Eden Girls' Leadership Academy, Manchester

Inspection of Eden Girls’ Leadership Academy, Manchester 40 Rayburn Way, Manchester, Greater Manchester M8 8DT

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Inspection dates: 16 and 17 February 2022

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 16 and 17 February 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are strong advocates for Eden Girls’ Leadership Academy. They are extremely proud of all that they achieve. They are delightful pupils who are respectful and courteous towards each other and towards staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

All staff have extremely high expectations of pupils’ behaviour at this school. There is no disruption to learning. Pupils’ behaviour is simply stunning. Pupils model the very essence of scholarly excellence in their approach to learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ rates of attendance are exceptionally high. They are very rarely late for school. Pupils said that they feel happy, safe and appreciated by staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive in a learning environment that is characterised by ambition. Leaders successfully work to address social disadvantage. In this all-girl school, leaders empower pupils by promoting and harnessing gender equality. Staff are determined that every pupil takes their rightful place in modern Britain. Leaders’ high aspirations are borne out in pupils’ strong academic achievement.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value individuality. Pupils celebrate and capitalise on each other’s rich cultural heritage and that of the school’s staff. Pupils know that there are staff that will help them to iron out any issues that they may have, including incidents of bullying.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils experience an expertly planned and varied programme of wider personal development. Careers education is seamlessly woven into every lesson. Pupils are exposed to many leadership opportunities that enable them to see the world through different eyes. They benefit immensely from these opportunities.

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better?

Leaders, governors and trustees are well on their way to securing academic excellence. They have developed a curriculum that is commensurate with the national curriculum and one which is underpinned by academia. For example, practically every pupil studies the English Baccalaureate suite of subjects. Pupils described how much they enjoy the range of subjects on offer. They clearly take advantage of their teachers’ strong subject knowledge.

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better?

Senior leaders, governors and trustees articulate a strong rationale for the structure of the curriculum. However, in designing the curriculum, senior leaders have not paid sufficient attention to those pupils who may wish to continue learning some subjects in key stage 5. For example, pupils stop studying religious studies and art and design in Year 10. Consequently, if these pupils wish to continue learning these subjects post-16, formal taught lessons are unnecessarily curtailed. Even though pupils achieve highly in these subjects by the end of Year 10, leaders’ decisions affect continuity in learning for a few pupils. 16 and 17 February 2022

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Across many subjects, directors of learning and teachers engage in debates about how best to teach the curriculum. Most teachers think deeply about how to present subject matter to pupils in a clear and effective way. They systematically check how well pupils are learning the curriculum and are quick to address any misconceptions that pupils may have. Teachers engender a deep sense of determination in every pupil, coupled with a can-do approach to learning. Pupils respond to their teachers’ efforts by focusing exceptionally well on their studies and by producing work that is of a high standard. Pupils have impeccable attitudes to learning.

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Directors of learning at Eden Girls’ Leadership Academy have the autonomy to adapt the trust-wide curriculum framework. This is to ensure that it meets the needs of pupils. In most subjects, directors of learning have seized the opportunity to define the essential knowledge that pupils must learn and in what order. However, in one or two subjects, directors of learning have not fully identified the key subject content that pupils must remember. There is a focus on topics rather than the non- negotiable knowledge that sits beneath those topics. Senior leaders are supporting directors of learning in the remaining subjects to finalise their curriculum thinking.

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Leaders prioritise reading. There is a strong culture of reading across the school. It is not uncommon to see pupils pick up a book to read for pleasure. The library is the beating heart of the school.

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Leaders are strengthening how they support those pupils at the early stages of learning to read, for example international new arrivals. They are also training some staff to be teachers of phonics. This is so that all pupils, regardless of the time they spend at the school, gain a love of reading as well as the reading knowledge that they need to access the curriculum.

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Leaders and teachers provide excellent support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Teaching assistants are highly valued, knowledgeable and well trained. Staff are quick to identify where pupils may have additional needs.

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Pupils are furnished with a spectacular range of extra-curricular opportunities. They are exposed to political, cultural and economic debates with guest speakers. Pupils engage in a raft of charity work. Every pupil takes on additional roles of responsibility, for example as journalists, subject leaders and anti-bullying ambassadors.

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Trustees and governors hold leaders to account for the quality of education that pupils receive. Leaders are supportive of staff’s workload and well-being. Many staff said that this is the best school they have ever worked at.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a strong culture of safeguarding across the school. Leaders ensure that staff are trained to spot potential signs of abuse and harm which pupils may 16 and 17 February 2022

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experience. Leaders regularly evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding arrangements with governors and trustees.

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Leaders have thought carefully about how they handle allegations and instances of sexual harassment and online sexual violence and abuse. More recently, leaders have realised that some older girls may be more reluctant to approach certain staff with concerns that may be of a sensitive nature. They are proactively working on a strategy to improve this important aspect of their work.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a minority of subjects, directors of learning have not thought deeply enough about the essential knowledge that pupils must learn and in what order this will be taught. This prevents some pupils from gaining the depth of subject knowledge that they could. Directors of learning should finalise their curriculum planning in these subjects. This is so that teachers have a firm and consistent understanding of exactly what knowledge they must teach pupils.  Senior leaders’ decisions around how they structure the curriculum mean that some pupils stop learning a few subjects at the end of Year 10. This prevents pupils from deepening their knowledge of these subjects in Year 11, even if they intend to study the subject post-16. Leaders should review their decisions around the structure of the curriculum to ensure that pupils have a rich and deep experience of those subjects which they intend to pursue in the next stages of

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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. 16 and 17 February 2022

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School details

Principal Shabir Fazal (Executive Principal)

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Eden Girls’ Leadership Academy opened as a new school in September 2017.  The school does not use any alternative education.  The school welcomes girls from the Muslim faith and girls from other faiths or no faith.  The school meets the requirements of the Baker Clause, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors 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 received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.

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Information about this inspection

 As part of this inspection, inspectors carried out deep dives in English, mathematics, history, geography and art and design. Inspectors met with 16 and 17 February 2022

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directors of learning, considered the curriculum, visited some lessons, looked at pupils’ work and spoke with pupils and teachers. Inspectors also reviewed the curriculum in several other subjects.  Inspectors met with the executive principal and vice-principal, members of the senior leadership team, directors of learning, middle leaders and a wide range of teaching and support staff. An inspector spoke with a trustee, the chair of governors and one other member of the local governing body.  Inspectors met with groups of pupils from Year 7 to Year 11. Inspectors also observed pupils during breaktimes and lunchtimes, in assembly and between lessons.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documentation, including that relating to safeguarding, the school development plans, self-evaluation documents, curriculum plans, minutes from meetings of the trustees and the governing body, and behaviour and attendance records.

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 Inspectors checked the school’s safeguarding procedures, including the checks made on staff. Inspectors met with leaders, staff and pupils to evaluate the culture of safeguarding.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for staff and the responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for pupils. Inspectors also considered the views of those parents and carers who responded to Ofsted Parent View. This included the comments received via the free-text facility.

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Inspection team

Jonathan Smart, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Lindy Griffiths Ofsted Inspector 16 and 17 February 2022

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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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