The Archbishop Lanfranc School

The Archbishop Lanfranc School Inspection report

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101826 Unique Reference Number Croydon Local Authority 323537 Inspection number 3–4 June 2009 Inspection dates Alan Taylor-Bennett HMI Reporting inspector

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The registered childcare, managed by the governing body, was inspected under section 49 of the Childcare Act 2006.

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Comprehensive Type of school Foundation School category 11–16 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 1052 School (total) 32 Government funded early education provision for children aged 3 to the end of the EYFS 0 Childcare provision for children aged 0 to 3 years The governing body Appropriate authority Mr R Lavington Chair Mr D Clark Headteacher 24 May 2006 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Mitcham Road School address Croydon CR9 3AS 020 8689 1255 Telephone number 020 8683 3113 Fax number

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11–16 Age group 3–4 June 2009 Inspection dates 323537 Inspection number .

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. 2 of 12 Inspection Report: The Archbishop Lanfranc School, 3–4 June 2009

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by one of Her Majesty's Inspectors and three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

The Archbishop Lanfranc School is a specialist sports college serving a part of Croydon of considerable ethnic and cultural diversity. The school is average in size and has a significantly higher proportion of boys than girls. The proportion of pupils who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities, including those with a statement of special educational need, is above average. The school holds several national and local awards including the National Association for Able Children in Education (NACE) Award and the Investors in People standard. There is a Nursery overseen by the governing body, and judgements about its effectiveness are included in this report. The privately run Lanfranc Pre-school is inspected and reported on separately.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 12 Inspection Report: The Archbishop Lanfranc School, 3–4 June 2009

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Grade: 3

The quality of education provided by The Archbishop Lanfranc School is at least satisfactory in all respects; some key aspects are good, others are outstanding. The school has a very clear sense of its responsibility to its pupils and it carefully takes into account their backgrounds and individual needs, within the context of the local community. This is evident in the Nursery and throughout Years 7 to 11. The provision it has established in the main school to care, guide and support pupils is outstanding. This is because staff know pupils very well and give generously of their time to support them in a wide range of ways, systems focus on the needs of individuals, and the school's work with outside agencies is excellent. This enables pupils to develop a strong sense of community, and to develop their cultural and social identity strongly and positively. This was evident in a Year 9 assembly when

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Grade: 3

an important message about mutual responsibility was presented and received very effectively: there were moments of humour enjoyed by the whole year group, and periods of intense reflection on the ideas. There is a higher than average number of children in vulnerable circumstances in the school and their welfare, well-being and progress are supported very well. Special provision for pupils who have potential barriers to their learning, such as speaking English as an additional language, having difficult personal circumstances or having learning difficulties and/or disabilities, is well organised and effective. Despite standards being lower than national averages, the school ensures that the progress of pupils is satisfactory. It has good systems in place to monitor achievement regularly and it acts upon any indication that pupils' progress, or any aspect of the school's work, is less than adequate. The reports sent to parents give a clear indication of their child's standard in each

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Grade: 3

subject and, at Key Stage 3, a measure of the progress being made towards targets. As an aspect of its NACE work, the school is successfully developing good provision for pupils who are able to learn more quickly and achieve high academic standards. The curriculum provision for pupils who would benefit from a more vocational experience is significantly less well developed and, despite the good teaching in the school, these learners do not achieve as well as they would if they had access to courses that suited their aptitudes and interests better. The school is well led. Senior staff show clear commitment to doing their best for the pupils, and this engenders a positive ethos in the school. The school's sports specialism is a successful aspect of its work and contributes strongly to this ethos. Standards in physical education are above those expected, and levels of participation in, and enjoyment of, the wide range of

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Grade: 3

sporting activities on offer are high. The specialism makes good contributions to the learning culture in the school and to improving aspects of the already good teaching in many areas. The value for money obtained by the school is satisfactory, but an unforeseen budgetary overspend some years ago has limited the extent to which the school can now address spending priorities. This is being remedied but its effect is most obvious in the limited extent to which the school has been able to respond to the high maintenance demands of an ageing building, and some parts of the school are in a state of disrepair. Also, aspects of further investment into information and communication technology (ICT) resources have been delayed. Nevertheless, the good leadership, and the positive ethos established in the school, mean that its capacity to improve is good. 4 of 12 Inspection Report: The Archbishop Lanfranc School, 3–4 June 2009

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Grade: 2

The school offers good provision for the children in its Nursery. They achieve well during their time there and are well prepared for moving on to school. Their personal development and well-being are good. Staff work closely with parents to help children settle in and feel at home, and they show good concern for children's welfare. Relationships are very good at all levels. Mealtimes, for example, are happy social occasions when staff and children sit, eat and chat together. As a result of this good welfare provision, children feel safe and secure. They are curious about exploring their surroundings and they are ready to learn. Provision for children's learning and development is good. There is good planning for all areas of learning, both indoors and outside. The Nursery makes good and effective use of the key person system to meet the needs of individual children. Procedures for assessment are good.

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Grade: 2

They accurately highlight the progress made by individuals and areas for future focus. The Nursery has made good progress on the areas for improvement identified in the previous inspection. The outdoor area is an attractive and stimulating environment where children are busy and involved in their learning. Risk assessments are thorough and systematic. Leadership and management of the Nursery are good. Senior staff lead the work of the Nursery very efficiently and they have a good understanding of its strengths and areas for development. The Nursery's development plan usefully recognises the need to improve access to all activities indoors and outside so that children have more choice in how they want to learn. There are also appropriate plans to increase boys' engagement in their learning, particularly in their early literacy skills, through increased opportunities to write for a purpose.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve the standards achieved by learners over their time at the school by broadening the curriculum, particularly at Key Stage 4, so that pupils can - make better progress because they can experience challenges and undertake work that is more appropriate to their capability - reach higher standards by developing more of their individual strengths and talents.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Address issues of resource management to achieve better value for money by, for example, improving information and communication technology teaching and learning resources across the school, and improving the quality of the learning environment. A small proportion of the schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory, but which have areas of underperformance, will receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

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Grade: 3

Pupils join the school with standards that are generally below national averages and leave at the end of Key Stage 4 with standards that are still below those of their peers, but not significantly so. The progress that pupils make over their time at the school, as seen in their performance in examinations over recent years and in the classroom, is satisfactory. The targets the school sets for pupils' achievement are demanding, and they encourage pupils to strive to do well. There are no significant differences in the performance of pupils from different ethnic 5 of 12 Inspection Report: The Archbishop Lanfranc School, 3–4 June 2009 groups but girls' achievement is consistently better than boys'. The progress of boys in mathematics in Key Stage 4 is not as good as in their other subjects. The school has focused on the achievement of upper ability pupils over recent years and there has been an improvement

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Grade: 3

in the proportion of highest grades attained at GCSE. Targets set in connection with the school's specialist sports status are met in physical education at Key Stages 3 and 4 but ambitious targets in ICT have not been met. Pupils who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities make good progress and achieve well, as do vulnerable pupils and learners who speak English as an additional language. This is due to the good support they receive, and the very caring and inclusive ethos in the school.

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Grade: 2

Personal development and well-being are good and some aspects are outstanding. The school is a diverse yet harmonious community where everyone works to support each other. The majority of pupils behave well and are motivated to learn. They are proud of their school and enjoy their time there. They are confident, yet polite and courteous. Pupils adopt healthy lifestyles, encouraged by the school's specialist status and in keeping with its adherence to the Healthy School standards. There is an exceptionally wide range of opportunities to participate in a great variety of sports, physical education and dance, together with fitness classes both during and beyond the school day. An excellent range of extra-curricular activities for pupils, particularly in sport and the performing arts, supports their outstanding social development. Participation in these activities is closely monitored and there is a high take-up. Pupils enjoy

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Grade: 2

the wholesome meals and snacks available in the canteen. Attendance is good and the number of exclusions remains low because behaviour is consistently improving, and also because of the very effective support structures to reintegrate pupils when they return to school. All pupils, including those who have potential barriers to their learning, have opportunities to take on responsibility. For example, some serve on the school council and support others through the buddy system and by peer mentoring. Pupils feel safe and they agree that the school responds very effectively to meet their individual needs, and to any incidents of bullying. Pupils' spiritual, moral social and cultural development is good. Assemblies tackle a range of challenging issues and constantly sustain the ethos of the school, for example by reinforcing the need for all members of the community to take good care of each other in words and

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Grade: 2

There is an improving picture of progress in lessons, particularly in higher sets, due to the good quality of the teaching. Typically, teachers establish a good pace of learning in lessons, set high standards and have clear expectations for what pupils can achieve. Teachers ensure that pupils understand what it is they want them to learn in each lesson, and how they can improve the quality of their learning in order to reach higher standards. The school is working hard to ensure that teaching styles appeal more to boys so that they can make better progress. In the best lessons pupils engage with the work with very high levels of interest, to the point where the teacher is a guide and allows learners to find their own way forward through problems 6 of 12 Inspection Report: The Archbishop Lanfranc School, 3–4 June 2009 cooperatively, identifying and learning from mistakes as they go. This shows that pupils can

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Grade: 2

work very effectively in groups. However, pupils are not always given enough chance to be as actively involved in their learning. There is sometimes a lack of effective planning to enable the teacher to meet the different learning needs of pupils in their lessons. This means that some learners do not make as much progress as they should. Most pupils have positive attitudes to learning and apply themselves well to their work. There is usually a calm and orderly working atmosphere in lessons and around the school. In a few lessons, when the teaching provides less stimulus and inappropriate levels of challenge, pupils become distracted and lose their focus. In some areas of the school, the quality of accommodation and resources has a negative impact on the quality of teaching and learning. There has been good improvement in the use of ICT since the last inspection, but progress in this has been hampered by budget limitations.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum satisfactorily supports the personal development of pupils and enables them to make progress in their learning. The provision provides opportunities for pupils who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities to make good progress. Pupils are prepared well for their future through opportunities for work experience, and there is a variety of very well-organised enrichment and extension activities that strongly support pupils learning in a range of subjects. There are plans in place to continually develop the curriculum in the school so that it will provide a wider range of opportunities for a higher proportion of pupils to achieve better, and enjoy their education even more. ICT provision has been adapted to enable the school to meet the targets it has set as a part of its specialism work, and these include a new course at levels 1 and 2. Some able Year 9 pupils are already on a fast-track ICT course leading to advanced

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Grade: 3

courses in Key Stage 4, and courses leading to qualifications in the separate sciences are in place for pupils who are able to tackle more demanding work over Key Stage 4. However, the school does not currently offer a sufficiently wide range of courses at Key Stage 4 beyond GCSE to meet the needs of the full range of learners, and plans to address this are not clear enough. There are links with a local college which benefit some pupils but the extent of liaison with other providers, including local schools, to work together to provide the broader provision that is needed is limited. The school's specialism is making a valuable contribution to the curriculum in supporting developments in English, mathematics and languages, with teachers working together on the content of some topics. There are plans to further develop the specialist curriculum to include some vocational options.

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Grade: 1

The school provides an outstanding level of care and support for its pupils. Staff prioritise pupils' personal safety, progress and happiness. A parent of a Year 8 pupil wrote to the inspectors to say, 'This school is so good because they care for every child'. Pupils feel safe in school and they are confident that they can speak to staff openly whenever they encounter problems. One pupil commented to inspectors, 'All the teachers are friendly and help you if there is any problem; they try to put themselves in your shoes so they understand your situation'. 7 of 12 Inspection Report: The Archbishop Lanfranc School, 3–4 June 2009 Pupils and their parents appreciate the continual and comprehensive support they get, for example through specialist parenting programmes. There is an excellent system for additional personal guidance and study support, particularly in Years 10 and 11. There is also outstanding

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Grade: 1

additional help from the Pupil Support Service for all pupils who have additional learning needs and there are highly effective relationships with a wide variety of care agencies and organisations. There is a systematic and very effective programme for careers education, with an appropriate emphasis on guiding pupils' choices of GCSE subjects in Year 9, and options for further education. Pupils' progress is checked regularly and closely, and senior staff work hard to ensure that those who may be underachieving stay on track. The setting of pupil targets for improvement is yet to be fully developed across all year groups and the feedback from teachers in their marking still varies in quality across departments. However, the majority of pupils know and understand how well they are doing in subjects and use their target grades for examinations to plan effectively for improvement.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher's vision to secure the highest quality of pupil welfare and well-being, and the best outcomes for every child in the school, is communicated clearly and is shared by all staff. This ensures that the school has a strong ethos and that there is a sense of pride among staff and pupils for the quality of their work together. The specialism makes a valuable contribution to this ethos by developing pupils' sense of teamwork. The school has an accurate sense of its strengths and its areas for development through the way it evaluates its work, and this leads to effective planning for further development. Middle leaders feel accountable for the standards and progress of pupils in their departments and they regularly gauge the extent of their contribution to achievement of the school's targets. They carefully monitor pupils' achievements in their subjects using the school's well-developed progress tracking systems. Action is then taken to improve areas of weakness. Performance

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Grade: 2

management systems are effective in identifying staff development needs and planning to meet them. Leaders and managers are effective in ensuring that steps are taken to work toward eliminating discrimination, and to ensure equality of opportunity. The school fulfils a very effective leading role in its locality, reaching out and embracing the community in all of its work. It is a true community school in all respects and benefits from the work of dedicated staff to coordinate events and activities. Further development of its work to secure community cohesion beyond the school requires a more formal approach to the evaluation of the benefit of its work so far to local residents. The school's governors provide support, and take an active interest in the life of the school but they do not become involved closely enough in all strategic matters, such as holding the school to account in meeting all aspects of budgetary planning, curriculum development and

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Grade: 2

resource provision. For example, the accommodation, although respected by pupils, provides a poor learning environment in certain parts of the school. 8 of 12 Inspection Report: The Archbishop Lanfranc School, 3–4 June 2009 .

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 9 of 12 Inspection Report: The Archbishop Lanfranc School, 3–4 June 2009

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Inspection judgements

School Overall Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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needs of learners?

Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well being? 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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EYFS?

2 How well do children in the EYFS achieve? How good are the overall personal development and well-being of the children in the EYFS? 2 How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 2 How effectively is the welfare of children in the EYFS promoted? 2 How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed?

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Achievement and standards

3 How well do learners achieve? 3 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make progress

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Achievement and standards

1 Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 10 of 12 Inspection Report: The Archbishop Lanfranc School, 3–4 June 2009

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learners?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 The extent to which learners enjoy their education 2 The attendance of learners 2 The behaviour of learners 1 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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learners' needs?

How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education 2 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 2 How well does the school contribute to community cohesion? How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 11 of 12 Inspection Report: The Archbishop Lanfranc School, 3–4 June 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

16 June 2009 Dear Pupils Inspection of The Archbishop Lanfranc School,Croydon,CR9 3AS You will recall that inspectors visited your school and its Nursery recently. I would like to offer my thanks, on behalf of us all, for the way in which you welcomed us, and for your thoughtful, honest and very useful contributions to the inspection. We enjoyed meeting you, seeing the happy learning environment in the Nursery, and working with the staff in your school for two days. You are proud of your school and we could understand why as we got to know more about it. Yours is a school that is at least satisfactory in every aspect of its work, and it is good and outstanding in some very important ways. The teaching in the school is good. We also saw that you are extremely well cared for, and many of you made a special point of saying how appreciative you were of all that the staff do for you. These strengths support you to become the mature, happy and ambitious young people

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

you are, and provide you with a good sense of community. You said that the school enabled you to feel safe, appreciate how to live healthy lifestyles, and to make a good contribution to its work. The opportunities presented by the school's sports specialism are appreciated by all of you, as are the wide-ranging musical, revision and other extra-curricular activities that go on before, during and after school, and at the weekends and in the holidays. I have asked the headteacher to make certain improvements. He and all of the other staff, and the governors, want the very best for you and they know how to go about ensuring that these improvements help you to get the most out of your time at school. They are:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ to improve the standards you reach by the end of Key Stage 4, and the progress you all make in Years 10 and 11, by ensuring more of you have the chance to follow courses of study that give you opportunities to achieve well and enjoy learning. For some of you this will mean doing more vocationally oriented courses that may involve attending lessons at other local schools or colleges for some of your time. ■ to look at ways in which money is organised and spent in the school to ensure that it has the maximum impact on your learning. I would like to wish you, your school and all of its staff, every success and happiness in the future. Yours faithfully Alan Taylor-Bennett Her Majesty's Inspector 12 of 12 Inspection Report: The Archbishop Lanfranc School, 3–4 June 2009

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