William Lovell Church of England Academy

Inspection of William Lovell Church of England Academy Main Road, Stickney, Boston, Lincolnshire PE22 8AA

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Overall effectiveness

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Inadequate 26–27 February 2020

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils said that they feel safe in this small secondary school. Staff know them well and pupils told inspectors that they are often treated with kindness. Pupils have many people to turn to if they have a problem. Many said that they value having a place to go when they need time out or specialist care, guidance or support.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know that their school is getting better. They recognise that many of their teachers want them to become the very best version of themselves. Their learning in some subjects, such as English, mathematics and music, is improving rapidly. They are studying a wider range of subjects than before, including performing arts and languages. However, the curriculum does not enable all pupils to achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is improving but some pupils do not behave well in lessons. This frustrates those who are keen to learn. Pupils’ behaviour is poorer when teachers fail to make sure that the curriculum meets their needs or when their teachers are not subject specialists. Pupils said that, sometimes, their teachers do not follow the behaviour policy consistently and that this is unfair.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Not all pupils attend as regularly as they should. They are missing valuable learning.

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better?

Leaders’ actions have improved the school since the last inspection. The leadership of the school has been restructured. A substantive headteacher is in post and a senior leadership team is in place. There are more permanent teachers. Many teachers are now subject specialists. This is a significant achievement in an area where the recruitment of teachers is difficult. Senior leaders have too many areas of responsibility to manage. They have too little time to be strategic in their roles. This is a barrier to the school’s further improvement.

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better?

The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) knows the pupils with special needs and/or disabilities (SEND) extremely well. A lot of effort is devoted to making sure that these pupils receive support, including in their lessons. The SENCo does not have a precise understanding of how well the curriculum is meeting the needs of pupils with SEND. In English and mathematics, although improving, the expectations of what these pupils can know and do are still too low. In some subjects, such as humanities and art, the curriculum fails to address the gaps in pupils’ knowledge. The work set for them is too easy. Some pupils with SEND do not learn as well as they could.

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better?

In the past, the curriculum for some pupils was narrow at key stage 3. Some pupils did not study a suitable range of academic subjects in key stage 4. Leaders are beginning to address this. Pupils study more subjects in key stage 3. They now study subjects such as performing arts, for example. All pupils study an appropriate academic curriculum at key stage 4. Some pupils continue their learning outside of the school day. They go on trips to the theatre and are involved in after-school 26–27 February 2020

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clubs. Leaders have not made sure that the curriculum enables all pupils to be successful. They have not checked that it builds accurately on what pupils already know or that pupils study every subject in enough depth. The gaps in some pupils’ knowledge and understanding are not fully addressed.

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The personal, social and health education (PSHE) programme helps pupils to keep themselves safe. Pupils learn about issues such as sexting, healthy eating and drugs and alcohol misuse. The PSHE curriculum is not sequenced effectively. Some pupils do not have a good enough understanding of some issues, such as county lines and radicalisation.

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Some teachers know their subjects well. They present information clearly. They make lessons interesting. These teachers revisit important information until pupils remember it. Consequently, in English and mathematics for example, pupils know more and can do more. In humanities, not all teachers know how to teach their subject well. They do not have high-enough expectations of what pupils can achieve. In humanities and art, teachers do not set work that is demanding enough. They do not check that pupils are learning and remembering important knowledge. Some teachers across the curriculum accept incomplete or poor-quality work. Pupils do not behave well when the teacher does not deliver the curriculum successfully.

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Pupils enjoy the opportunities they receive to learn outside of school. They visit the theatre and take part in community and church events. They learn about religions and cultures. Pupils are proud to promote diversity, for example through the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender group. For the first time in a long time, school productions are taking place. Teachers and support staff show great commitment and enthusiasm to make sure that lots of pupils are involved in these. The next production, ‘Oliver!’, is eagerly anticipated. Younger pupils expressed disappointment that they do not yet have the chance to go on trips.

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Teachers said that they feel proud to work at the school. They appreciate the efforts taken by leaders to consider their workload, health and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff know pupils extremely well. They are vigilant to make sure that pupils are safe. Staff communicate well with each other about pupils’ welfare. A range of support is available to help pupils, such as the school welfare mentor. Pupils do not have enough opportunities to learn about different ways to stay safe.

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Safeguarding

The designated safeguarding leaders work closely with external agencies and with parents and carers to ensure that the most vulnerable pupils receive support. Records are not well organised. 26–27 February 2020

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some leaders are overburdened. Senior leaders lead subjects in addition to their whole-school responsibilities. They do not have the subject pedagogical knowledge to ensure that the curriculum is appropriately constructed and implemented. The time spent on their subject leadership responsibilities takes leaders away from their senior leadership roles. Leaders need to focus on their strategic roles as these are critical to the school’s further improvement. Senior leaders, including those from the trust, should ensure that these leaders have the time to conduct their roles effectively. They should make sure that all subject leaders are subject experts and that all subject curriculums are well planned and implemented.  In some subjects, teachers implement the curriculum poorly. Pupils do not learn well enough in these subjects. Senior leaders, including those from the trust, should take quick action to ensure that all teachers have the subject and

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

pedagogical knowledge they need to implement the curriculum effectively.  Learning is not routinely planned to build on pupils’ prior learning. Pupils’ learning gaps are not always sufficiently addressed. Some pupils are not supported to deepen their knowledge and understanding. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum meets the needs of all pupils. They should be confident that the curriculums in subjects that are improving, including English and mathematics, fully address pupils’ learning gaps. They should urgently address the weaker curriculum planning in humanities, PSHE and art.  Some teachers do not have high enough expectations of what pupils should achieve and how they should behave. Some teachers apply the behaviour policy inconsistently. Leaders should ensure that all staff support pupils to achieve their best. They should ensure that the behaviour policy is well understood and consistently applied.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Too many pupils are absent from school. Too many are persistently absent. Leaders should make sure that pupils’ attendance improves.

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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 . 26–27 February 2020

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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. 26–27 February 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10121183 Type of school Secondary comprehensive

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School details

School category Academy special sponsor-led

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School details

Date of previous inspection 23–24 January 2018

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Information about this school

 The head of school became the substantive headteacher in January 2020.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 We met with the headteacher, the chief executive officer of the trust and other senior leaders. I spoke with the chair of the interim local board.  We undertook deep dives in English, history, mathematics and music. We met with assistant headteachers, who are also curriculum leaders, visited lessons, examined pupils’ work, met with teachers and spoke with pupils. We looked at curriculum plans.  I met with the deputy designated safeguarding lead and the business manager who oversees the school’s single central record. I scrutinised a range of documents related to safeguarding and the school’s system for monitoring safeguarding concerns. 26–27 February 2020

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 We observed pupils’ behaviour at lunchtime and breaktime. We spoke with pupils about their views of the school. We reviewed the results of parent and staff surveys.

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Inspection team

Jayne Ashman, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Sue Vasey Ofsted Inspector 26–27 February 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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