Elthorne Park High School

Elthorne Park High School Westlea Road, Hanwell, London, W7 2AD

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Overall effectiveness

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

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The headteacher and leaders have a strong, clear vision for the school which is encompassed by the motto ‘Achieving Excellence in a Learning Community’. This is communicated well to staff, students and parents.  The energy and drive of the headteacher and senior leaders have ensured that their belief that ‘everyone within the school is a learner’ is communicated well across the school community.As a result of this both teaching and achievement has improved quickly in the school.  The proportion of students making expected progress in English and mathematics has steadily increased and is now above national averages.  There has been a sustained improvement in standards at GCSE in most subjects. The proportion of students achieving five or more GCSEs at grades A*-C, including mathematics and English, is significantly above the national average.  The most able students are attaining higher standards in most subjects than in recent years.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Students’ behaviour around the school and in lessons is good. Students feel safe and well cared for by the school. Parents also believe their children are happy and safe in the school.  Governors are passionate about their school and have equipped themselves well to challenge and support school leaders.  The sixth form is good. Students show strong commitment to their studies as a result of the consistently good teaching they receive. Students are making good progress as a result of improved teaching.  Teachers and support staff work hard to ensure that students can do well.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There is some variation in the quality of feedback to students from teachers across different subjects.  Occasionally, teachers set tasks for students that do not stretch their thinking or deepen their understanding sufficiently.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed students’ learning in 32 part-lessons, four of which were observed jointly with the headteacher.  Inspectors observed, and spoke with, students during lessons and at break times. Inspectors also met formally with groups of students from Key Stages 3 and 4 and students from the sixth form. Inspectors observed an assembly as well as tutor periods.  Meetings were held with senior and middle leaders as well as with governors and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a range of documents, including the school’s arrangements for safeguarding, performance management procedures, and a sample of the minutes of meetings of the governing body. Inspectors also looked at information about students’ progress and attainment and the students’ attendance data.  A scrutiny of teachers’ marking and feedback was carried out jointly with the headteacher.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors took account of questionnaires completed by 45 members of staff, 79 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View, two letters from parents, responses to the school’s own recent parental survey and a letter from a student.

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Inspection team

Moazam Parvez, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Elthorne Park High School is an average-sized secondary school.  The largest group of students are White British. The proportion of students who speak English as an additional language is above average.  The proportion of disadvantaged students is below average at about one in four. These students are supported by the pupil premium, which is additional funding provided for students who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those who are looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of disabled students and those with special educational needs is below average.  A very small number of students attend one of three alternative education centres: Ealing, Hammersmith and West London College, Jubilee Academy and MIT Skills.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for students’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 11.

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Information about this school

 The headteacher has been in post for two years, arriving just before the previous inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further improve the quality of teaching so that greater proportions of students make sustained, rapid progress by making sure that:  the excellent practice that exists in the school is shared widely in order to ensure greater consistency across all subject areas  all work is closely matched to the individual abilities and interests of all students  teachers’ questioning constantly stretches each student’s thinking and understanding  the effective strategies to improve the quality of teachers’ feedback to students which have been introduced are consistently applied..

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher, supported by the senior team and by the governing body, has addressed most of the issues raised by the previous inspection so that almost all aspects of the school’s work have shown improvement. He is robust in his actions to raise attainment and achievement in a very short time.  Middle leaders are effective in ensuring that improvements have been maintained. They ensure that data is used effectively to raise achievement of all students in the school. This is very well supported by the data manager who is instrumental in ensuring that data are available and used well to inform the improvements in student progress.  Leaders check carefully on the impact of the pupil premium on the progress and well-being of disadvantaged students. They have identified the support required to further improve their achievement and have implemented strategies to ensure this.  The leadership of teaching has improved since the previous inspection. The assistant headteacher

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The leadership and management are good

responsible for teaching and learning has established a coaching model for lesson observations which supports teachers in improving their effectiveness in the classroom. This has been well received by the teachers at the school and is leading to better teaching.  Several staff were keen to describe how helpful they find the new coaching system and how this has supported their development.  The school now has an accurate view of where there are strengths in teaching and they tailor support according to individual needs.  The curriculum is broad and balanced and offers all the National Curriculum subjects. At Key Stage 4 and in the sixth form, students have a suitable range of academic and practical subject options to select from. The curriculum effectively promotes students’ spiritual, social, moral and cultural development and this is further supported by students taking a qualification in religious education.

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The leadership and management are good

 The teaching of British values such as tolerance and respect is clearly evident in a well-planned and delivered personal, social and health education course as well as through religious education.  Tutor time, assemblies, after-school clubs, student council elections and regular trips, including to the theatre, student exchanges to France and Spain and the Duke of Edinburgh expeditions make a strong contribution in preparing students for life in modern Britain.  The school provides a range of effective advice and guidance to students when they are making decisions about the next stage in their lives. Students recognise the value of this advice and exploit the positive relationships they have with staff to ensure they are well informed about future options.  Leaders are now making good use of pupil premium and Year 7 catch-up funding. A range of support, including individual and small group sessions in English and mathematics, is helping disadvantaged

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The leadership and management are good

students to make better progress and catch up with their peers so reducing the previous underachievement.  Leaders monitor the attendance and achievement of the very small number of students who attend off- site provision regularly, and there is robust and regular contact between the school and the providers. This ensures that students attend regularly and make good progress in their work.  A parents’ on-line focus group has been established and is consulted regularly, and its views are welcomed by senior leaders.  The school ensures its safeguarding duties are thoroughly carried out. All the required policies are up to date and available on the school’s website. All current statutory requirements are met.  The school’s dedication to ensuring that all students have an equal chance to achieve well is apparent from the good achievement of different groups of students. The school uses every opportunity to promote

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The leadership and management are good

equality of opportunity, fostering good relationships between students and tackling any form of discrimination.  The local authority has a good understanding of the school’s performance and of the improvements that have been made since the current headteacher arrived. The local authority provides good support, for example through a range of leadership development programmes as well as opportunities for collaboration with other schools in the authority. As a result the quality of leadership in subjects where there has been some underperformance has improved significantly.

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The governance of the school:

 Governors have ensured that they are well trained and have a thorough understanding of performance information and how the school compares to others nationally. This enables them to provide an effective challenge, as well as support, to the headteacher to improve the school still further. They are passionate about Elthorne Park High School and are extremely positive about the future of the school. Governors are very ‘hands-on’ and regularly visit the school both to support and monitor progress. They understand what good quality teaching looks like and the importance of a transparent and rigorous system for monitoring and linking teachers’ pay to the students’ progress.  Governors have ensured that the finances of the school are spent appropriately and effectively, including the pupil premium funding. They understand their responsibilities with regard to safeguarding and their statutory requirements to keep the students safe and secure. Governors’ understanding of

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The governance of the school:

school information is strong and they were able to talk knowledgeably and fluently about attainment, achievement and attendance.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Students typically behave themselves well in lessons. They show enthusiasm for their learning and engage well in the tasks at hand. Punctuality to lessons is good and students are keen to learn. Where teaching is strongest, behaviour is good or better.  In a few lessons, however, behaviour is not good. In these lessons, not all students receive the challenge they need to keep them interested and engaged fully in their work. A few students, as a result, drift off task and become unfocused.  Students present themselves well and are polite, courteous and well mannered. They are helpful and friendly to visitors. They show respect for adults and get on well with each other. There is no graffiti or litter.  The school monitors the behaviour of students attending alternative curriculum provision.  As a result of two permanent exclusions last year, exclusion rates are marginally above average. However,

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Behaviour

the proportion of students excluded for a fixed term was below national average.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep students safe and secure is good.  Disabled students, those who have special educational needs and those facing challenging circumstances are well supported.  Students have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe and of the different forms that bullying can take, including a clear understanding of what to do if they experience cyber bullying.  Students demonstrate good understanding of the risks associated with social networking sites, including how these can be used to pressurise individuals into behaving in a way they know could be unsafe.  Students say that incidents of bullying are rare and that that there is always someone who will support them if they need help.Most parents and staff agree that the school keeps their children safe and that students behave well.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching has improved rapidly since the last inspection and, as a result, students are making good progress across a number of subjects. In English and mathematics, the proportion of students making good progress in these subjects has risen strongly and is above national averages.  There are very good relationships between students and teachers. Students are fully engaged in most subjects in the range of learning activities.  Teaching of mathematics at Key Stages 3 and 4 is effective and students develop good numeracy skills. Other subjects contribute to this development; examples of this include students plotting graphs in science and geography as well as measuring and marking-out in design and technology.  The teaching of languages is particularly imaginative and engaging and, as a result, students make exceptional progress. In a Japanese lesson, Year 7 students were completely engrossed and extremely

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The quality of teaching is good

excited about learning how to formulate sentences and try them out on their partners.  In several subjects, such as English and modern languages, the quality of marking of students’ classwork and homework is mostly of a very high standard. However, its quality in other subjects is too variable. In these other subjects, students are not always clear about how they can improve their work.  Positive relationships between staff and students enable teachers to use different teaching styles that help students make better progress.  Literacy is promoted well in many lessons, for example through the use of key words and, in some lessons, the teaching of strategies for structuring extended writing.  Where questioning is used well it is very effective in ensuring students’ understanding. At other times, however, teachers do not challenge students enough to explain their answers fully. As a result, students’

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The quality of teaching is good

understanding is not always fully tested and so they make less progress than they could have.

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is good

 The GCSE examination results in 2014 showed an increase in the proportion of students gaining five A* to C grade passes, including English and mathematics (this was significantly above the national average). The attainment in most subjects, including English and mathematics was also significantly above national averages.  Students start in the school with attainment which is above average and leave with attainment across the range of subjects which is well above average.  In 2014, the proportion of students who made expected progress and the proportion who exceeded expected progress in English and mathematics were above the national average.  In 2014, there were a few subjects that performed well below average; these were additional science, computer science, geography and graphic products. The school’s leadership team is well aware of the issues and has implemented plans which have largely eradicated underperformance in these subjects. This

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is good

is well supported by the school’s own tracking information.  In English, disadvantaged students in Year 11 were nearly a GCSE grade behind others in the school and a third of a grade behind other students nationally. In mathematics, they were one and a third grades behind others in the school and over one and a half grades behind other students nationally. The school’s rigorous assessment data indicate that this situation is likely to improve significantly for disadvantaged students in the current Year 11 as the result of the improved support they are now receiving. However, the progress these students are making from their starting point is above the national average.  No students were entered early for GCSE examinations.  Year 7 ‘catch-up’ funding is used effectively to support students who start school with below average skills in literacy and numeracy.  Students who have special educational needs are supported well in the school and as a result they are

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is good

making similar progress to their peers nationally.  Students who attend alternative provision receive the support they need to make progress which is in line with other students in the school.  Students for whom English is their second language and who are from minority ethnic groups achieve very well. The attainment of these students is well above average and the proportion of them making more than the progress expected of them is significantly above the national average.  The most able students are making good progress. The proportion of these students making expected progress in English and mathematics is strong and school information indicates this will continue to rise in 2015. In the 2014 GCSE examinations, the proportion of students attaining the highest grades was significantly above the national average in English literature, art and design, history, religious education, French and Spanish.

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The sixth form provision is good

 Students achieve well in the sixth form, making good progress in academic and work-based courses. There is no significant difference between the performance of different groups of students, including disabled students, those who have special educational needs or the disadvantaged.  The proportion of students staying on at school after their GCSE courses is increasing as the sixth form becomes more established.  Leaders’ monitoring and records of students’ achievement over time show that the quality of teaching in the sixth form is consistently good. Students appreciate their teachers’ good subject knowledge and the passion they show for their subjects. Teachers provide appropriate challenge for the most able students.  Students speak highly of the school and are extremely positive about the management of the sixth form. They also praised the changes that have been implemented since the arrival of the new headteacher.

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The sixth form provision is good

 Good leadership of the sixth form ensures that students are well supported and guided, and that any underachievement is quickly addressed. High-quality advice and information is provided to support university application. As a result, a high proportion of students go on to higher education and the proportion not in education, employment or training is very low.  The sixth form fully meets the current standards for 16 to 19 study programmes; there is a good mix of academic and work-related courses. All students have the opportunity for work experience.  Behaviour in the sixth form is exemplary. Students’ attitudes to learning enable them to make good progress. The excellent relationships between students and staff allows students to feel comfortable in discussing issues openly, as exemplified in one lesson where the rights and wrongs of the Afganistan war were debated.  Attendance rates in the sixth form are high.

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The sixth form provision is good

 Students told inspectors that they feel safe and very well supported by the teachers in every aspect of school life.

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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 131310 Local authority Ealing Inspection number 453843

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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 Maintained 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 1051 Of which, number on roll in sixth form 171 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Beatrice Movaghar Headteacher Eliot Wong Date of previous school inspection 16–17 July 2013 Telephone number 020 85661166 Fax number 020 85661177 Email address elthorne@ephs.ealing.sch.uk guidance ‘Raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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School details

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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School details

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

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