Tudor Grange Academy Worcester

Tudor Grange Academy Worcester Bilford Road, Worcester, Worcestershire WR3 8HN

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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16 to 19 study programmes Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Senior leaders know their school well and have an accurate view of its strengths and weaknesses. Their improvement plans are sharply focused.  Outcomes in the past have been weak for boys and disadvantaged pupils. Current pupils at the school make better progress. This is because of effective teaching and a redesigned, balanced curriculum that offers an appropriate range of subjects for pupils to study. Leaders track pupils’ performance rigorously, so that they can put effective support in place when pupils fall behind and need to catch up.  Leaders, including middle leaders, evaluate the quality of teaching effectively. They support teachers to improve their practice continuously. Leaders use the information they gather about teaching to put in place bespoke staff training to address quickly any issues they identify.  Behaviour in lessons and at social times is good. Pupils are courteous, friendly and well

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

mannered. Fixed-term exclusions have reduced, and attendance has improved markedly. Fewer pupils are now persistently absent from school.  Pupils feel safe at school and are complimentary about the pastoral support they receive when they need it. Pastoral care is a strength at the school. Pupils on the whole feel happy and say that their teachers care about them and about how well they do.  Parents and staff are very supportive of school leaders. The majority of staff say that they enjoy working at the school and almost all parents who completed Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, would recommend it to others.  Governors, in the past, have not held leaders to account effectively. The Tudor Grange multi- academy trust (MAT) has made a good start to addressing this issue. The MAT’s chief executive officer (CEO) has been effective in providing challenge and support to leaders.  The sixth form is not good because students do

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

not yet achieve as well as they should. Work- related learning opportunities exist but are not as well formalised as they could be. Students’ participation in enrichment activities is uneven.  In some lessons, teachers do not routinely have high enough expectations of the standard and quality of work that pupils, especially boys, should complete. As a result, some work is not neatly presented or shows that teachers have not addressed poor literacy skills.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the sixth form by ensuring that: – students make better progress and attainment – more students benefit from high-quality work-related learning – all students participate regularly in enrichment activities.  Improve leadership and management by ensuring that governors have the skills to support and challenge leaders effectively.  Improve the quality of teaching so that pupils, especially boys and disadvantaged pupils, make the progress of which they are capable by ensuring that all teachers: – routinely have high expectations of all pupils’ quality and standard of work – address any misconceptions in spelling before they become errors over time – provide resources that match pupils’ interests and engage them in their learning – plan tasks that match closely pupils’ abilities and needs. An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Senior leaders are unwavering in their drive for continuous improvement. They know the school’s strengths and weaknesses and work collaboratively to address any underperformance. Since the last inspection, leaders have addressed effectively any areas that required improvement. For example, fixed-term exclusions have reduced, attendance has improved markedly and pupils now make stronger progress.  Leaders review regularly their own performance and put in place detailed and well- focused plans for further improvements. This is an inclusive school in which everyone is valued and cared for and makes progress. Staff have unanimously expressed their support of senior leaders. They say that leaders value their work and care about the staff’s welfare.  The leadership of teaching and learning is good. Senior leaders have introduced the ‘quality first teaching’ programme which sets out minimum expectations of the quality

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

of teaching. They accurately evaluate and analyse teachers’ performance. They act quickly to address any underperformance they identify. Highly effective staff training is valued by teachers and has resulted in improved teaching across the school.  Senior leaders’ monitoring and tracking of pupils’ performance is clear and precise. They analyse carefully the information they gather from assessments and interventions are put in place for pupils who need extra support. This helps current pupils to achieve well.  Middle leaders form a dedicated and highly focused group of professionals. They are consistent in their messages and drive for improvement. They take ownership of their areas of responsibility and this is having a positive effect on pupils’ outcomes. A shared language among middle leaders is used to enable them to identify any underperformance, share best practice and then disseminate that practice in their

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

departments. Regular meetings across the trust provide further support and opportunities for middle leaders to sharpen their practice.  The school’s curriculum offers a balanced breadth of learning experiences which are tailored to pupils’ individual needs and circumstances. Pupils carefully choose their key stage 4 courses with support from their teachers. The key stage 3 curriculum offers a wide range of subjects and prepares pupils well for making decisions about their future education.  Senior leaders use and evaluate the effectiveness of additional funding they receive. For instance, one-to-one support and targeted, timely interventions are planned carefully and reviewed for their impact on outcomes. Furthermore, leaders and teachers know their pupils very well and many pupils benefit from interventions and targeted support before they fall behind. This is especially true for disadvantaged and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

most vulnerable pupils.  Leaders’ work to support pupils’ personal development is highly effective. Staff have created an inclusive ethos in the school in which every pupil is valued. Pupils feel safe and parents and staff agree that children are safe and well cared for at the school. The majority of parents who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, would recommend the school to other parents.  Leaders use alternative provision effectively for a small number of pupils to meet their very specific personal circumstances. They ensure that placements are appropriate and check that pupils do well while on their placements.

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Governance of the school

 Governance to the school is provided by the local governing body (LGB). Governance in the past has not been effective in holding leaders to account for pupils’ outcomes. This is because some governors have not been trained effectively or do not have the skills to fulfil their delegated duties.  The MAT has made a good start in addressing these issues in the LGB. The CEO of the trust is, in the interim period of transition, providing adequate challenge and support for school leaders, in particular on outcomes for pupils and the quality of teaching. As a result, standards at the school have improved.  The LGB is successful in completing some aspects of their duties. They monitor the school’s budget carefully. They check that safeguarding arrangements are effective and ensure that systems to manage teachers’ performance focus on improving the quality of teaching.  Members of the governing body strive for a school where pupils are happy and safe,

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Governance of the school

receive an excellent education and grow as human beings. They believe that their pupils, regardless of background, deserve the very best.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Staff work together to create a culture of safeguarding, which is supported by regular training for every member of staff at the school. All staff agree that leaders make pupils’ welfare and safety a priority. Leaders underpin any training with timely updates on current local and regional issues.  The safeguarding and pastoral teams work constructively with relevant external agencies. Staff are persistent when they are concerned about a pupil’s welfare and follow up concerns with these agencies as necessary. Leaders work hard to ensure that pupils receive support from external agencies when appropriate.  All pupils who spoke with inspectors said that they feel safe in school. Pupils have a secure understanding of how to keep themselves and others safe. They understand the risks surrounding online safety. Pupils benefit from regular teaching in which a wide

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Safeguarding

range of age-appropriate safeguarding issues are discussed. For example, pupils discuss consent, healthy relationships and religious extremist views with maturity and sensitivity. Pupils could name, in discussions with inspectors, numerous ways of keeping safe on social-media platforms, for example.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Leaders, since the last inspection in May 2018, have introduced the ‘quality first teaching’ programme that outlines the minimum expectations they have of teachers and the quality of teaching. Teachers on the whole apply these principles consistently. Teaching is strong across a wide range of subjects, for example in mathematics, English, art, music, history and geography.  Leaders, including middle leaders, monitor rigorously the quality of teaching across the curriculum. Therefore they know where teaching is strong and where it needs improvements. They put effective and tailored staff training in place when any underperformance has been identified. Teachers value the training they receive to improve their practice.  Leaders regularly assess pupils’ progress and use this information to identify priorities for staff training. Teachers work closely with colleagues across the trust. They share best practice and they frequently moderate work. This helps everyone to reach a

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

common understanding about the expected standards of pupils’ work.  Teachers generally plan lessons that are well matched to pupils’ needs and abilities. Pupils benefit from teachers’ strong subject knowledge and enthusiasm. At rare times, when tasks are too easy and do not provide adequate challenge or when resources do not engage pupils, they make less progress in their learning.  Leaders have introduced a reliable system for collecting information about pupils’ progress. Leaders and teachers can spot easily when a pupil falls behind and put timely and effective interventions in place to help pupils catch up and close any gaps in their knowledge. Consequently, current pupils are making stronger progress.  Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) made weaker progress in the past. A focus on targeted support and bespoke intervention has resulted in pupils receiving specialist support. The leader for this area is ably

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

supported by a colleague from the trust to ensure that pupils receive the support that they need. As a result, the progress of pupils with SEND is improving, albeit from a low starting point.  In some lessons, teachers do not have high enough expectations of the quality and standard of pupils’ work, especially that of boys, and do not address quickly any misconceptions in pupils’ written work. When this happens, pupils’ work is not as neatly presented as it should be and shows examples of spelling and grammar mistakes that are repeated over time. Leaders’ work to extend pupils’ vocabulary is successful. In most lessons, pupils use subject-specific vocabulary with ease and confidence.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  The pastoral support provided by the school is a strength. Pupils, parents and staff are unanimous in their praise for the help, support and guidance pupils receive when they need it. The pastoral team works well with pupils who need support and ensure that they have a space and person they can go to at any time. Pupils are very complimentary about this aspect of the school’s work.  The school is rightly proud of its inclusive ethos where every pupil is valued and cared for. Pupils say that bullying is rare. They have confidence that when it occurs it is dealt with swiftly and effectively by staff. Pupils work well together and share their thinking and ideas in a mature manner.  Pupils are friendly, courteous and respectful of each other and staff. They are proud of their school and look after the school environment. As a result, the school’s buildings

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Personal development and welfare

are free from litter and graffiti.  Pupils have a good understanding of current and topical issues such as online risks, grooming, child sexual exploitation and gang violence, for example. Pupils benefit from regular learning about the most current safeguarding issues through assemblies and the school’s personal, social and health education programme. Pupils are knowledgeable about these issues and talk about them with maturity and confidence.  The majority of pupils display positive attitudes to learning. They are actively engaged in their studies and enjoy learning at the school. There remains a small group of pupils who have not yet developed the confidence to ask questions when they are stuck in lessons, for example. This can then lead to their not finishing work or becoming disengaged in their learning.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils behave well in lessons and learning time is rarely wasted. Behaviour during social times and in corridors at lesson changeover is calm and orderly. Most pupils who spoke with inspectors confirmed that the behaviour around school and in lessons is good. Parents who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, and staff who completed Ofsted’s online staff questionnaire agreed that behaviour is good.  Leaders have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Staff supervision is effective while at the same time allowing pupils the opportunity to self-regulate their behaviour. Pupils spoken to during lunchtime said that the school is a calm environment.  Most staff apply the school’s behaviour policy effectively. As a result, fixed-term exclusions have reduced sharply and are now in line with the national average and repeat fixed-term exclusions have declined as well. Some pupils say that in some

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Behaviour

lessons teachers do not apply the behaviour policy consistently. Where this is the case, some low-level disruption can occur.  Pupils’ attendance is broadly in line with the national average. Leaders have improved any low attendance in the past. Owing to the strong relationships that are evident at the school, pupils enjoy their learning and do not want to miss time off school.  Placements in alternative provision are carefully chosen to match pupils’ needs, interests and abilities. As a result, pupils who are at risk of leaving education complete their courses, gain suitable qualifications and move on to appropriate destinations. The monitoring of pupils’ attendance and progress at alternative provision is rigorous and staff communicate well with parents.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Pupils’ outcomes in the past have been weak, especially for boys and disadvantaged pupils. Leaders have analysed the reasons for this and have put effective procedures and strategies in place to deal with the identified causes. As a result, current pupils at the school now make better progress, although from a low starting point.  Pupils benefit from strong teaching and teachers that know them well. Leaders identify quickly any pupils that are falling behind and put effective interventions in place to ensure that they catch up. Some pupils, especially in Years 10 and 11 still have gaps in their knowledge from previous weak teaching. Leaders have well-formulated intervention plans in place to narrow these gaps.  Disadvantaged pupils now progress well. Their progress is monitored carefully, and pupils benefit from a programme, the ’20 Day Challenge’, that is designed to enhance their progress in areas of previous weakness. Recent information shows that, as a

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Outcomes for pupils Good

result of targeted support and bespoke teaching, current disadvantaged pupils catch up and make strong progress, although some gaps still remain.  Pupils now follow an appropriate curriculum at both key stages 3 and 4 which is designed to prepare them well for their next steps in education or training. A greater number of pupils now take courses leading to the English Baccalaureate. Leaders use the information they have about pupils to plan individually designed GCSE pathways. Consequently, the number of pupils who leave the school and go on to further education, employment or apprenticeships is rising.  Outcomes in mathematics have been strong and pupils continue to do well. The department works in partnership with other subject areas to disseminate and share their effective strategies. This action is contributing to pupils doing better in a wide range of subjects across the curriculum.  The school’s work to provide pupils with careers information, advice and guidance is

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Outcomes for pupils Good

strong. It has a positive impact on pupils’ destinations. Leaders provide a range of exciting opportunities for pupils to meet with employers and universities. Pupils go on to a variety of destinations that match their aspirations and abilities. Pupils are prepared well for their next steps.

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16 to 19 study programmes Requires improvement

 Outcomes in the sixth form require improvement because too many students in the past studied unsuitable qualifications and/or did not complete their courses. Outcomes in 2018 were weak. Although current students are making better progress, it is not yet as strong as it should be.  In the past, leaders of the sixth form have not been quick enough to deal with weaknesses in the curriculum and teaching and standards declined. Leaders have begun to stem the decline by ensuring that the curriculum better meets students’ aspirations and career choices.  The quality of teaching has improved and is now good. Teachers have secure subject knowledge and an enthusiasm for their subjects, which they pass on to students. Teachers plan lessons that engage and motivate students. They have high expectations of students and foster respectful relationships with them.  The school’s work to ensure that students have the opportunity for work-based

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16 to 19 study programmes Requires improvement

learning and/or work experience is not as effective as it could be. Not enough students benefit from these placements. As a result, not all students gain an insight into their possible future career choices.  Students behave impeccably. They are courteous and very complimentary about their sixth form. They feel safe and well supported, and most would recommend the sixth form to others. They routinely act as role models to their younger peers.  All students benefit from effective careers advice and guidance. As a result, the majority of students move on to universities, further education, apprenticeships or employment. Leaders are rigorous in the tracking of students’ destinations and almost all students that left the sixth form last year went on to employment, higher or further education or apprenticeships.  Students’ participation in enrichment activities is uneven. While some complete a number of available activities, other students complete none. The offer of non-

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16 to 19 study programmes Requires improvement

qualification activities is broad and balanced. However, leaders do net yet routinely ensure that all students take part and therefore benefit from the activities on offer.

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Gender of pupils in 16 to 19 study programmes Mixed

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School details

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,052

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School details

Of which, number on roll in 16 to 19 study programmes Appropriate authority The Board of trustees

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School details

Email address sroach@worcs.tgacademy.org.uk

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Information about this school

 This school is a larger than average secondary school.  The school is an academy and part of the ‘Tudor Grange’ multi-academy trust. Governance to the school is provided by the local governing body. For an interim period the trust’s CEO is providing some of the duties that the LGB would normally perform, namely to challenge leaders on operational matters such as outcomes for pupils and the quality of teaching.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is above average. The proportion of pupils with SEND is above average. The number of pupils who have an education, health and care plan is average.  Alternative provision is made for eight pupils from Years 8, 10 and 11 on part- and full- time placements at ‘The Aspire Academy’.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors reviewed a wide range of documentation. This included the school’s self- evaluation and improvement plans, school policies, information about pupils’ progress, behaviour, attendance, exclusions and the quality of teaching, learning and assessment.  Inspectors observed teaching and learning in lessons and parts of lessons across a wide range of subjects and in all three key stages. They observed pupils’ behaviour between lessons and at breaktime and lunchtime.  Inspectors evaluated the work in pupils’ books and folders across a range of year groups and subjects. This included students’ work in the sixth form.  Inspectors held meetings with senior and middle leaders, and teachers, including those who are newly qualified. The lead inspectors also met with the CEO and the chair of the board of trustees of the MAT.  The lead inspector met with the chair and vice chair of the local governing body.

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Information about this inspection

 The views of parents were considered through the 104 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, as well as the 81 free-text comments parents provided.  Inspectors held numerous discussions with a large proportion of pupils throughout the inspection and considered 22 responses to Ofsted’s online pupil questionnaire.  Inspectors met with a large proportion of staff and considered the 34 responses to Ofsted’s online staff questionnaire as well as one letter signed by numerous staff

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Inspection team

Bianka Zemke, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Martin Spoor Ofsted Inspector guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. www.gov.uk/pupil-premium-information-for-schools-and- alternative-provision-settings .

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Inspection team

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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Inspection team

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk , or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted .

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Inspection team

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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