Setting

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 1231 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Mr James Kibble Executive Headteacher Salesian School, Chertsey Guildford Road Chertsey Surrey KT16 9LU

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No formal designation inspection of Salesian School, Chertsey

Following my visit with Harry Ingham Her Majesty’s Inspector and Ofsted Inspectors Sharon Cromie, Colin Lankester and Scott Norman to your school on 5 November 2019, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the inspection findings.

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No formal designation inspection of Salesian School, Chertsey

This inspection was conducted under section 8 of the Education Act 2005 and in accordance with Ofsted’s published procedures for inspecting schools with no formal designation. The inspection was carried out because Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector wished to determine the effectiveness of safeguarding arrangements at the school as concerns had been raised with Ofsted about aspects of the effectiveness of leadership and management in the school (including governance) and the behaviour and attitudes or personal development of pupils at the school. The inspection was conducted with 15 minutes’ notice to the school.

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Evidence

We scrutinised the single central record and other documents relating to safeguarding and child protection arrangements, behaviour and attitudes and personal development. We held discussions with the executive headteacher, headteacher and other senior leaders. We talked informally to pupils around the school and more formally to pupils and staff in groups. Inspectors met with the chief executive officer and chair of trustees from the Xavier Catholic Education Trust and with the chair of governors and the safeguarding governor from the local governing board. We looked in detail at the curriculum for personal, social health and economic (PSHE) education. We considered 244 responses to Ofsted’s Parent View questionnaire and held a telephone conversation with a parent.

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Evidence

Having considered the evidence I am of the opinion that at this time:

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Context

The school became an academy with Xavier Catholic Education Trust on 1 September 2016. The school continues to grow with the published admission number for 2020 being 280. Sixth-form students are educated at a separate site on Highfield Road. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) supported by an education, health and care plan (EHCP) is nearly double the national average.

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Context

Inspectors were aware during this inspection of a serious incident involving a child who used to attend this school that had occurred since the previous inspection. While Ofsted does not have the power to investigate incidents of this kind, actions taken by the school in response to the incident were considered alongside the other evidence available at the time of the inspection to inform inspectors’ judgements.

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Inspection findings

The whole school community has pulled together after some testing times. There is a strong and palpable sense of loyalty to the school from both staff and pupils. The school motto of ‘enlightening minds, uplifting hearts’ is apt. Leaders are clear that the school aims to produce happy, confident pupils as well as excellent exam results. Pupils enjoy school and attendance is above the national average.

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Inspection findings

Staff are very positive about their work and help to create a culture where pupils are cared for well. Although the school is large, every pupil is known by someone. Staff understand their pupils and the communities they come from. While pupils know that staff have high expectations of them academically, nearly all pupils we spoke to feel confident to talk to staff about any problems they have. The few remaining pupils we met told us they would tell their parents about any worries.

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Inspection findings

The school has come a long way to improve its safeguarding practices and procedures. In May 2017 an audit by Surrey local authority found serious weaknesses in safeguarding practices and some areas where statutory duties were not being met. For example, the designated lead for safeguarding at the time was not a member of the senior leadership team. The school has commissioned subsequent audits that have shown significant improvement. The safeguarding governor is particularly tenacious at checking that improvements are being made.

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Inspection findings

All required recruitment checks are completed on staff before they start work. Staff receive regular and informative safeguarding training delivered by leaders in school, external speakers and through online training modules. Teachers and support staff that we spoke to during our visit fully understand their responsibilities to safeguard pupils, and how to report any concerns they have. They also know how to report any concerns about colleagues to senior staff or the appropriate authorities.

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Inspection findings

Concerns about the most vulnerable pupils are recorded diligently on a secure online system by leaders responsible for safeguarding. There is clear evidence of school staff working well with other professionals to help protect these pupils from harm. A parent telephoned Ofsted anonymously to confirm that this was the case for their child. Similarly, a student also explained to an inspector how school staff had supported them through a particularly difficult time. Where school leaders do not feel other professionals are doing enough to protect pupils, they use the appropriate channels to escalate their concerns.

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Inspection findings

The new designated safeguarding lead is a member of the senior leadership team and is already playing a pivotal role in keeping pupils safe in school and out. She fully understands the challenges that pupils and students face and the risks they are exposed to. She is working with colleagues to give this vital work even greater prominence in the curriculum.

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Inspection findings

The current safeguarding policy follows the latest national and local guidance and is based on a trust’s model policy. However, it does not accurately reflect practice in the school. For example, it mentions roles that do not exist and subjects such as PSHE that are not formally taught. It refers to policies that do not exist or have different names. Leaders have not done enough to check the accuracy of the document or to check that the trust’s model policy fits the reality of what happens in this school. The lack of attention to detail in policies is a weakness. For example, very clear guidance on staff’s acceptable use of technology in school in the code of conduct is watered down or contradicted in other published documentation.

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Inspection findings

There are some well-intentioned but poorly thought out strategies to help keep pupils safe. For example, leaders were very keen to tell inspectors about a system where pupils can scan a QR code on posters around the school to get immediate help with any concerns. However, leaders had not considered that they do not allow pupils to use mobile phones or devices during the school day to scan the codes.

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Inspection findings

Pupils in key stage 3 have fortnightly lessons in citizenship, health and finance education (CHFE). Pupils find these very helpful and interesting. Some Year 7 pupils explained how they have already learned to challenge stereotypes and develop a ‘can-do’ attitude. These sessions help to develop pupils’ mental health and give them useful skills for the future.

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Inspection findings

Pupils in key stage 4 confirmed that they do not have CHFE lessons. In fact they have not had discrete lessons of this type since Year 8 because they have only just been reintroduced in Year 9. Sixth-form students told inspectors they were happy with the personal development support they now receive, but they did not receive CHFE lessons in key stage 4.

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Inspection findings

School leaders are starting to map how different aspects of PSHE are covered through the curriculum at key stage 4 mainly through science, physical education and religious education. There are special talks, days and assemblies that take place and cover specific issues like internet and social media safety, sexting, drug and alcohol advice, healthy relationships and domestic abuse. Inspectors observed an assembly where Year 8 pupils were introduced to an online mental health and counselling service that they have free access to. Pupils say that these events help them learn how to stay safe. However, inspectors found that some of the talks are reactive after events have happened rather than being planned in advance to help reduce the likelihood of pupils exposing themselves to different risks.

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Inspection findings

Leaders admit there is more to do and are trying to steer a path between providing a conservative Catholic education and preparing pupils fully for the many issues they will face in life in modern Britain. Leaders are now beginning to develop the curriculum with a renewed emphasis on pupils’ needs.

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Inspection findings

Behaviour in lessons is very positive. Pupils have extremely positive attitudes to learning and are attentive to their teachers. Behaviour around the school is also positive, and pupils have no real concerns about this. In an assembly, pupils demonstrated mutual respect for each other and staff. The atmosphere was calm and orderly. Expectations about behaviour are high and pupils readily respond. In the sixth form, students are conscientious, able to work independently and help each other with questions and tasks displaying a strong attitude to their studies. Approximately 95% of parents who completed our online survey believe that their children are safe at school and that behaviour is well managed.

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Inspection findings

There are incidents of poor behaviour and breaches of the school rules; however, only the most serious of these, e.g. those involving illegal substances, are recorded. Leaders say that other less serious incidents are not recorded because of the school’s Catholic value of ‘forgiveness’. While this may be laudable, it does not allow the school to evaluate behaviour over time for individuals or to see if the support they are giving individual pupils is having any impact.

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Inspection findings

We spoke to very many pupils during our visit, who we selected or met informally around the school. Very few of these pupils have any concerns about bullying and those that did were confident that a trusted leader or teacher would help them to tackle the issues. One or two said that they would tell their parents first if they had an issue.

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Inspection findings

There are a small number of cases of bullying recorded over the last two years, including incidents of homophobic and racist bullying. Appropriate pastoral support has been given to the victims and the aggressor where relevant. However, leaders do not analyse records to see if patterns of bullying exist or if the number of incidents is reducing.

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Inspection findings

Around 25% of parents who completed our online survey felt that their child had been bullied at school. This does not correlate with what pupils told us or with other evidence gathered by inspectors. The majority of parents who said that their child had been bullied felt that the school had dealt with this appropriately. Leaders and governors have got much to be proud of in this school, including its academic traditions, dedicated and talented staff, happy hard-working pupils and wide range of extra-curricular and enrichment opportunities. However, leaders and governors must keep an eye on the small details that make the biggest difference to keeping pupils safe and happy and ensure that their work to do this has the very highest priority.

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Inspection findings

The Xavier Catholic Education Trust provide safeguarding training for governors and fund regular audits and self-reviews of safeguarding. They produce a model safeguarding policy that schools are expected to adapt. The chief executive officer explained that with a very small team her attention has been focused on the trust’s primary schools rather than the secondary schools, which are considered to be performing more strongly.

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Priorities for further improvement

 Review the planned provision for pupils’ personal, social and health education at key stage 4 so pupils are well prepared to be safe and successful citizens in modern Britain.  Ensure that written policies accurately reflect current practice in the school and that different policies give a consistent message about safeguarding arrangements.  Analyse the impact of leaders’ work to manage behaviour and bullying so that improvements can be recognised.  Work with parents to address their perceived concerns about bullying in the school.

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Priorities for further improvement

I am copying this letter to the chair of the board of trustees and the chief executive officer of the Xavier Catholic Education Trust, the director of education for the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Surrey. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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