London Enterprise Academy

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

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Ashid Ali Principal London Enterprise Academy 81–91 Commercial Road Whitechapel Tower Hamlets London E1 1RD

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Special measures monitoring inspection of London Enterprise Academy

Following my visit with Annabel Davies, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 19 and 20 January 2022, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the 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 since the school’s previous monitoring inspection.

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Special measures monitoring inspection of London Enterprise Academy

The inspection was the third monitoring inspection since the school became subject to special measures following the inspection that took place in April 2019. It was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The monitoring inspection report is attached.

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Special measures monitoring inspection of London Enterprise Academy

This was the second routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. We discussed the ongoing impact of the pandemic with you and have taken that into account in our evaluation.

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Special measures monitoring inspection of London Enterprise Academy

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

towards the removal of special measures.

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Having considered the evidence, I am of the opinion that the school may

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Tower Hamlets. This letter will be published on the Ofsted reports website. Yours sincerely

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Context

The coronavirus pandemic continues to have an impact on some aspects of the school’s plans for improvement. This has slowed improvements.

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Context

There have been no changes to the senior leadership team since the last special measures monitoring inspection.

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Context

The governors are currently seeking to join a nearby multi-academy trust.

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Context

During the inspection, we focused again on the work leaders are doing to improve the curriculum and behaviour, and the quality of education experienced by pupils.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

Leaders’ and governors’ actions to tackle the school’s weaknesses are continuing to improve the school’s day-to-day work. This helps to ensure that pupils’ experiences are positive. School routines are clear and implemented effectively. Arrangements to keep pupils safe and ensure that they are well cared for are secure. Behaviour has improved further. The school is calm and orderly. Pupils usually behave well in lessons. However, sometimes they get bored when the work lacks a clear purpose.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

Work to ensure a well-organised curriculum is less strong. In some subjects, leaders have continued to improve the curriculum. Staff think carefully about what is to be taught and when. This helps pupils learn more as they move up the school. For example, in computer science, the curriculum is designed expertly so that essential knowledge is built up in a logical order. In mathematics, the curriculum is taught in a way that enables most pupils to learn the basics before moving on to more advanced work. However, in some subjects, there is a lack of clarity about what leaders want pupils to learn and when. The science curriculum, for example, is sequenced appropriately but lacks specific references to the essential knowledge pupils need to learn. The design and technology curriculum is still not ambitious enough.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

The last monitoring inspection found that there were inconsistencies in the way the curriculum was put into practise in the classroom. This continues to be the case, although there have been some improvements. For example, developments in mathematics have been consolidated. However, in a few cases, teachers’ subject knowledge is limited, and they pass on misconceptions to pupils. In other cases, the presentation of information is unclear, and pupils struggle to understand the essential ideas. As a result, pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, fail to develop their long-term memory and are not able to recall the essential building blocks of knowledge.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

These inconsistencies mean that the school’s curriculum is improving but not as quickly as it needs to. This is partly because there is less external support than in the past. The capacity of leaders to drive the necessary improvements forward quickly is limited. Leaders do not have a strong enough focus on the quality of education. As a result, there is not a clear vision about the curriculum and what pupils need to know about and be able to do.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

Reading and literacy continue to be priorities. Leaders have accurately identified that school closures have affected pupils’ literacy skills. As a result, they are providing fortnightly reading sessions. Despite these limited sessions, pupils remain hesitant readers, and their fluency and confidence are not routinely appropriate for their age.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

Leaders have rightly made developing teachers’ professional expertise a focus. The yearly plan for professional development covers a wide range of important concepts, such as pupils’ long-term memory and recollection of previous learning. However, this has yet to have a strong enough impact on how effectively the curriculum is taught to maximise pupils’ learning.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

Governors do their best to hold senior leaders to account. Their collective expertise is used effectively to ensure that the school’s routines promote pupils’ safety and welfare well. Safeguarding training, including for safer recruitment, is up to date. While governors are ambitious for the school, their evaluation of the quality of education is overgenerous.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

The arrangements for pupils’ safety, health and well-being are suitably robust. Safeguarding arrangements have been improved further so that pupils experiencing difficulties, or those who are worried about something, are identified quickly. Staff are well briefed about the safeguarding procedures. Strong links with the local authority mean that early help is provided quickly. The school employs a counsellor who provides ongoing support for pupils’ mental health. Pupils are safe in school and know who to turn to if they are worried about something. The personal, social, health and economic education programme deals appropriately with sexual harassment and consent.

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Additional support

The school is currently being supported by an external partner for school improvement. The level of external support has reduced since July 2021. As a result, the school’s leadership capacity has weakened.

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Evidence

The inspectors observed the school’s work, scrutinised documents and met with the principal, other senior leaders, subject leaders, pupils, staff and governors.

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