Lift Winton

Winton Community Academy London Road, Andover, Hampshire SP10 2PS

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Inadequate

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This is an academy that requires improvement

 Overall attainment is lower than the expected national levels.  Although pupils are making better progress this year, some, including some disadvantaged pupils, still do not achieve as highly as they should.  Girls have not made as much progress as boys in their learning in the recent past.  Not all teachers adapt their planning to take sufficient account of pupils’ learning needs. Most- able pupils and those pupils who have special educational needs are not always given sufficient priority.  Not enough has been done to raise all pupils’ aspirations for a more successful future through independent, impartial advice.  Not all middle leaders are effective enough in driving improvement in outcomes for pupils, and in checking the quality of work in their areas.  The quality of teaching, learning and assessment, although improving, is not consistently good across subjects and within some subjects.

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The academy has the following strengths

 The Principal, supported well by senior leaders, has created a strong and aspirational culture, which has led the academy’s recovery with notable determination and assurance. The inadequacies found at the last inspection have largely been addressed.  The Academies Enterprise Trust and governors provide a good range of critical support to the academy. This is leading to stronger leadership and better teaching.  Pupils are proud of their academy. Bullying is rare and dealt with well when it occurs. Pupils are adamant that they are well cared for, and feel safe and secure at the academy.  The recent whole-academy reading programme is supporting improvements in pupils’ literacy well.  The academy’s arrangements to safeguard pupils are effective.

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Full report

In accordance with section 13 (4) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the academy no longer requires special measures.

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What does the academy need to do to improve further?

 Raise attainment in all years to improve GCSE results and improve the quality of teaching by: ensuring that tasks set for all pupils pay more attention to their current levels of achievement encouraging the most-able pupils to tackle more challenging work and respond to teachers’ questions more confidently checking that subject leaders and teachers monitor girls’ and disadvantaged pupils’ progress to identify those who are not doing well enough as early as possible providing pupils with highly effective feedback, in line with the academy’s policy, and ensuring that they act upon that feedback to speed up the progress they make.  Intensify the academic support for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs to that it is consistently good across the academy.  Raise pupils’ aspirations higher by ensuring that the information, advice and guidance given encourage them to achieve as well as possible.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

 The Principal, supported by a cohesive and committed team of senior leaders, is skilfully and energetically steering the academy’s recovery. Previous inadequate management by senior leaders left the academy without essential management systems to maintain any kind of improvement. In the last 16 months, senior leaders have prioritised sensibly by establishing robust management systems to evaluate the quality of provision and plan improvement.  This resolve was sharply tested by the poor set of GCSE results in 2015, which were lower than expected. Leaders have redoubled their efforts for improvement, which have made a marked impact on pupils’ progress in the last few months. However, leaders know that much still needs to be done to improve standards further.  More so now, leaders at all levels monitor pupils’ achievement and make effective connections between their behaviour and the quality of the teaching they receive. Effective use of these systems has been

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

instrumental in securing improvements in each of these areas.  The management of the performance of staff is rigorous. Since the Principal’s appointment, several staff members have been refused progression through the pay scale because their teaching is not consistently good. Several teachers whose performance is weak are either helped to improve or leave the academy. However, the academy has experienced difficulties in recruiting high-quality replacements.  Leadership of teaching and learning is now more effective than at the previous inspection. Leaders evaluate the quality of teaching accurately and use this to target additional support for individuals. Teachers have access to high-quality training and are able to communicate with staff across other academies in the trust, enabling staff to share ideas and usefully check the reliability of one another’s assessments. Evaluations of this training and support are overwhelmingly positive. Staff morale is high,

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

with much support for the academy’s culture and aspirations.  In the staff questionnaire, only one response was negative, with many citing how well the academy had improved in the recent past. Equally, the small number of parents who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, this year supported the improvements in place with a growing majority recognising what has been achieved. Three quarters of those who responded would now recommend the academy to others. However, a minority reflect the turbulence that the academy has experienced over the recent past.  Developing the leadership roles of middle managers has taken time, particularly as some post holders are new. Subject leaders and heads of house have embraced their new responsibilities. However, not all are yet confident at using assessment information and routine checks to identify issues and effectively drive improvement.  Managers responsible for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs have started to

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

improve the tracking of their progress and the links between behaviour and attendance. About a third of these pupils now have effective support plans, but this is not widespread enough to ensure that pupils can make better progress. Information to illustrate the progress they make in all lessons is not collated fully.  The pupil premium (additional government funding to raise the achievement of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals or who are looked after) has funded one-to-one tuition, additional revision classes outside academy time, and enrichment activities such as developing pupils’ life skills to build their confidence. This has helped to narrow the gap in attainment between them and others in the academy this year. However, in 2015, disadvantaged pupils made significantly less progress than others nationally and the gap in the proportion of them attaining an A* to C grade in GCSE English and mathematics

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

widened slightly. The impact of this spending is not published on the academy’s website.  The curriculum in Key Stage 3 has a firm emphasis on improving pupils’ literacy skills, especially through the ‘Evolve’ curriculum. A dedicated reading session for 20 minutes each day has been welcomed by pupils and is beginning to improve literacy levels across the academy. Year 9 pupils start their Key Stage 4 work with an increased choice of option subjects. The changes reflect the academy’s enthusiasm to offer subjects which will prepare pupils well for their future lives. This is well supported by a range of extra-curricular clubs and activities, including those offered as ‘session six’ at the end of the day. Equally, the programme offered through the performing arts is a strength of the academy with good-quality productions evident.  The ethos and values of the academy are well defined and promoted effectively to pupils. Assemblies,

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

tutor times and many lessons ensure that pupils gain a good awareness of moral, social and spiritual issues. Pupils appreciate the range of extra-curricular activities including sporting, drama, art and dance activities.  The sponsor, the Academies Enterprise Trust has a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the academy. It provides important leadership, coaching and teaching support for the academy, especially in weaker subject areas. This support will continue until the academy is judged as good.  The governance of the academy The small number of governors are knowledgeable about the academy’s current position, keenly sharing senior leaders’ ambitions for sustained improvement. They are clear about what needs to be improved. Governance responsibilities are suitably delegated and each governor works closely with a senior leader to monitor progress more thoroughly than in the past. They scrutinise the information that they

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

receive from senior leaders carefully, asking more searching questions now, especially about the low performance in last summer’s GCSE. They are improving their capacity to check the impact of leaders’ actions on the quality of teaching and pupils’ learning and progress. Governors support the Principal’s decisions about awarding or withholding pay awards, and back the necessary actions to improve teaching, including through disciplinary and dismissal proceedings.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The academy is rigorous in implementing all mandatory checks and follows all guidance with regard to safer recruitment and child protection. All staff have undertaken the government’s ‘Prevent’ training, which focuses on tackling extremism. Leaders have an appropriate approach to making risk assessments without compromising pupils’ safety as leaders and staff know pupils well.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

 Since the last monitoring visit in October, the academy has made improving the quality of teaching, learning and assessment even more of a priority. Robust systems for monitoring the quality of teaching and learning have been strengthened further, especially through the use of external audits and reviews from the Academies Enterprise Trust, to ensure that the academy’s internal systems are effective. Equally, inspectors ratified the judgements made by senior leaders of the 12 joint observations during the inspection.  Continuing training and coaching for teachers has had a good impact. The academy’s evidence over the recent past shows that about two thirds of teaching is judged as good; the inspection team judge this to be a little generous. However, the academy places all practitioners on a coaching programme for those whose practice falls below ‘consistently good’. Twice-weekly briefings concentrate on sharing good and

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

outstanding practice. This is supplemented by good practice shared in ‘Footsteps’, a half-termly magazine. External support brokered through the trust has also sought to improve practice in a range of subjects.  In science, staff changes and difficulties in recruiting new staff have weakened the overall quality of teaching. Some older pupils raised concerns with inspectors about the lack of progress they were making. There is some effective teaching within the department, but until recently a lack of strategic leadership means that these talents had not been harnessed to raise the overall quality of science teaching.  Teaching in mathematics is improving and pupils are making expected progress across the academy. In English, teaching is being stabilised by external support and more strategic oversight from senior leaders; teaching is improving as a consequence but still requires improvement.  A more forensic analysis of pupils’ performance is being used well by more teachers to plan engaging

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

activities that challenge all pupils. Here, progress is good, developing pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills well. However, when this is not evident, progress is limited, often for most-able pupils who complete tasks quickly without having harder work to extend their knowledge.  Equally, where lessons have not been refined sufficiently to use information about pupils’ prior achievements, some pupils lose interest and drift off task. This shortcoming is gradually being dealt with. However, inspectors occasionally saw pupils not having enough time on the main learning task so their learning was not as well embedded as it should be.  Typically, pupils arrive promptly to lessons and are equipped and ready to start learning. Classroom routines are established and pupils apply themselves quickly to the work set. Underlining more successful lessons are the very positive and respectful relationships which practically all pupils have with each other

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

and their teachers.  Teachers’ breadth of subject knowledge, seen in several subjects, means that many of them respond confidently to pupils’ interesting or unusual questions and enjoy exploring ideas with them. Skilful questioning deepens pupils’ knowledge well in a growing number of lessons. In a Year 10 Spanish lesson, pupils had to explain weather terms in Spanish in detail, giving reasons why they used particular vocabulary when questioned further by their teacher.  Marking has improved based on a clear whole-academy policy. In history, performing arts, English and art, marking expects pupils to respond quickly to any shortfalls in their learning and is checked carefully by teachers. However, variability in this practice within subject areas and across the academy is still evident. Staff have had training on how to use marking to direct pupils what to do to improve. Even so, such targets set are not always followed up by pupils; senior leaders are aware of this limitation.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

 The academy’s literacy strategy is beginning to have an impact on pupils’ reading levels. Positive evidence of this impact is seen in Years 8 where pupils’ reading ages have improved a year in three months. In Year 7 the picture is more mixed. Testing of reading has been introduced and the special educational needs coordinator is working with 30 pupils identified as not making sufficient progress.  While homework is set on ‘Show my homework’, this is not always matching what is evident in pupils’ planners and some were unsure which had a priority, occasionally causing confusion about the importance of homework.

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Personal development and welfare

 The academy’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement.  Pupils are developing more positive attitudes to learning. They are keen to learn and contribute to discussion in lessons. However, some are hesitant and lack confidence in articulating their ideas and views. Pupils’ positive attitudes are promoted through tutor times, especially the ‘ten-minute wonder’, which deals well with topical issues which engage pupils’ interests.  Pupils say that they feel safe and are able to talk to adults about any concerns or worries. Most parents who completed the Ofsted online survey said that their children are safe and well looked after at the academy.  Bullying is infrequent and pupils say that the few incidents of bullying are tackled well. Some parents do not share pupils’ confidence in the academy’s response to concerns they have raised.  Senior leaders keep a close eye on the pupils attending alternative provision. Placements are carefully

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Personal development and welfare

matched to pupils’ interests and learning programmes are well planned.  The information, advice and guidance available have not been well coordinated until recently and still require improvement. While most pupils know what provision is available to them, they are not always well equipped with enough information to make decisions about the next stage of their education, training or employment. The planned programme of careers education and guidance has recently been re-established; it is too early to judge its impact.  Pupils who have special educational needs are not always identified or assessed accurately or in a timely enough way.  Pupils possess a well-founded loyalty to their academy and each other. Opportunities are growing for leadership within the academy through a prefect system and pupil groups which are responsible for suggesting and evaluating effective ways of improving their life at the academy: weekly meetings with

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Personal development and welfare

the Principal explore a range of matters often about the quality of teaching. Academy leaders ensure that pupils have opportunities to experience new and different cultures, outside their immediate environment. A structured programme of well-planned tutor times, the established house system and effective assemblies ensure that pupils develop a sense of duty and respect. In this way they are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.  Pupils have responded well to the academy’s higher expectations and teachers’ more consistent practice in managing behaviour. Although infrequent, low-level disruptive behaviour is still evident in lessons when work is not well matched to pupils’ interests and levels of ability.  Improved behaviour is demonstrated by the decrease in exclusions, with no fixed-term exclusions in the last 16 months. While pupils generally recognised that behaviour has improved in the last 18 months, some said that in lower sets behaviour is sometimes not well managed by teachers. Inspectors saw limited evidence of this.  Academy records show reducing incidents of poor behaviour, including bullying or racist behaviour. The overwhelming majority of incidents are caused by a very small proportion of pupils.  Attendance has improved since the last inspection but remains just below the national average. Persistent

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Behaviour

absence has dropped by about a quarter this year, showing that the academy’s tough stance in dealing with sporadic absence is having a good effect.

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

 Pupils enter the academy with standards significantly below those achieved nationally. In the current Years 7 and 8, a much smaller than average proportion of higher-ability pupils joined the academy.  In 2015 GCSE results were similar to those of 2014. The academy had several marking appeals upheld to reach this outcome. The proportion of pupils gaining at least five A* to C grade GCSEs (including English and mathematics) was 33%, still below the government’s floor target of 40%. Attainment in mathematics was in line with national averages, and results in information technology, business studies, sports studies and photography improved from 2014. Results in English remained below average as they did in science. Slightly more grades A* and A were achieved in 2015 than in 2014, yet this was still below national averages.  A higher proportion of pupils made the expected amount of progress in mathematics than in 2014, taking

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

into account their starting points on entry to the academy. In English, the proportion was below national expectations. Disadvantaged pupils made less progress than other pupils in school and others nationally across many subjects. The quality of teaching had not been good enough to help these pupils make better progress over time. However, lower-ability pupils made better progress than those nationally. Boys made much better progress than girls in both English and mathematics.  Inspection evidence from assessment information, detailed scrutiny of pupils’ work and observations of learning confirms the academy’s view that progress is accelerating. Rigorously checked academy data show that predicted outcomes for current Year 11 pupils are on track to attain better results. The gap between boys’ and girls’ performance is narrowing, yet not quickly enough.  Equally, current assessment information shows that a large majority of subjects are on track to match

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

national averages for progress. Now the gaps between the performance of pupils eligible for the pupil premium and others are narrowing in virtually all subjects, across the academy. The sharper checks introduced by leaders are making a positive difference to how well pupils across Key Stages 3 and 4 are progressing. Higher expectations of progress are raising the bar and improved teaching is leading to better learning. Better progress in pupils’ levels of literacy and numeracy are evident in Years 7 and 8.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make similar progress to others in the academy as a result of support they receive out of lessons. However, support in lessons is not making sufficient impact on their progress yet.  The handful of pupils taught for part of the week at alternative provision, once settled, begin to make similar progress to those in the academy.  While almost all pupils move onto further education, training and employment at the end of Year 11, the

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

information, advice and guidance they receive have not been properly coordinated, until recently, to develop their aspirations well enough.

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School details

Unique reference number 138920 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 10001599

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Comprehensive School category Academy sponsor-led Age range of pupils 11–16 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 436 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jonathan Frere Headteacher Nathan Thomas Telephone number 01264 351822 Website www.wintoncommunityacademy.org Email address info@wintoncommunityacademy.org Date of previous inspection 3–4 December 2013

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Information about this school

 Winton Community Academy opened in November 2012. The academy is sponsored by the Academies Enterprise Trust.  It is a smaller than average-sized secondary academy with a slightly higher proportion of girls than boys.  There have been changes in leadership and governance since the last inspection, and a significant turnover in staff across the academy.  The proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium is higher than the national average. This is additional government funding for pupils in the care of the local authority and those known to be eligible for free school meals.  Almost all pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is below the national average. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is much lower than average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs or an education, health

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Information about this school

and care plan is above average. The main identified needs are moderate learning difficulties.  The academy provides education or training for six pupils at the Andover Education Centre on a part-time basis.  The academy does not meet the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectation for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in over 30 part-lessons. Twelve lessons were observed jointly with senior leaders. In practically all lessons, inspectors looked at pupils’ work in books. A detailed work scrutiny of over 25 different sets of pupils’ work was carried out.  Inspectors held detailed discussions with groups of pupils and talked to others informally during breaktimes. Discussions were held with senior leaders, pastoral and academic leaders, middle leaders and staff. Meetings were held with the two representatives of the governing body, the regional director of the Academies Enterprise Trust, and a consultant supporting the academy’s work.  Inspectors took account of 25 parents’ responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View. Inspectors also considered responses to online questionnaires completed by 32 members of staff.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documents. These included the academy’s action plans for 2015/16,

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Information about this inspection

reviews of teaching and learning, the academy’s self-evaluation, standards and progress information, predictions for 2016 results, behaviour and attendance records, and a range of policies. Previous monitoring letters from Ofsted over the last two years were also considered.

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Inspection team

Hugh Betterton, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Anne Cullum Ofsted Inspector Nicholas Simmonds Ofsted Inspector guidance 'Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . 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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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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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, schools, 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,

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Inspection team

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

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Inspection team

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

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Inspection team

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

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