Sir William Stanier School

Sir William Stanier Community School Coronation Street, Crewe, Cheshire, CW1 4EB

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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 Good

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This is a school that requires improvement

 While the Principal, senior leaders and governors set a clear direction for the school, they have not sustained the school’s previously good practice consistently across all aspects of its work.  Not all teachers use the information they hold about pupils to ensure that all make the progress of which they are capable.  Gaps between the progress made by boys at the school and the progress of their peers nationally are widening.  Teachers do not always set work of the right level to ensure that pupils, especially the most able, are appropriately challenged.  While many pupils are polite, courteous and behave well, not all display such standards and are not always challenged by adults to do so. Consequently, the learning of pupils is disrupted in lessons.  Pupils in the recently established STAR Academy make variable progress. This is because, as in the main school, pupils’ are not always given enough challenge.

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This is a school that requires improvement

 In the main school, the policy for behaviour is not applied consistently. The behaviour and progress of pupils who learn in the STAR Academy is not good enough, because of the weak teaching it provides.  Attendance, while rising, remains too low; likewise, while falling, exclusions are still too high.

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The school has the following strengths

 The progress of disadvantaged pupils is similar to that of others nationally.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, who learn in the main school, make similar progress to that of their peers. This is because of high-quality support given by teaching assistants.  The curriculum prepares pupils well for the next phase of their education, employment or training.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that pupils make better progress and reach higher standards by: ensuring that teachers make best use of the information they hold about pupils, so that all make the progress of which they are capable ensuring appropriate levels of challenge for all pupils, but especially for the most able and boys making sure all adults in the school are consistent in their application of the school’s behaviour policy so that all pupils behave as well as the best and disruptions to learning are minimised.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management by building on the strong existing practice in the school, for example the leadership of teaching, learning and assessment to promote improvements in other areas of the academy’s work.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that improvements in attendance and reductions in exclusion rates are maintained for all pupils.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

 While the Principal, senior leaders and governors set a very clear direction for the school, that is understood and shared by leaders of subjects and by all at the school, they have not sustained the good practice, noted in the previous inspection, in all aspects of their work. Since the 2015 GCSE examinations, in which outcomes were not as good as those achieved in the previous year, senior leaders have put in place stronger systems to track the progress of pupils rigorously, in order to hold teachers to account for the progress made.  While the school can point to some improvements in pupils’ outcomes, senior leaders understand that they must secure consistently good or better outcomes for all pupils, including boys, pupils of average ability and the most able, across all subjects.  Teachers appreciate the many opportunities that they have for professional development and are keen to improve their practice further. However, the impact of this training is not fully evident in teachers’

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

planning and teaching and in pupils’ behaviour.  Senior leaders have also sharpened measures to monitor the quality of teaching, learning and assessment and of teachers’ overall performance. Governors have taken firm steps to support senior leaders in removing any teachers who do not improve, having been given the appropriate support to do so.  Senior leaders can point to effective use of the pupil premium and literacy catch-up funding. This is helping to improve the literacy skills of pupils who enter the school with low attainment in reading and writing. Some pupils who have been supported by the extra funding have improved their reading rapidly.  The school prides itself on the investment it makes in pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. These themes feature strongly in the curriculum. Pupils appreciate opportunities to take on leadership responsibilities and to learn about life in modern Britain. They also learn about British values

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

such as democracy and tolerance.  The school provides a broad and balanced curriculum to meet the diverse needs of its pupils. Senior leaders have introduced new pathways for different groups of pupils, to prepare them for the different demands of examinations. The strength of the curriculum is seen in the very low number of pupils who do not enter further education, employment and training at the end of Year 11.  The STAR Academy, on-site provision for pupils who need extra support, is rightly set to be reviewed. The progress and behaviour of many pupils who learn there is too variable.  The school takes its responsibility to promote equal opportunities very seriously. Pupils have open access to all curriculum subjects. Pupils are very sure that no discrimination of any kind is tolerated.  Governance Governors are very experienced and knowledgeable about the strengths of the school and the areas of

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

work that need to improve. Governors bring significant experience to their roles. They are well aware of the link between teachers’ salary decisions and the quality of their teaching. They have supported the Principal in making difficult decisions where teachers’ performance has not been good enough and it has been necessary to make arrangements for moving them on. Minutes of the governing body show that governors are very well informed and mount a strong level of challenge to senior leaders.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The academy has a comprehensive and detailed up-to- date policy which meets all statutory requirements. Staff have received relevant training, some of it relating to the Prevent strategy, which is an initiative aiming to raise awareness of risks of extremism and radicalisation. Risk assessments are carried out robustly.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

 The quality of teaching requires improvement because it does not lead to consistently good outcomes for pupils across a range of subjects or to their consistently good behaviour. While senior leaders have put in place a very strong system for checking the quality of teaching and learning, teaching is not always sharply focused on pupils’ progress from their starting points.  Teachers do not always comply with the school’s assessment policy concerning the use of information that teachers have about pupils’ progress Some pupils therefore do not know their exact targets and next steps in their learning.  Teachers do not always set tasks and activities at the right level of challenge for pupils, especially for the most able. In such cases, pupils complete tasks quickly without having harder work to extend their knowledge.  Teachers sometimes miss opportunities to promote pupils’ writing and speaking at length. As a result,

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

some pupils do not have the resilience to write imaginatively, using a wide range of vocabulary.  Teachers do not always pick up errors in pupils’ work, so that they do not have an accurate model for revision.  The most effective teaching is characterised by teachers’ strong subject knowledge and planning for pupils’ progress. Teachers use clear explanations and skilful questioning to gauge pupils’ understanding. Teachers promote strong relationships and positive attitudes to learning and challenge pupils to the best progress they can.  In a Year 11 mathematics class, the teacher had high expectations of the pupils. They were proud of their books and enjoyed the challenge of getting through a large amount of work rapidly in order to catch up work missed in the previous year. This contributed to their improving progress.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupil’s personal development and welfare requires improvement.  Many pupils bring positive attitudes to their learning and are courteous and respectful towards each other and adults but this is not always the case. Where it is not, tutor time is not used effectively to promote better attitudes. Some pupils do not find it easy to interact appropriately with adults.  Pupils met with during the inspection say that they feel safe and are able to talk to a range of adults when they have concerns. Most parents who completed the online questionnaire Parent View, agreed that their children are safe and well looked after by the school.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs receive strong support for their learning in the main school. This contributes to their good progress. The outcomes for pupils who study in the STAR Academy are too variable.  Pupils understand about discrimination and say that it is not tolerated. They know that bullying happens

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Personal development and welfare

but the great majority of pupils feel that it is well handled when it occurs.  The school does not use any alternative provision. Pupils say that they find the careers information, advice and guidance provided at the school is helpful to them in considering future options. Older pupils have individual support from a careers adviser. They also attend careers fairs where they can ask questions of local businesses and colleges. The effectiveness of this provision is seen in the fact that almost all pupils move on to further education, employment or training at the end of Year 11.  Pupils told inspectors that personal, social and health education sessions and assemblies inform them how to keep themselves safe from a range of risks, including when using the internet. They also say that they are well prepared for life in modern Britain through taking responsibilities, for example, as sports or house captains, prefects and mentors.

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Personal development and welfare

 Religious education lessons provide opportunities for pupils to discuss and reflect on their actions. They are aware of the dangers of extremism and radicalisation.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement  Pupils say that low-level disruption is frequently evident in some classes and with some teachers, who are not able to tackle it quickly, or who do not apply the sanctions consistently. Pupils sometimes use inappropriate language and this is not always swiftly enough challenged by teachers. Inspectors saw evidence of this in classrooms and around the school site.  Attendance, as measured overall and by figures for persistent absence, remains low across the school. Therefore, except in Year 7, attendance at the school is not improving rapidly enough, despite the academy’s strenuous efforts.  Punctuality at the start of the day and to lessons is an issue for the school. Too many pupils arrive late for both and teachers do not always challenge pupils on their lateness.  Many pupils told inspectors that they appreciate the school’s ‘zero tolerance’ of poor behaviour. They

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Behaviour

appreciate the clarity of the sanctions for different misdemeanours, as a result of which exclusions are beginning to reduce.  Records of all forms of bullying, including prejudice-based bullying, are efficiently kept. They also enable staff to pinpoint patterns in such incidents and follow up the victims to give support.

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

 Pupils join the academy with standards significantly below those achieved nationally. In each year group currently in the school, the proportion of high-ability pupils is much smaller than average.  In 2015, the proportion of pupils gaining at least five A* to C grade GCSEs (including English and mathematics) was significantly below the national average. In English, attainment was also significantly below average, as it was in 2014. Mathematics results remained significantly below average, but showed some improvement.  Subjects that improved their results from 2014 included additional science, textiles, psychology, and business studies. Achievement at grades A* and A in 2015 was broadly similar to that of 2014.  The proportion of pupils who made the progress expected of them in English was, as in 2014, broadly in line with the national average. In mathematics, the proportion was significantly below average.

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

 In English, the proportion of disadvantaged pupils of low ability who made and exceeded the progress expected of them was in line with others nationally. However, the progress of disadvantaged pupils of average ability was well below that of other pupils nationally, in both English and mathematics.  The gaps in progress between boys and girls in English and mathematics are wider than found nationally.  Senior leaders recognised that the promise of some predictions of pupils’ progress in 2015 had not been realised. They acted swiftly to review and sharpen systems for checking pupils’ progress and holding subject leaders and teachers firmly to account for it.  As a result, current assessment information shows that gaps between the performance of pupils eligible for the pupil premium and others are narrowing across a range of attainment and progress measures. Inspection evidence shows no significant difference between the progress, over time, of pupils eligible for

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

the pupil premium and others in the school.  Senior leaders know that while many pupils in the current Year 11 are on track to make at least the progress expected of them, in some subjects they are not, notably in ancient history, catering, history, languages, music, PE and the Science Gateway course.  There is also more work to do to ensure that all the most able pupils make at least good progress from their starting points. A project is now in place to improve outcomes in English, mathematics and science for the most able pupils in Years 7 and 8. This provision is beginning to bear fruit, especially in Year 7.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make similar progress to others in the academy, as a result of the extra support that they receive, including from the high-quality work of teaching assistants.  The progress of pupils currently in the STAR Academy is variable. This is because the low-level tasks and

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

activities set do not engage pupils’ interest. Pupils who have negative attitudes to learning lose concentration quickly and poor and disrespectful behaviour is not tackled effectively by staff.  In the main school, the progress of current pupils is also inconsistent and related to the variable quality of teaching. In subjects where teachers have good subject knowledge and plan effectively for pupils’ progress, their pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, work well together and make good progress. When pupils are given work that is either too easy or too hard, pupils too often engage in low- level disruption and make only limited progress.

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School details

Unique reference number 139953 Local authority Cheshire East Inspection number 10017316

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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 School category Academy sponsor-led Age range of pupils 11–16 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 850 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair David Cooper Principal Jason Fraser Telephone number 01270 685360 Website www.thelifecloud.net/schools/sirwilliamstanier Email address office@sws.cheshire.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 10–11 March 2015

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in a range of subjects. Some observations were carried out jointly with senior leaders.  Inspectors placed a strong focus on investigating pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school’s site.  Inspectors interviewed four groups of pupils from across the age range of the academy. They also talked informally to a considerable number of pupils at the beginning of the day, as well as at lunch, break times and changeovers between lessons, to hear the pupils’ views about the school and especially about behaviour.  Detailed discussions were held with senior leaders, the Chair of Governors and the Chair of the multi- academy trust with which the school is associated. Inspectors also met with leaders of subjects and of other aspects of the academy’s work.  Inspectors took account of 22 parents’ responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View. It was not

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Information about this inspection

possible to access the online staff or pupil questionnaires.  Inspectors considered a range of documents related to the academy’s work. These included the academy’s summary of its self-evaluation, the academy’s development plan, information about pupils’ standards and progress, behaviour and attendance records, and a variety of other policies.

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Information about this school

 Sir William Stanier Community School opened as a sponsor-led academy in September 2013.  The academy is sponsored by The Heath Family Multi-Academy Trust (North West.)  The academy is smaller than the average-sized secondary academy with a slightly higher proportion of girls than boys.  The proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium is well above the national average. The pupil premium is additional government funding for pupils in the care of the local authority and those known to be eligible for free school meals.  Most pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is half the national average. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is well below the national average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs or an education, health and care plan is broadly average. The main identified needs are social, emotional and mental health.

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Information about this school

 The academy does not use any alternative provision of education or training away from the academy.  The academy meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectation for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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Inspection team

Susan Wareing, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Mark Williams Her Majesty’s Inspector Marcia Harding Ofsted Inspector Adele Mills Bernard Robinson 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

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Inspection team

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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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