Setting

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

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Caroline Longhurst Headteacher Royal Greenwich Trust School 765 Woolwich Road Greenwich London SE7 8LJ

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Trust School

Following my visit to your school on 14 July 2021, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the monitoring inspection findings. Thank you for the help you gave during the inspection and for the time you made available to discuss the actions that have been taken to improve the school since the most recent section 5 inspection.

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Trust School

The monitoring inspection was carried out under section 8(2) of the Education Act 2005 and has taken place because the school has received a judgement of requires improvement at its previous section 5 inspection.

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Trust School

This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic began. I discussed the impact of the pandemic with you and have taken that into account in my evaluation.

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Trust School

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

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Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action

in order for the school to become a good school.

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Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action

The school should take further action to:

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Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action

 improve pupils’ speaking skills so that they use subject-specific vocabulary to develop their knowledge and understanding  implement subject plans consistently so that pupils’ learning is purposeful, including for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)  fully embed the school’s behaviour management system, including rewards, so that pupils develop consistently positive attitudes to learning.

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Context

COVID-19 has delayed the implementation of the school’s revised curriculum.

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Context

Since the last inspection, there have been significant changes to the leadership team. You joined the school in August 2019. You were appointed to the permanent headship of the school in February 2020. The trust added to the school’s leadership capacity by appointing an associate headteacher in April 2020. This additional post will continue in 2021/22. There have also been changes to the wider senior leadership team and two new deputy headteachers have been appointed for September 2021. The chair of governors, who has previous experience as a governor, was appointed to the role in April 2020 and took up the post from September 2020.

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Context

There have been many new staff appointments in subject leadership and other roles. This is because some staff have left, but also because the school has filled up from Year 7 since it opened, so it has grown each year. In September 2021, there will be pupils in all year groups for the first time. At the time of the inspection, the school was fully staffed for September 2021, with the exception of one recruitment process, which was still to be concluded.

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Main findings

You and the leadership team have reviewed the curriculum to make sure it reflects the school’s values and is ambitious for pupils. This includes using research into how pupils learn in order to inform plans for the curriculum. Leaders set high expectations and check the quality of subject plans to make sure they meet these expectations. All pupils study religious education now. This was missing from the range of subjects before.

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Main findings

Subject leaders are enthusiastic and knowledgeable and plan their subjects well. They make sure that pupils build on, rather than simply repeat, the knowledge they have learned in primary school. For instance, in Year 7 mathematics, pupils apply their knowledge of number to help them learn new subject content on statistics.

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Main findings

Subject leaders identify what pupils must know and revisit, and sequence work so that pupils can learn more and remember more. For example, in geography, pupils study map work in Year 7 and then revisit this knowledge when they learn about glaciation in Year 8. Assessment tasks in class help pupils to recall key facts and ideas. All subject plans identify key subject vocabulary. Teachers use this subject language in classes and model this well for pupils. However, teaching does not routinely provide pupils with opportunities to practise using the vocabulary. Pupils’ ability to talk about the subjects they are studying is not well developed.

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Main findings

Leaders have implemented a ‘character development’ programme. This includes personal, social, health and economic education and relationships and sex education. The programme is well planned, and leaders use speakers from external agencies to complement the teaching. Pupils can talk sensitively about healthy relationships and why they are important. One pupil, summing up pupils’ typical views on the programme, said the school had, ‘done a good job on this’. Pupils feel supported. They said that teachers listen to them and recently included more information about mental health when they asked for it.

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Main findings

The provision for pupils with SEND is improving. Leaders have organised information about pupils’ learning needs. They make sure it is available for teachers and support staff. Sometimes staff do not use this information effectively. For example, some teaching includes activities, such as copying, which do not help pupils to build and practise their knowledge.

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Main findings

Pupils generally behave well in classes. They said that behaviour has improved and that lessons are rarely disrupted. However, occasionally pupils’ attitudes to learning are not strong. Sometimes they lose focus on their work. There are still a few inconsistencies in the way staff manage behaviour.

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Main findings

Pupils read widely and can talk about the books they are reading from a wide range of genres, including classic and contemporary fiction as well as non-fiction. There are collections of books for each year group in the library and pupils use these to extend their reading. They value the opportunities to read in tutor time.

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Additional support

The University Schools Trust (UST), East London provides effective support and challenge to you and your team. Trust leaders have added capacity to the school’s leadership to support school improvement and to respond to the challenges posed by COVID-19. The trust provides training for subject leaders so that they can develop their leadership and management roles. Trust leaders also provide training for staff so that they can plan and deliver the curriculum more effectively. Subject leaders and staff have opportunities to work together in their teams and also collaboratively with other schools in the trust.

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Evidence

During the inspection, I held meetings with you, the associate headteacher, other members of the senior leadership team and subject leaders. I met with the chair of governors, and representatives of the trust. During the meetings we discussed the actions taken since the last inspection, curriculum plans and how well pupils recall and understand subject knowledge.

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Evidence

You accompanied me on visits to classrooms to look at how leaders and staff implement the curriculum. I spoke to pupils in classes about their work, looked at books, and met with two groups of pupils. I visited the internal exclusion room. I scrutinised documents, including subject plans and records of governors’ meetings. I considered the results from the staff survey and Ofsted Parent View.

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Evidence

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the chair of the board of trustees, and the chief executive officer of the UST, East London multi-academy trust, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Greenwich. This letter will be published on the Ofsted reports website.

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