Archbishop Tenison's School

Archbishop Tenison’s School 55 Kennington Oval, London SE11 5SR

p.1

Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

p.1

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

p.1

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate

p.1

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders have not taken prompt or effective action to improve pupils’ outcomes. Too much teaching does not move pupils’ progress on quickly enough, particularly that of disadvantaged pupils.  The school’s arrangements for safeguarding pupils’ welfare are ineffective. Pre-employment checks are not robust and not all staff have received up-to-date training.  Governors do not hold leaders stringently to account for their work. Strategies funded by pupil premium and catch-up premium are not evaluated precisely.  The school’s assessment system does not allow leaders to accurately analyse the performance of different groups of pupils. As a result, interventions have not improved outcomes across all subjects.  Teachers’ planning does not enable the most able pupils to reach their full potential in all subjects. Consequently, their progress has been too slow.  Staffing challenges last year were a barrier to improved performance. The teacher

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

professional development programme did not overcome these challenges effectively enough to improve teaching.  Pupils do not demonstrate a clear understanding of the risks they may face outside of school. Sessions to address this have not effectively improved pupils’ skills to keep themselves safe.  The sixth form is inadequate because safeguarding arrangements are ineffective. Outcomes are not improving rapidly enough across all subjects and particularly for those needing to resit GCSE English or mathematics.

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils attend school regularly and are punctual to lessons. Behaviour has improved following the introduction of new systems, such as the isolation unit.  Pupils recognise the work that leaders and teachers do to help them, reflecting the school’s ethos of inclusion.  Pupils who speak English as an additional language and those accompanied by learning support assistants are well supported in lessons.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is secure and underpinned by the enrichment opportunities that pupils enjoy.

p.1

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.

p.2

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Rapidly improve pupils’ outcomes, including in 16 to 19 study programmes, by: – ensuring that leaders make better use of assessment information to track the progress of groups of pupils more sharply – ensuring that teachers across all subjects make better use of assessment information to plan and meet pupils’ needs, particularly the most able and disadvantaged – ensuring that professional development opportunities build upon teachers’ strengths effectively and quickly remedy areas of weakness.  Improve leadership and management, by: – ensuring that leaders’ actions are precisely evaluated and used to inform future school improvement, particularly in the use of pupil premium and catch-up funding – sharpening governors’ analysis of information so that they can more effectively hold leaders to account for the performance of all groups of pupils – securing all aspects of the school’s arrangements for safeguarding pupils, including

p.2

What does the school need to do to improve further?

improving pupils’ understanding of how to keep themselves safe.  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 pupil premium should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

p.2

Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

 The standard of education has fallen sharply since the previous inspection, leading to inadequate outcomes in the past two years, particularly at GCSE. Leaders’ evaluation of the school’s performance has not, over time, led to them using robust strategies to improve outcomes for pupils or rapidly improve teaching and learning.  Leaders and governors have not ensured that all aspects of pupils’ welfare in school are secure. Staff recruitment processes are not thorough enough in checking the suitability of all staff to work with children.  Leaders have not thoroughly or effectively evaluated the impact of strategies that are funded by pupil premium (additional government funding to support disadvantaged pupils). Consequently, leaders and governors are unable to tell which strategies are having an impact on improving pupils’ performance.  There is no distinct support for pupils who need to catch up with their literacy and

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

numeracy skills. Strategies through English and mathematics do not go far enough to ensure that lower-attaining pupils catch up with their peers quickly.  The school’s professional development programme has not been effective in sustaining and improving the quality of teaching since the last inspection. Equally, difficulties in recruiting good-quality teachers have hampered the school’s ability to improve the overall quality of teaching.  Leaders’ ability to perform their equalities duty is undermined by a lack of detailed recording of behaviour incidents. While all incidents are logged, the records do not include details about whether incidents relate to pupils’ race, sexual orientation or beliefs, for example.  The school’s assessment system is undergoing a significant overhaul. As a result, leaders are unable to tell with clarity how all groups of pupils are doing across year groups. More reliable assessment information is now being fed into the system by

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

teachers. However, it is not improving leaders’ ability to identify potential underachievement by groups, particularly the most able and disadvantaged pupils.  Leaders’ attempts to strike a balance between helping pupils onto subjects in which they are more likely to be successful and those that will lead to the EBacc qualification have resulted in few pupils achieving the EBacc qualification in 2016. However, leaders’ approach hinders the potential of the curriculum to help pupils excel.  Middle leaders are increasingly improving consistency in assessment and quality of teaching and learning, for example in English and mathematics. However, it is too soon to see the effect of their work in improving standards rapidly.  Newly qualified teachers may not be appointed.

p.3

Governance of the school

 Governors do not sharply challenge leaders’ actions and strategies for improvement. Where governors do challenge leaders, this is too infrequent and does not demand a close enough scrutiny of the performance of groups of pupils.  Governors have not, until too recently, demanded clearer information from leaders to enable them to improve their level of scrutiny of pupils’ progress. Consequently, leaders have not been held rigorously to account for all aspects of the school’s performance.

p.3

Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.  Staff have not received recent or up-to-date training to secure their understanding of the most recent statutory guidance. Staff received a copy of ‘Keeping children safe in education’ (September 2016) at the start of the year but their knowledge of the key aspects is not secure.  The school’s policy for safeguarding was updated during the inspection in order to pay due regard to the latest statutory guidance. However, weaknesses in leaders’ processes when recruiting new staff meant that inspectors could not confirm that all pre- employment checks were effectively completed.  Pupils told inspectors that they considered the school to be a safe and welcoming environment in which they felt they could talk to staff about any concerns they may have. However, pupils’ understanding of how to link their learning about risks to their lives outside of school was not secure. Pupils’ understanding of e-safety, extremism

p.4

Safeguarding

and gangs, for example, does not reflect what leaders feel pupils have been taught.  The school works well with the local authority and other external agencies to help manage any issues and follow-up support for pupils who need it.

p.4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

 Teaching, learning and assessment are inadequate. Leaders’ actions to address weaknesses in teaching have not resulted in rapid and sustained improvements since the last inspection. Consequently, outcomes for pupils remain weak.  Teachers do not use the school’s assessment procedures consistently across the curriculum. Too often, pupils receive feedback that does not help them to learn from their mistakes. Moreover, feedback from teachers is not followed up by pupils in the manner leaders expect.  Teachers know which pupils are disadvantaged or most-able. However, their planning does not take the needs of these groups into account. Thus, activities in lessons do not help pupils to make rapid progress.  Teachers’ questioning skills vary across different subjects. In too many cases, teachers’ expectations are too low and their questions do not challenge pupils well enough.  Pupils’ numeracy and literacy skills are not consistently and effectively supported across

p.4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

the curriculum.  Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make variable progress. However, some pupils benefit from effective support provided by learning support assistants, and they do better.  Improvements in assessment mean that teachers use information that is increasingly reliable. Subject leaders now check the accuracy of assessment so that senior leaders are assured of their reliability. It is too soon to tell the how these developments will affect pupils’ outcomes.  Pupils who speak English as an additional language are better supported through well- planned and individualised strategies. For example, work and assessments are translated into a pupil’s first language to help them access the curriculum and make better progress.  This year, leaders confidently anticipate that the appointment of several new teachers, improved professional training and a new assessment system will improve the quality

p.4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

of teaching. Inspectors agreed that there are very early signs of improvement; however, leaders recognise that it will take time for significant impact to be felt.

p.5

Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is inadequate.  Pupils’ welfare is not supported robustly because arrangements for safeguarding are not secure. Personal, social and health education (PSHE) lessons and assemblies which address matters relating to gangs, e-safety and safe travel have helped pupils become aware of possible risks. However, pupils do not consistently demonstrate a secure understanding of how those sessions help to inform their decision-making when keeping themselves safe.  Pupils’ personal development is supported by a range of extra-curricular activities including enrichment competitions such as the BBC annual report, and numerous trips. The effectiveness of these activities upon pupils’ personal development and preparation for life in modern Britain is unclear because leaders do not routinely evaluate pupils’ participation in these pursuits.  A well-considered and planned programme of careers information, advice and guidance

p.5

Personal development and welfare

helps pupils from Year 8 to the sixth form consider their ambitions for the future and make informed decisions.

p.5

Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils are typically highly respectful of staff and one another, creating what some told inspectors is a ‘warm environment’ where teachers know individuals well and pupils get along. The school site is clean and tidy. Pupils’ conduct is calm and orderly at social times and during lesson changeover.  Rare instances of bullying or poor behaviour are quickly dealt with by staff who are ever present around the school site, including at social times. Pupils know who their ‘go to’ teachers are if they have concerns.  Pupils’ attendance is good, and pupils arrive at lessons punctually and ready to learn. Pupils with weaker attendance are monitored closely and leaders work with their families to improve the situation.  New strategies to manage behaviour, including the isolation unit, have reduced the number of exclusions from school and improved pupils’ understanding of leaders’

p.5

Behaviour

expectations. Behaviour is closely tracked within the unit to support those pupils at risk of poor behaviour.  There are instances where pupils do go off task in lessons. This is not common because pupils want to work with their teachers.

p.6

Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

 Pupils’ outcomes are inadequate because too many pupils leave school with poor GCSE performance, having made weak progress from their starting points. Current assessment information and work in books does not demonstrate nearly enough improvement this year.  Disadvantaged pupils make too little progress. This is because teachers do not plan to meet their additional needs effectively and neither do leaders evaluate the impact of additional support strategies precisely.  The most able pupils make weaker progress than their peers. Current pupils are not stretched to enable them to reach the best possible outcomes. This is reflected in pupils’ books which show few signs of their advanced capabilities being challenged. Similarly, the progress of the most able disadvantaged pupils is too slow.  Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities have historically made better progress than their peers. However, the school’s analysis of last year’s GCSE

p.6

Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

outcomes shows that for pupils receiving additional support, performance was weaker than that of their peers.  Outcomes in the sixth form have been lower than the national average, with students making weak progress in 2015. The school’s analysis of 2016 outcomes indicates an improvement in attainment overall but still below national expectations. There remain variations between subjects in how students are progressing toward their target grades, particularly between A level and work-related subjects.  Pupils who speak English as an additional language are well supported and so have made better progress than their peers historically. Last year’s provisional information indicates the same for this group of pupils.  Pupils told inspectors that they felt well prepared for their subsequent education, training and employment because of the support the school provides. This is reflected in the historic and current information about pupils’ destinations after Year 11, which

p.6

16 to 19 study programmes Inadequate

 The 16 to 19 study programmes are inadequate. Students’ progress across all subjects is not consistently strong, and leaders’ view of students’ outcomes in their evaluation of the sixth form’s performance is inflated. In addition, arrangements for safeguarding do not meet requirements.  Students’ welfare is insecure because students are not aware of the school having provided them with education around counter-radicalisation and extremism.  Far too few students who sat GCSE English or mathematics again passed last year. The current cohort of those needing to resit their GCSEs has expanded considerably this year, particularly in English.  The curriculum has recently been expanded. However, weaknesses apparent in the 2015 outcomes persist. Performance in work-related subjects has been particularly low. To support students, the engineering course has been revised to enable more of the cohort to be successful.

p.6

16 to 19 study programmes Inadequate

 Teaching in the sixth form is variable and does not consistently support students to make as much progress as they can. Where questioning is used well and activities are well designed, for example in English literature, then the rate of progress is greatly improved. However, this is not the case in too many subjects.  Weaknesses in the school’s current assessment system have hindered teachers’ ability to closely plan lessons and meet students’ needs. However, improvements in teachers’ use of information are being seen first in the sixth form as this is where leaders have prioritised their developments.  The three-weekly tracking system in the sixth form is providing teachers and leaders with more reliable and timely information than is currently available in key stages 3 and 4. This is leading to more prompt interventions.  All students progress onto education and training opportunities when they leave the

p.7

16 to 19 study programmes Inadequate

sixth form. Increasingly, students are aspiring to and gaining places on university courses that suit their ambitious plans.  Students’ behaviour is good, setting an example to younger pupils. Students hold leadership positions to which pupils in Years 10 and 11 aspire. Students’ personal development is enhanced by a range of enrichment activities and links with London companies that provide work experience opportunities.

p.7

School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

p.8

School details

Gender of pupils in 16 to 19 study programmes Mixed

p.8

School details

Of which, number on roll in 16 to 19 study programmes Appropriate authority The governing body

p.8

School details

Date of previous inspection 19–20 January 2012

p.8

Information about this school

 The school does not meet requirements on the publication of information about its use of the numeracy and literacy catch-up premium or pupil premium.  This is a smaller than average sized secondary comprehensive school. It is voluntary aided by the Diocese of Southwark and is part of a soft federation with nearby St Marks Primary School.  The school started to admit girls into Year 7 from September 2015.  A higher than average proportion of pupils come from disadvantaged backgrounds. A higher than average proportion of pupils also speak English as an additional language and come from minority ethnic backgrounds.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is lower than average. However, a greater proportion of pupils have education, health and care plans.  The school is part of the Lambeth Teaching Schools’ Alliance.  The school does not currently use alternative provision.

p.8

Information about this school

 The school meets the government’s current minimum standards for pupils’ performance.

p.9

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited 33 lessons, many jointly with members of the school’s leadership team. Inspectors met with senior and middle leaders, staff, governors, the local authority school improvement partner, a representative from the Diocese of Southwark, and pupils. Inspectors also spoke with pupils informally during social times. Inspectors listened to pupils reading.  Inspectors scrutinised school documentation including that relating to: policies and procedures; assessment and behaviour; teacher performance management and professional development; pre-employment checks made on staff including the single central record; pupils’ work; leaders’ evaluations of the school’s performance and reports on subject performance; and leaders’ development planning.  Inspectors considered the views of 21 staff who responded to the staff survey. There were too few parent responses to Parent View to analyse, although the comments

p.10

Information about this inspection

made by those who provided them were considered.

p.10

Inspection team

Matt Tiplin, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

p.10

Inspection team

Gerard Strong 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 .

p.10

Inspection team

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 .

p.11

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.

p.11

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 .

p.11

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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

p.11

Inspection team

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 .

p.11

Inspection team

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 .

p.11

Inspection team

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

p.11

Inspection team

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

p.11