Shooters Hill Post-16 Campus

FE&S report Shooters Hill Post-16 Campus 16–19 Academy

p.1

Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

p.1

Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

p.1

Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

p.1

Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Outcomes for learners Require improvement

p.1

Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

16 to 19 study programmes Require improvement

p.1

Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Provision for learners with high needs Good

p.1

Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

p.1

This is a provider that requires improvement

 Not enough pupils make good progress and complete all aspects of their study programme successfully.  The proportion of pupils achieving grades A* to C in GCSE English and mathematics is low, and teaching in mathematics is not good enough.  Pupils’ results and progress are poor on a significant proportion of advanced-level academic courses.  Teaching, learning and assessment are not yet consistently good, and leaders and managers overestimate the quality of lessons.  Pupils’ attendance at lessons, although improving, is not high enough.  Expectations of what pupils can achieve are not yet consistently high; not all teachers ensure that pupils come to lessons prepared to learn and that they carry out sufficient independent study.  Quality assurance arrangements are cumbersome, too time-consuming, and insufficiently effective. Leaders and managers do not produce a concise evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of the

p.1

This is a provider that requires improvement

provision; nor do they identify succinctly the key priorities for improvement.

p.1

This is a provider that requires improvement

 Most pupils on vocational courses make good progress in comparison with their starting points.  Provision for pupils with high needs is good.  Pupils benefit from the many opportunities to celebrate their diversity and reflect upon citizenship in modern Britain.  Arrangements for safeguarding pupils are very good, and managers deal with any incidents that arise particularly well.  The proportion of pupils who progress to a higher level of study within the academy is high.

p.1

Information about the provider

 Shooters Hill Post-16 Campus was established as a school sixth form in 2002; it is now a 16–19 academy. The academy is located in the London Borough of Greenwich, and serves a diverse catchment area characterised by significant areas of relative deprivation and pockets of affluence. Reflecting the population in areas served by the academy, the majority of pupils are of minority ethnic heritage.  The academy provides a wide range of vocational and academic courses from foundation to advanced level. In 2014/15 around 1,200 full-time pupils were enrolled, virtually all of them aged 16 to 19. Around half the pupils take advanced-level courses, mostly vocational; the remainder are evenly split between courses at levels 1 and 2. Over 170 pupils are in receipt of additional high-needs funding.

p.2

What does the provider need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching, learning and assessment, so that pupils make consistently good or better progress, by: ensuring that all teachers have the highest expectations of what pupils can achieve, and that they demonstrate this by setting high standards of attendance, punctuality and readiness to learn in all lessons ensuring that all teachers provide work that is both interesting and demanding for pupils of all abilities, both in and out of lessons checking that pupils on all courses are doing an appropriate amount of independent study, that their files of notes are checked frequently, and that they receive helpful feedback on their work and progress evaluating the quality of teaching by focusing on the depth and pace of pupils’ learning, rather than on compliance with the basic processes of planning and delivery.  Improve the quality of teaching and learning in English and mathematics at level 2 and below by

p.2

What does the provider need to do to improve further?

identifying and sharing the good practice that exists both within the academy and externally, and by reviewing the allocation of teachers to these courses.  Increase the proportion of pupils on study programmes who have meaningful, external work experience that links closely to their programme at the academy.  Revise quality assurance and self-assessment processes so that they are less bureaucratic and time- consuming, and result in a sharp critique of the strengths and areas for improvement of different aspects of the academy’s provision. Prioritise clearly the key actions for improvement arising from self-evaluation.  Governors and leaders should focus on raising standards further, while at the same time setting a clear strategic direction for the future of the academy, including the design of its curriculum, in discussion with external stakeholders.

p.2

Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

 Senior leaders’ actions to raise standards and remove the inconsistencies in performance identified at the previous inspection have been only partly successful. Pupils on vocational courses, who account for a significant majority of the learner cohort, now achieve in much greater numbers and make good progress overall. However, too few A/AS-level pupils complete their courses successfully or make the progress of which they are capable. Overall, pupils’ achievements still require further improvement.  New management and teaching appointments have contributed significantly to the improvements in vocational provision at the academy. Well-considered changes to the curriculum have led to new courses that meet local demand and provide clear progression routes. However, senior leaders and governors have not yet agreed a strategy for the academy that clearly identifies its role in relation to other post-16

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

providers in the area.  The management of English and mathematics requires significant improvement. Senior leaders have made strenuous efforts to appoint new English and mathematics teachers, but have struggled to appoint staff who they can be confident are of sufficiently high quality to teach these subjects. The rationale for placing pupils on a range of ‘stepping stone’ qualifications in English and mathematics has not yet resulted in enough pupils ultimately achieving high grades at GCSE. At the time of inspection, several teachers were unclear about which pupils should be attending their lessons in these subjects.  Quality improvement processes do not provide senior leaders and managers with sufficient clarity about key areas for improvement and how to rectify them. Their awareness of the relationship between pupils’ outcomes and progress and the quality of teaching and assessment requires improvement. Self-

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

assessment lacks a clear focus on the precise improvements needed in teaching, learning and assessment and is not sufficiently evaluative. Quality improvement planning is overly complex and insufficiently insightful to bring about rapid change in some long-standing weaknesses.  Managers have implemented a well-conceived process for performance management that identifies what improvements teachers need to make to their classroom practice, based on lesson observations, learning walks and other checks and interventions. However, it is not always clear what actions are necessary to bring about those improvements. Lesson observations and ‘learning walks’ do not focus sufficiently on pupils’ learning and progress. Neither process is yet informing managers how teachers can achieve a consistent and sustained improvement in pupils’ outcomes.  As at the previous inspection, the inclusive character of the academy is very evident through the

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

behaviours and values of senior leaders and the thought-provoking images that pervade the campus. Pupils with high needs, who account for a significant proportion of the learner cohort, achieve well.

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

 The governance of the provider Governors self-assess their own effectiveness accurately. They are realistic in identifying their deficiencies and the need for greater urgency in rectifying persistent weaknesses in the academy’s provision. Governors’ ambition to raise the quality of provision to be good has not been realised and their impact on improving a significant minority of aspects of the provision has not been fast enough. Governors have a good understanding of the academy’s overall strengths and weaknesses, but managers do not provide sufficient information to governors to keep them informed of all aspects of pupils’ study programmes. The governing body is not sufficiently involved in setting a strategic direction for the academy.

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective Staff responsible for safeguarding keep detailed records and carry out thorough investigations of all safeguarding incidents, including two within the past year relating to radicalisation and extremism. Their timely and effective interventions ensure pupils feel safe and minimise the risk of recurrence of particular types of behaviour. Managers responsible for safeguarding have a good knowledge of their responsibilities with regard to the new ‘Prevent’ duty. They are currently devising an action plan based on assessed risks such as guest speakers, e-safety and multi-use prayer facilities. Managers carry out rigorous recruitment checks on all staff and keep detailed records. These checks extend to all volunteers, consultants and contractors who visit the academy’s premises. Security staff are friendly and assiduous in monitoring who enters the campus and in patrolling areas next to the

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

academy where pupils congregate. Managers work closely with the police and local organisations to ensure that pupils do not pose a risk to themselves or to the local community in which the campus is situated.

p.3

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

 The progress that pupils make varies too much because of the inconsistent quality of teaching, learning and assessment. Progress is slow where lessons are dull, pupils do insufficient independent work, and they have limited feedback on how to improve. By contrast, pupils make rapid progress when lessons are lively and challenging, homework is demanding in respect of both volume and difficulty, and feedback is very helpful. High-need pupils in discrete provision benefit from consistently good teaching, learning and assessment.  In a significant minority of cases, teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve are too low. This results in lessons that are pedestrian, undemanding, and do not enthuse pupils or prepare them well for their next steps. For example, in too many lessons teachers set mundane tasks that make no distinction between pupils of different abilities, resulting in particular in more-able pupils wasting time. It is not

p.4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

always clear why pupils could not complete work done in lessons in their own time. It is no coincidence that, in these subjects, pupils carry out little independent study and receive insufficiently detailed feedback on their progress.  In sharp contrast, a minority of teaching is of a very high standard and enables pupils to demonstrate their capabilities. For example, in a level 1 art and media lesson pupils made very good progress in using organic, recycled and flat pack materials to design lighting for a well-known retail brand. In a superb English literature lesson, AS-level pupils, most of whom had modest prior attainment, demonstrated their emerging intellectual prowess in a captivating discussion on symbolism in The Great Gatsby.  The quality of most teaching falls between the best and the weaker practice outlined above. Most teaching on vocational courses is competent; on academic courses, a wide range of teaching quality

p.4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

exists. Teaching in the arts subjects is consistently good, and in science it has improved since the previous inspection. However, teaching and learning on foundation level mathematics courses, including GCSE, are consistently weak.  In many lessons, pupils work well collaboratively to produce work of a good standard. Effective teamwork, combined with assessment of one another’s work, prepares pupils well for the workplace. Most teachers are adept at incorporating material into their lessons that helps prepare pupils to understand the cultural diversity they will encounter in both their work and social lives.  Teachers are increasingly conscious of the need to help pupils to improve their English and mathematics, and most seek to do this, with varying degrees of success, both in lessons and in their assessment of pupils’ work. Since the previous inspection, the correction of pupils’ grammatical and spelling errors on

p.4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

their work has improved.  Staff identify pupils who need extra help at the start of their courses, and pastoral support is good. In lessons, teachers often use learning support assistants well to support individuals and groups; in a significant number of lessons, however, their work lacks purpose.  Arrangements for evaluating the quality of teaching, learning and assessment focus too much on the procedural aspects of professional competence, such as lesson planning and schemes of work, rather than considering more profound questions about the impact of teaching on the pace and depth of learning. As a result, managers tend to be over-generous in their judgements on the quality of lessons.

p.4

Personal development, behaviour and welfare requires improvement

 Pupils’ attendance at lessons, their punctuality, and the extent to which they arrive ready to learn have all improved since the previous inspection, but are still not good. The large majority of pupils enjoy their time at the academy and make progress in improving their confidence and their personal, social and employability skills. A small minority of pupils, however, display casual attitudes to learning, for example in their demeanour in lessons and lack of pride in their work, and not all teachers act decisively to raise standards.  The academy is highly inclusive, and pupils benefit from working together with those from different backgrounds. Pupils with high needs are integrated well into all aspects of academy life. Around the campus pupils behave very well and show respect for one another.  A strong focus on preparing pupils for work, both in and out of lessons, is beginning to have a positive

p.4

Personal development, behaviour and welfare requires improvement

impact. Most pupils achieve their main qualification, although opportunities to take additional work- related qualifications are limited. Links with employers are improving, and many pupils benefit from work experience or work-related activities, some with prestigious employers. However, despite improvements, too few pupils on study programmes undertake meaningful external work experience. Good arrangements for impartial careers advice and guidance ensure that pupils are supported well to make rational choices about their future plans.  On vocational courses, most teachers focus well on linking pupils’ learning to employers’ requirements as well as to qualification specifications. As a result pupils develop good practical skills in many vocational areas, for example the arts and catering. Vocational teachers do not always reflect industry practice in the use of information technology. Too many pupils make slow progress in improving the mathematics and

p.4

Personal development, behaviour and welfare requires improvement

English skills that employers seek.  Most pupils participate in the good range of enrichment opportunities offered by the academy. These include sports clubs, creative writing, music, voluntary work and charitable activities. More formally, all pupils follow a personal health, social and education programme that has a strong focus on citizenship and preparing pupils to live and work in modern Britain. This programme, along with other aspects of the academy’s work, educates pupils well about risks to their personal safety including bullying, grooming and other forms of abuse, and the dangers of radicalisation and extremism.

p.5

Outcomes for learners require improvement

 Pupils’ progress on their courses, and the proportion who achieve their qualifications, have improved since the previous inspection. However, too many pupils are on courses where the numbers who achieve their qualifications are too low, or where they make insufficient progress from their starting points.  Pupils achieve well on most level 3 vocational courses, and make good progress from their starting points. In art and design, health and social care, and information and communication technology pupils make particularly good progress. In science, and hairdressing and beauty therapy, their progress is improving. Although improving, the proportion of pupils who achieve vocational diplomas at levels 1 and 2 remains below national rates.  The considerable variations in pupils’ achievements and progress on A- and AS-level courses reflect inconsistencies in the effectiveness of teaching, learning and assessment; the same pupil is likely to

p.5

Outcomes for learners require improvement

perform well in some subjects but poorly in others. In 2014/15, the proportion of pupils achieving AS- level qualifications was unacceptably low in several subjects. By contrast, in a small number of subjects at both A and AS level, pupils make exceptional progress.  Pupils identified with high needs achieve well and make good progress. A small minority of other pupils identified by the academy as having difficult personal circumstances achieve less well and, despite frequent interventions, attend sporadically. No significant variations exist in the performance of pupils from different ethnic heritages.  The proportion of pupils who achieve functional skills qualifications in English and mathematics has improved and is now good. In English, most pupils who have not yet achieved a grade C or above at GCSE are enrolled on an international GCSE course. Although many do improve the level at which they

p.5

Outcomes for learners require improvement

achieve, very few achieve a grade C or above, even if they start with a grade D. Similarly, the proportion of pupils who achieve a grade C or above in mathematics GCSE is too low. Current pupils continue to make slow progress, particularly in mathematics.  Mirroring the inconsistencies in pupils’ progress, the standard of their work ranges from excellent to poor, with most in between, reflecting both their own and their teachers’ expectations. Inspectors saw examples of high-quality work, for example in art and design and English literature. However, in a minority of instances a lack of challenge resulted in shoddy and careless work.

p.5

16 to 19 study programmes require improvement

 All pupils at the academy are on study programmes. While most pupils are on courses that fulfil the principles of study programmes, not enough complete all aspects of their programme successfully.  Academy staff carefully advise each pupil so that they enrol on a study programme that is tailored to their future ambitions. Staff assess pupils’ starting points carefully so that they are on courses at the right level. The range of vocational and academic pathways offered to pupils fits well with their future intentions.  While pupils’ achievements on the main qualifications in their study programmes are improving, they remain too variable, especially on academic pathways. Although improvements in functional skills outcomes in mathematics and English demonstrate that most pupils are making progress in these subjects, far too few are currently reaching their aim of achieving a grade C or above at GCSE.

p.5

16 to 19 study programmes require improvement

 In lessons and tutorials, teachers focus strongly on preparing pupils for further work or training. The volume and relevance of work-related activity has improved since the previous inspection. However, too few pupils in several vocational areas benefit from external work experience that links clearly to their course at the academy. In 2014/15, only around one third of eligible pupils benefited from high-quality external work experience.  Academy staff capture the destinations of virtually all pupils, although analysis of this information is not sufficiently detailed. A high proportion of pupils on courses at levels 1 and 2 progress to a higher level within the academy. Most of those who leave the academy progress to higher education, training or employment, with a small proportion taking an apprenticeship. However, managers do not analyse with sufficient precision whether pupils’ destinations are directly linked to their vocational courses at the

p.6

16 to 19 study programmes require improvement

academy, or whether those progressing to further education or training are moving to a higher level.

p.6

Provision for learners with high needs is good

 At the time of the inspection, the academy received additional funding for around 170 pupils with a wide range of learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Just under half of these pupils are on discrete programmes designed to help them to progress; 20 deaf pupils are supported by a local Sensory Support Team. The remainder are integrated into mainstream academy courses.  Pupils with high needs benefit from courses that include lessons to improve their personal, social and independence skills, with a good focus on English and mathematics. They also have the opportunity to study in a good range of vocational areas including, for example, hospitality and catering, construction, and hairdressing and beauty therapy. This well-rounded programme helps to ensure that pupils make good progress.  A very high proportion of pupils achieve accredited qualifications, and managers rigorously monitor their progress towards these achievements. Pupils make good progress in improving their English and

p.6

Provision for learners with high needs is good

mathematics. However, managers and staff do not assess the improvements pupils make in their English and mathematics skills, and their broader personal and social skills, sufficiently carefully.  Most lessons are productive, and pupils make good progress. In one lesson, pupils reflected thoughtfully on the skills and attributes needed for specific job roles following a visit to a zoo. Teachers have a good understanding of individual pupils’ specific needs, although the short-term targets that they set for them, particularly within lessons, are occasionally not sufficiently precise. Learning support assistants make a valuable contribution to helping pupils in most lessons, although in a minority of lessons their role lacks clarity.  Pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to develop their work-related and other skills outside lessons. The range of enrichment activities is narrow, and pupils do not participate in sufficient work-related or

p.6

Provision for learners with high needs is good

enterprise activities for the academy as a whole. External work experience is insufficient.  Many pupils progress well to higher levels of study within the academy, and around a quarter move on to other further education institutions. Until recently, managers did not record whether these pupils were moving up to a higher level of study. Recently collected data show that too many who move to other providers are not studying at a higher level.  The new curriculum leader with responsibility for the discrete high-needs provision has an astute grasp of what needs to be done to improve pupils’ experience further, and has a clear plan in place to tackle the remaining areas for development.

p.6

full contract year

Head Mark Vincent Website address www.shootershill.ac.uk/

p.7

Intermediate Advanced Higher

16-18 19+ 16-18 19+ 16-18 19+ - - - - - - Number of traineeships 16-19 19+ Total - - - Number of learners aged 14-16 0

p.7

Intermediate Advanced Higher

Funding received from Education Funding Agency (EFA)

p.7

Inspection team

Alan Hinchliffe, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Richard Moore Her Majesty’s Inspector Deborah Vaughan-Jenkins Sarbdip Noonan Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Heather Barrett-Mold Ofsted Inspector

p.8

Inspection team

The above team was assisted by the Deputy Director (Teaching, Learning and Assessment) as nominee, and carried out the inspection at short notice. Inspectors took account of the provider’s most recent self- assessment report and development plans, and the previous inspection report. Inspectors used group and individual interviews and online questionnaires to gather the views of pupils; these views are reflected in the report. They observed learning sessions, assessments and progress reviews. The inspection took into account all relevant provision at the provider. 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 .

p.8

Inspection team

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, further education and skills, 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

p.9

Inspection team

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspection team

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Inspection team

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk Learner View is a website where learners can tell Ofsted what they think about their college or provider. They can also see what other learners think about them too.

p.9

Inspection team

Employer View is a new website where employers can tell Ofsted what they think about their employees’ college or provider. They can also see what other employers think about them too.

p.9