Glenmoor Academy

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

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Mr Stuart Ingram Principal Glenmoor Academy Beswick Avenue Ensbury Park Bournemouth Dorset BH10 4EX

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Short inspection of Glenmoor Academy

Following my visit to the school on 20 June 2018 with Jeremy Law HMI, 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 2015.

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Short inspection of Glenmoor Academy

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. Based on the evidence gathered during this short inspection, I am of the opinion that the school has demonstrated strong practice and marked improvement in specific areas. This may indicate that the school has improved significantly overall. Therefore, I am recommending that the school’s next inspection be a section 5 inspection.

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Short inspection of Glenmoor Academy

You and the executive principal have ensured that the school has improved impressively since the last inspection. The results achieved at key stage 4 in 2017 placed the school as the number-one high-achieving school, compared to similar secondary schools nationwide, in the Department for Education’s performance tables. You provide not only an outstanding standard of education but an inclusive and rewarding culture, where pupils thrive and succeed. You are supported well by the regional director for the trust and strong governance. These leaders inspire and challenge you so that improvements continue. You and the executive principal carefully analyse any new process or plan that is put in place. It is this attention to detail and determination to do the best for the pupils that has enabled the school to do so well.

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Short inspection of Glenmoor Academy

Pupils make significantly better progress than the national average in every subject that they study. Teaching in the school is strong, with committed practitioners who provide excellent direction so that pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills improve, regardless of ability levels. Pupils articulate their learning in a sophisticated and thoughtful way which helps them to determine their opinions in subjects such as English and the humanities.

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Short inspection of Glenmoor Academy

You have provided good training for middle leaders. You allow them to develop the most efficient ways to deliver their subjects so that they have autonomy within their teams. Yet, they know that the standards must be maintained and their plans and actions will be monitored carefully by you and other senior leaders. The middle leaders respect the chances for development that they are given and react accordingly. As a result, there is a coherence in their work which correlates with the excellent outcomes that are achieved by the pupils.

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Short inspection of Glenmoor Academy

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. You have created a culture where assessing risk is the norm. The personal safety and well-being of pupils are secure. The designated safeguarding leads are vigilant in their oversight of any child protection issues. They are well supported by a team of staff who manage attendance and behavioural issues. Records of any safeguarding issues are of high quality and detailed. All the necessary checks on staff are completed thoroughly.

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Short inspection of Glenmoor Academy

Staff work sensitively with parents, carers and external agencies to monitor and support vulnerable pupils. When there has been a time lag beyond the school’s control, you find suitable resolutions swiftly and deal with matters in-house. The setting up of an alternative curriculum centre is a case in point. Pupils, particularly the most vulnerable, are nurtured in the centre, and as a consequence attendance has improved and exclusions have dropped.

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Inspection findings

 Initially, we discussed the changes made to the curriculum that will enable more pupils to achieve the English Baccalaureate. As a result of discarding qualifications no longer recognised by the government, entries for the English Baccalaureate in 2018 will be in line with the national average, and these are set to triple in 2019.  Although every pupil is achieving in line with the national average in the end of key stage 4 tests, there are some subjects where pupils of lower ability and the most able are not achieving significantly above the national average. You explained that for pupils of lower ability, poor attendance had been the main reason for their weaker performance. Attendance has been a focus and is better than the national average overall now, and for groups of pupils. As a result, pupils of lower ability are achieving as well as their peers.  Four years ago, you decided to create a grammar stream so that the most able

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Inspection findings

can excel, and this has been the case. These pupils are stretched and challenged well; they are enthusiastic about their studies and have an excellent rapport with their teachers. The motivating climate created by staff in the school allows these pupils to ask for support and help when necessary. Consequently, the most able are making better progress and are on track to achieve significantly above the national average.  Exclusion data is below the national average overall, but disadvantaged pupils, those who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language were overrepresented. You have created and trained a team of specialist staff to oversee these vulnerable pupils and make sure that their complex needs are managed well. As a result of the training and the setting up of an alternative curriculum centre where pupils can have more specialist provision and support, exclusions are virtually eradicated

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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

 the curriculum offer to pupils continues to be reviewed and evaluated so that key stage 3 studies support the best outcomes at key stage 4.

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Next steps for the school

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

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Information about the inspection

During the inspection, inspectors met with you, senior leaders, the regional director of the trust, middle leaders and a group of governors, including the chair. Inspectors spoke formally with groups of pupils. Inspectors visited lessons in a range of subjects. Inspectors looked at the quality of work in pupils’ exercise books and considered documentary evidence relating to the impact of the school’s work, including safeguarding. We took into account 72 responses to the Ofsted online survey, Parent View, 63 comments written by parents and the 69 staff responses.

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