The Baverstock Academy

The Baverstock Academy 501 Bells Lane, Druids Heath, Birmingham, West Midlands B14 5TL

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Inadequate

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The school is not financially sustainable. The lack of a sponsor and a significant fall in the number of pupils on roll mean the school has no capacity to continue in its current state. Under its financial restraints, all additional funds, including the pupil premium, are being spent to offset the school’s budget deficit.  Changes to leadership and governance have failed to stem the rapid deterioration in the quality of education provided. Staff morale is at rock bottom and there is no shared vision.  The building is in a state of disrepair.  Governance arrangements are ineffective. The interim school board cannot carry out its role to provide strategic direction for the school.  Outcomes at GCSE, including English and mathematics, are very low and in further decline. They fell again in the most recent examinations. Pupils have not made enough progress from their starting points.  Disadvantaged pupils, including the most able

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

disadvantaged pupils, and pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are doing particularly badly.  The quality of teaching and learning is poor. Many teachers have left. Increasingly, gaps are filled by cover staff. Teachers offer little or no challenge or support to the most able pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and pupils who speak English as an additional language.  Behaviour in lessons has rapidly deteriorated as the quality of teaching has declined. Behaviour management policies are inconsistently applied by teachers in lessons.  The rate of attendance has significantly fallen for all pupils and is exceptionally low for pupils who speak English as an additional language.  Outcomes are low at A and AS level in the sixth form. Few students stayed on into Year 13.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Safeguarding arrangements are rigorous. Pupils report that they feel safe in school, where they say bullying is rare. Pastoral care is strong.  Pupils conduct themselves well around school.  Outcomes for students in the sixth form on vocational courses were high last year.  Provision in physical education (PE) and computing is good.

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Full report

In accordance with section 44(1) of 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?

 With urgency, leaders need to work with the relevant agencies to ensure that a permanent structural solution is found for the school in order to: – secure the financial future for the school – take the strategic decisions concerning the future leadership and governance arrangements of the school – ensure that there is effective leadership at all levels, including for each subject taught and for special educational needs, English as an additional language, most- able and disadvantaged pupils – appoint high-quality and well-trained teaching and support staff – refurbish the building.  Improve the quality of teaching and learning by ensuring that: – teachers’ planning takes account of pupils’ starting points and previous learning – activities engage and stimulate pupils’ interest and are relevant to their needs – teachers are well trained to provide the appropriate challenge for most-able pupils (including those who are also disadvantaged) and meet the needs of pupils who

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

have special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language – teachers apply the behaviour policy in lessons rigorously, fairly and consistently.  Raise outcomes for all pupils, including those who are most able, disadvantaged, have special educational needs and/or disabilities or speak English as an additional language, by ensuring that leaders at all levels: – are united in their drive and ambition to raise standards for pupils in the main school and students in the sixth form – set high expectations of teachers and pupils in order to create a positive ethos for learning in lessons – hold teachers more closely to account for outcomes for different groups of pupils – spend additional funding appropriately and target it effectively at those for whom it is intended – promote regular attendance for pupils effectively, especially for those who speak English as an additional language.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of governance and an external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium should be undertaken once the future of the school has been determined in order to assess how these aspects of leadership and management may be improved.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

 Leaders have been unable to arrest the decline in outcomes, teaching and behaviour that have continued since the school was last inspected. In his brutally honest report to the interim school board, the recently appointed interim executive principal was under no illusions about the weaknesses of the school and the challenges it faces.  Both the previous and current interim executive principal and governors have been unable to take the long-term strategic decisions required. This is because of the uncertainty caused by the failure to secure a sponsor for the school, the unresolved ongoing absence of the principal, the growing financial debt and the current restrictions to the spending of public money because of previous financial mismanagement. Leaders have been firefighting to ensure that the school remains open and that staff are paid. There is no capacity to improve.  A number of subject leaders and teachers have left and many of those who remain are

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

demoralised and looking to their future elsewhere. Senior leaders are not united in ambition and purpose to raise standards and have differing views of the future direction of the school. Expectations of teachers are low.  The building is in a dilapidated condition and in urgent need of repair. It has suffered from a chronic lack of investment for some considerable time, despite its conversion to academy status in 2013. It is a poor environment in which to promote a positive ethos for learning.  Senior and middle leaders’ monitoring of pupils’ progress has been ineffective in ensuring that pupils do as well as they can from their starting points. Targets for pupils’ outcomes have been inaccurate in a wide range of subjects, resulting in unrealistic expectations. Teachers are not sufficiently held to account for outcomes for different groups of pupils in their classes.  Senior and middle leaders have an overgenerous view of the quality of teaching. In

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

addition, they do not consistently give accurate feedback so that teachers know how they can improve.  Subject leaders, particularly in mathematics, science and English, have been distracted too often in setting work for supply and cover teachers. In some instances, they have had to take on additional classes themselves, at the expense of carrying out their strategic role to monitor teaching.  The school does not meet its statutory requirement to have a pupil premium strategy in place by September 2016. Funding intended for specific pupils or groups of pupils, including the pupil premium, Year 7 catch-up literacy and numeracy funding and special educational needs (SEN) support funding, has been diverted to prop up the overall budget. Consequently, pupils are not getting the additional support and provision to which they are entitled and their outcomes are inadequate.  The narrowing curriculum and inadequate teaching mean there is a lack of challenge

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

for the most able pupils, including those who are disadvantaged. There are isolated examples of pupils and former pupils who have gone on to succeed against the odds, and a small proportion have achieved the highest possible grades, but in too many instances they are left treading water, unchallenged and bored by easy learning.  The range of extra-curricular opportunities is limited, although there are additional activities in art, PE and music. No pupils receive instrumental lessons in music, although there are opportunities to be part of a band. The all-weather pitch is used extensively for sport by pupils from 8.00am onwards every day and contributes to the effectiveness of PE provision in school.  Careers advice is limited in its effectiveness. Older pupils reported that, in their view, it is not strong. There are few choices for them. If they join school late in key stage 4, they cannot necessarily get their chosen subject options in Years 10 and 11. If these

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

options are full, they may be placed against their will in unfamiliar, unpopular or more difficult subjects where there is space and where they may have little chance of achieving.  Some most-able pupils reported they were prevented from taking option choices at GCSE, such as dance, which were perceived by their teachers as too easy for them, even when they needed the subject for their intended career choice or where they had a passionate interest in the subject.  Other pupils’ life chances have been reduced by the removal of some vocational courses altogether. The curriculum has been narrowed to a more academic-only focus on courses and subjects that will count towards the school’s progress-measure indicator. This is impacting adversely on pupils’ development and progress.  Leadership of SEN is inadequate. The school does not meet its statutory duties to have an up-to-date policy and a separate SEN information report in place. Support plans for

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

pupils are ineffective. Staffing resources to support targeted pupils are insufficient and there is a lack of training for teachers. Progress of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is well below national expectations.  There is a lack of specialist provision to lead the school’s work in improving outcomes for pupils who speak English as an additional language. Teachers are insufficiently trained to meet the needs of either new arrivals or more advanced bilingual learners.  Performance management systems for teachers and additional adults are underdeveloped. Some leaders are not clear who has responsibility for the performance of additional support staff who are attached to subject departments.  The school has liaised closely with representatives from the ‘Save Baverstock’ campaign, some of whom are parents. Campaigners have welcomed the engagement and openness of the current interim executive principal. Parents have been keen to

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

fundraise to support the school. Attempts to engage with parents on improving attendance have failed to stem the continued decline in the proportion of pupils who attend regularly.  An interpreter has been recruited by the school in order to foster relationships with Eastern European parents. The school has now stopped trying to actively recruit new arrivals to the UK who live outside of the school’s catchment area. Although its number on roll is falling, the school recognises that it does not have the resources or expertise to meet the needs of new arrivals and that the costs of travel across the city place an unreasonable additional financial burden on parents.  Baverstock had begun to re-engage with the Birmingham Education Partnership under the leadership of the previous interim executive principal, but it has been restrained by its financial resources from developing this further. External support, therefore,

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

remains at an early stage of development. There are plans for training with local successful schools on progress and attainment, differentiation, sharing practice and diminishing differences for groups. There are also plans to work with a Liverpool school on the curriculum.  Pastoral leadership and support for pupils who are potentially at risk are strengths of the school. Leaders’ work on knife crime and cyber bullying through assemblies and the curriculum, for example, have ensured that Baverstock is a safe haven for pupils.  The school has an effective programme in place to promote British values through assemblies, curriculum subjects and curriculum ‘drop down’ days. Year 11 pupils have visited their local MP as part of their citizenship programme to raise their awareness of democracy and the rule of law.  The promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development has a number of strengths, including opportunities to celebrate festivals and consideration of

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

ethical issues through the curriculum. However, leaders’ monitoring of how well tutors promote these aspects in form time has been limited.  Inspectors strongly recommend that the school should not seek to appoint newly qualified teachers.

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Governance of the school

 The interim academy board (IAB) has been constrained from taking the strategic decisions required by its financial situation, the lack of a decision over a sponsor and by its ties to the Learn, Engage, Achieve, Progress (LEAP) Academy Trust, which is still the decision-making body within the school. Members of the board are highly skilled, experienced and dedicated but ultimately powerless and lacking the authority, which rests with the trust. They recognise the school is not viable in its current state. According to the chair, ‘It is like trying to do emergency surgery with a first aid kit.’  Relationships between the IAB and the trust are fraught and lines of responsibility are not clear. Although the IAB anticipated it would have full delegated powers concerning almost all aspects of the strategic direction of the school, in practice this has not happened as it is a committee of the trust.  Governors are aware they are not meeting their requirements regarding additional

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Governance of the school

funding such as pupil premium and catch-up premium, but are under financial pressure to address the school’s deficit.  Governors have not fulfilled their duties effectively to ensure that there is effective performance management of staff.  Governors have not checked whether the school is meeting its statutory requirements on what academies should publish on their website.  The trust has not resolved the issue of the ongoing absence of the principal.  Governors ensure that the school is meeting its safeguarding requirements.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Well-trained leaders carry out their role conscientiously and thoroughly. They promote a culture of safeguarding by ensuring that all staff at all levels are well trained, updated and know what do in potential situations of risk. Case studies show where the school has acted appropriately to respond to isolated incidents of reported political or religious extremism, radicalisation or inappropriate behaviour. Despite the low-level disruptive behaviour seen too often in the classroom, pupils reported that they feel safe and secure. They said there was hardly any bullying in school.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

 Lessons are too often poorly planned and take little or no account of pupils’ starting points or previous learning. This leads to all pupils receiving the same level of work and does not go on to build extensions for the most able or reinforcement for those who do not fully understand.  Most-able disadvantaged pupils are not receiving an appropriate level of challenge. The lack of funds for additional materials means they go without the key resources they need to support their learning. Work in many higher-ability sets, including in mathematics and science, is too easy for them. In too many lessons, pupils with considerable knowledge of the topic are set the same level of work as others who have little previous knowledge of the lesson content.  Pupils become disengaged by the lack of challenge or because they do not understand the work. Boring lessons, where the same menial task is rehearsed over and over

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

again, also lead to pupils switching off.  Pupils have continued to complain about the volume of cover teaching as well as the quality. They were also concerned about the variable quality of regular teaching, especially teachers’ inconsistency in applying the behaviour policy. At the time of the inspection visit, there were six supply teachers in English and mathematics alone.  Teachers have little understanding or training to meet the needs of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. There are support plans in place for the pupils but there is little evidence that they are used effectively, monitored or reviewed. Many pupils do not receive the additional support to which they are entitled, as the money has been spent on trying to reduce the school’s budget deficit.  Occasionally, there is a teaching assistant on hand to help pupils when they are struggling with work or have become demotivated. Where there is additional support

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

for most-able pupils, it is not deployed effectively by teachers.  There are no effective strategies to support pupils who speak English as an additional language. Where pupils are placed disproportionately together in lower sets, teaching is routinely at its weakest and there are few opportunities to hear good spoken English from other pupils.  Expectations of behaviour are not high enough. Teachers accept calling out too readily and allow inappropriate, overfamiliar comments to be shouted out as well. By not challenging incidents of low-level disruption quickly enough, these are allowed to persist and interrupt the learning of others.  In too many lessons, one or two boys rule the roost and are allowed to answer the questions, while others waiting patiently with their hands up are ignored. At times, teachers disregard or do not hear derogatory language spoken to them or to other pupils.  Teachers do not use the behaviour code fairly or consistently or they take too long to

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

apply it. Some pupils are allowed to get away with unacceptable behaviour, while others, who are more compliant, are picked up for more minor offences, such as day- dreaming or fiddling with a pen.  Teachers’ subject knowledge is highly variable. Mathematics and science departments have struggled to recruit specialist teachers and there are no permanent specialist history teachers on the staff.  Teachers’ targets for pupils are unrealistically high. Too many pupils have A and A* targets for GCSE which they have little prospect of achieving.  There is some evidence in pupils’ books of the positive impact of the marking policy. In mathematics, for example, pupils respond to written feedback.  Pupils want to learn. In isolated examples seen in music, computing and English and throughout PE they thrive when they are set appropriately challenging and relevant work. In discussions with pupils, they said how they want to do well but are

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

dissatisfied with ineffective teaching and the endless number of supply and cover lessons.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school's work to promote pupils' personal development and welfare is inadequate. Most pupils lack the confidence to speak up in lessons and those who do are typically overfamiliar with teachers. Girls and pupils from minority ethnic groups are more reticent about contributing to discussions.  Work in pupils’ books is invariably scruffy and unfinished and indicates that pupils have become disengaged and lack resilience. The previous interim executive principal took on the challenge of improving pupils’ appearance by setting higher expectations of dress and conduct. This was met with some resistance by older pupils and parents.  Pupils expressed negative views about their learning because they are dissatisfied with the quality of education they receive. Pupils have become disengaged and responded by either taking part in low-level disruption or voting with their feet and not attending school regularly.

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Personal development and welfare

 Pupils spoken to said that careers advice was limited, especially in key stage 4 and in the sixth form.  Pupils from a range of different backgrounds reported that they felt safe and secure in school and that bullying and name-calling were rare. A group of pupils from Romania, who speak English as an additional language, said they were happy and well settled in school. There had been a few instances of some pupils saying ‘Romanians go home’ during and after the recent European Union (EU) referendum, which they had ignored. They said, however, that they were confident about reporting incidents to their form tutor if anything upset them or they were worried.  There are still instances where pupils who speak English as an additional language are separate from other learners in lessons. Relationships between new arrivals and other pupils have improved but are still limited.  Pupils have the opportunity to be involved in fundraising and previously they have

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Personal development and welfare

supported the local community through an annual dinner for local elderly residents. Pupils can enter a GCSE if there is an examination in their home language or another language they know well.  Pupils’ health and welfare is promoted well. There have been no teenage pregnancies in recent years.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is inadequate. Low-level disruption is a feature of too many lessons, ranging from some where the whole class takes part in calling out, talking across the teacher and making silly noises, to others where the behaviour of a small minority of mostly boys is allowed to disrupt the learning of others. This includes some classes in mathematics and science containing the most able pupils.  Pupils who have become bored with the lesson or find the work pitched at the wrong level of challenge switch off and start to interrupt other learners. Most incidents in the classroom are low-level but when unchecked are allowed to accelerate. In some lessons where there is a lack of challenge, some pupils respond by becoming quiet and passive, particularly girls.  Occasionally, there are more serious incidents such as abusive or discriminatory language which teachers do not consistently challenge. At times, staff and pupils are

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Behaviour

overfamiliar with each other. Staff accept cheeky comments from pupils which show a lack of respect for them and others. Although many of the comments are good- natured, sometimes they are derogatory.  Pupils complained that the revised behaviour policy is not consistently applied by teachers and is therefore ineffective. Pupils’ behaviour can be very different, depending on the teacher or subject and how well behaviour is managed. They reported behaviour to be good in PE, poor in geography, languages and mathematics and mixed in English and science. This was in line with inspectors’ observations in lessons. Pupils also reported instances of supply staff not applying the policy well.  Rates of fixed and permanent exclusions have been low, in a large part due to the school’s use of an on-site centre (LEAP provision) as an alternative to exclusion. Now this has been disbanded.  The rate of attendance has significantly fallen for all pupils and has been well below

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Behaviour

average for some time. It is exceptionally low for the one in four pupils in school who speak English as an additional language. Families from across Birmingham, whose children were at the early stage of learning English, were enticed with offers of free transport and uniform and ‘specialist provision.’ This was not sustainable financially and so the free transport and uniform were withdrawn, as was the ‘specialist provision’, because of its poor quality. It is now a struggle for these families to get their children to school because of the cost, time and distance of travel. In addition, they have found it difficult to secure places in schools which are nearer to where they live.  The attendance rate is also low for the majority of pupils whose first language is English and who live locally. The uncertain future of the school has had an impact on their attendance, as has the declining quality of the education provided. There is no

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Behaviour

prospect of attendance improving under the current circumstances.  Outside of the classroom there is a calm atmosphere in corridors, on the playground and around school. No incidents of misbehaviour were seen during the inspection during breaktimes and pupils reported that this was typical. Pupils have responded well to the ‘walk on the left’ rule in corridors.  In the minority of lessons where teachers manage behaviour well, including lessons seen in English, PE, computing and music, pupils are engaged and enthused. They are motivated by well-planned relevant activities that stimulate their interest.

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Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

 Pupils are not making enough progress during their time in school. Given their starting points from when they joined in Year 7, they fell well short of expectations at GCSE in the most recent examinations. According to the school’s own analysis, the most recent Year 11 cohort joined from primary school with the potential to achieve an average C- grade at GCSE. They left school in 2016 with an average E+ grade.  The proportion of pupils making expected or more-than-expected progress from the end of key stage 2 to the end of Year 11 was very low overall, and exceptionally low in mathematics.  Progress of pupils from key stages 2 to 4 across a range of subjects, including English, mathematics, science, languages and humanities, has been very low for the past three years, as it has for most pupil groups. Consequently, pupils are not well prepared for the next stage in their education, training or employment.

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Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

 Learning in lessons is too frequently hampered by planning that is not pitched at the right level. Persistent low-level disruption distracts other pupils and stops them from doing their work.  The proportion of pupils achieving five or more A* to C grades, including English and mathematics, was very low in 2016 and continued a four-year declining trend. Most projections in departments were overinflated but were not as wide of the mark as they were in 2015. Pupils’ target grades take little account of how well they are doing now.  Outcomes in English and science are not as low as they are in mathematics, as a result of relatively more strengths in teaching. However, standards and rates of progress are still well below average. Outcomes in a range of other subjects, including languages and humanities, are also poor, although they are better in business studies, computing, PE and design and technology.

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Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

 Disadvantaged pupils, the most able (including those who are disadvantaged), pupils who speak English as an additional language and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities have not made enough progress. The difference in outcomes for disadvantaged pupils compared to other pupils nationally, far from diminishing, is widening. The pupil premium is not used to support them. Teachers do not plan well for their needs in lessons and there is a lack of resources to support their learning. There is also no additional support for those pupils who need to catch up as additional catch-up funding is used to offset the deficit.  A very small group of most-able pupils in mathematics in Year 11, who have the potential to gain A* or A grades at GCSE, were successfully targeted for additional specialist support. In other subjects, such as science, most-able pupils did not do very well in achieving the highest possible grades.

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Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

 Pupils currently in Year 11 are set to achieve better, although still very low, outcomes at GCSE compared to 2016, according to the school’s projected targets. However, work seen in pupils’ books indicate that too many pupils are working well below the grade they are expected to achieve. There were large disparities between projected targets and outcomes in 2016 in many subjects, but especially in core science, child development and engineering.

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16 to 19 study programmes Inadequate

 The requirements of the 16 to 19 study programmes are not met. Too many students did poorly in their examinations at the end of Years 12 and 13. This was in part due to a mismatch between students’ suitability for the courses. Examination results were low in A and AS grades, with a high proportion in Year 12 achieving the lowest U grades. Students spoken to said there had been little advice and guidance on the suitability of courses, given their starting points.  Few students moved on from Year 12 into Year 13, either because of poor results or due to uncertainty over the future of the school. The rate of students’ retention, therefore, is exceptionally low.  In addition to students dropping out of unsuitably matched courses, the largest factor has been students seeking alternative placements. This is as a result of the announcements in 2016: firstly, that the sixth form would be closing; and then, more

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16 to 19 study programmes Inadequate

recently, the consultation on the proposed closure of the whole school. There were 17 students who left at the end of Year 12 and just eight who stayed on into Year 13.  There is no effective leadership of the sixth form and no detailed analysis was available on the progress pupils made last year in Year 13 or the proportion achieving A* to B grades.  Pupils have weak English and mathematical skills which impedes them from achieving higher outcomes. They lack confidence in discussions with teachers.  Despite the ethnic diversity of the main school population, few minority ethnic pupils have entered the sixth form in recent years.  There is little on offer to students beyond the courses they are studying. There is a pastoral session first thing in the morning but little in the way of extra-curricular activity or opportunities that would foster students’ personal development and well- being. There are few clubs and limited opportunities to contribute to the wider life of

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16 to 19 study programmes Inadequate

the school. Students have received sessions on alcohol abuse and finances. A session on university and college applications is planned but students reported they have received little careers guidance.  Some students have been on work experience but it is largely dependent on the courses they are following. For those doing health and social care it is a requirement.  Students do not have enough resources in lessons due to the funding shortfall.  Teaching over time in the sixth form has been variable, with strong outcomes in vocational courses compared to lower outcomes in academic courses. Overall it is inadequate. Senior leaders are having to plug gaps where there is a shortage of specialist teachers, for example in history.  All students’ destinations from last year have been tracked and all students bar one are in education, employment or self-employment.  Safeguarding arrangements are effective as they are in the rest of the school.

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16 to 19 study programmes Inadequate

 In Year 13 last year, students had a 100% success rate in passing vocational courses.  Attitudes to learning in the sixth form are stronger than in the rest of the school. Classes are exceptionally small and there are no disruptions to learning.

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Gender of pupils in 16 to 19 study programmes Mixed

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School details

Of which, number on roll in 16 to 19 study programmes Appropriate authority Interim academy board

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School details

Email address info@baverstock.bham.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 24–25 September 2014

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Information about this school

 Baverstock is much smaller than the average-sized secondary school. The number on roll has declined by 200 since the last inspection in 2014, when the school was placed in special measures. The number of students on roll in the sixth form has fallen from two years ago, when there were 79, to eight this year. There are 41 pupils on roll in Year 7. Baverstock has 450 fewer pupils since it converted to become a stand-alone academy in June 2013.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is about one in seven, which is broadly average. The percentage of pupils with a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan is below average.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups and who speak English as an additional language is above average. This includes a number of pupils who are new to English from EU accession countries such as Poland and Romania.

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Information about this school

 The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for pupil premium funding is well above the national average. Two out of three pupils in school are eligible for free school meals.  The proportion of pupils who leave the school midway through a key stage is exceptionally high and rising as a result of the proposed consultation in June 2016 on the possible closure of the school.  The principal who was in post at the time of the last inspection has been absent since October 2015. An interim executive principal was appointed from December 2015 and left in June 2016. The current interim executive principal has been in post since then and is in school on average three days a week.  An IAB was established with a new chair in January 2016 to replace the governing body. The chair of the previous governing body remained as chair of the LEAP Academy Trust. The chair of the IAB resigned in May 2016 to be replaced by the

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Information about this school

current IAB chair.  The school was issued with a financial notice to improve by the Education Funding Agency in October 2015. Following this, the school announced in 2016 that the sixth form would be closing as part of cost-cutting measures. Year 13 has remained open until 2017 to enable students to complete their courses.  Consultation with parents about the future of the school was intended but this was put on hold in August 2016 at the request of the regional schools commissioner and the Department for Education (DfE), as further efforts were made to find a sponsor.  A number of senior leaders, heads of department and teachers have left since the last inspection. Two senior leaders are currently on secondment, as is the head of mathematics, who has not been replaced. A numbers of other heads of department and teachers are due to leave at Christmas. A number of subjects, including geography and history, do not have a head of department and are being overseen by

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Information about this school

senior leaders.  There is a high number of temporary and cover staff in post.  There are no pupils in alternative provision.  At the time of the last inspection, the school ran an on-site centre called LEAP for pupils at risk of exclusion or who had attendance issues. It also ran a centre seven miles away from the school, entitled Baverstock in the City, for new arrivals, mainly from Eastern Europe, who were at an early stage of learning English as an additional language. It actively recruited such pupils from across Birmingham. Both centres were rapidly disbanded shortly after the arrival of the previous interim executive principal and in response to the last inspection report and subsequent special measures monitoring visits.  Based on its 2015 results, the school does not meet the government’s floor standards. These are the minimum standards expected for pupils’ learning and progress in English and mathematics.

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Information about this school

 The school does not comply with DfE guidance on what academies should publish on their website about examination results, the curriculum, pupil premium funding, Year 7 literacy and numeracy catch-up funding, special educational needs, accessibility plans for disabled pupils and up-to-date details of governance arrangements and duties.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 27 lessons or parts of lessons, of which five were jointly observed with senior leaders. In addition, inspectors made a number of other short visits to lessons and other activities, for example to look at pupils’ books, talk to pupils and observe an assembly.  Inspectors heard pupils read during lessons.  Inspectors held meetings with the interim executive principal, other leaders, other members of staff and three groups of pupils. The lead inspector spoke to the chair of the interim academy board by telephone, as well as the chair of ‘Save Baverstock’. The chair of the LEAP Academy Trust was unavailable, as were representatives from Ninestiles Academy and Birmingham Education Partnership.  There were too few responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View, and Parent View free-text responses to enable inspectors to take account of parents’ views.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and scrutinised a number of documents,

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Information about this inspection

including the interim executive principal’s report to the IAB, improvement plans and school information on pupils’ recent attainment and progress.  Inspectors also considered behaviour and attendance information, policies and procedures, including special educational needs, pupil premium, Year 7 catch-up funding, safeguarding, child protection and behaviour.

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Inspection team

Mark Sims, lead inspector Her Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Philip Hamilton 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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In the report, 'disadvantaged pupils' refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. www.gov.uk/pupil-premium-information-for-schools-and- alternative-provision-settings .

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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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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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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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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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 .

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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, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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