Pield Heath House RC School

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

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Sister Julie Rose Pield Heath House RC School Pield Heath Road Uxbridge UB8 3NW

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Short inspection of Pield Heath House RC School

Following my visit to the school on 6 February 2018 with Charlotte Millward, 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 outstanding in February 2014.

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Short inspection of Pield Heath House RC School

Based on the evidence gathered during this short inspection, I have identified some priorities for improvement which I advise the school to address. In light of these priorities, the school’s next inspection will be a full section 5 inspection.

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There is no change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of

outstanding as a result of this inspection.

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There is no change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of

You and your leadership team prioritised the areas for improvement from the previous inspection. Leaders were asked to broaden the range and use of new technologies to enliven pupils’ learning and make the curriculum even more exciting.

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There is no change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of

Leaders have ensured that new technologies enable pupils, particularly those who have speech and language needs, to communicate with their teachers. Electronic resources help some teachers review pupils’ learning. On visiting classrooms, the bright colours and sounds that technology can bring engage most pupils in their learning. However, the beneficial use of technology varies across classes. It is effective in supporting the needs of some pupils so that they make gains in their knowledge, understanding and skills.

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There is no change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of

You and your team have ensured that the use of technology and extra activities make the curriculum attractive to pupils. Scrutiny of pupils’ work, discussions held with pupils and video clips of their exciting adventures confirmed this. Pupils value their experiences, such as trips to museums, outdoor centres, swimming and opportunities to develop their confidence in school plays.

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There is no change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of

You and your leadership team have fostered a nurturing and friendly environment where pupils can learn and develop. The school’s ethos sums up the culture of the school, for pupils ‘to live life to the full’. This is noticeable in all aspects of school life. One teacher said, ‘That’s why we are here, to celebrate the progress pupils make.’

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There is no change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of

Governors use their skills and experience to support and challenge you and your team. They are equally ambitious for pupils to be the best they can be. Leaders and teachers ensure that pupils receive a personalised learning plan tailored to meet their special educational needs. Pupils are adamant that they enjoy their learning and being at school.

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There is no change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of

You and other leaders, including governors, have ensured that arrangements for safeguarding the welfare of pupils are fit for purpose. Records for keeping pupils safe are appropriately kept, including medical needs documentation and risk assessments. Pre-employment checks for the recruitment of suitable staff to work with children are in place.

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There is no change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of

You make sure that staff are fully trained on safeguarding matters, including child sexual exploitation, domestic violence and radicalisation. Staff understand pupils’ vulnerabilities and are made aware of the indicators that a pupil may be at risk from harm. Staff are clear about the steps to take in order to report any concerns about a pupil’s welfare. You, together with five members of staff, have undertaken designated lead safeguarding training. This ensures that there is always someone available to support staff and pupils should an incident occur.

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There is no change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of

Leaders work effectively with external agencies and parents and carers so that pupils at risk of harm receive the early help they need. Pupils said that they feel safe in school because there are adults they can talk to if they need help.

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Inspection findings

 To confirm whether the school remained outstanding, another one of my key lines of enquiry was about the effectiveness of the school’s assessment of pupils. We agreed this so you could show how assessment information is used to ensure that pupils make at least good progress and achieve well.  We observed learning and examined pupils’ work in various subjects alongside their assessment information, some jointly with your team. Leaders track pupils’ progress through a series of regular assessments. Detailed records of individual pupils’ progress are not used effectively enough to move some pupils on in their learning.  We collectively agreed that pupils’ progress was not consistently strong in a range of subjects. This was notable in English and mathematics, particularly in key stage 4 and the sixth form.  Additionally, we found that, for some pupils, their assessment information does not accurately match what they know and can do in some subjects. You

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Inspection findings

acknowledge that some staff do not have a strong enough understanding of the complexity of pupils’ needs. You have started to address this issue through training, particularly for new staff.  A further key line of enquiry was about attendance and how leaders promote good behaviour. Published information suggests that the proportion of pupils who were persistently absent was higher than the national average in 2016 and 2017. Scrutiny of school records and discussions with leaders explained pupils’ absences and the effective support pupils and their families receive. As a result, pupils’ attendance is improving and moving close to the national average for all schools.  You and your team have ensured that the implementation of the behaviour policy supports pupils’ behaviour extremely well. This aspect of the school’s work is a strength of the school. Pupils are well behaved and courteous towards others. Pupils’ individual learning plans and positive relationships with staff

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Inspection findings

underpin this. You are rightly proud that there have been no exclusions.  We finally explored how sixth-form students are being prepared for adulthood. Discussions with leaders and students, including reviewing their work, showed that the sixth-form curriculum promotes independent living well. You have ensured that a range of vocational and work-related courses are on offer, leading to students gaining relevant skills and qualifications to succeed in modern British society.

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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

 they refine the system of assessment so that teachers use the information of what pupils know and can do effectively to improve pupils’ outcomes  the quality of teaching and learning in English and mathematics is consistently high across all key stages  the work to use new technologies in school is consistently effective in supporting all pupils to make gains in their learning.

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Next steps for the school

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

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Information about the inspection

During this inspection, inspectors met frequently with you and your team. I met with representatives from the governing body, including the chair, the designated safeguarding lead, the sixth-form coordinator and the business manager. Inspectors also met with teachers, support staff and pupils. They visited classrooms across all year groups and viewed video clips to observe pupils’ learning. Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour throughout the day.

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Information about the inspection

A range of documentation related to the school’s work was reviewed, including the school’s self-evaluation and attendance reports. Inspectors scrutinised records related to safeguarding, including the single central record of staff suitability checks, and toured the school’s site.

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Information about the inspection

To ascertain parents’ views about the school, inspectors spoke to parents at the end of the school day and considered three text responses. There were too few responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, to generate a report and there were no responses to the pupil survey. The views of staff were evaluated through the 20 responses to the online survey.

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