Setting

Mr K Turmeau Headteacher Harrytown Catholic High School Harrytown Lane Romiley Stockport Cheshire SK6 3BU

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High School, Stockport

Following my visit to your school on 22 April 2015, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. Thank you for the help you gave me and for the time you made available to discuss the actions you are taking to improve the school since the most recent section 5 inspection.

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High School, Stockport

The visit was the first monitoring inspection since the school was judged to require improvement following the section 5 inspection in January 2015. It was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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High School, Stockport

Senior leaders and governors are taking effective action to tackle the areas requiring improvement identified at the recent section 5 inspection. The school should take further action to:

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High School, Stockport

 build and develop students’ aspirations and thirst for learning, particularly those who are most disadvantaged

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High School, Stockport

 ensure that low-level disruption in some lessons is reduced by a more consistent and effective application of the school’s behaviour policy

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High School, Stockport

 ensure that the Governing Body has the capacity to monitor effectively the actions outlined in the school improvement plan so they can continue to hold the school to account. CfBT Inspection Services Suite 22 West Lancs Investment Centre Maple View Skelmersdale WN8 9TG T 0300 123 1231 Text Phone: 0161 6188524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Direct T 01695 566 855 Direct F 01695 729320 Direct email : gnewton@cfbt.com

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Evidence

During the inspection, meetings were held with the headteacher, other senior leaders, students, members of the Governing Body and representatives of the local authority and the Diocese to discuss the actions taken since the last inspection. The school improvement plan was evaluated.

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Context

Since the last inspection two teaching staff and three governors have left the school and a teacher of English and modern foreign languages has been appointed.

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Main findings

The school has moved quickly to address the areas for improvement identified in the previous inspection report. Action planning rightly focuses on the close monitoring of the progress made by underachieving groups. Intervention strategies are in place to address underachievement including additional support in lessons and one-to-one mentoring. However, there is insufficient focus in the improvement plan on the underlying issues affecting the achievement gap such as students’ lower aspirations.

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Main findings

Teachers have worked hard to improve the frequency, consistency and quality of their marking and feedback and this is much appreciated by the students; they said that it helped them to understand better how to improve. The students I met with said that teachers now had higher expectations of the work in their books and set more homework. However, not all felt that the homework helped them to make progress because they needed the support of a teacher to ensure they were doing it properly. They suggested that a lunchtime or after-school homework club would enable them to achieve more.

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Main findings

Although teachers have higher expectations of their written work, students did not think that the lessons were any more challenging and had noticed little change in the way they were taught. The students voiced the opinion that the greatest improvement the school could make would be to ensure that the behaviour policy is applied effectively and consistently to prevent disruption in lessons.

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Main findings

The school has addressed the need for middle leaders to hold their departments to account particularly for the progress of groups identified as underachieving. Actions have included the sharing of good practice and increased work scrutiny.

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Main findings

Since the last inspection three governors have resigned. These include the Co Vice Chair, the link governor for students with disabilities and special education needs and members of the curriculum committee. The Governing Body therefore need to ensure that they have the capacity to hold the school to account for the implementation and on-going review of the effectiveness of the school improvement plan.

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Main findings

Ofsted may carry out further monitoring inspections and, where necessary, provide further support and challenge to the school until its next section 5 inspection.

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External support

Following a recommendation in the previous inspection report the local authority and Diocese have brokered a review of the school’s use of the pupil premium fund. The local authority has partially funded this review as well as reviews of the mathematics department and of the school’s provision for students with disabilities and special educational needs. The Diocese has supported the school in analysing the progress data of students eligible for pupil premium funds. Plans are in place for members of the mathematics department to undergo training facilitated by a local teaching school and the school has brokered an attendance review. Members of the school’s leadership team have attended an Ofsted ‘Getting to Good’ seminar and are booked to join a ‘Through the Lens’ event later this term. It is too early to judge the impact of external support.

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External support

I am copying this letter to the Chair of the Governing Body, the Director of Children’s Services for Stockport and the Diocese.

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