Setting

David Smith Ormiston Ilkeston Enterprise Academy King George Avenue Ilkeston DE7 5HS

p.1

Enterprise Academy

Following my visit to your school on 21 April 2015, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the outcome and 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 school’s most recent section 5 inspection.

p.1

Enterprise Academy

The inspection was the first monitoring inspection since the school was judged to have serious weaknesses in December 2014. It was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

p.1

Evidence

During this inspection, I met with the Principal, three Assistant Principals, subject leaders, the Regional Director from the Ormiston Academies Trust and the academy’s Education Advisor. I undertook short visits to lessons, accompanied by the Principal and looked at the work in students’ books. Meetings were also held with groups of students from Year 11 and Year 9. I viewed a range of documentation, including: the sponsor’s Statement of Action; the academy’s action plan, and self-evaluation; an example of a department action plan; information on the achievement of students; information on how leaders and teachers track students’ achievement; minutes of the governing body and the Progress Board and records relating to observations of teaching. Serco Inspections 20 Colour 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 9167

p.1

Context

Two members of staff are absent on long-term sick leave, with their work being covered by long-term supply teachers.

p.2

The quality of leadership and management at the school

The Principal and senior leaders are fully committed to bringing about the necessary improvements to the academy. Following the Section 5 inspection, they revised the academy’s action plan, and identified additional actions needed to ensure swift improvement. The action plan focuses on the areas identified in the Ofsted report, and identifies clear milestones against which they will progress. In its current form, it does not reflect clearly enough the role of subject leaders in securing the necessary improvements, or show how the Progress Board will evaluate the impact of actions. Leaders have agreed to amend the plan, and submit it to me by 29 May 2015.

p.2

The quality of leadership and management at the school

Senior leaders are working with urgency and purpose to improve the quality of teaching, and raise achievement. They have an accurate view of the strengths and weaknesses of teaching across the academy, because their observations of teaching focus closely on the progress made by different groups of students over time. They ensure that individual teachers receive the support and challenge they need to improve, and have not shied away from taking difficult decisions. Pay awards for teachers now link more closely to teachers’ performance in the classroom and to the progress that students make, and leaders set challenging targets for teachers to achieve that are linked to key areas of the academy’s improvement plan.

p.2

The quality of leadership and management at the school

Leaders are working effectively to break down the barriers to success that have limited students’ achievement in the past, by creating a culture of greater openness among staff. Teachers are now more willing to share ideas and learn from each other, and are more open to suggestions to improve their teaching. Training for teachers since the section 5 inspection has focused on planning lessons more effectively, and this is producing some results. Older students told the inspector that their lessons are now ‘more organised and better planned’. There is further work to do to ensure that all teachers use information about students’ progress effectively to set work that is at the right level. For example, some students told inspectors that not all teachers explain work clearly to them.

p.2

The quality of leadership and management at the school

Subject leaders are clear about what the whole-school priorities are, but are not yet able to fully evaluate the impact of their monitoring activities, and in some instances, are overly optimistic about the rate of progress in their departments.

p.2

The quality of leadership and management at the school

There has been a whole school push to improve the quality of marking and feedback across the academy. However, this is not improving quickly enough to ensure that all students are making the progress they are capable of. Some marking does not give clear next steps, and students do not routinely respond to their teachers’ comments. Students know what their target grades are, but they are not always clear about what they need to do to achieve them.

p.2

The quality of leadership and management at the school

Leaders identified that in 2014, some teachers’ assessments of students’ work, and therefore their predictions for students’ achievement, were inaccurate. They have taken steps to address this, for example by ensuring that controlled assessments in Key Stage 4 have been internally moderated and externally validated. Staffing changes, improved teaching and more accurate assessment are now leading to improved achievement for students. Information provided by the academy shows that students in the current Year 11 are on track to make better progress this year, particularly in English. Consequently, the proportion set to achieve 5 GCSEs including English and mathematics at A*-C grades is set to increase significantly on the previous year.

p.3

The quality of leadership and management at the school

Leaders have given high priority to improving students’ behaviour by re-organising pastoral roles to ensure that staff pick up incidents and deal with them quickly. They maintain a visible presence around the academy to ensure that students behave appropriately and get to their lessons on time. This is having an impact in reducing the number of behaviour incidents. Not all teachers address poor behaviour effectively in the classroom, however. Some do not challenge poor standards of presentation, or enforce school rules about chewing gum for example. Students did tell us that this has improved since the section 5 inspection, but there is more to be done to ensure that all teachers have the same high expectations of students. As students told inspectors, ‘our teachers need to be stricter with us’.

p.3

The quality of leadership and management at the school

Leaders are taking effective action to improve students’ engagement in school life, for example by providing greater opportunities for students to take on leadership roles. Some students have set up an ‘academy café’ and took on the task of serving drinks to inspectors. They rose well to the occasion, and proved themselves to be good ambassadors for the academy.

p.3

The quality of leadership and management at the school

Attendance is showing signs of improvement. The number of students who are persistently absent from school has fallen since the previous inspection, although it remains above the national average. There is more to be done to engage parents in the importance of regular attendance, and in the wider work of the school.

p.3

External support

The academy’s sponsor, the Ormiston Academies Trust, has increased the time available for a dedicated Education Advisor to support the academy. At the time of the inspection, she had carried out an initial visit to assess the academy’s strengths and weaknesses and had undertaken work with the mathematics department. The Trust has identified in its action plan the need to ensure that subject leaders receive the training and support they need to improve teaching and achievement in their areas of responsibility, for example by visiting other schools to view good practice. At the time of the inspection these visits had not yet taken place. In addition, the mathematics department has developed strong links with a local teaching school and is showing signs of improvement.

p.3

External support

Representatives from the Trust and the Progress Board have a clear understanding of their role in monitoring the academy’s progress and driving its improvement. They have a good knowledge of the academy’s strengths and weaknesses, and share the commitment and drive of academy leaders to ensure improved outcomes for students.

p.4

External support

The review of pupil premium spending, recommended in the previous inspection, has been commissioned, although a full report was not available at the time of the monitoring inspection.

p.4

External support

Following the monitoring inspection the following judgements were made:

p.4

External support

The academy’s action plan is fit for purpose. The sponsor’s statement of action is fit for purpose.

p.4

External support

I am copying this letter to the Secretary of State, the Chair of the Governing Body, the Director of Children’s Services for Derbyshire local authority name and as below. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

p.4

Her Majesty’s Inspector

 Appropriate authority - Chair of the Governing Body  Derbyshire local authority  hns.efa@education.gsi.gov.uk  CausingConcern.SCHOOLS@education.gsi.gov.uk  The lead inspector.

p.4