Park Academy West London

Inspection of Park Academy West London Park View Road, Hillingdon, Middlesex UB8 3GA

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Inspection dates: 13–14 November 2019 and 9 January 2020

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Sixth-form provision Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 13–14 November 2019

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is improving. Leaders have raised expectations of what pupils can achieve. However, pupils are not well prepared for the next stage of education. They do not build up detailed knowledge and understanding as they progress through the years.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have struggled to secure lasting improvements since the school opened. Staffing changes have limited the success of leaders’ work. In some subjects, planning has not ensured that pupils learn what they need to achieve well .

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What is it like to attend this school?

Plans and actions to improve the quality of education are still at an early stage. Pupils have started studying some subjects very recently. In other subjects, pupils are still learning basic concepts to fill gaps in their knowledge.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have introduced changes to boost pupils’ personal and social development and raise pupils’ aspirations. They have improved the variety of clubs and visits that encourage pupils’ wider talents and interests. Many pupils told us that they are enthusiastic for more opportunities to take part in outings and activities.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour in the playground and around the school is generally calm. In lessons, low-level disruption sometimes interrupts learning. Pupils are kept safe and know whom to turn to when they need help. Staff deal with any bullying swiftly.

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better?

The key stage 3 curriculum is a work in progress. Subject planning covers subject content that reflects the key stage 3 national curriculum. Pupils in Year 8 upwards have not studied this content. Until recently, they had limited opportunities to learn the full curriculum, including art, design and technology, computing and religious education (RE). Pupils spoke very positively about the improvements made to their education this year. They welcome the chance to learn a broad range of subjects.

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better?

Leaders have worked with staff to write new curriculum plans, including in English, mathematics and science. Previous weaknesses in subject planning have left pupils in Years 10 and 11 and in the sixth form with significant gaps in their knowledge. Teachers adapt subject plans to address this crucial learning before pupils move on to more demanding content that matches the aims of the curriculum. This is beginning to help pupils to catch up and remember missing prior content. However, in some other subjects, such as music, history and geography, teaching does not emphasise key concepts and make sure that pupils remember them.

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better?

Students in Year 13 take responsibility as mentors to younger pupils and as prefects. They provide some subject support to pupils in Year 7. They spoke positively about the ‘family feel’ in the sixth form. They appreciate how well staff know them as individuals. 13–14 November 2019

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This year, leaders have introduced the trust’s ‘No Limits’ programme to pupils in Year 7. Pupils use their knowledge and skills from different subjects to work on special projects. For example, pupils explore the theme of love and loss through reading war poetry and studying the science of the heart. Pupils in Year 7 enjoy many of the ‘No Limits’ activities, which encourage personal and social qualities such as teamwork. Leaders are beginning to introduce additional activities for pupils in other years to promote pupils’ personal development.

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Leaders introduce students in the sixth form to useful skills for life through the trust’s employability programme. Pupils in Years 10 and 11 have access to a range of opportunities to help them to make choices for their future professional lives. Similar opportunities for pupils in Years 7 to 9 are not as well established.

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Recent improvements to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are helping to identify and fill the gaps in their previous learning. Training for staff is beginning to enable them to adapt teaching so that pupils with SEND learn the same content as their peers. Although at an early stage, the impact of this work can be seen in pupils’ achievement in reading.

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Leaders promote a positive and respectful culture. All pupils’ attendance rates are rising. Pupils typically said that behaviour has improved this year. However, some pupils and staff told us that sometimes pupils’ learning is affected by low-level disruption. Students in the sixth form behave very sensibly.

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Teachers enjoy the opportunities for their professional development provided by the trust. They appreciate leaders’ help and support to improve their teaching. Staff said that all leaders show concern for their well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe. They are confident to share concerns with staff. They said that they get help when they need it. Staff have regular safeguarding training and know how to recognise the possible signs that a pupil may be at risk of harm. They also access more specialist help to safeguard pupils’ well-being should issues arise.

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Safeguarding

Staff and pupils are knowledgeable about local potential safeguarding issues, including knife crime. Pupils value the specific sessions that the school has arranged on this topic to help keep them safe.

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Safeguarding

Trustees check that the school meets all its legal safeguarding duties. 13–14 November 2019

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Subject plans and actions to improve the quality of education are at an early stage. This means that pupils have not built up the detailed knowledge and skills across the curriculum that they need. Leaders should continue to develop the curriculum so that pupils are ready for the next stage of their education and have the knowledge and skills they need to achieve well.  Pupils are enthusiastic to take part in additional activities to develop their interests and talents. Opportunities are increasing, but much remains at the planning stage. Leaders should ensure that the school nurtures, develops and stretches pupils to help them to develop in many diverse aspects of life.  The careers programme is limited in key stage 3. This means that pupils in Years 8 and 9 are not routinely well informed when choosing and deciding on their next steps. The school should ensure that all pupils receive high-quality careers

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

guidance.  By the end of key stage 4, subject planning has not ensured that pupils have built up the knowledge and understanding of key concepts needed for future learning. As a result, sixth-form students have gaps in their knowledge and skills. Leaders should ensure that students are better prepared to study the intended curriculum and all components of study programmes.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the provider and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

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. 13–14 November 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10128889 Type of school Secondary

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sixth form

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected under section 5

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Information about this school

 Park Academy West London opened on 1 September 2017. It is part of the Aspirations Academies Trust. When its predecessor school, Stockley Academy, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be inadequate overall and required special measures.  There has been a high number of changes in teaching staff and to the senior and subject leadership teams since the school opened.  There are currently no students in Year 12 in the sixth form.  The school does not use alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. 13–14 November 2019

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 We initially inspected the school on 13 and 14 November 2019. On 9 January 2020, two of Her Majesty’s Inspectors returned to the school to gather further evidence around the quality of education and sixth-form provision. The evidence gathered from all three days was used to inform the final judgements.  We looked at English, mathematics, science, physical education, French and history in detail. We met with subject leaders, visited lessons, looked at pupils’ work and spoke with teachers and pupils.  We met with representatives of the Aspirations Academy Trust. This included the managing director, deputy managing director, regional chief executive officer, director of standards and the school’s chair of governors.  We held meetings with leaders, including the principal, members of the senior leadership team and subject leaders. We also met with teachers and support staff.  We spoke with pupils during visits to lessons and at break- and lunchtime.

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 We considered the 29 written responses to Ofsted’s online survey for parents and carers, Parent View. We also took account of 24 responses to the online survey of staff views. There were no responses to the online survey for pupils.  We looked at information on the school’s website and a range of the school’s policies and documentation provided by leaders. We looked at records related to safeguarding and discussed the school’s attendance and exclusions information.

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Inspection team

Katerina Christodoulou, lead inspector Seconded Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Sarah Murphy Her Majesty’s Inspector 13–14 November 2019

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regulates and inspects to 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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