Djanogly City Academy

Djanogly City Academy Gregory Boulevard, Nottingham NG7 6ND

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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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 a school that requires improvement

 Not enough of the most-able students make the progress they should in Years 7 to 11, in a range of subjects, including English and mathematics.  The proportion of high grades in most subjects at GCSE is too low.  The standards achieved in geography, history and science are not as high as they should be.  Teachers do not always understand how to develop students’ literacy skills, especially those students for whom English is an additional language.  Teachers do not challenge all students well enough, especially the most able. This is because teachers are not always clear about what these students already know and understand.  The teaching of mathematics does not always allow students to deepen their understanding or apply their skills to real-life situations.  Although attendance figures are improving, there are still too many students who do not attend the academy regularly enough in some year groups.

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This is a school that requires improvement

 The numbers of students excluded from the academy are too high.  Students’ understanding of some aspects of social, moral, spiritual and cultural issues is not as developed as it could be, especially in the lower years.

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The school has the following strengths

 The Principal has been pivotal in bringing about rapid improvements to the academy.  He and the very effective senior leadership team have transformed the culture and ethos of the academy so that the academy’s vision of ‘Achievement: No Excuses’ is now being realised.  Leaders’ work to support the personal welfare of students is effective.  The leadership of teaching is good. The quality of teaching is improving quickly; professional development is a strong feature of the academy.  Students’ conduct in lessons and around the school is mostly calm, orderly and respectful.  Students in the sixth form achieve well and the provision is well led and managed.

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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 school no longer requires special measures.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Accelerate the progress of all students throughout Years 7 to 11 by: – accurately identifying the specific learning needs and starting points of all students, especially those for whom English is an additional language or who arrive part way through the year – challenging all students, including the most able, to achieve more and attain higher grades at GCSE – providing more opportunities for students to gain a deeper understanding of key concepts in mathematics, so that they can apply these to real-life situations – using more effective approaches to literacy in lessons to develop students’ reading, speaking and writing skills.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that students make faster progress in humanities and science subjects and the standards reached at GCSE are as high as they should be by: – ensuring the teaching of the courses prepares students well enough for their examinations and controlled assessments are completed in a timely manner – providing support for the new leaders of these subjects in their work in improving teaching.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve students’ attendance further, especially for those who are persistently absent, so that they reach at least the national averages for all year groups.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Reduce rates of exclusion further by making more use of approaches known to be successful to support those students most at risk.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Develop students’ preparedness for life in modern Britain by ensuring that the spiritual, moral, social and cultural dimensions of learning are promoted across all subjects, especially in the lower years.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The Principal has turned the academy around. He has injected a much-needed sense of order and direction for both staff and students. He receives considerable support across the academy.  Leaders know and understand their roles and responsibilities very well. Members of the new leadership team convey clear and unequivocal messages about the ‘no excuses’ culture. As a result, there is now a high sense of unity, ambition and positivity among staff. One member of staff said, ‘This is a great place to work’ and another said, ‘I am proud to be here.’  All leaders, including new subject and pastoral leaders, now have a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the academy. They share the same high expectations for students as senior leaders. This has resulted in an improving trend of achievement and better conduct of students in class and around the academy.  Recent 2015 examination results show a remarkable improvement in attainment and progress compared

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

with 2014, especially in English and mathematics. These successes are a direct result of leaders’ actions to ensure that students in Year 11 had the best possible chance to succeed, despite their poor diet of education previously.  Leaders have rightly set improving teaching as the highest priority. A comprehensive programme of training, including bespoke coaching for individual teachers, is used to provide additional support where it is needed. Teachers are encouraged to learn from best practice, both in the academy and elsewhere. Leaders support newly qualified teachers well.  Systems to check the quality of teaching are coordinated and rigorous. As a result, professional development is relevant and valued by teachers. Leaders hold teachers accountable for their students’ progress; performance management systems are fair, transparent and effective. Indeed, many teachers did not receive a pay award last year. Improved teaching across the academy has contributed

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

significantly to the improving trend of behaviour and progress of students.  Leaders have implemented a simple and effective behaviour policy. Teachers apply rewards and sanctions consistently. Students value the academy’s no-nonsense approach to discipline. Nearly all students who were interviewed said that improved behaviour was the most significant improvement in the academy over the last two years.  Underachievement is identified early and if any individual or group falls behind, academy leaders act quickly to tackle this. For example, the gap between boys’ and girls’ achievement narrowed significantly in 2015 because leaders identified boys’ underachievement in the ‘mock’ examinations and took swift action.  Disadvantaged students are supported well and additional government funding is used wisely to ensure they make the progress they should. For example, academy leaders have introduced one-to-one tuition

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

and innovative ideas to help some parents to understand the expectations of the academy and of education in England. These have included family learning sessions and coffee mornings for the small but growing number of Gypsy Roma families.  The academy is very sensitive to the challenges faced by students who are newly arrived in the country. These students are supported well, both in and out of class. An effective induction programme is used to help these students learn English and integrate into academy life. The leaders of English as an additional language, inclusion and literacy are developing a comprehensive system for training teachers and supporting newly arrived students. However, this is in its infancy and its effectiveness is not well established.  As a result of good leadership, disabled students and those who have special educational needs are well supported. Teaching assistants and other support staff are well trained. They provide sensitive care and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

support for these students.  Pastoral leaders ensure that students receive important guidance during their personal, social and health education sessions, tutor sessions and assemblies. The academy uses whole days to deliver workshops about important issues such as drugs, substance abuse and safety on the internet. As a result, older students speak confidently about their understanding of different risks. For example, they feel able to avoid extremism, and the risks associated with social media and the internet.  The academy guides and prepares students well for the next stage of their learning. Despite the reduced size of the sixth form, academy leaders make every effort to ensure that all students go on to post-16 courses elsewhere that are suitable and appropriate to their ability and aspirations. Currently, academy records show no students who are not in employment, education or training (NEET).

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The academy has made significant improvements to the breadth and range of learning opportunities for students. It has restructured the timetable to enable students who need the most support to catch up, to receive more attention and more adult support. New leaders in humanities and science subjects have been working with their teams on improving teaching since the beginning of term, although their impact has clearly been limited in such a short time.  A wide range of extra-curricular opportunities is offered to students, for example photography and a German club, and these are well attended. Students in Year 11 say they benefit from a dedicated programme of GCSE individual tutoring online which they access after school.  The academy makes excellent use of the support from Torch Academy Gateway Trust, which has provided training and advice to academy leaders and teachers. Through this link, the academy has access

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

to the trust’s network of schools. Key academy leaders have benefited from sitting on the ‘Progress Board’, where schools across the network devise courses and common assessments. Staff have developed and improved their marking and assessment practice as a result.  Academy leaders carefully choose alternative provision placements. They monitor the progress students are making regularly.  Students are encouraged to think about some aspects of spiritual, moral, social and cultural issues, including British values, in assemblies and during tutor time. However, these aspects of the curriculum are not well promoted within the whole curriculum. As a result, students have a limited knowledge and understanding of topics such as different religions, the parliamentary system, and local and global issues, especially in the lower years.  The governance of the school – The local governing body has recently reformed and a new chair took up his post two months ago. It

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

is made up of experienced and knowledgeable professionals. They are ambitious for the academy and do not settle for mediocre academic performance of students. – The Djanogly Learning Trust has made prudent staffing decisions to make leadership more effective and improve teaching across the academy. They have astutely commissioned support from a local multi-academy trust, which has provided valuable and effective support to the leadership team and key subject leaders. – New committees are currently being formed to ensure that all aspects of the academy’s work are covered. Governors have ensured that additional government funding for disadvantaged students is well spent. Governors maintain a sound oversight of the academy’s finances. The academy’s pay and performance policy for teachers, including the headteacher, is rigorously enforced.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Safer recruitment practices are well used across the

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

academy. Policies and practices are checked regularly by designated governors. Both students and teachers speak confidently about safeguarding matters. Teachers are well trained and students overwhelming feel safe in the academy.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

 Teachers use whole-school strategies to develop literacy skills, such as using vocabulary books. However, they do not always adapt their teaching well enough to ensure that all students can gain access to the work. This is because teachers do not fully understand the specific literacy needs of students, especially of those who speak English as an additional language. For example, teachers unwittingly use terms and common English phrases that are not well understood by many students because English is not their first language. As a result, some students stray off task, copy rather than learn and precious learning time is sometimes lost.  Teachers have not always been clear about all students’ starting points, especially those who arrive during the school year. This means that they have not always been able to tailor their teaching well enough to what students already know and understand. As a result, academy leaders have introduced a

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

new and refined common testing arrangement to establish students’ knowledge and understanding as a starting point for all students, including those for whom English is at an early stage. It is too early for the academy to establish the impact of this initiative on students’ progress.  Teachers do not always challenge the most-able students to think, speak and write to high levels. Teachers regularly display ‘challenge’ questions on the board, but capable students do not always tackle them. This holds back their progress.  Teachers’ questioning skills vary in quality. While some teachers develop students by asking them to explain or make judgements, others tend to provide the answers too quickly for students, without allowing them to think for themselves.  Some teachers of mathematics do not offer enough opportunities for students, especially in the lower years, to develop their mastery of the subject. While calculation methods are generally taught well,

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

teachers do not always provide sufficient opportunities for students to practice and apply their skills in different real-life situations. Opportunities for students to deepen their mathematical understanding are therefore limited.  All teachers follow the marking and feedback policy of the academy. Students’ work is marked and assessed regularly. ‘Green pen action’ provides students with time for them to reflect on their teacher’s comments and make corrections. Many teachers use this time to good effect to help students gain a better understanding of new learning.  Teachers’ assessments have become increasingly more accurate and reliable. Teachers make very good use of colleagues from link schools to ensure that they award consistent grades and levels to their students.  Reading is promoted well throughout the academy. Most students carry a reading book and tutors encourage them to read during tutor time. Those behind their chronological age in reading are taught

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

well in discrete groups.  Teachers make good use of other adults in the classroom. Teaching assistants are trained well and make a positive difference to students’ learning. For example, in one science lesson, the teaching assistant rephrased questions and used practical demonstrations to convey the way particles move in a gas. As a result, students could tackle the task more confidently.  Students are becoming more positive about their learning. Most lessons are characterised by a calm, purposeful atmosphere. Teachers have high expectations of students’ behaviour and organisational skills. Praise is used well by teachers to motivate students and keep them focused. Relationships in the classroom are mostly cooperative.

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Personal development and welfare

 The academy’s work to promote students’ personal development and welfare is good.  Teachers take great care to support students, especially those who are vulnerable or in need of extra help. A range of well-trained teachers is available to provide one-to-one mentoring and in-class support. Academy records show that many students have benefited from this individual support and are now making good progress. Students have a sound understanding of how to manage risks and protect themselves. They are confident about keeping safe and using social media and the internet safely and responsibly. Older students understand the dangers of extremism and child sexual exploitation, including signs of grooming practices.  Students say, and academy logs confirm, that there are relatively few incidents of racist and homophobic bullying. Students categorically say that bullying of any kind is not tolerated in the academy and teachers

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Personal development and welfare

treat it very seriously.  Academy links with parents are improving. A range of dedicated teachers and support staff provide support to vulnerable students or to those who need extra help to manage their behaviour. The academy always seeks advice from local professionals when specialist support and guidance is needed. Students speak highly of the support and guidance they are given by staff.  All students say they feel very safe in all parts of the academy. Playground and canteen areas are supervised well.  The majority of parents surveyed by the academy say that their child is safe and well cared for.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.  Rates of exclusion, while reducing, are still too high and compare unfavourably with national averages. A small minority of students persistently contribute to these figures.  The levels of attendance in some year groups are too low, although overall attendance has almost reached national levels. The proportion of students who are persistently absent is still too high. However, inspectors recognise the often-difficult circumstances of many of these students and the challenges these present to the academy, despite its concerted efforts. Some students have improved their attendance as a result of new and effective strategies such as attendance fines and home visits.  Students mostly do what they are asked to do in class and most engage well with the teacher and their learning. A few tend to stray off task when the lessons do not fully engage them, or mask their lack of

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Behaviour

effort behind others in group work. As a result, these students make slower progress than they should.  Students’ behaviour towards one another and adults is generally respectful. Students are welcoming to visitors, often holding doors open or offering to help with directions.  Punctuality to the academy and lessons is improving.  The number of incidents of day-to-day poor behaviour is reducing. Teachers are now issuing far fewer ‘negative points’ in class than last year. Behaviour is managed well by most teachers; students respect and value the improved calm and orderly learning environment. Teachers’ sanctions for poor behaviour are issued in a fair and consistent way.

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

 Despite overall progress improving compared with last year, too few most-able students made the expected progress in English and mathematics in the recent 2015 GCSE examinations.  In addition, students in many other GCSE subjects did not attain many A* and A grades, despite students’ good starting points.  Currently, the most-able students in Years 7 to 11 are not always challenged enough by teachers to reach higher levels, in many subjects. This is especially true in the lower years.  The proportion of students achieving at least two GCSE science qualifications was particularly low in 2015. Outcomes in core and additional science were very low. New leaders of this subject acknowledge there is much work to be done with current students to reverse the legacy of poor teaching and plug the gaps in students’ knowledge and understanding.  Students’ achievement in history and geography was poor last year. Students’ chances of being successful

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

were severely hampered by previous poor teaching and leadership. Controlled assessments for some students were not always completed in sufficient time or well enough. Preparation for the examinations happened too late for some. As a result, not enough students achieved grades A* to C, especially A* and A, despite their high ability. Current students are benefiting from better teaching and improved leadership in these subject areas. This is beginning to help them to catch up with lost learning.  In Year 11 last year, students who spoke English as an additional language and who arrived at the academy with Key Stage 2 test scores made better progress than other students in both English and mathematics. Of the other students, who arrived without Key Stage 2 test results, including those who arrived part way through the year, 50% achieved a grade C or above in English and mathematics. A third of those who arrived mid-year with little or no proficiency in English achieved a grade C or above in either

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

mathematics or English. These successes were due to the quality of teaching in these subjects and the successful intervention programmes and intensive revision sessions provided for Year 11 students.  Low-attaining students are now supported well to catch up. Smaller classes, and improved small group and individual support, are contributing to this improvement.  Academy predictions for the summer examinations 2015 were very close to actual outcomes. The headline results marked a notable upward trend in both attainment and progress compared to previous years. The positive outcomes for students are testament to the hard work of teachers in Key Stage 4 and academy leaders.  Disadvantaged students, disabled students and those who have special educational needs make good progress across subjects. In 2015, the gap between the attainment of disadvantaged students and others in the academy was narrow; the gap compared to others nationally is also closing quickly.

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

 Students studying vocational subjects like photography and health and social care achieve well. They enjoy these subjects because of the practical elements to the courses. Outcomes in other courses such as sport and technology are also improving quickly.  Careers professionals and teachers guide students to make appropriate course choices well. All students last year accepted places to follow appropriate courses at the academy or post-16 colleges and schools. The course choices were well suited to the aptitudes and aspirations of the students. The academy takes its responsibility seriously to ensure that students make informed and appropriate choices for the next stage of their education.

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16 to 19 study programmes are good

 The sixth form is well led and managed. Students are cared for well and the small number of courses on offer are well matched to the students’ abilities and aspirations.  The academy has taken radical steps to reduce the capacity of the sixth form because it wants to focus on what it is good at before it expands. It now only delivers a very small set of successful vocational courses: hairdressing and barbering; health and social care level 2 and 3; and sport level 3 BTEC, which is delivered by Nottingham Forest Football Club and started this year. Teachers of these courses do not teach in the main school.  The hairdressing and barbering course has been very successful. Students receive a good range of work experience, which has resulted in many gaining jobs in salons. There is a well-resourced simulated salon in which students learn and practice their skills. The course tutor is very experienced and provides an

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16 to 19 study programmes are good

engaging and rounded study-skills programme for participants. She is very well respected by all students.  Very few students do not complete their courses in the sixth form, indicating academy leaders have provided good advice and guidance for students.  All students in the sixth form are either working towards or have successfully completed their English and mathematics functional skills qualifications.

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School details

Unique reference number 134253 Local authority Nottingham Inspection number 10005835

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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 sponsor-led Age range of pupils 11–18 Gender of pupils Mixed

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programmes

Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mr Kevin Maxell Principal Mr David Hooker Telephone number 01159424422 Website www.djanogly.notts.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 13–14 November 2013

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Information about this school

 The academy is smaller than average. The sixth form is much smaller than the average.  The academy is led by the Djanogly Learning Trust, a small multi-academy trust. The Principal has been in post for one year. The senior leadership team is entirely different from the team in post at the time of the last section 5 inspection. The Chair of the Governing Body is new to post.  Around three quarters of the students are from minority ethnic groups. A significant proportion is of Pakistani heritage. More than half of the students speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of disadvantaged students, for whom the academy receives additional funding through the pupil premium, is higher than average.  The proportion of disabled students and those who have special educational needs is much smaller than the national average.  The proportion of students entering or leaving the academy at different times during the year is above

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Information about this school

average.  Two students are currently placed on alternative provision at the Stone Soup Academy in Nottingham.  The academy commissions support from the Torch Academy Gateway Trust.  The academy meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed students’ learning in 35 lessons, of which 11 were jointly observed with a senior leader. Inspectors also looked at a range of students’ work from a range of subjects across the academy, either in lessons or as a separate activity.  Meetings took place with the headteacher, senior leaders, groups of staff, middle leaders and groups of students from Years 7–13. Inspectors also met with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Djanogly Learning Trust and the Chair of the Local Governing Body. The lead inspector also briefly met with the CEO of the Torch Academy Gateway Trust.  Inspectors looked at a range of documentation, including the academy’s self-evaluation and action plans for 2015/16, information about students’ attainment and progress, and records relating to students’ behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.  They observed students’ behaviour at break and lunch times and in the canteen, and attended one

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Information about this inspection

assembly and some tutor sessions.  Too few responses were recorded on the online questionnaire, Parent View, for information to be available to inspectors. However, they took account of nearly 80 responses from the academy’s own parent survey carried out recently using the same questions.  The 62 responses from a staff questionnaire were also considered.

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Inspection team

Zarina Connolly, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Pankajkumar Gulab Ofsted Inspector William Morris 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

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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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