Ark Globe Academy

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

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Mr Matt Jones Principal Ark Globe Academy Harper Road London SE1 6AG

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Short inspection of Ark Globe Academy

Following my visit to the school on 5 October 2018 with Jeffery Quaye, Ofsted Inspector, and Alison Moore, 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 October 2014.

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Short inspection of Ark Globe 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 Ark Globe Academy

Leaders and governors promote pupils’ safety and welfare most effectively. The procedures for safeguarding pupils are thorough and are threaded through the school’s work. For example, the systems to ensure that all staff are properly vetted to work with children are robust. As a result, pupils’ well-being is strong. The detailed safeguarding policies, and associated documents, take account of the most recent guidance. Staff understand and use these policies and procedures effectively to record incidents. Middle leaders play a central role in safeguarding. They identify issues quickly and take decisive action. Regular and frequent training for all staff ensures that they remain vigilant and up to date with safeguarding practice. Staff are aware of the local safeguarding issues, including knife crime and gangs. This ensures that teachers have a secure understanding of how to keep pupils safe. Staff know how to deal with any concerns

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Short inspection of Ark Globe Academy

pupils might raise and to whom these should be reported. Links with outside organisations, such as the local authority’s safeguarding officers and social services, are effective. Pupils said that they feel safe in school and that they know whom to turn to if they have a problem. A recurring comment from pupils and students was about how much they trust teachers to look after their welfare. They said that bullying was rare, but they were very confident that the school deals with any incidents effectively. Pupils have a range of opportunities to learn about keeping safe through assemblies, personal, social and health education lessons and learning family time.

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Inspection findings

 Pupils’ and students’ outcomes are strong and improving. Examination results at the end of Year 11 are high and pupils make good progress from their starting points. The 2018 GCSE results improved across the board and maintained the upward trend. Disadvantaged pupils do especially well, as do boys whose performance at GCSE is higher than that of girls nationally.  In the sixth form, students’ achievements have improved considerably since the last inspection. Students make strong progress, especially in subjects such as English and history. In 2018, AS- and A-level results built on the improvements achieved in previous years. The proportion of students who move into education, employment or training was 100% in 2017 and similar in 2018. Last year, all students were accepted into university.  Progress in key stage 2 has also improved, especially in reading, where pupils’ achievements, including for disadvantaged pupils, had previously been lower than

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Inspection findings

expected. This is the result of a continuing emphasis on reading and extending pupils’ vocabulary. However, there is room to improve pupils’ literacy skills further so that they deepen their learning to reach the highest standards.  Pupils do well in key stage 1 and attainment is high. Nearly all pupils meet or exceed the expected standard in the phonics screening check. Children in Nursery and Reception also do well. The proportion of children achieving a good level of development in reading and writing is above average.  Pupils’ books and folders confirm that progress is at least good. There are examples of outstanding achievement. Pupils are given work that builds their knowledge in an organised way. This enables them to master new knowledge and concepts before moving on to the next topic or piece of work. This ensures that pupils’ learning is structured and sequenced, enabling them to tackle increasingly

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Inspection findings

difficult work.  All leaders, including governors, have high expectations for the school and its pupils. Leadership at all levels is consistently strong across the school. You and your senior leaders are absolutely clear about the priorities for improvement and use secure evidence to drive improvements to teaching, learning and achievement.  Leaders and staff have created an aspirational and highly positive culture that promotes pupils’ personal and academic achievement extremely well. This has an unmistakable impact on pupils’ and students’ attitudes and outcomes. It also shows in the assured way pupils conduct themselves and their confident relationships with others. Inspectors were most impressed by pupils’ knowledge of the school’s ‘culture pyramid’ that guides the work of the school. For example, pupils were much taken by the focus on independence, integrity, social justice and being professional. They said that these values guide their attitudes and they are

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Inspection findings

very clear that education is essential for a ‘fulfilled life’.  The quality of teaching and learning has improved since the previous inspection. The strong teaching has a positive effect on pupils’ progress and the rising standards. Strengths include: – teachers’ subject knowledge and the way this is used to make learning challenging and enjoyable – teaching expanding pupils’ vocabulary, including the technical words they need for subjects, so that they deepen their knowledge – that learning is planned well, so that pupils are clear about the purpose of their work and what is expected of them – well-established classroom routines; as a result, behaviour is excellent and attitudes to learning positive.  Occasionally, teaching is not quite as strong. Typically, this is because a few teachers have not yet developed their practice fully, for example in the way they ask questions. However, this is being tackled effectively by the well-developed

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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 strengths in teaching and learning are consolidated so that they are consistently good and better  the challenge provided by the reading and writing tasks is improved further in key stage 2 to ensure greater depth of learning and to enable more pupils to reach the higher standards, including boys.

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Next steps for the school

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

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Information about the inspection

During the inspection, the inspectors met with the principal, senior and middle leaders, and members of the local governing body, including the chair. Inspectors also met with groups of pupils and students to seek their views of the school. They listened to a small group of pupils reading. Inspectors visited a variety of lessons across the school with senior leaders. A range of documents were reviewed, including the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plans, and information about pupils’ progress, the governing body and pupils’ attendance. The school’s single central record, pre-employment checks and safeguarding procedures were also reviewed. Inspectors considered 22 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View and comments made by 10 parents. They also considered 40 responses to a survey of staff views.

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