Twickenham Academy

Twickenham Academy Percy Road, Twickenham TW2 6JW

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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This is an inadequate school

 Progress made by all groups of pupils has been consistently low over the past two years in most subjects. The proportion of pupils leaving with five GCSEs at grades A* to C, including English and mathematics, remains too low. Learners’ progress in the sixth form has also been weak over time.  Too much teaching is inadequate or requires improvement. Pupils are often not clear what they are expected to understand or be able to do by the end of a lesson.  Most teachers have low expectations. They do not plan teaching to provide enough support, or extra challenge for pupils who need it. Assessments of how well pupils are learning are not consistently accurate, particularly at key stage 3.  Pupils do not receive enough feedback about how well they are learning. Many are not motivated to work harder and deepen their understanding.  Too many pupils find lessons uninteresting. Their books are too often poorly presented, contain

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This is an inadequate school

incomplete work and show a lack of precision and detail.  Teachers have variable expectations about pupils’ behaviour. A minority of pupils have had a consistently poor learning experience. They have very low confidence in the school.  Senior leaders are not held clearly accountable for how well they help bring about improvements in learning. Leaders at all levels do not closely check whether pupils’ progress is good enough when judging the impact of their actions.  Support provided to teachers has not brought about enough improvement. Teachers who are good practitioners have had little opportunity to help other teachers.  Governors have not been effective at bringing about improvement. The school performs less well now than at the time of the previous inspection.

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The school has the following strengths

 The limited good teaching, mainly in dance, drama, art and humanities, enables pupils to learn well.  Improvements in how the school provides extra help for pupils who need it are starting to promote more positive attitudes to learning.  Most pupils behave maturely and relate well to staff and other pupils.  Attendance has improved and is now close to national averages. Exclusions are low.

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Full report

In accordance with the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve rates of progress across the whole school, including in English and mathematics, by: ̶ making clear to pupils what they are being asked to learn in lessons, how well they are learning and how to recognise where their learning could improve ̶ raising teachers’ expectations so that learning is more purposeful, interesting and enjoyable, and leads to pupils working harder, thinking more deeply and wanting to find out more ̶ providing opportunities for pupils to develop their skills of speaking, reading and writing, and applying their mathematical skills, so that they learn to communicate with greater precision and in more detail ̶ assessing pupils more accurately, particularly at key stage 3, and using the information to make sure that any pupil falling behind is helped to catch up and that those pupils ready to make faster progress are challenged further ̶ helping pupils to take more care with their written work so that they understand why they are writing

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

down information and that learning is sufficiently organised and complete to be of later use.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen leadership and management across the school by: ̶ concentrating more on rates of pupils’ progress when checking how well the school promotes learning ̶ ensuring that school leaders at all levels have clear responsibilities and are held accountable for bringing about improvements in pupils’ learning ̶ helping all staff understand and demonstrate the key features of good and better learning ̶ providing opportunities for good practitioners within the school, and the wider trust, to share their expertise and bring about rapid improvements ̶ making sure that governors understand the school’s work well enough to support and challenge leaders to urgently improve the school’s effectiveness.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the behaviour of pupils so that it is at least good, by: ̶ removing low-level disruption in classrooms and around the school ̶ ensuring that all teachers apply the school’s behaviour policy so that pupils behave according to Twickenham Academy expectations rather than what may be allowed by different teachers ̶ regaining the confidence of a minority of pupils who have been particularly frustrated by their experience of learning in this school.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is inadequate

 School leaders have not reacted rapidly or effectively enough to the recommendations in the previous inspection report. Almost all of the recommendations still remain and the quality of education that the school provides has declined.  Professional development within the school has not focused strongly enough on improving the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. Senior leaders’ judgements on how well pupils have been learning have not been based clearly enough on how well they progress. As a result the school’s view of itself has not been accurate. With early support from the new multi-academy trust, senior leaders, and an increasing number of other staff, are now beginning to have a more realistic understanding of their school. The acting headteacher understands that the school has much more to do to improve further.  Senior leaders have not led improvements well because their roles and responsibilities have not been

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is inadequate

clearly linked to improving how well pupils learn. Recent adjustments to responsibilities, as a response to changes in leadership, have further challenged leaders at all levels, because they have not been given enough guidance about how to be effective.  Middle leaders are enthusiastic, optimistic and determined. They are ready to respond to clearer guidance so that they can more accurately judge how well pupils are learning in their subject areas.  The school has struggled to recruit the number of permanent teachers it needs. The management of temporary teachers does not place enough emphasis on maintaining the quality of teaching at a level which is at least good.  From the week prior to the inspection partner schools from the new multi-academy trust, of which Twickenham Academy will formally be a member from September 2016, have begun to provide support to the school. They already have a focus on improving leadership, teaching and learning and pupils’

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is inadequate

outcomes.  The curriculum is broad and balanced. However, curriculum plans do not promote high expectations. The key stage 3 curriculum has received less focus and fewer checks on how it is delivered than key stage 4. There is no clear strategy about developing skills of literacy and numeracy. As a result too many pupils are not well prepared for their GCSE courses. Progress in the sixth form has been slow over time.  The curriculum provides a range of extra-curricular activities ranging from sports to study clubs. Most pupils enjoy these. They support pupils’ personal development well.  The school, primarily through personal, social, health and economic education, prepares pupils adequately for life as citizens in modern Britain. Pupils learn decision-making skills, how to recognise bias and that this country runs through democratic institutions.  Spiritual, moral, social and cultural education helps pupils understand the diverse society they live in, both

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is inadequate

nationally and globally, and that people’s different lifestyles can be equally rewarding. The school is a harmonious community at its heart. However, low-level disruption to learning arises from a small minority of pupils’ dissatisfaction with how well the school helps them develop and prepare for the future.  School leaders have engaged the support of external consultants, for example to support mathematics. Despite this, actions to improve pupils’ outcomes have yet to show the desired impact.  The school’s efforts to provide equality of opportunity for all pupils are being undermined by the insufficient impact of its support for pupils who have special educational needs or disability. Disadvantaged pupils are also not supported well enough to ensure that they learn as well as other pupils nationally.  The governance of the school The Learning Schools Trust accepts that it did not begin to develop a reliable understanding of the

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is inadequate

school until very recently. The trust recognises that the governance structure has not been effective in bringing about improvements. The local academy council was not given the scope to scrutinise the school’s evidence about how well it was performing. As a result, its members were not able to challenge leaders as necessary. At higher levels of governance, the information provided by school leaders was not challenged rigorously enough to test its claims about improvements. Governors have not ensured that the pupil premium funding is helping to close the attainment gaps in learning between disadvantaged pupils and other pupils nationally. The gaps remain similar to, and in some cases greater than, those seen at the time of the previous inspection. ̶ The governors have been careful to link pay and performance. They do not award any salary increases until they see improvements in examination results. ̶

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is inadequate

Governors supported the introduction of the sixth form, but did not ensure that the school was equipped with the expertise to make it successful. ̶ The new multi-academy trust will formally start in September 2016. It already has an interim board in place to establish effective governance, ensure that pupil premium funding is used to maximum effect on pupils’ achievement and drive wider school improvement.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Inspection evidence supports the views of parents, staff and pupils. Staff across the school understand the school’s guidelines and what action to take over safeguarding issues.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

 In too many lessons, pupils are unclear what they are expected to understand or be able to do. As a result, they find it difficult to use what they know already to build further learning. They are more concerned about keeping up with instructions that teachers give rather than extending their knowledge and skills.  Too many teachers do not assess pupils accurately. This is particularly true at key stage 3. They are generous in their assessments in many subjects including English, mathematics, science, humanities and physical education. The school is moving towards a system of tracking pupils’ progress differently and many teachers are uncertain about how they should be doing this.  Teachers do not adjust their teaching to help those pupils who are at risk of falling behind, such as pupils who have special educational needs or disability, pupils who speak English as an additional language, disadvantaged pupils and those who are ready for more challenging learning. As a result, most groups of

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

pupils do not make enough progress. Catch-up funding for Year 7 and Year 8 pupils has not been used effectively.  Too many teachers have low expectations and accept pupils’ work without checking whether it is good enough. Many pupils’ books are poorly presented and contain incomplete work, and pupils often do not express themselves accurately or in sufficient detail.  Teachers’ feedback is not helpful enough in pupils’ work and in lessons. Teachers do not implement the school’s marking policy consistently. Teachers’ comments do not help pupils understand strengths and weaknesses in their work. Consequently, most pupils do not know how well they have learned important ideas and skills, and how to deepen their learning.  Learners in the sixth form are not adequately prepared for the challenge of further study. They have received increased support this year, but are still not making enough progress because their skills in

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

literacy, particularly reading, are not strong enough. Along with other pupils in the school, they also struggle to apply their mathematical understanding.  Inspectors observed lessons that pupils enjoyed and found interesting, and where they worked hard. Most pupils made good progress in these lessons. They expressed themselves confidently and clearly in dance, drama and art. With effective teaching they also showed that they can learn mathematics, humanities and English well. This is not typical across the school, where uncertainty about what is expected and how useful the learning is demotivates many pupils and they do not achieve their best.  The most-able pupils are motivated to learn and work hard when the learning is purposeful and challenging. For example, they achieve well in GCSE biology, chemistry and physics. This group of pupils, or those capable of learning more rapidly and deeply, are not identified early enough. Most teachers do

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

not provide them with additional challenge within lessons so that they learn to their capabilities.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement.  The majority of pupils develop into confident learners. However, too many pupils do not engage fully with the learning that lessons offer, because they find it uninteresting and are not helped to understand how it may be useful in their lives.  A small minority of pupils and parents previously had concerns about bullying. The school’s leaders echo the overall views of parents, pupils and staff that when it occurs, which is rare now, it is dealt with promptly and effectively.  The vast majority of pupils, and learners in the sixth form, say they feel safe in the school. Staff, and most of the parents who responded to the online questionnaire, agree.  Child protection is managed well. Staff understand referral systems and pupils know who to ask for help.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.  Most pupils conduct themselves well in lessons and around the school, particularly when they experience caring teachers who help them learn well. When the teaching is uninspiring, too many pupils become frustrated and bored. They cause minor disturbances in lessons and around the school.  A small minority of pupils have had a poor learning experience. They feel that the teachers who have taught them are less interested in how well they learn and develop than they should be. As a result, these pupils have low confidence in the school. They are often uninterested in lessons, and sometimes disturb others’ learning.  Attendance is broadly in line with the average expected nationally for secondary schools. A few pupils require additional support to help reduce persistent absences. Punctuality has improved.  A few pupils learn at Richmond upon Thames College. The school is in close communication with the

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Behaviour

college to ensure that they learn in a safe environment. The pupils have weak attendance and are receiving support to help them benefit from learning at the college.  Most pupils recognise the opportunities that the school offers to prepare them for next steps in learning and life in the wider community. They have a mature attitude to learning, and are respectful to other pupils and adults in the school.

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Outcomes for pupils are inadequate

 Although the school’s information indicates that the progress pupils make from their starting points is just below that expected nationally for English and mathematics, observations of learning and scrutiny of their work do not support this.  Observations of lessons and examination of pupils’ work showed slow progress for too many pupils at key stage 3. Heads of department for English, mathematics and science agreed that almost half of pupils at key stage 3 had made weak progress by the time of this inspection.  Observations of teaching in history and geography showed encouraging progress. The majority of pupils spoke with confidence and fluency. Their books showed weaker learning over time. Much of their writing did not convey sufficient detail and key ideas were not clearly expressed or accurate. Outcomes in languages had declined from the time of published information, due to the school not managing

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Outcomes for pupils are inadequate

temporary absence. Many pupils were struggling to make expected progress, particularly at key stage 3.  Pupils with special educational needs or disability make inadequate progress overall. More than half of these pupils had made no progress at key stage 3. In lessons, they were often not supported well by the class teachers or by the support teachers. The picture for pupils who speak English as an additional language is similar.  Learners’ progress from their starting points in key stage 5 is inadequate. The school’s tracking information is confusing and unreliable. Leaders do not have an overview of learners’ progress, which inspectors judged as inadequate. The school agreed. Although almost all learners in the sixth form have successfully gained places at university, most are not making fast enough progress to compensate for earlier weaker teaching. The rates of retention from AS level to A level are low.

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Outcomes for pupils are inadequate

 The learning by pupils educated at Richmond College is weak, due to poor attendance, and lack of success by the school in helping these pupils to engage in learning.  A few teachers, particularly in the dance, drama and art departments but also in other subjects, make their classrooms welcoming places where pupils feel cared for, listened to, well taught, and helped to express their own ideas about how they learn best. As a result, in these lessons most pupils make good progress.

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16 to 19 study programmes are inadequate

 Learners speak positively about their courses and the support they receive, but over time the sixth form has not enabled many of them to make enough progress from their starting points.  The quality of teaching is variable and not always challenging enough. Sometimes lessons proceed slowly and learners do not know the level of detail expected. When they have their interests sparked, they raise their effort and learn well.  Learners are motivated and keen to learn. They respond well to the help that teachers provide. They have no concerns about any tensions or bullying and learn well together.  Leaders of the sixth form have only recently taken up their roles. They are not measuring progress from learners’ starting points accurately enough. Targets set for learners’ progress are unclear and not challenging enough.  Learners in Year 12 have chosen to study for apprenticeships. The school is currently finding schemes for

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16 to 19 study programmes are inadequate

them to join.  The school provides information, advice and guidance for all pupils about the choices they have in their learning. Still, very few pupils stay on from Year 11 into the sixth form. This is partly because of low confidence in the quality of teaching.  Current learners successfully gained higher GCSE grades in English and mathematics. All of them have gained places for further study or work.  Future opportunities to learn further beyond GCSE courses will be provided with the support of the other schools in the Richmond West Schools Trust.

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School details

Unique reference number 136104 Local authority Richmond Inspection number 10001973 This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Secondary School category Academy sponsor-led Age range of pupils 11–18 Gender of pupils Mixed

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programmes

Appropriate authority The Learning Schools Trust Chair John Baumber Headteacher Simon Watton (Acting) Telephone number 0208 894 4503 Website http://twickenhamacademy.org.uk/ Email address info@twickenhamacademy.org.uk Date of previous inspection 6–7 November 2013

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Information about this school

 The school is a smaller-than-average-sized secondary school  There are fewer girls than boys overall, particularly in the current Year 10.  The largest group of pupils are White British. There is a higher than average proportion of other pupils from a range of backgrounds and those who speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives pupil premium funding (additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, children who are looked after by the local authority and those from service families) is above average.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disability, including those with a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan is well above average.  The school receives Year 7 and Year 8 catch-up funding for a few pupils. This is additional government funding for pupils who did not achieve the expected Level 4 at the end of key stage 2.

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Information about this school

 A small number of pupils attend Richmond upon Thames College for part of the week for vocational courses.  From September 2016 the school will become part of a multi-academy trust called the Richmond West Schools Trust. This arrangement will allow the schools within the trust to share resources and expertise. The other schools in the trust will be Teddington School, Waldegrave School, Hampton Academy and Nelson Primary. Twickenham Academy will no longer be sponsored by the Learning Schools Trust.  The school has also decided not to offer the option of 16–19 study from September 2016. Four pupils who applied to study here have chosen to study apprenticeships with local companies.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for attainment in English and mathematics.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning across a wide range of lessons and subjects, including joint lesson observations with senior leaders. In addition, shorter visits to lessons took place through learning walks with senior leaders. One of these was with the acting headteacher.  During visits to lessons, the inspection team spoke with pupils and looked at their books to find out more about how well they were learning. Inspectors also gathered evidence about how well pupils were reading, writing and developing their mathematical skills.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school. Formal meetings were held with four groups of pupils of different ages, abilities and backgrounds, to find out more about their views of the school. Two of these discussions were with key stage 3 pupils.  Additional meetings were held with senior leaders, subject leaders, and three governors (including the

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Information about this inspection

director of the Learning Schools Trust).  The headteacher from Teddington School, one of the schools in the Richmond West Schools Trust, although not formally in post yet as the executive headteacher, was present at all meetings with the acting headteacher.  Inspectors observed the work of the school more broadly and looked at documentation. This included policies and improvement plans relating to leaders’ checks on how well the school is improving, the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, pupil achievement, curriculum, behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.  The team took account of the 40 Parent View questionnaires returned to the school. Nine staff returned staff questionnaires.  The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

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Inspection team

Mehar Brar, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Claire Majumdar Ofsted Inspector Heidi Swidenbank Ofsted Inspector Gayle Marshall 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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