about this school

 This is a much smaller than average-sized secondary school.  The proportion of disadvantaged students, and therefore eligible for support through the pupil premium funding, is well above the national average. The pupil premium is additional funding to support those students who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those in the care of the local authority.  The proportion of girls on roll is significantly higher than average because the academy is altering its intake to include boys. There are very few boys in Year 11.  The proportion of students who are disabled or who have special educational needs is broadly average.  The majority of students are White British. An above-average proportion of students are from a diverse range of minority ethnic backgrounds and speak English as an additional language. About 16% of students are of Asian or Asian British heritage, with those of Pakistani heritage the largest group represented.

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Information about this school

 There have been considerable changes in the leadership and management of the academy since the last inspection. In September 2014, the academy became a member of the White Rose Academies Trust. This change followed the termination of E-ACT’s sponsorship in February 2014, as required by the Department for Education. A Local Accountability Board (LAB) has been established, which replaced the board of governors. Many of the governors now sit on the LAB. The Chair of the LAB is new; he chaired a committee of the previous governing body and held a similar position in one of the other academies belonging to the White Rose Trust.  In January 2015, the previous head of school became Principal as the Executive Principal also became the Chief Executive Officer of the Trust. Many academy leaders and managers work across academies within the White Rose Academies Trust.  The White Rose Academy Trust is reorganising provision for sixth-form students. There are currently

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Information about this school

seven students in Year 12 and it is anticipated this will be the last sixth form year group to go through Leeds East Academy.  Twenty one students attend a range of off-site provision at TLG (Bradford), Involve, Elect, Skillz and Recon.  In 2013, the school did not meet the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for students’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Continue to improve the quality of teaching in order to raise students’ achievement by :  ensuring teachers check students’ learning during lessons and adapt their teaching accordingly to promote understanding and swifter progress  ensuring all teachers have high expectations of what students can achieve  improving the accuracy and reliability of marking and advice especially in mathematics and written work so that errors are identified early and students apply their teachers advice  insisting and ensuring all students take pride in their work and present it with care and attention to detail  ensuring the collaborative work across the academy Trust is extended so that the quality of teaching continues to improve.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Continue the successful work the school has done on reducing absence and exclusion so that good attendance is established.

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The leadership and management are good

 The Executive Principal, Principal, other leaders and managers, governors and teachers have worked tirelessly and very effectively to transform this academy into a cohesive and effective school. Academy leaders are committed to tackling poor performance and accelerating students’ progress.  Improvements since the last inspection have been considerable. Behaviour is no longer a significant barrier to student progress. The progress students make has improved, particularly in English and science. The academy’s monitoring of its performance is exhaustive and accurate. Leaders and managers are skilled in using the information gathered from monitoring to plan and realise academy improvement. Leadership and management at all levels are strong, including subject and pastoral leadership. This academy has good capacity to continue its current rate of improvement. A significant majority of staff who responded to the inspection questionnaire agree strongly the academy is well led and managed.

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The leadership and management are good

 The White Rose Academy Trust makes a considerable contribution to the improvement of this academy. The Trust holds leaders, managers and teachers to account with rigour. It seeks expert external evaluation and acts promptly and very effectively on their findings. The Trust enables the efficient use of limited resources, particularly in sharing the Trust’s best leaders across all academies, enabling their impact to benefit a wide number of students. This collaborative way of working has been one of the key elements in improving the quality of teaching within the academy.  Leadership and management, at all levels, monitor progress, attendance and behaviour of students rigorously, including those attending alternative provision. They are skilled in analysing this data and use their evaluations to successfully plan improvement.  There is a culture of self reflection, evaluation and improvement throughout the academy and teachers

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The leadership and management are good

receive good support to improve. School leaders give strong direction to the whole staff on how improvement can be achieved. Improvement is supported by an effective blend of whole-school initiatives and individualised training based on each teacher’s specific needs. Academy teachers new to the profession are particularly complimentary about the support they receive to establish themselves as effective teachers, then to move on to be good ones.  The academy’s partnership with parents is strong and improving. An increasing proportion of parents value the improvements in the academy and the life chances this gives to their children. The academy is beginning to have success in ensuring that parents who are difficult to reach are supporting their child’s education, particularly in reducing absence of students who are poor attenders.  The school promotes equality of opportunity well. Achievement gaps between students in this academy

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The leadership and management are good

and nationally are narrowing. There are no achievement gaps between disadvantaged students and others in the academy. The performance of disadvantaged students has improved because the additional funding the school receives to help these students is effectively targeted. There is no significant variation in the performance of other groups of students.  The academy’s system of student coaching is particularly effective. One adult acts as a mentor and works closely with a small group of students to ensure they are consistently working to their potential and aspiring to achieve well. They meet very regularly and the mentors have access to extensive student monitoring information. This enables mentors to intervene when students’ progress, behaviour or attendance dips a little; ensuring students get back on track quickly. If a problem persists, the academy has extensive support systems that are effective in supporting those students who need extra help.

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The leadership and management are good

 The academy works well with students, and increasingly well with parents, to ensure they are fully informed about the decisions they need to make about their next steps in education, training or employment. Although most clearly seen in the sixth form, this good information, advice and guidance is delivered throughout the school and contributes to improving achievement.  The curriculum is constantly under review and leaders will make adjustments that suit different year groups. The academy has identified a need to extend the range of their vocational courses and the curriculum for their most able students.  Child protection and safeguarding procedures meet statutory requirements and make a good contribution to ensuring students are safe.  Students’ moral and social development is strong and is most clearly demonstrated by their almost universal acceptance of the academy’s much stricter behaviour code. The vast majority of students are

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The leadership and management are good

now respectful of each other and of staff. A wide range of good enriching experiences supports their cultural and spiritual development. Difference in any form is respected and British values promoted.  The governance of the school:  The LAB has made a significant contribution to this academy’s improvement. Collectively, the board has a wide range of high level skills which enables it to accurately review the performance of the Principal and other members of staff. They work very effectively within the White Rose Academy Trust, ensuring that best practice is shared across the Trust.  Through rigorous monitoring and evaluation, the LAB knows in detail about the quality of teaching, where progress has improved, the progress of different groups of students and how effectively money is spent, including additional spending for disadvantaged students and those who are intended to benefit from Year 7 catch-up funding. The LAB will take decisive action to tackle underperformance and will

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The leadership and management are good

reward successful teaching.  Although the academy will have to `pay back’ some funding due to lower than expected recruitment to Year 7, this is through no mismanagement. In fact, the LAB has ensured the Trust will minimise the negative impact of reduced funding through shared resources and staffing.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.  Although attendance in 2014 improved and was approaching the national average, last term the level of absence increased. Last term there was also an increase in the number of days students were excluded. These negative factors are as a consequence of the academy’s successful determination to improve standards of behaviour throughout the academy. Exclusion rates are now falling but are still high.  When older students talk about their academy, they describe how much behaviour has improved. Many say, `We can now learn.’ Students’ attitudes to learning are improving and incidents of poor behaviour disrupting classes are now rare. Many students are beginning to take pride in their work; however, a significant number of older students are still presenting work that is inaccurate and sometimes scruffy, which slows their progress.  Students move calmly and confidently around the academy. They socialise well between lessons and are

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Behaviour

well mannered. Students are punctual to lessons. The vast majority of students appreciate how they benefit from the significant improvements to the academy. Students are smartly turned out and wear their uniforms with pride. The academy now provides a cohesive and secure learning environment.  All staff who responded to the inspection questionnaire agree that behaviour is well managed.  The behaviour of students who are educated off-site has improved because they enjoy what they are doing and value the skills they are learning.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good  Student safety is a high priority for all staff. The academy’s accurate and efficient monitoring systems enable staff to spot quickly any changes in behaviour or patterns of absence. This enables staff to make very prompt enquiries into why a student may be behaving differently or not attending. This high-quality of care is particularly evident when ensuring those students whose circumstances may make them vulnerable are safe.  Systems to ensure students are safe when they attend off-site provision are strong. Absence is investigated promptly and rigorously.  Students are taught very effectively how to keep themselves and others safe from potential dangers including using social media, forms of exploitation and drug misuse.  Students say they are very well looked after by staff and they feel very safe. They say there is now very little bullying, and when is does occasionally occur, staff deal with it promptly and effectively.

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Safety

 Teachers and other staff are well trained in child protection.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The quality of teaching has improved significantly and much is now good. However, this has not been the case for long enough to have fully recovered the legacy of students’ inadequate achievement over time. The good quality of teaching is not yet consistent across subjects. The best established practice is in physical education, food technology, art and graphics. Teaching has improved recently and significantly in English and science.  The vast majority of students say teaching is now much better and with significantly improved behaviour, their learning is improving rapidly. They point to many fewer changes in staff and many fewer classes taken by temporary teachers. Leaders and managers of teaching have made a huge improvement on academy staff attendance. In 2014, less than one in five teachers had 100% attendance. This year two thirds have full attendance.  Teachers regularly review the progress their students are making and report this to academy leaders.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

Their evaluations of what their students know and can do are broadly accurate, and many use this information to plan lessons which support rapid progress. Sometimes, the students’ understanding in class is not assessed quickly enough, and so some teachers do not adapt what they are doing. Consequently, learning activities, in a few cases, are not quite pitched at the right level.  The school has introduced a policy to ensure teachers mark well and give good advice to students about how to improve. There is some excellent practice, particularly in English where students there know how well they are doing, what they need to do to improve and teachers ensure that students act on their advice. Practice is at an earlier stage of development in some subjects. For example, in mathematics students receive advice too infrequently, so minor misconceptions go unchecked, slowing progress.  Students’ basic skills are improving. They use computers with confidence across a wide range of subjects.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

Literacy skills are improving through supporting those with specific areas of weakness and more generally developing literacy across all subjects. Students make most progress where they are required to discuss and explain their ideas or opinions. Teachers are requiring students to write at length more frequently. However, there is too much variability in the accuracy of marking and correction of errors made by students in their writing. The academy is at an early stage of improving numeracy across subjects and is currently establishing best practice.  Generally, students do homework regularly. Tasks are appropriate and for students in Key Stage 4 there is a good blend of preparing for their next piece of work and reviewing current learning.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Between Years 7 and 11, too few students make good progress from their previous starting points. Attainment by the end of Year 11, although improving, remains below average. Achievement, particularly in mathematics, requires improvement. Although students are now making much better progress, particularly in English and in science, this has not been the case for long enough to have fully recovered the legacy of students’ previous inadequate achievement to show good progress over time.  Changes in the government’s measures of students’ attainment in GCSE and equivalent qualifications means that it is not possible to make direct comparisons between the provisional published data for 2014 and that of previous years. The academy entered many students early for their examinations, allowing them to re-take if their grade was not good enough. Based on students’ first GCSE entry, the achievement gap between students in this academy and others was wide. However, based on students’ best GCSE

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

entry, results represent a marked improvement. The academy no longer enters students early for examinations.  There was significant improvement in the science results in 2014. Mathematics and English also saw an improvement. In English, a little under two thirds of students made the progress expected of them; however, the proportion exceeding this expectation was lower than seen nationally. Progress in mathematics, although improving, was not as strong. Students progressed well in expressive arts, physical education, food technology, art and graphics.  The quality of teaching is improving and so the progress that students currently in the academy make is continuing to improve across most subjects. In the main, teachers know what their students are capable of and how to help them achieve.  There are no gaps in progress or attainment between disadvantaged students and those other students in the academy. The gaps between disadvantaged students in the academy and other students nationally are

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

closing but require further improvement as they are still wide.  Overall in 2014, Year 11 students attained about a grade less in English and in mathematics than other students nationally. However, since students enter the academy with significantly below average attainment in English and in mathematics, this gap represents improvement compared to previous years.  Students who receive extra support through the additional Year 7 catch-up funding make good progress in reading and in literacy. They are well taught and supported, their confidence increases and their improvement is seen across all subjects.  Students who have Pakistani heritage performed well in recent years and their progress has been good. These students continue to make strong progress because they have high aspirations and work hard.  The increasing number of students who speak English as an additional language make similar progress to

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

other students in the academy, which requires improvement. The academy is currently working closely with another academy in the Trust to learn from them how to raise the achievement of students who speak English as an additional language.  In each year group, there is a smaller proportion of more able students than seen nationally. However their progress is carefully monitored and teachers ensure these students are being challenged sufficiently. Consequently, the progress of the most able is strong.  Students who attend off-site provision make good progress in developing their self-esteem, life and social skills. Their behaviour, attendance and literacy and numeracy skills are improving.  The quality of the work of teaching assistants is improving because they are now being given better training and are clearer about their roles and responsibilities. They are much better equipped to support student progress. The progress of students who are disabled or have special educational needs, over time,

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

requires improvement. Currently, it is improving and is similar to other students in the academy.  The academy’s transition arrangements and support for students transferring from their primary schools is good. Support is well tailored to the needs of the students. For those who find the change most difficult, nurture groups are particularly effective. As a result there is no dip in progress over the early years of students’ secondary education in this academy.

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The sixth-form provision is good

 The academy trust is altering its provision for sixth-form education. There are currently seven students in Year 12 and 27 in Year 13. Most students in this academy have been supported to take up post-16 courses elsewhere. The leaders and managers of this academy have done a very good job in ensuring all of their Year 11 students move onto courses and institutions that suit the students’ needs and aspirations. Where this has not been possible, they have made provision available within the academy. This commitment to the needs of individual students is typical of the academy’s desire for every student to succeed.  Students have made good progress overall in the sixth form, particularly those doing vocational and AS- level courses. Students currently in the sixth form are making good progress. This is because students are well taught. Teachers have excellent knowledge of the requirements of their courses, the skills and current

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The sixth-form provision is good

understanding their students have. They use this knowledge well to plan good learning activities. Relationships between students and staff are strong. Students trust their teachers to give good advice and they use this to improve.  Students have consistently good attitudes to learning. They work well collaboratively and support each other. Through their high standards of behaviour around the school, they provide excellent roles models for younger students.  The academy enables students who were unsuccessful in achieving at least a grade C in GCSE English or mathematics to resit. Most achieve this standard by the end of Year 13.  The information, advice and guidance students receive in Year 11 and throughout the sixth form about their courses and pathways are of a very high quality. Consequently, students achieve well and very few do not complete a course. Students move onto a wide range of highly suitable university courses,

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The sixth-form provision is good

apprenticeship schemes, employment and further training opportunities.  For the students who follow a sixth-form path within the academy, personal development is as important as their academic. The academy seeks a wide range of opportunities to help students develop their leadership skills and enhance their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. These range from some students attending an `Enterprising Women’ conference to many mentoring younger students.

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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 136826 Local authority Leeds Inspection number 447723

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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 sponsor-led Age range of pupils 11–19 Gender of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 604 Of which, number on roll in sixth form 34 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Professor Darren Shickle Principal Kenwyn Paddy Date of previous school inspection 12 June 2013 Telephone number 0113 273 1964 Fax number 0113 273 6223 Email address thomas.l@whiteroseacademies.org 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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