Farnham Heath End School

Farnham Heath End School Hale Reeds, Farnham GU9 9BN

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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 Good

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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 Good

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This is a school that requires improvement

 The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is variable within and between departments. As a result, pupils do not make good progress in many subjects.  Leaders have been too slow to tackle the inconsistent quality of teaching, learning and assessment and the resulting dip in results.  The progress that many pupils make in mathematics and science is much less than similar pupils nationally. This is especially the case for pupils who have special educational needs or disability .  The gap between the achievement of disadvantaged pupils and others widened in 2015 and is not narrowing quickly enough currently. This is particularly so at Key Stage 4 in mathematics and English.  Governors are not challenging leaders effectively enough on how well the extra funding for disadvantaged pupils is used.  Many teachers do not have high enough expectations of how pupils present work in their books and folders and do not give sufficient

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This is a school that requires improvement

attention to developing pupils’ literacy skills.

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The school has the following strengths

 Leaders have created a very calm and orderly environment where pupils feel well-cared-for and safe. Bullying is very rare and, when it does occur, is dealt with effectively by staff.  Leaders have taken decisive steps to address low attendance and support vulnerable pupils at risk of exclusion. As a result, exclusion rates are almost zero and attendance is in line with the national average.  Newly appointed leaders are responding more swiftly to the need to drive improvement. As a result, standards are rising. This is especially the case in humanities, art and design, English, modern foreign languages and physical education.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the progress that disadvantaged pupils make in English and especially in mathematics, by: – ensuring that all staff closely monitor the progress of disadvantaged pupils and develop effective strategies to accelerate their learning and eliminate the gaps in achievement between these pupils and others – increasing the scrutiny by governors of the impact of the funding for disadvantaged pupils and the difference it is making.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment across subjects and across key stages, by: – ensuring that all staff follow the school’s assessment policy so that all pupils receive helpful advice and guidance on how to improve their work – ensuring that all staff use information about pupils’ achievements more effectively to plan activities and tasks that better match the needs of pupils with different abilities, particularly those who have special educational needs – improving presentation so that pupils take more care and show more pride in their work.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that leaders at all levels focus on raising pupils’ achievements, especially in science and mathematics, by: – sharing the best practice in teaching more effectively through training – making better use of the support from other schools for teachers in science and mathematics – implementing a consistent approach to developing pupils’ reading and writing skills.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

 The headteacher has established an environment where pupils want to do well and are tolerant and respectful of others. However, the headteacher has faced significant challenges since the previous inspection in recruiting and retaining staff in key areas. He has recently promoted leaders who share his vision of ‘delivering excellence’ for the school but these staff have not yet made an impact on the progress of pupils as they have not had sufficient time to do so.  There is a wide variation in the quality of leadership in the school. More effective leaders have very high expectations of what pupils can achieve and, as a result, pupils achieve well and are keen to learn in some subjects. However, this is not the case elsewhere, where lower expectations of what pupils can achieve are often the norm. This is especially the case in science, where pupils are not clear about what they are learning and make slower progress as a result.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

 Leaders have rightly identified issues that all staff need to work on to improve the quality of teaching in the school and use a range of approaches in response. Many of these are relatively new, such as the weekly briefings that share the best ideas on how to support different pupils.  Leaders regularly check the quality of teaching, learning and assessment and use this information to plan improvements to the school. The difficulties with recruitment and staffing have meant that some of these plans have not been put in place quickly enough to yet make a difference to pupils. For example, a more detailed session on planning for the needs of different pupils has only recently taken place, despite leaders recognising that this has been a priority since 2014.  Leaders have chosen to have little external assessment of the quality of teaching and learning since the previous inspection report. Leaders rely too heavily on their own judgements and have not always taken into

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

account increased expectations for the progress of pupils.  Leaders have reflected on the challenges of recruitment and have wisely introduced a new approach to developing potential middle and senior leaders. A number of staff relatively new to the profession are well supported in taking on leadership roles. These staff are taking effective action to address underperformance and there is some evidence of the impact of this on pupils’ progress. In English, for example, the new leader has introduced useful approaches to showing pupils how they can improve their work.  The systems to reward teachers’ performance are robust. The majority of staff are clear that the current system is fair and helps them improve with appropriate training. There is effective support for staff who are new to the profession and new systems for reviewing subjects are beginning to have an impact. However, leaders do not always check that all staff follow school policies well and nor do they intervene quickly

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

enough with those staff who do not.  The curriculum is appropriately broad and balanced. All pupils can choose to study a language at GSCE and the school offers a wide range of vocational and academic qualifications. When appropriate, pupils can study additional vocational qualifications at a local college and there is regular feedback on the academic achievement of those who do so. Leaders guide pupils well in their choice of subjects and more pupils are continuing to study academic qualifications at college and sixth form as a result.  The promotion of British values is a strength of the school. They are well mapped out in different subjects and different year groups. In a Year 8 geography lesson, pupils sensitively explored the issues leading to the current conflict in Syria and a pupil remarked how they found the lesson ‘very poignant’. Tutor time and assemblies are used skilfully to develop pupils’ interest in the wider world. The personal development

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

programme effectively addresses important issues such as discrimination and rights.  Pupils receive very good-quality careers advice. They benefit from a good programme of guidance in Year 10, careers fairs and college visits in Year 11 as well as a range of speakers in assemblies. Inspectors visited a business event taking place for Year 11 and spoke to exhibitors who reported that pupils are confident, communicate well with adults and are well prepared for making decisions about the next stage of education. The numbers of pupils who remain in education, employment or training has recently increased to be well above the national average.  The pupil premium grant is used more effectively in Key Stage 3, where it funds extra staff and special support for homework as well as extra resources for some pupils. In Key Stage 4 the funding has had less impact and leaders are reviewing the strategies they use. Recently, leaders have introduced a new ‘Pupil

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

Passport’ system to share detailed information with teachers about disadvantaged pupils. Teachers find this useful to help them to plan activities that meet these pupils’ individual needs. In addition, the school uses the funding well to ensure that disadvantaged pupils experience learning out of school with two thirds of all disadvantaged pupils having had support to take part in trips and visits.  The Year 7 catch-up premium is used to good effect. Pupils who have not achieved a Level 4 in English or mathematics by the end of Key Stage 2 catch up quickly. Pupils with this additional support were proud to share their work with inspectors, and talked about how much they had improved and how the additional resources had helped them.  A very small number of pupils attend another school either full time or for a day a week. Leaders use this provision well and pupils report that they make good progress when they are there and that the support

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

they receive helps them to succeed. Leaders have good oversight of the current progress and welfare of these pupils and keep in regular contact with the provider.  The headteacher is usefully exploring links with a teaching school to support him in addressing weaknesses in teaching in science and mathematics as well as working effectively with two local secondary schools to ensure effective alternative provision for pupils who need extra support.  The governance of the school Governors are committed and ambitious for the school to do well. They exercise adequate oversight of the school’s finances and carry out their statutory duties in accordance with regulations. They recognise that outcomes for pupils in 2015 were not good enough and have begun to take steps to challenge leaders more robustly. They have reflected on their own effectiveness and have commissioned a review so that they can improve the work that they do. Governors recognise that they did not act swiftly enough

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

to challenge leaders about the poor performance of disadvantaged pupils in 2015. Governors know the main strengths and weaknesses of the school and visit to stay in touch with the work of leaders. However, they recognise that they need to broaden the scope of their scrutiny to include more regular checks on the progress that current pupils make in all year groups. Governors keep a close eye on the school’s systems for rewarding pay and performance. Governors and leaders review their work with parents regularly. However a few parents feel that the school does not always communicate effectively about changes to previous practice. For example, a few parents raised a concern about their lack of understanding of the new assessment system.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. There are good systems in place to check on the suitability of staff and there is regular training for adults working in the school. As a result, staff know their

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

responsibilities well and what to do if they are worried about a pupil’s welfare. There is significant expertise in the governing body on this issue. As a result, there is a strong culture of safeguarding across the school. The vast majority of parents who responded to Parent View (Ofsted’s online questionnaire for parents) reported that their children are well-looked-after and one parent said that ‘all teachers go above and beyond for the pupils in their care’.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

 Teaching requires improvement because not enough pupils make consistently good progress in the majority of subjects. This is especially true of pupils who have special educational needs or disability and disadvantaged pupils. Neither of these groups achieve as well as other pupils nationally.  There is some effective teaching in the school and much that is improving. However, there continues to be significant variation between subjects and teaching. The best teaching is well planned, engages pupils with adroitly chosen resources and stretches the most able as well as meeting the needs of those who may struggle. In a Year 11 history lesson, all pupils completed an ‘essential task’ on the factors that contributed to increased public health in Victorian Britain. The teacher used skilful questioning to ensure that all pupils made progress and insisted that some worked on a subtly different activity which asked them to evaluate

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

which factors were more important. One pupil highlighted just how much work he had done since September and shared an assessment he had improved on, although it was already graded as an A.  Teaching in English is improving. Pupils confidently share their work and use technical language to good effect. When Year 10 pupils discussed the poem Exposure, they analysed key aspects and offered different interpretations of the poem with insight and skill. In a Year 7 English lesson, pupils who have struggled with the subject in the past successfully identified key aspects of Gothic writing and some provided useful examples from texts they had read. All teachers in English are improving how they assess pupils’ work and pupils refine their ideas to good effect as a result.  Teaching in mathematics requires improvement. The most effective teaching identifies the missing gaps in pupils’ mathematical understanding and addresses misconceptions. Some teachers use assessment well so

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

that pupils reported that ‘I am good at algebra but need to work on my word problems’. However, too often teaching is not closely matched to the needs of the pupils: some said they found the work too easy while others struggled to complete the tasks set. In some lessons, pupils complete worksheets half-heartedly as a result of low expectations from teachers. Work in some pupils’ books is poorly presented and there is little evidence of teachers challenging this, or work that is left incomplete. There is a similar picture in science and other subjects where planning, assessment and questioning are not well developed.  When teaching is especially effective, teachers’ subject knowledge is a significant strength. In a Year 11 art lesson, pupils were seen absorbed in print making and were very knowledgeable about the skills they had developed to produce their final piece of work. Sketch books contained insightful commentary that guided

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

pupils to take next steps particularly well. In physical education and drama, teachers’ understanding of the key aspects of the topic meant that pupils developed their knowledge and skills securely.  Pupils’ work is not always marked according to the school’s policies. Too often, class books are left unchecked so that pupils take less care and attention over their work. The school’s new assessment system is not well understood by all staff and pupils so that in some subjects pupils are not clear about what they need to do to improve or how well they are achieving. There is sporadic use by teachers of strategies to improve pupils’ literacy and these are underdeveloped and not followed up carefully or rigorously.  Teaching assistants are increasingly well deployed. The newly appointed leader of special educational needs is usefully reviewing the most efficient way of using these additional adults in the classroom. Inspectors

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

observed a range of practice with the most effective additional adults supporting pupils skilfully with close guidance and help. However, at other times, teaching assistants did not contribute well to pupils’ learning so that pupils who have special educational needs did not make as much progress as their peers.  The school has recently developed a more rigorous approach to setting homework. As a result, pupils report that it is set more often and that most teachers follow up on pupils who do not complete it. Some pupils attend homework club after school as they find this useful. School information shows that this club has led to a reduction in detentions for missing homework.  There is a wide range of opportunities for pupils to enjoy learning beyond the classroom. There is a well- developed programme of educational visits to local locations as well as to those that are further afield. Leaders analyse participation in these very well and report that nearly nine out of 10 children have taken

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

part in at least one visit. Pupils can also take part in a range of after-school activities that include sports, drama, music, and art as well as homework clubs.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Teachers and other staff create an environment where pupils can learn and are encouraged to do their best. Pupils feel that adults listen to their concerns and meet with leaders and governors to share their ideas on how to improve their school. For example, pupils highlighted the lack of vegetarian options available from the canteen which led to leaders increasing the range of choice at lunchtimes.  Attendance is improving and is in line with the national average as a result of school leaders having promoted improved attendance and punctuality successfully, especially with the few who are frequently absent. The attendance of disadvantaged pupils is improving and gaps between their attendance and that of other groups is narrowing. Pupils are punctual to school and to lessons.  Exclusions have been lower than the national average recently and have reduced to an impressively low

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Personal development and welfare

level this academic year. Leaders have adopted a range of successful strategies that support pupils who need additional intervention. These include alternative provision that supports pupils with additional emotional or behavioural needs. There are now very effective systems in place that ensure that pupils continue to make progress even when they have to be out of school for extended periods of time.  Pupils feel very safe and well-cared-for. They are clear about who they could talk to if they have a concern. Teachers know pupils well and pupils say that their teachers are approachable. The school has effective strategies to support more vulnerable pupils in the ‘Hub’ and in the library. When interviewed, pupils who have special educational needs reported that they felt ‘other pupils really look out for you’.  Pupils learn about keeping safe through their personal development programme and through assemblies.

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Personal development and welfare

They learn from assemblies about keeping safe online, and in tutor time about substance abuse and relationships. They are well aware of how to use social media and are clear about the dangers posed online by sexting and radicalisation.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils are smart and wear their uniform well. Pupils take pride in their environment so that the 1960s building is in very good condition and there is very little litter around the site.  Pupils are proud of their school and are keen to talk about what makes it different to other schools locally. They behave well, even when there is little supervision such as during break in the Year 11 study area. Pupils listen attentively in assembly and in lessons to teachers and they are respectful of other pupils’ views.  Pupils are confident to share their ideas and work they have done, especially in practical subjects like art and design and technology. Pupils work very well together, especially in physical education where they coach and assess each other’s work sensitively. However, in many subjects pupils’ books and folders are not well presented.  Behaviour in lessons is good. There are few incidents of disruption or poor behaviour. Leaders have

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Behaviour

established good systems to ensure a calm and orderly environment and pupils report that teachers use these consistently and fairly.  Bullying and racist incidents are rare. When they do occur, pupils say that they are well managed. Most parents and pupils report that the school responds well to their concerns.

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

 Pupils’ achievement requires improvement. Pupils join the school with broadly average attainment. In 2015, the proportion achieving 5 A* to C in GCSE subjects including English and mathematics was just slightly below the national average. Pupils made slightly less progress in English and significantly less progress in mathematics than similar pupils in other schools.  Current Year 11 pupils have attained higher grades than previous pupils in the recent mock examinations as school leaders have recently improved the way pupils are assessed in formal tests. This gives them the capacity to intervene and steer progress better. Leaders have also introduced a new system of assessment to replace National Curriculum levels and are using other testing usefully to raise expectations of what pupils may achieve. However, there is not yet enough evidence to say that pupils’ achievement in Years 7 and 8 is rising more rapidly.

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

 Pupils who have special educational needs or disability are making better progress than previously, especially in Key Stage 3. In 2015, only a small proportion of these pupils made the progress expected of them in mathematics, science and in other subjects. The recently appointed leader in this area has already improved the quality of these pupils’ learning.  The achievement of the most-able pupils is improving. In the 2015 examinations, a significant proportion of the most-able pupils achieved the highest grades in art, geography, English literature and French. In addition, the proportions that made the progress expected of them in English and mathematics were above the national averages. Current information shows that this group is making the progress expected. For example, most-able pupils in geography and history described how teachers demand that they produce work at the highest level and even pupils who are achieving the highest grades said ‘we are not great at this and

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

we know we can do better’. Outcomes for the most able in Key Stage 3 suggest that they are achieving in line with expectations.  Disadvantaged pupils do not do as well as other pupils. In 2015, the proportion who made at least the progress expected of them in English and mathematics was significantly below that of other pupils nationally. These pupils achieved, on average, well over a whole grade below others in English and a grade below in mathematics. Leaders have introduced a range of strategies to address this underachievement. Consequently, disadvantaged pupils are achieving at least as well as others in Key Stage 3 in some subjects, though gaps remain in English, mathematics and science.  Following the previous inspection, leaders have focused on improving pupils’ reading. They have invested in a greater range of books in the library, especially those that interest boys. As a result, more pupils read

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

widely and often, particularly boys who now take more books out of the library than girls. Information from the school’s reading programmes show that pupils who need to catch up are making excellent progress and in some cases overtaking their peers. Pupils read in class and are familiar with a wide range of reading strategies to help them with unfamiliar words.  There are a number of strategies in place to improve pupils’ writing skills in lessons. In geography and history, pupils use the ‘literacy mats’ to helped them improve their extended writing; in English pupils showed inspectors how the literacy boxes help them write well. However, there is not a coherent approach to developing these skills across all subjects. When teaching, learning and assessment is effective there is some explicit development of pupils’ spelling, grammar and writing skills. However, this practice is not a common feature of teaching across the school so the majority of pupils do not receive adequate guidance on

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

how to improve their reading and writing skills.

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School details

Unique reference number 139486 Local authority Surrey Inspection number 10011125

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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School details

Type of school Secondary Comprehensive School category Academy converter Age range of pupils 11–16 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 887 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mrs Jenny Spencer Headteacher Nicholas Phillips Telephone number 01252 733371 Website www.fhes.org.uk Email address admin@fhes.org.uk Date of previous inspection October 2012

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Information about this school

 This is a slightly smaller than averaged-size school.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disability is smaller than average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium (additional government funding for pupils eligible for free school meals and those looked after by the local authority) is below average. Some pupils are eligible for the Year 7 catch-up premium.  The school serves a community that has little ethnic or social diversity.  A small number of pupils attend Farnborough College of Technology for one morning a week to study vocational courses. A small number attend 40 Degreez, a centre for pupils who need additional intervention and support.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for attainment and progress.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 40 lessons and 16 part-lessons across a range of year groups and subjects. Some lessons were observed jointly with senior leaders.  Inspectors held meetings with senior leaders, other staff and with governors. Inspectors took account of the 38 responses to confidential questionnaires received from staff. They also telephoned a representative of the local authority and spoke to a senior leader at the local college.  Inspectors evaluated key documents including the school’s strategic planning, minutes of meetings, reports of attendance and behaviour, and records related to pupils’ safety and academic progress. They scrutinised the work done in lessons.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour at break and lunchtimes, around the school and in assemblies, tutorial periods and other activities.  Inspectors spoke with pupils informally and formally as well as taking into account the 114 responses to

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Information about this inspection

confidential questionnaires received from pupils.  Inspectors took into account the 113 responses from parents on Parent View (Ofsted’s online questionnaire for parents) and the comments that some made.  An inspector also visited ‘40 Degreez’, met with the leader and spoke to pupils who were attending this alternative provision.

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Inspection team

Seamus Murphy, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Mark Bennison Ofsted Inspector Julie Miriam Ofsted Inspector Adam Mirams Peter Whear Helen Bailey Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector 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, 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,

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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

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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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