Greenshaw High School

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

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Mr Nick House Headteacher Greenshaw High School Grennell Road Sutton Surrey SM1 3DY

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Short inspection of Greenshaw High School

Following my visit to the school on 6 June 2017 with Kanwaljit Singh, Ofsted Inspector, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. The visit was the first short inspection carried out since the school was judged to be good in June 2012.

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Short inspection of Greenshaw High School

You lead the school with impressive clarity and drive. You have full support from the staff in your determination to make the school aspire more and more highly for its pupils. One staff member summed this up: ‘Our headteacher is passionate about teaching. He wants all pupils to achieve their best. He recognises and values all his staff. He has a vision and direction. He leads by example.’

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Short inspection of Greenshaw High School

You and the staff ensure that pupils take subjects which prepare them individually for successful futures. GCSE results are good and A level results very high. Almost all pupils who leave the school at ages 16, 17 or 18 move on to worthwhile further education placements. Very many students gain places at a wide range of universities, including many from the Russell Group, in a diverse range of subjects.

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Short inspection of Greenshaw High School

The school evaluates itself accurately and honestly. You and your senior staff are successful in achieving well-considered priorities. For example, you have reduced the number of pupils who are excluded. Middle leaders are highly motivated and contribute well in developing their subjects or other areas of responsibility.

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Short inspection of Greenshaw High School

The previous inspection report asked the school to give consistently challenging work to pupils. It also recommended that lessons be carefully adapted in response to how well pupils were learning. Teaching is now challenging. Staff expect much of pupils. This is particularly beneficial to pupils of high ability, who learn quickly. The school develops pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development suitably. The programme of assembly themes, for instance, is well arranged to do this. Parents and pupils like the school. The school listens to parents carefully and works with them when needed. One spoke for many: ‘At every step, the school has supported us as a family.’ Some parents, however, feel that the school could communicate better. They said that promised contacts from staff ‘do not materialise’.

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Short inspection of Greenshaw High School

The local governing body is effective. Its members challenge senior staff robustly as needed and carry out their responsibilities correctly.

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Short inspection of Greenshaw High School

 The school is a safe place for pupils. It has a firm culture of safeguarding. The leadership team ensures that all safeguarding arrangements, including those within staff recruitment and risk assessment, are fit for purpose. Records are detailed, up to date and of high quality.  Governors oversee safeguarding arrangements effectively.  Staff are properly and regularly trained in all aspects of safeguarding and child protection. They know what to do. Staff and pupils, particularly older pupils, are acutely aware of the dangers of radicalisation.  Pupils behave safely. They are considerate to others, managing well, given the small, crowded outdoor and indoor spaces available during building work.  Bullying is rare. Pupils said that it is typically well dealt with by staff.  Staff, including year leaders, help pupils to overcome any personal problems effectively and sustain their ambition. Pupils value this. The school checks on

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Short inspection of Greenshaw High School

pupils who attend off-site provision carefully.

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Inspection findings

 We agreed to evaluate the impact of leaders’ actions to improve the progress of disadvantaged pupils. You and the staff have recently improved the way in which the school identifies and meets the needs of disadvantaged pupils. You spend pupil premium funding in a more closely targeted way and evaluate its impact more tightly.  Leaders have secured improvements in outcomes for disadvantaged pupils but, generally, these pupils still do not make as much progress as their classmates. You have improved the systems to improve attendance. Thus, attendance has improved for all groups of pupils and is above average. Disadvantaged pupils, nevertheless, are disproportionately persistently absent.  Leaders spend Year 7 catch-up funding efficiently to help new pupils overcome any weaknesses in their basic skills. The Year 7 pupils who read to inspectors did so accurately, with good comprehension and enjoyment. They used their phonic

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Inspection findings

knowledge effectively.  We also agreed to look at the curriculum and the effectiveness of teaching, particularly for middle- and lower-ability pupils. Pupils with middle or lower attainment achieve well, but their progress is not as strong as that of the higher attainers. This is because there are times when these pupils do not fully understand the challenging work that is given to them. Staff do not routinely check this or help pupils effectively enough. As a result, some pupils are then left with some gaps or uncertainties in their learning.  Teachers plan stimulating and demanding lessons. They show good subject knowledge. In one lesson, for instance, the teacher explained difficult scientific concepts very clearly and made these interesting to the class by showing how they make a rollercoaster work.  The school offers a good range of subjects at GCSE and A level. Staff inform and guide pupils very well when they choose courses. Most pupils are given the

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Inspection findings

options they want. As a result, they feel motivated and cared for.  We also agreed to evaluate teaching in the sixth form. Teaching in the sixth form is particularly effective. The students appreciate the way that staff meet their individual needs and take time for them. The sixth form is well led. Students are confident in it. They know and trust that staff help them knowledgeably when they are choosing options, discussing their progress, or dealing with any learning or personal problems.

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Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:

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Next steps for the school

 teachers check carefully on how well all pupils are learning, especially those of middle and low prior attainment, and adjust their teaching accordingly  the work started to improve outcomes and attendance for disadvantaged pupils continues to be given high priority.

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Information about the inspection

Inspectors visited many lessons, jointly with senior leaders. They observed at breaktimes and as pupils moved around the school. They heard pupils from Year 7 read and looked at pupils’ work. They spoke with groups of pupils, including sixth- form students, senior and middle leaders, members of staff, trustees and governors. Inspectors reviewed the 89 responses from parents to Parent View, Ofsted’s questionnaire for parents, including written comments. They considered online questionnaires returned by 93 staff members and 171 pupils. They checked documents, including school plans, self-evaluations, assessments of pupils’ learning and safeguarding records.

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