Ark Greenwich Free School

The Greenwich Free School 403 Shooters Hill Road, London SE18 4LH

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Overall effectiveness Good

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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This is a good school

 As a result of good leadership and management the school is improving. The headteacher and members of the governing body have taken effective action to address the priorities for improvement identified at the time of the previous inspection.  Leaders and members of the governing body have improved the quality of teaching, learning and assessment so that it is good.  Feedback on pupils’ work often challenges pupils to improve further.  Pupils’ outcomes are good. Disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs or disability now make good progress from their starting points.  Assessment information showing pupils’ progress is detailed and is a more reliable measure of pupils’ learning than in the past.  Pupils’ personal development, behaviour and welfare are good. Pupils conduct themselves well and respond quickly to any instructions from the staff. They have positive attitudes to learning and

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This is a good school

have a good knowledge of how to keep themselves safe.  Senior leaders and governors check the quality of the school’s performance regularly. They have an accurate view of the school’s overall effectiveness.  Action planning identifies appropriate priorities and secures improvements swiftly.  Well-selected training to improve the quality of teaching is valued by the staff.  Members of the governing body work closely with senior leaders. They play an important part in helping the school to improve further.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Recently appointed middle leaders have not had time to secure further improvements within their areas of responsibility.  Pupils do not consistently use teachers’ feedback to improve their learning.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Develop the roles of middle leaders in improving teaching further in their areas of responsibility.  Ensure that pupils follow teachers’ feedback to improve their learning further.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 Since the previous inspection, the headteacher and members of the governing body have been ambitious to secure improvements. Through effective partnership work with another secondary school, they have made sure that they have an accurate understanding of how well the school is performing. Leaders and governors have worked together to improve teaching and the academic outcomes of all groups of pupils.  Senior leaders have increased the reliability of the school’s assessment information that tracks the progress pupils make. They use the information to identify any pupils at risk from falling behind and provide additional support to help them to catch up.  Improvements to the way pupil premium funding is used have resulted in better support for disadvantaged pupils than at the time of the previous inspection. Leaders measure the impact of additional funding on outcomes for disadvantaged pupils.  The Year 7 literacy and numeracy catch-up funding is effective in helping eligible pupils to develop their

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

basic skills. For example, pupils enthuse about the books they have read and how much their confidence in reading has grown through reading regularly.  Leaders have introduced initiatives that have motivated staff and improved teaching and learning. Teachers’ performance is managed carefully. Leaders check the quality of teaching regularly. The success of extra support and guidance in securing better teaching is measured against demanding targets.  Many middle leaders are new to their roles and have not had time to ensure that the school’s policies are followed consistently well within their areas of responsibility. Variability in teaching remains where the school’s policies, for instance regarding the expectations of pupils’ presentation of their work, are not fully applied.  Improvements to the curriculum for reading have had a marked effect on pupils’ better reading outcomes since the previous inspection. Well-chosen books and daily reading activities tailored to pupils’ abilities

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

encourage pupils’ enjoyment of books. Work in pupils’ books shows that pupils develop better writing skills than in the past because they are often expected to practise writing long texts.  Through enrichment activities and regular ’drop-down days’, pupils deepen their understanding and develop their interests. Pupils’ awareness of fundamental British values and spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are well supported. For example, in geography, pupils consider thought-provoking issues such as globalisation or child labour in developing countries. Elections of school prefects, discussing national elections and debating philosophical ideas help pupils to understand democratic processes.  The school’s value of ‘fellowship’ promotes respect for and tolerance of difference. Discussions in assembly and class tutor time about the school’s two further values of ‘growth and scholarship’ encourage

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

pupils to be ambitious for their futures and keen to do well.  The governance of the school Following a review of governance, the governing body has improved the effectiveness of the support and challenge it provides to the school. Governors are ambitious to see the school improve further. They check the quality of the school’s work regularly. Governors understand how the school uses additional funding for disadvantaged pupils. They watch carefully to see the impact it has on closing gaps in the performance of disadvantaged pupils compared with others. Members of the governing body are aware how successfully performance management targets lead to raised outcomes for pupils.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff have received up-to-date safeguarding training and know what action the school expects them to take should any safeguarding concerns arise. They are aware of the latest guidance including how to recognise pupils who may be at risk of extremism and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

radicalisation. The school’s safeguarding procedures are well known. Records show that staff follow procedures swiftly in order to safeguard pupils. Record keeping is detailed and shows that effective action is taken when any concerns arise. The school organises workshops for parents and provides helpful safeguarding guidance in newsletters to support parents in keeping their children safe.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Teachers’ explanations are typically helpful in making sure that pupils understand new concepts readily. Teachers encourage pupils to think hard and so they learn well. In an English lesson, for example, pupils in Year 7 gave detailed explanations when answering the teacher’s questions.  Pupils enjoy the variety of resources that teachers use to support their learning. Online activities in reading and mathematics, for example, are popular and motivate pupils effectively.  Teaching assistants support pupils’ learning well, particularly that of pupils who have special educational needs or disability. Additional support, carefully tailored to their needs, helps them to make good progress.  Pupils who join the school who are at the very early stages of learning English benefit from reading sessions that help them build their knowledge of phonics (the link between letters and the sound they represent). They develop reading skills in English as well as their knowledge of English vocabulary.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Teachers use assessment information about pupils’ progress to set demanding tasks for different pupils’ abilities. This helps make sure that the most able pupils are challenged in their work. In a mathematics session, the most able pupils in Year 10 made swift progress because they listened very carefully to the teacher explaining how to simplify algebraic expressions. They persevered to practise this method of written calculations and completed the challenging work the teacher set them.  Teachers follow the school’s policy on giving feedback to pupils on their work. Their feedback is often helpful and suggests how pupils may do better.  Variability in the impact of teaching on learning remains where leaders have not made sure that the school’s policies and approaches are consistently followed, for example in modern foreign languages.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Pupils know the importance of strong reading skills in order to be a good learner and appreciate the opportunities they have to develop reading skills at the start of each day.  Pupils are motivated by visits to universities. Older pupils understand that hard work on their part will help them to realise their aspirations.  Pupils’ attitudes are typically caring and considerate. For example, during daily reading sessions, selected older pupils work with younger ones to support their reading skills. The school provides additional sessions at a local activity centre and promotes pupils’ physical and emotional well-being. Older pupils contribute to the smooth running of break times, for example helping in the dining area.  Pupils have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe from harm in a variety of situations.

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Personal development and welfare

For example, leaders make sure that pupils are aware of the dangers posed by knives and drugs. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe online and how to avoid potential risks when using social media.  Pupils know what constitutes bullying. They say that there are instances of bullying, teasing and rudeness but these are rare. Younger pupils say that the prefects in Year 10 help them to resolve issues and that staff also take action if problems occur, as the school’s records confirm.  However, pupils do not consistently take responsibility for responding to teachers’ feedback on their work in order to improve their learning further.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Conduct in lessons and around the school is generally orderly. Pupils are polite and well mannered. They respect the school’s resources. Those who have been at the school since it opened are particularly proud of the school’s buildings. The school site is well looked after and there is no litter or graffiti.  Leaders and governors measure pupils’ attendance rates closely and tackle persistent absence strongly. Although they are improving, attendance rates are average. The attendance of pupils who have previously had high rates of absence is improving as a result of the school’s increased emphasis on the importance of regular attendance.  The personal development, behaviour and welfare of the very few pupils who attend alternative provision are checked carefully in order to make sure that their needs are supported effectively. Attendance records show that they attend very regularly and benefit from personalised provision tailored to their needs.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 As a result of better-quality teaching, learning and assessment, rates of pupils’ progress have improved since the previous inspection.  The school’s detailed assessment information and work in current pupils’ books shows that all groups of pupils generally make good progress from their starting points across a range of subjects including English, mathematics and science.  Pupils who have special educational needs or disability make good progress. The school makes sure that their specific needs are well supported by teachers, teaching assistants and specialist therapists.  The small number of pupils who are at the early stages of learning English as an additional language develop their knowledge of English quickly through specific support that builds their knowledge. This helps them to achieve well in English and other subjects.  The school checks the progress disadvantaged pupils make compared with other pupils nationally and

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Outcomes for pupils are good

other pupils at the school. Disadvantaged pupils make similar good progress as the others.  The most able pupils are motivated to do well. They persevere with the demanding work teachers set and make good progress.  Pupils who need to catch up make rapid gains in developing reading, writing and mathematics skills because they are supported effectively.  Those who attend alternative provision benefit from sessions tailored to their needs that help them develop their personal, social and emotional well-being as well as basic literacy and numeracy.  There is some variability in rates of pupils’ progress between subjects and year groups. Leaders are determined to accelerate rates of pupils’ progress further in order to make sure that pupils are as well prepared as they can be for the next stage in their education.

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School details

Unique reference number 138245 Local authority Greenwich Inspection number 10011902

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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 Secondary comprehensive School category Academy free school Age range of pupils 11–19 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 400 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jonathan Simons Headteacher/Principal/Teacher in charge Oliver Knight Telephone number 020 8319 3692 Website www.greenwichfreeschool.co.uk Email address info@greenwichfreeschool.co.uk Date of previous inspection 11–12 February 2014

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-size secondary school. It opened in September 2012 with pupils in Year 7. The school role has increased at the start of each academic year as a new cohort of pupils joins the school in Year 7. Currently, there are pupils in Years 7 to 10. There are no students at present on 16– 19 study programmes.  The proportion speaking English as an additional language is average. Very few of these pupils are at the very early stages of learning English.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disability is above average.  There are more disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium (additional government funding to give extra support to those known to be eligible for free school meals and to looked after children) than the national average.  There are no national assessment results by which to measure the school’s performance against the

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Information about this school

government’s current floor standards. This is because the school has not had any pupils in Year 11 thus far.  The school uses two alternative providers, Newhaven School and Right Choice Independent Special School, for a very few pupils.  The school receives additional support informally from Bethnal Green Academy.  The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors visited over 30 teaching sessions across a wide range of subject areas in Years 7 to 10. A large majority of these visits were conducted together with members of the senior leadership team.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and senior and middle leaders. Inspectors spoke to pupils informally in lessons and around the school, and looked at work in pupils’ books. They also met with groups of pupils from Years 7 to 10 and listened to some Year 7 pupils reading. Inspectors held a telephone conversation with a representative from the Department for Education and held a meeting with three governors including the chair of the governing body.  Inspectors looked at a range of documents provided by the school, including assessment information, the school’s action plans and self-evaluation reports. The school’s records relating to safeguarding were also checked.  There were 82 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View. The inspectors took account of

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Information about this inspection

these along with 30 responses to the staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Madeleine Gerard, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Victoria Linsley Seconded Inspector Charles Rice 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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