Setting

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 4234 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Mrs Kerry Targett Headteacher St Andrew’s CofE Voluntary Aided High School Warrington Road Croydon Surrey CR0 4BH

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Voluntary Aided High School

Following my visit to your school on 9 June 2017, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. Thank you for the help you gave me and for the time you made available to discuss the actions you are taking to improve the school since the most recent section 5 inspection.

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Voluntary Aided High School

The visit was the first monitoring inspection since the school was judged to require improvement following the section 5 inspection in November 2016. It was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. At its section 5 inspection before the one that took place in November 2016, the school was also judged to require improvement.

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Voluntary Aided High School

Alongside other senior leaders and governors, you are taking effective action to tackle the areas requiring improvement identified at the recent section 5 inspection in order to become a good school.

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Voluntary Aided High School

The school should take further action to:

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Voluntary Aided High School

 further refine the school’s monitoring procedures, so that leaders, including middle leaders, sharpen their analysis of pupils’ performance  ensure that teachers consistently have high expectations of what pupils can achieve and provide activities which stretch and challenge all pupil groups.

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Evidence

During the inspection, I held meetings to discuss action taken since the last inspection with you, other senior leaders, pupils, members of the governing body, and representatives of the local authority. I visited lessons with a member of the senior leadership team and spoke via telephone with a member of the Diocese of Southwark. Documentation relating to actions taken to improve the areas for improvement at the last inspection was scrutinised. I also checked the school’s single central record of pre-employment checks made on staff.

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Main findings

You have taken prompt and effective action to raise standards following the last inspection when the work of leaders new to the school had not yet improved teaching, learning and assessment across the school. Leaders now have a more accurate view of the school’s strengths and weaknesses, which is informed in part by the support provided by the local authority. Leaders have increased their challenge and recognise that their role is pivotal in the drive to improve standards. They have received training, recruited new governors with relevant expertise, and sought guidance from both the local authority and Diocese of Southwark. These actions have improved the governing body’s scrutiny of leaders’ work.

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Main findings

The new assessment procedures enable staff to better monitor the performance of groups of pupils. Teachers use information about the pupils to inform the provision of activities designed to support pupils’ progress. Scrutiny of the work of disadvantaged pupils, including the most able disadvantaged, shows that pupils now receive challenge in most subjects and, as a result, are making better progress. Middle leaders are developing the skills required to hold teachers within their departments to account for their work. As a result, teaching and learning and the performance of groups of pupils are improving, particularly at key stage 3 and in Year 10.

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Main findings

Staff turnover has limited the extent to which expectations remain consistently high across all subjects. Support for staff and faculty leaders is securing improvements and pupils told me that they feel the situation is improving. Nevertheless, standards between subjects remain uneven and leaders are aware that they need to sharpen their focus on the monitoring of subject performance to remove remaining variance.

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Main findings

Pupils’ welfare and support for their emotional and physical well-being were also highlighted as an area for improvement at the previous inspection. Pupils told me about the marked improvements in the support they receive. They know how to report any concerns and feel that staff respond appropriately. Leaders have strong links with external agencies and case study files show that follow-up to referrals is rigorous. Pupils report that they are listened to and value the improvements made to the school’s outside space. Student leadership is now a focus for the school. Pupils take their leadership responsibilities seriously, and as a result work with senior leaders in the further improvement of the school.

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Main findings

From discussions during the day, I was left in no doubt about your commitment to the school and your ambition to improve outcomes for all pupils. The senior leadership team, middle leaders, governors, the local authority and the Diocese of Southwark share your commitment. As a result, the strategies in place to secure improvement are effective.

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External support

Since the last inspection, the local authority and Diocese of Southwark have provided a range of support to the school. They make regular visits to the school and leaders’ work is closely monitored to raise standards. The diocese has provided an adviser of governance to work with the governing body.

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External support

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the director of education for the Diocese of Southwark, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Croydon. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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