Setting

Robert Dore Executive Principal Stockley Academy Park View Road Yiewsley Hillingdon UB8 3GA

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Stockley Academy

Following my visit with Cheryl Day and Dennis Canty, Ofsted Inspectors, to your school on 7 and 8 June 2016, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the inspection findings. Thank you for the help you gave during the inspection and for the time you made available to discuss the actions that have been taken since the school’s previous monitoring inspection.

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Stockley Academy

The inspection was the second monitoring inspection since the school became subject to special measures following the inspection that took place in June 2015. The full list of the areas for improvement that were identified during that inspection is set out in the annex to this letter. The monitoring inspection report is attached.

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Stockley Academy

Having considered all the evidence I am of the opinion that at this time:

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Stockley Academy

Leaders and managers are taking effective action towards the removal of special measures.

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Stockley Academy

Having considered all the evidence I strongly recommend that newly qualified teachers should only be appointed to curriculum areas where strong support for professional development can be assured and following discussion with Her Majesty’s Inspectorate. Ofsted

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Stockley Academy

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk I am copying this letter and the monitoring inspection report to the Secretary of State for Education, the chair of the governing body, the regional schools commissioner, the Education Funding Agency and the director of children’s services for the London borough of Hillingdon. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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in June 2015

 Improve leadership and management by:  ensuring that all safeguarding incidents are reported to appropriate parties and recorded immediately  reviewing regularly targets and timescales in the academy improvement plan to check that the academy is making progress quickly  developing a rigorous approach to monitoring and evaluating the quality of teaching by linking it closely to the progress pupils make over time and how they are improving the quality and presentation of their work  strengthening tracking systems so that the progress and attendance of disadvantaged students and those with special educational needs are monitored systematically to enable staff to close the gaps between them and other pupils  improving the way tutors deliver the spiritual, moral, social and cultural curriculum  ensuring greater consistency in the way staff handle bullying incidents and implement behaviour policies  increasing the rigour in the way attendance for disadvantaged students is

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in June 2015

monitored.  Improving the quality of teaching and achievement for all students, particularly in Years 7 to 9, by:  ensuring all staff have the highest expectations of the amount, quality and presentation of work that pupils complete  improving feedback so that it clearly identifies what pupils need to do to improve and ensuring that pupils have opportunities to correct their work  providing suitably challenging and interesting work for pupils, especially the most able, to challenge them to think more deeply about their learning  ensuring that teachers’ use of questioning deepens pupils’ understanding  ensuring that pupils’ skills in writing and numeracy are consistently well developed across the curriculum  setting all pupils homework tasks which challenge and extend their learning.  Improve sixth form provision by:  increasing attainment in A-level courses and the GCSE re-take examinations in English and mathematics

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in June 2015

 improving consistency in the quality of teaching  increasing the proportion of learners who continue from Year 12 into Year 13. An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved. An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium funding should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

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Evidence

During the visit, meetings were held with the executive principal, senior and middle leaders, staff and pupils. The lead inspector spoke to the chair of the governing body by telephone. Inspectors visited a number of lessons and some were jointly observed with the school’s leaders. Inspectors spoke to pupils both formally and during break- and lunchtimes. A range of documents provided by senior leaders were analysed. These included: policies for safeguarding; the single central record (showing the checks made on the suitability of staff to work with pupils) and records kept by the school; and information on the progress of current pupils. The particular focus of this monitoring visit was on the effectiveness of leadership and management to address the issues identified at the previous inspection.

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Context

Since the full inspection in June 2015, the school has undergone significant staffing changes. On 25 April 2016, a new executive principal replaced the previous principal.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

The new executive principal has prioritised areas that need urgent attention. He knows that building the capacity of the leadership team is essential if necessary changes are to be made quickly. Consequently, he is in the process of realigning the roles and responsibilities of existing leaders and recruiting additional ones. He is clear that improvements will happen if leaders are empowered to make decisions and take timely action.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

The executive principal has a clear understanding of the challenges which remain. These include building a strong and effective middle leadership team in order to drive planned improvements, and ensuring that information on pupils’ progress is accurate and that pupils make accelerated progress to counter potential underachievement over time. He intends to streamline the school’s action plans into one workable document.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

Systems for collecting information on pupils’ progress are in place and accessible to staff. Work is currently under way to ensure that the information provided by teachers is accurate and reliable. Staff have recently received training on the new assessment criteria. There are plans for teachers to check the standard of assessment of pupils’ work together, and with staff in other schools, to ensure greater consistency.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

The governing body and the executive monitoring board work closely together to check that the actions of senior leaders are having an impact on pupils’ progress. They took decisive action to recruit an experienced executive principal in order to secure further school improvement. Plans to improve the sixth form are in the very early stages of development. The executive principal has a clear vision for the sixth form, which includes developing internship programmes with another academy to broaden the curriculum offer and ensure that students are given a wide range of employability and Young Enterprise opportunities.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

Safeguarding arrangements are effective. School leaders understand their statutory responsibilities, and procedures for recording and reporting safeguarding incidents are now robust. Staff receive regular child protection training, including on the ‘Prevent’ duty. Further training is needed to update staff on dealing with potential issues of child sexual exploitation.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

The current key stage 4 curriculum does not offer pupils the opportunity to study an appropriate range of subjects. Plans are in place to address this when the new timetable is introduced in September 2016.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

A number of staff changes, particularly recently, mean that the middle leadership team is depleted in number. While contingency plans are in place for September, there will not be a substantive leader in either English or mathematics. During the recruitment process, experienced teachers will manage the departments. Plans to train a new special educational needs coordinator are in place.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment

The school has continued to embed a clear system for checking the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, such as impromptu visits to classrooms, looking at pupils’ work and undertaking more formal observations of teaching. Those staff who need further guidance are put on professional development programmes, where support is tailored to their individual needs. The coaching programme aims to support staff to share their experience, skills and ideas through a system of mentoring.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment

Recruitment and retention of teachers have been serious issues across the school over time. While there are few teaching vacancies for September, the quality of teaching and learning continues to vary across subjects. The new executive principal has rationalised the current workforce to ensure that those with appropriate knowledge and skills are teaching particular, targeted groups. Senior leaders are rightly prioritising the drive to improve teaching across the school and tackle poor performance. Pupils unanimously voiced the opinion that they wanted consistently good teachers so that they could achieve highly.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment

The system for giving pupils feedback about their work, established by the previous principal, continues across the school. However, this is not consistently applied by teachers. Consequently, some pupils receive very limited or infrequent information from their teachers on how they can improve their work.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment

Pupils’ attitudes to learning across the school continue to be variable. This is particularly true in lessons where teaching is less strong. Low-level disruption, compliant attitudes and pupils’ lack of engagement with the set activity are still prevalent in some lessons. Pupils commented on their frustration when lessons are disrupted in this way. However, inspectors noted that in some lessons, pupils show a genuine interest in their work and have high aspirations of what they can achieve. Year 11 pupils in particular were seen independently revising, working quietly and effectively together and completing past papers as they prepared for the forthcoming examinations. Many have applied to study in the sixth form or at other sixth-form provision in the local area.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare

The previous principal instigated a zero-tolerance approach to poor behaviour around the school site. This has continued. Consequently, conduct around the school during break- and lunchtimes has improved since the last monitoring inspection. Pupils mix well together in a generally calm and ordered way. The site is secure and offers a large outdoor space for pupils to congregate, play football and socialise. The dining hall is a busy and well-used space.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare

However, pupils spoke of regular incidents of more serious poor behaviour. Records kept by the school show that these are dealt with quickly and relevant procedures are followed.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare

The school has a behaviour policy and a system called ‘SWAT’ (‘state, warning, action, transfer’) that is used by teachers to manage poor behaviour in class. This is clearly understood by staff and pupils, although both commented to inspectors that it was not routinely and consistently applied across the school. As a result, behaviour in class varies enormously.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare

The school has a clear policy on e-safety. The executive principal has prioritised the inappropriate use of Facebook, particularly for those pupils who are underage, and has spoken to parents and Year 7 and 8 pupils. Staff say that already, fewer incidences of cyber-bullying are brought to their attention.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare

School leaders have continued to map opportunities to promote pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural development across subject areas. However, some pupils still believe that they do not receive enough practical information, help and guidance on keeping themselves safe in a range of situations.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare

Leaders know that improving attendance and persistent absence are urgent priorities. Systems are in place to monitor pupils’ attendance and parents are notified quickly should their child not arrive at school. A number of initiatives are in place to reward good attendance and penalise those whose attend less regularly. However, the number of pupils whose attendance is sporadic is still very high compared with national averages.

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Outcomes for pupils

Information provided by school leaders indicates that large numbers of pupils and groups of pupils across Years 7 to 10 do not make the progress of which they are capable. However, the validity of this information is questionable as there are few opportunities for staff to check the accuracy of their assessment and some have little clarity over the grades they are giving. This has been prioritised as an area requiring urgent attention and staff training began during the week of this inspection.

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Outcomes for pupils

The progress of the current Year 11 is tracked more carefully and school leaders are more confident of the accuracy of this information. A range of assessments have been undertaken and some pupils’ work has been compared with work produced in other schools to check the accuracy of the marking. School leaders are expecting attainment and progress for the current Year 11 to be higher than they were last year across a range of subjects.

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External support

The executive principal has curtailed the amount of external support and advice being sought by the school. Instead, he has identified two areas, namely improving teaching and learning and supporting staff with new assessment procedures. These are now taking priority and external support is being targeted appropriately in these areas.

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