Farnham Heath End

Inspection of Farnham Heath End Hale Reeds, Farnham, Surrey GU9 9BN

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 21–22 January 2020

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a school that has improved rapidly under its new leadership. Pupils, staff and parents and carers all told us that it has become a happier place to attend. Staff love working here and enjoy researching new ways of improving teaching.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Senior leaders have very high standards and expectations and pupils have learned to work harder and be more resilient.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has got better at helping pupils to behave well. There are strong new behaviour policies that pupils think are fair. Most staff use these successfully, but some misbehaviour is occasionally repeated. The pupils see that rules have improved and told us, for example, that not allowing mobile phone use in school has made the school a better place to learn. Pupils feel that they are safe to be themselves at the school and to voice their own opinions. Bullying is rare and generally dealt with well when pupils report it.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are many more activities being organised outside lessons and we saw enthusiastic pupils who were taking part in clubs and sports or reading in the new library. Pupils told us that they value these activities, but some still say that they do not take part.

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better?

Senior leaders know that achievement in some subjects has not been strong enough in the past. By using research and offering training to teachers, leaders have raised standards and improved the breadth of the curriculum. As a result, pupils now choose a broader range of challenging subjects and succeed in them.

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better?

There is strong planning across the curriculum. Leaders have helped teachers to improve their plans where necessary. Across the curriculum, teachers structure learning well, enabling pupils to remember and understand what they learn. Teachers use assessment well so that they know how pupils are doing and can adjust the content of their teaching accordingly.

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better?

In most of their learning, pupils are attentive, enthusiastic and resilient. Very occasionally, less good behaviour means that pupils stop concentrating so well. Leaders are aware of this and have policies in place to reach consistency.

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better?

The team that supports pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is very effective . It supports pupils with SEND to develop self-confidence and resilience and works with teachers to plan learning activities that suit the whole range of pupils. This is generally effective, enabling pupils with SEND to achieve well. However, a small minority of teachers require further support to ensure that sequences of learning better meet the needs of these pupils. 21–22 January 2020

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The school offers a wide range of activities that encourage pupils’ personal development very well. The promotion of equality and diversity is a particular strength. Examples of this include, the LGBTQ club and whole-school assemblies about sexual orientation and rights. The school actively encourages pupils to engage with the wider community. For example, pupils help primary school pupils with reading and read to older people.

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The school has many well-planned activities to prepare pupils for the next stages of their education. All pupils do work experience and the school organises extensive chances for pupils to meet employers. The school meets its requirements to make sure that pupils gain access to high-quality, impartial careers advice and guidance. However, more needs to be done now to make clear to pupils how their achievement overall and in individual subjects might link to particular careers.

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The school leaders have made many changes in the last two years. They have done this with enthusiasm and optimism, gaining the trust of staff even when they have had to make difficult decisions. They challenge teachers to do the best for the school, but look after their workload at the same time. One teacher told us, ‘This is an amazing school and everyone needs to buy into it now.’

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

All staff know that they are responsible for keeping pupils safe and they take this seriously. Effective training ensures that staff quickly recognise and report anything that concerns them. Safeguarding leaders swiftly respond by taking appropriate actions and get further help if needed. Detailed records show that they do this with determination if outside agencies are not helpful immediately. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe and know whom to talk to should they have any concerns. Similarly, effective systems ensure that pupils attending alternative provision are kept safe.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Pupils are not always clear enough about how their achievement overall and in particular subjects might suit them for particular next steps in their education and career choices. This means that they are not able to make fully informed decisions. More should be done to improve the way assessment information is used with pupils to guide them in this area.  Across most subjects, behaviour is usually well managed and supports strong delivery of the curriculum. There is a small minority of occasions when this policy is not followed as consistently. Leaders should continue to ensure that the behaviour policies are followed consistently by all departments in all years. 21–22 January 2020

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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 school 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. 21–22 January 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10122189 Type of school Secondary comprehensive

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the last full inspection, there have many changes to the leadership of the school.  The predecessor school closed in March 2017. The school re-opened as an academy in April 2017. It is now part of the Weydon Multi Academy Trust and known as Farnham Heath End School.  When the predecessor school was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged as requires improvement.  The principal joined the school in 2018. Since then, there have also been a number of new appointments to senior and middle leadership.  The multi-academy trust (MAT) and new leaders have implemented several new policy and system changes in the school recently. These include new behaviour and curriculum policies and new practices such as the new house system.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. 21–22 January 2020

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 We met with the principal and the senior and curriculum leaders as well as the representatives from the governors, trustees and the MAT. We also talked to representatives from alternative provision attended by pupils at the school.  We had meetings with groups of pupils from all years and members of staff.  We did deep dives into these subjects: English, mathematics, science, modern foreign languages, history, art and geography. Within each subject, we met with subject leaders, visited lessons, talked to pupils about their work and met with teaching staff to discuss the school’s approach to curriculum delivery. We also held separate meetings with leaders of other subjects to discuss their curriculum plans.  We evaluated a range of documents, including safeguarding records and the central record of recruitment checks on staff.

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Inspection team

Steve Baker, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Susan Willman Ofsted Inspector 21–22 January 2020

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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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