Ellis Guilford School

Inspection of Ellis Guilford School Bar Lane, Basford, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG6 0HT

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Inspection dates: 22 and 23 September 2021

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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

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 22 and 23 September 2021

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils recognise that their school is improving. They appreciate the efforts taken by leaders and teachers to help them to be ambitious and succeed. They receive many awards for their conduct and their work. They celebrate achievement every ‘Fabulous Friday’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The curriculum provides lots of opportunities for pupils to learn about a wide range of subjects. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), have the chance to learn beyond the curriculum too. They can widen their experiences and try out new things, such as learning to play a musical instrument or trying out a new sport or skill.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel well supported. As one put it, ‘There is always someone there for us.’ They know and appreciate that many of their teachers are, as they put it, ‘looking out for us’. Pupils say that bullying does happen, but that it is resolved quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are pleased that behaviour has improved greatly. They understand leaders’ high expectations and know that they are being helped to learn and achieve. Some think the rules are too strict. Some pupils worry that they miss important learning when they are in ‘reflection’. Although attendance is improving, some pupils do not attend school regularly enough.

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better?

The school has adopted the trust-wide curriculum. The curriculum is ambitious in scope. Pupils study a broad range of subjects. Teachers are clear about the knowledge they want pupils to learn. Pupils use ‘knowledge organisers’ to help them know more and remember more. Some teachers present their subject knowledge well. They correct pupils’ misconceptions. They help pupils to recognise what they need to do to improve their understanding. This is not the case in all subjects. Not all teachers have good enough subject knowledge to explain things expertly. Sometimes teachers move on to new content before checking that all pupils fully understand.

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better?

Many pupils find reading difficult. Some pupils receive expert help to read well, but others do not. Some pupils find it difficult to access the curriculum because they are unable to read fluently.

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better?

Not all teachers ensure that pupils with SEND are supported to learn the curriculum. Some of these pupils have gaps in understanding that are not fully addressed. A new special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) has been appointed. Provision for pupils with SEND is improving. There is a more rigorous system in place to make sure that pupils with SEND receive the education that they require. Pupils with complex needs are beginning to be well supported. 22 and 23 September 2021

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Too many pupils are missing the opportunity to learn due to their poor attendance or behaviour. Pupils’ attendance, including that of pupils with SEND, has improved, but is not as good as it should be. Exclusions are reducing but remain high.

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The personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum is well planned and sequenced. Careful attention has been paid to the needs of the pupils and the local issues that they may encounter. Pupils receive high-quality careers advice to help them make wise and ambitious decisions about their future. The school meets the requirements of the Baker Clause.

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Many leaders are new to their roles but are having a positive impact. Teachers and support staff value working in a much calmer environment than was the case previously. Teachers no longer have to spend their time managing pupils’ poor behaviour. Their main focus is on improving the quality of pupils’ education. Many staff told inspectors that they now look forward to coming to work.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have established a culture of safeguarding. All staff recognise their responsibility to be vigilant and help keep pupils safe. Staff are knowledgeable. They receive extensive training and are updated regularly.

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Safeguarding

The designated safeguarding lead works closely with the safeguarding and behaviour teams to monitor pupils’ well-being. They follow up issues promptly and involve external agencies appropriately. Sometimes the recording of these actions is too brief.

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Safeguarding

Leaders know the safeguarding risks in the local community. The tutor programme keeps pupils keep well informed and enables them to discuss issues and ask any questions they have.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Too many pupils receive a poor quality of education because of poor attendance, exclusion or repeated ‘reflection’. They do not access enough high-quality curriculum. They do not have the gaps in their knowledge addressed. Some continue to be weak readers. Leaders should ensure that pupils’ attendance continues to improve and that the number of pupil exclusions, including within ‘reflection’, reduces.  Some pupils cannot access the curriculum because of weak reading skills. This means that they fall further back in their learning. Some are unable to catch up. Leaders must extend the support for weaker readers so that more pupils can 22 and 23 September 2021

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benefit. They should promote a love of reading and the importance of being a fluent reader.  Provision for pupils with SEND has been poor. They have not attended well and have been too frequently excluded from school. They have not benefited from a well-sequenced, well-taught curriculum. Leaders must continue the work they have started and urgently ensure that pupils with SEND receive the support they need to achieve the ambitious goals that they should.  The curriculum is not consistently well implemented. Some pupils are unable to build an extensive schema of learning because they have gaps in their knowledge. Leaders should ensure that staff have the pedagogical subject knowledge to implement the curriculum effectively in order to meet the learning needs of all pupils.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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. 22 and 23 September 2021

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School details

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,295

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school joined the Creative Education Trust in 2018.  The principal joined the school in 2020. Many of the senior and subject leaders are new.  The school makes use of 10 alternative providers for a small number of pupils. Of these, Rise Learning Zone, CAST Angling, Phoenix Aspirational Learning and Crisp Vocational Provision are unregistered providers.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors(s) carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

This was the first routine inspection the school had received since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders, and have taken that into account in their evaluation.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors did deep dives in English, science, modern foreign languages and humanities. This involved meeting with subject leaders, visits to a sample of 22 and 23 September 2021

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lessons, a scrutiny of books and other work produced by pupils, and discussions with teachers and with groups of pupils from the lessons visited.  Inspectors held meetings with senior and subject leaders, teachers and support staff.  The lead inspector spoke with the director of education for the trust and members of the academy improvement board.  An inspector visited an alternative provider used by the school.  Inspectors held formal and informal discussions with pupils and observed pupils as they arrived at school and in their interactions in lessons and around school. Inspectors visited pupils in ‘reflection’ and the Accelerated Learning Gateway.  Inspectors observed the work of the school and reviewed a wide range of documents, including the school’s self-evaluation, safeguarding files, attendance and behaviour information, curriculum planning and minutes of meetings of the academy improvement board.

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 Inspectors considered the 46 responses to Ofsted Parent View and the 38 free- text comments. There were no responses to the staff or pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Jayne Ashman, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

John Edwards Ofsted Inspector 22 and 23 September 2021

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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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