Feversham Girls' Secondary Academy

Inspection of Feversham Girls’ Academy 158 Cliffe Road, Undercliffe, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD3 0LT

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Sixth-form provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Ofsted has not previously inspected Feversham Girls’ Academy under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. However, Ofsted previously judged Feversham College to be outstanding, before it opened as Feversham Girls’ Academy as a result of conversion to academy status. 9 and 10 March 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils attending Feversham Girls’ Academy achieve exceptionally high standards. They value their learning. They behave with maturity and consideration for others. Pupils embody trustees’ aim of transforming the community through academic excellence.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Teachers encourage pupils to achieve high standards. One parent described teachers’ enthusiasm as ‘infectious’. Another said her daughter came home from school with a smile on her face every day.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is a very safe environment. Pupils have high expectations of themselves and of their peers. They try their best in lessons. Pupils expect everyone to behave well. Staff follow effective routines that lead to a calm learning environment. Bullying or other poor behaviour is very rare. Staff take effective action if it happens.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils care deeply about their community. Many participate in leadership projects and contribute to good causes. Sixth-form students often lead these projects. Pupils participate enthusiastically in the many extra-curricular activities available, including in arts and sports.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff are successful in helping pupils prepare for life in modern Britain. Pupils respect people with different beliefs. Staff inspire pupils to set ambitious career goals. They inspire pupils to achieve these goals through a highly effective careers curriculum.

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better?

Across a broad curriculum, pupils work exceptionally hard on challenging tasks. Teachers plan and teach lessons skilfully. They ensure pupils learn the curriculum in depth. Teachers check pupils’ understanding regularly. This helps teachers plan pupils’ next steps in lessons. Pupils can recall important facts and ideas with ease. The quality of pupils’ work across a range of subjects is impressive.

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better?

The curriculum is ambitious. It exceeds the expectations of the national curriculum. It reflects leaders’ determination to ‘transform lives and communities’ through academic excellence. All pupils study a broad and challenging curriculum throughout key stage 4. They are exceptionally well prepared for future study or employment choices.

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better?

Key stage 3 pupils, in English, study three Shakespeare plays in depth. They read a wide range of novels and other literature. Teachers select novels that build pupils’ understanding of different cultures and writing styles. This broadens pupils’ knowledge and provides the building blocks for future learning.

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better?

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) study the full curriculum. Teachers and other adults support pupils with SEND extremely well. They thoughtfully adjust learning tasks to ensure all pupils achieve highly. Teachers 9 and 10 March 2022

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spot gaps in pupils’ knowledge and help them to catch up. Pupils who need help with reading catch up quickly. Additional reading lessons and tailored support help pupils become fluent, confident readers.

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Sixth-form students achieve similarly high standards. They study a range of academic and vocational subjects. The curriculum supports students to achieve their ambitious goals. Nearly all students progress to higher education or employment.

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A well-planned personal development curriculum equips pupils well for life in modern Britain. The academy’s values of ‘respect and tolerance’ underpin the programme. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe and healthy. They discuss other faiths, beliefs and protected characteristics thoughtfully. This prepares the pupils well for life in modern Britain.

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The school’s careers education programme contributes greatly to pupils’ success. Pupils are very aware of the courses and jobs they can secure after school. They set ambitious goals because staff and visitors inspire them to achieve. They know how to achieve their goals.

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Pupils contribute enthusiastically to school projects and to their local community. There are many opportunities for them to lead activities. Pupils run a local food bank. They demonstrate remarkable levels of initiative and generosity.

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In lessons and around school, pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. Suspensions and other sanctions are hardly ever necessary. Pupils respect their teachers and peers. They focus on learning in class. Teachers and leaders are visible around school at breaktimes. This helps to create a calm, safe environment.

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Recent restrictions linked to the pandemic, and more recent illness due to COVID-19 have had a negative effect on pupils’ attendance. Leaders are taking effective action to improve this. They have invested in support services, such as mental health counsellors. There are extra lessons to help pupils catch up with any missing learning.

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Trustees aim for educational excellence. They want pupils to achieve high standards and progress to successful careers. They hold leaders to account for achieving this aim. They fulfil all their statutory obligations.

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Many teachers value the training opportunities available to them. This, in part, contributes to pupils’ impressive achievement over time. Early careers teachers say staff are generous when sharing their time and resources to help them improve further. Leaders have made workload manageable for all staff. 9 and 10 March 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders are vigilant about the risks pupils may face. They ensure all staff know these risks. Staff share any safeguarding concerns diligently. Leaders refer significant concerns to the correct agency swiftly. Leaders are persistent in seeking support for pupils when they need to be.

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Safeguarding

Pastoral leaders know pupils well. Pupils know these leaders will help them with any problems they have in or out of school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for checking that adults are suitable to work with children are thorough.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn about risks and how to stay safe. This includes staying safe online. Recently, staff have taught pupils how to avoid the risks of forced marriage or sexual harassment. A school-based police officer delivers assemblies and meets groups of pupils. She helps them to understand local issues and how to keep safe.

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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. 9 and 10 March 2022

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sixth form

Website www.feversham-academy.fetrust.org.uk

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sixth form

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Feversham Girls’ Academy is a non-selective, Muslim school. It serves Muslim girls who reside in central Bradford.  The academy is part of Feversham Education Trust. The trust also operates an 11-16 girls’ free school and a primary academy.  The school became an academy in February 2012. Prior to this, it was known as Feversham College, which was judged outstanding in January 2008.  One pupil attends an unregistered, alternative provision, Motive8 College, on a part-time basis.  The academy received a section 48 inspection in October 2017. It was judged to be outstanding in all areas. The inspection was carried out by the Association of Muslim Schools UK. The next section 48 inspection will be due before October 2025. 9 and 10 March 2022

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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.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in English, mathematics, science and history. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also visited lessons in the following subjects: computing, design and technology, applied science, health and social care, religious studies and modern foreign languages. The visits included sixth-form lessons. Inspectors looked at pupils’ work in these lessons.  An inspector observed intervention classes for pupils needing help with their reading.  Inspectors met with different groups of pupils, including some selected at

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Information about this inspection

random. Inspectors talked to pupils about behaviour, including bullying.  An inspector talked to a representative from Motive8 College, to check the systems in place for keeping the pupil safe. He also checked that suitable monitoring arrangements are in place, including processes for confirming attendance.  Inspectors conducted interviews with a wide range of staff. Inspectors met with early careers teachers, to talk about the training and support they have received.  Inspectors reviewed the arrangements for safeguarding carefully. This included checks on the academy’s systems for recording and reporting concerns. Inspectors checked how well staff understood the arrangements for safeguarding.  The lead inspector met with trustees and governors.  Inspectors talked to the principal, vice-principal and assistant principals. Inspectors asked leaders about the school’s catch-up plans and support for

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Information about this inspection

disadvantaged pupils. Inspectors checked behaviour and attendance records, including bullying logs and exclusion figures.  Inspectors observed pupils at break and around school. They talked to groups of pupils about their experience of the academy.  An inspector met with the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator to discuss arrangements for identifying and supporting pupils with SEND.  The lead inspector reviewed pupil, staff and parent surveys. This included 100 responses from pupils, 50 responses from staff and 13 from parents.  An inspector reviewed patterns of entries for different qualifications and checked the records of pupils leaving or starting the school. 9 and 10 March 2022

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Inspection team

John McNally, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Erica Hiorns Ofsted Inspector 9 and 10 March 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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