Chace Community School

Inspection of Chace Community School Churchbury Lane, Enfield EN1 3HQ

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Sixth-form provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 20–21 April 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are determined to provide an ambitious education and broad opportunity for all pupils. Pupils are encouraged to have high aspirations and to aim for excellence. Lessons are calm as pupils engage constructively with their learning. There are strong professional relationships and a bond of trust between teachers and pupils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school community is truly inclusive. Leaders consider how to enable all pupils to succeed. Pupils learn to value and respect one another, regardless of difference. As a result, the school community is increasingly harmonious. Pupils report that they feel safe. Within this purposeful environment, leaders and staff work together and ensure that high expectations are realised, including for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They offer a broad and challenging curriculum for all.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have focused on rewarding positive behaviour and setting clear boundaries. On the rare occasions that bullying takes place, it is dealt with effectively. Pupils are very clear that they trust staff to help them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and governors are ambitious for the school. They reflect regularly on how to improve it further so that they can serve their local community and the pupils in their care.

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better?

Leaders have developed an ambitious curriculum. They consider pupils’ previous learning carefully. Subject leaders have ensured that subject content is well sequenced to enable pupils to know and remember more over time. This means that pupils are able to attempt increasingly demanding work. Teachers consider pupils’ wider knowledge and development. For example, in English, teachers have thought carefully about the range of texts that pupils study.

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better?

Teachers view pupils’ learning as a seven-year journey. They ensure pupils are ready for each new stage. Most teachers regularly check what pupils have learned. They intervene quickly when needed to make sure that pupils are able to remember key subject content in depth. However, this practice is not embedded throughout the school.

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better?

Subject leaders ensure that pupils are taught to recall previous knowledge and apply this to new learning. This helps pupils to secure knowledge in their long-term memory. In some subjects, especially in the sixth form, pupils become confident, independent learners. For example, in Year 13, the work that students produce in art shows that they have developed as individual artists.

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better?

Pupils benefit from a broad and balanced curriculum in Years 7, 8 and 9. In these years, pupils study a wide range of subjects from which they choose their GCSE 20–21 April 2022

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options. Over 70% choose to study both a modern language and a humanities subject. They consider which careers might result from particular choices. When choosing GCSE options, teachers also encourage pupils to consider the subjects they particularly enjoy. Pupils in Years 7, 8 and 9 engage positively with independent reading. They talk enthusiastically about their books. Leaders have developed effective programmes to help pupils with weaker reading skills to catch up quickly.

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Leaders ensure that staff receive clear and helpful information about each pupil, including their needs. Teachers use this information well to adapt their lessons. Pupils with SEND receive appropriate support, including smaller specialist groups where needed. Pupils at the early stages of speaking English as an additional language are well catered for. They are supported to quickly learn English so that they can engage fully in lessons.

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Pupils apply themselves well in lessons. Leaders are embedding a rewards system to match the clear system of consequences. This is leading to a more positive school environment, especially amongst the younger year groups.

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Leaders have planned carefully to support pupils’ readiness for life in modern Britain. For instance, they use life skills lessons and a structured assembly programme to ensure that pupils learn about political and social issues. Pupils, including those with SEND, receive careers advice that meets the requirements of the Baker Clause.

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Leaders have started to offer increased opportunities for pupils to take on leadership responsibilities, for example through the school council or the ambassadors programme. Pupils, especially those from Years 7, 8 and 9, are engaging positively with this. Leaders provide some after-school clubs so that pupils can experience new activities and become active members of the school community. Leaders also have plans to extend this offer and ensure that more pupils take part. Part of the school’s offer is a programme to develop pupils’ confidence in speaking in public, which leaders say is a priority.

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School leaders and governors review and consider what needs to be done to improve the school. They lead with integrity, and care about their pupils. They consider staff well-being carefully in the changes they make. For example, they have set up a workload group to ensure that staff views are represented.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have put strong systems in place to ensure pupils’ safety. Staff and governors are well trained to understand risk, and to report concerns. They are alert to signs of need or distress. Pupils feel able to speak to adults and are confident that they will receive help. 20–21 April 2022

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Safeguarding leaders work with a range of partners to help pupils who need support. They make referrals and ensure that the school provides as much support as possible, for example through counselling. They maintain clear records.

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Leaders are vigilant. They have implemented a curriculum that educates pupils about how to stay safe.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some teachers do not routinely use assessment strategies to ensure that pupils remember knowledge in depth and in the long term. This means that some pupils do not build up detailed knowledge over time across all their subjects. Leaders need to ensure that clear strategies for checking what pupils know and remember are fully embedded throughout the school.  Leaders have not ensured that pupils, particularly in Years 10 and 11, take full advantage of opportunities to enrich their experiences through wider involvement in school activities. Leaders should provide further guidance and opportunity which aim to support pupils develop their character and self-confidence.

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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. 20–21 April 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10212267 Type of school Secondary Comprehensive School category Community

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1193

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sixth form

Appropriate authority The governing body

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sixth form

Date of previous inspection 9 May 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 There has been a new headteacher and several changes to the leadership team since the last inspection.  Currently, the school hosts a resourced provision for pupils with SEND managed by West Lea School. This arrangement will come to an end this summer.  The school makes use of four registered alternative providers.  Careers guidance meets the requirement of the Baker Clause, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships. 20–21 April 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 met with the headteacher and the senior staff with responsibility for the curriculum, pastoral care, the sixth form and SEND. They also met with members of the governing body and a local authority representative.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, history, art, physical education and modern foreign languages. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. They also considered other subjects as well as the provision for pupils with SEND.  To inspect safeguarding, inspectors scrutinised the single central record of checks

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Information about this inspection

on staff suitability; spoke to governors and safeguarding leaders; and spoke to staff and to groups of pupils from across the age range, including in single-sex groups. They also considered survey responses from parents, pupils and staff.  Inspectors also scrutinised documents and policies, and met with staff and pupils to discuss behaviour and attendance and personal development.

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Inspection team

Alice Clay, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Sam Hainey Her Majesty’s Inspector 20–21 April 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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