Brentford School for Girls

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

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Mrs Marais Leenders Headteacher Brentford School for Girls 5 Boston Manor Road Brentford TW8 0PG

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Short inspection of Brentford School for Girls

Following my visit to the school on 14 May 2019 with Jason Hughes, 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 February 2016.

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Short inspection of Brentford School for Girls

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. You have focused on developing a team of leaders across the school whose members share your values and sustain a culture of high expectations. The school provides a caring and supportive learning community where pupils are encouraged to fulfil their potential intellectually, personally and emotionally. Since the last inspection, leaders have continued to focus on the impact of their work so that learners are well supported to make good progress. As a result, the progress that the majority of pupils make in key stage 4 is particularly strong, including that of disadvantaged pupils.

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Short inspection of Brentford School for Girls

Leaders and staff check individual pupils’ progress. This enables staff to support the needs of all pupils, particularly those who, historically, have not made the same progress as others at the school. This was an area for improvement following the last inspection. You and leaders have implemented effective tracking systems and focused monitoring activities that provide staff with a good understanding of the progress that all pupils make.

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Short inspection of Brentford School for Girls

The atmosphere in school is calm and purposeful. Pupils interact positively with each other and conduct themselves in a friendly and courteous manner. In meetings with inspectors, pupils said that they feel safe, and spoke with pride about their school and the staff. Pupils value the extra-curricular opportunities that enrich their learning. Similarly, staff who completed Ofsted’s survey stated that they felt well supported and that their well-being is treated as a priority.

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Short inspection of Brentford School for Girls

Pupils are keen and ready to learn. They said that staff are kind, approachable and always available to help. Pupils feel challenged in their lessons, and value the additional support and resources that are available for them. Pupils are particularly proud to be part of an inclusive learning community. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported and integrate fully into the life of the school.

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Short inspection of Brentford School for Girls

Sixth-form students are happy and enjoy their learning. They describe the school’s careers information and guidance as a strength. This was an area for improvement following the last inspection. Although students are positive about their learning, the sixth-form provision is not as strong as the provision in other phases in the school.

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Short inspection of Brentford School for Girls

Governors are supportive of your leadership team and senior leaders’ positive aspirations. This supports the school to maintain pupils’ strong outcomes at the end of key stage 4. Governors know the school’s priorities well, and they provide rigorous challenge.

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Short inspection of Brentford School for Girls

You have ensured that there is a strong culture of safeguarding in the school. Safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose, and records are detailed. Leaders and governors are clear about their responsibilities for safeguarding. Staff receive regular training that responds to local issues that arise, and the latest statutory guidance.

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Short inspection of Brentford School for Girls

All pupils, including students in the sixth form, feel safe and understand how to keep themselves safe from harm. This includes how to be responsible online. Parents and carers, and staff, are confident that pupils are safe. Pupils behave well and value their diverse community. Incidents of bullying are rare and are dealt with swiftly by the school. Pupils know whom they can approach should they have any concerns. The school’s attendance is above the national average and exclusion rates are low.

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Inspection findings

 For the first line of enquiry, we agreed to look at the progress of pupils with SEND. In 2018, these pupils made less progress than their peers.  You and your leaders have acted swiftly to strengthen the provision for pupils with SEND, including making changes to strengthen the leadership of inclusion. Middle leaders are well supported by senior leaders in holding their teams to account for the outcomes of this group of pupils.  Teachers use pupils’ assessment information regularly to ensure that their planning and teaching responds to the emerging needs of each pupil. This approach is used routinely across the school. Pupils with SEND are provided with effective additional support to help them to make better progress. As a result, current pupils with SEND make sustained progress.  The next key line of enquiry focused on how well the curriculum enables pupils to fulfil their potential. Progress in key stage 4 is above the national average overall.

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Inspection findings

 You and leaders have reviewed the curriculum since the last inspection to ensure that it meets the needs of all pupils and provides deeper learning opportunities. The curriculum in key stage 4 has been restructured to provide greater flexibility in the courses pupils study, which prepares them well for the next stage of their learning. You are focused on further increasing the proportion of pupils who study a language and who study single sciences at GCSE. You are ambitious to increase the proportion of pupils who study the English Baccalaureate in order to meet the government’s ambition for 2022.  Leaders are strengthening the broader curriculum experiences offered to pupils. For example, leaders have ensured that a range of trips and enrichment opportunities are widely available. This includes the introduction of an initiative to boost pupils’ learning in computing and an Arts Award to deepen pupils’ creative

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Inspection findings

development in a wide range of arts subjects. Pupils very much appreciate the range of academic and sports-related clubs and outings that the school organises, including access to a national personal development award scheme.  The final line of enquiry explored the progress of students in the sixth form. This was an area for improvement following the last inspection. Progress for students in the sixth form has improved since the last inspection, but has remained below the national average for the last three years, particularly for the most able students.  Teaching in the sixth form is well planned and students’ learning is supported through regular feedback. Teachers use questioning effectively to check students’ understanding. Leadership and management of the sixth form have been inconsistent since the last inspection because of changes in leadership. Leaders are taking appropriate steps to improve provision in the sixth form. While this is

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Inspection findings

beginning to make a difference, and progress of current students in the sixth form shows some further improvement, improving the progress of the most able pupils remains a priority for leaders.  Students commented favourably about the advice and guidance they receive throughout their time in the sixth form.

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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 most able students in the sixth form make the progress of which they are capable so that progress overall in the sixth form improves further. I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Hounslow. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

We looked at a range of pupils’ work together with you and other leaders. We reviewed information about pupils’ progress, attainment and attendance. We visited classes with you and senior leaders. We observed teaching and learning and spoke with pupils. We examined a range of the school’s documentation relating to safeguarding, including the single central register of staff pre-employment checks.

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Information about the inspection

We considered the views of parents through discussions with parents at the end of the school day. We also took account of 77 responses from parents to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, as well as 67 responses to the staff survey.

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