Lammas School

Inspection of Lammas School and Sixth Form 150 Seymour Road, Leyton, London E10 7LX

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Inadequate Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Inadequate Sixth-form provision Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 3 and 4 February 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders do not have clear and high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. Behaviour in lessons and around the school, including in corridors, is often disorderly. A few pupils and a few staff said that this makes them feel physically at risk. Some staff, including leaders, do not challenge pupils’ poor behaviour, or if they do, it sometimes does not make any difference.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils typically said that there are adults in school whom they would speak to if they had any concerns. Other pupils said that they might not bother to talk to staff about concerns, including name-calling and bullying. They were not confident that staff would take any action to improve matters or ensure that these incidents did not occur again. Bullying, including derogatory language, is not typically dealt with effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Generally, pupils were not enthusiastic about their experience at school. Most were unsure whether they would recommend it to others. Some commented that they like coming to school to meet their friends. A few others said that they enjoy after- school clubs and taking part in different sports in particular.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils study a wide range of subjects. However, in some subjects, leaders do not have high enough expectations for what pupils can achieve.

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better?

In a few lessons, especially in the sixth form, pupils are settled and focused. However, all too often, poor behaviour in classrooms and around the school persists because it goes unchallenged by leaders and staff. Pupils’ learning is affected by poor and distracting behaviour in lessons, which hinders teaching of the curriculum.

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better?

Leaders have revised the school’s behaviour policy with the aim of meeting pupils’ needs following the COVID-19 pandemic. However, staff and pupils lack clarity and confidence in the changes made to the policy. This has led to variation in how staff respond to poor behaviour, and confusion among pupils about what staff expect.

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better?

Pupils are taught about the importance of respect for differences and treating people equally. However, staff and pupils report regular incidents of derogatory and discriminatory language, including homophobic and sexist name-calling. Leaders do not deal with these incidents well enough.

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better?

Pupils study a wide range of subjects. In some subjects, for instance in art and mathematics, leaders have considered the sequencing and key knowledge that pupils need to learn. However, there is variation within and between subjects, including in the sixth form, in how well leaders’ curriculum thinking is developed and put into practice. 3 and 4 February 2022

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Across subjects, the way in which the curriculum helps pupils to build up knowledge of basic facts and practise and apply their learning is uneven. Leaders have not ensured that subject content is routinely ambitious and that expectations of what pupils can achieve are high enough in all subjects.

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Expectations and processes for checking pupils’ learning are not well established. Leaders have not ensured that teachers check what pupils remember, and identify and fill any gaps in their learning.

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Pupils who need extra help with reading receive support to catch up with their peers. Leaders provide selected pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) with resources to help them overcome barriers to learning. However, the focus of support for pupils with SEND has been more on behaviour management than on well-selected learning strategies. This means that some pupils with SEND do not learn as well as they could. Recently, leaders have raised expectations about the way in which staff support pupils with SEND in class. They are providing staff with training to ensure that pupils with SEND access the curriculum equally well as others.

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The provision for pupils’ personal development includes additional clubs and activities, including in arts and sport. These are planned to broaden pupils’ experiences beyond the taught curriculum. Following the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, leaders intend to resume the full range of enrichment activities offered, for instance residential and overseas trips.

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There is an established programme of careers education and guidance in the sixth form. Students have benefited from this and from the help that teachers have given them with university applications. In Years 7 to 11, leaders have recently reviewed the whole-school programme of careers education and guidance. Careers provision this year has included special events and some online support as part of remote learning. Pupils also spoke positively about the guidance they had received regarding their subject choices for GCSE study. Nevertheless, careers education is not as comprehensive as it should be. Plans are under way to make the necessary improvements. Leaders have designed a full programme of whole-school careers advice and guidance, to be launched after the February half-term.

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The programme of personal, social and health education (PSHE) incorporates relationships and sex education (RSE). This includes raising pupils’ awareness of harmful sexual behaviour and how to stay safe, both when online and in person. Pupils receive guidance about issues such as consent, as well as how to look after their mental health. However, some tutorial sessions are not used purposefully for the delivery of PSHE. Some pupils were unable to recall confidently what they had recently been taught.

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Staff views were divided. Many staff expressed concerns to inspectors about their workload, well-being and lack of support from leaders, especially with behaviour management. Staff did not feel that they had been consulted about changes to 3 and 4 February 2022

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school policy and practice in recent years, or that their views are valued. Some staff felt well supported within their departments and by senior leaders.

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Curriculum and pastoral leaders accurately identify and are working on priorities for improvement in their respective areas. However, leaders and trustees do not pay enough regard to pressing issues, such as pupils’ behaviour and attitudes, and staff well-being. The trust does not have an accurate understanding of what life in school is like on a day-to-day basis. Its views on this, as well as on the priorities for improvement, differ from the views held by pupils and staff.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The members of the safeguarding team are suitably qualified. They understand their responsibilities and are knowledgeable about current safeguarding requirements. Leaders ensure that staff receive effective training so that all are clear about referral processes. This includes specific guidance on how to identify and respond to concerns about peer-on-peer abuse. Records of any safeguarding concerns are clear and well maintained. Leaders act swiftly when concerns about pupils’ welfare are raised.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that communications between the safeguarding, well-being and SEND teams in school are productive. Leaders work with external agencies to help pupils receive the support they need. Leaders have recently set up additional opportunities for pupils to receive one-to-one support for their mental health and well-being.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Curriculum thinking is in the early stages of development in some subjects. There is not a coherent sequence for the teaching of key content to enable pupils to revisit and consolidate prior learning and build on this to learn more demanding content. Assessment approaches are not helping to identify gaps in pupils’ learning. Leaders should develop the curriculum so that pupils learn effectively across all subjects.  Learning strategies to support pupils with SEND are not well established across all subjects. Some pupils with SEND have limited support to overcome barriers to their learning. Leaders should ensure that the new programme of training for staff develops teachers’ and teaching assistants’ expertise in the use of teaching strategies to support pupils with SEND.  Tutorial sessions allocated to the delivery of PSHE and RSE are sometimes not used productively to cover this aspect of the school’s curriculum. As a result,

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

some pupils do not develop a secure understanding of important content. Leaders should raise expectations for the provision of PSHE and RSE, supported by 3 and 4 February 2022

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suitable training, resources and support for staff, so that pupils’ personal development is fostered strongly.  Leaders have not ensured that staff and pupils are familiar with and understand the school’s behaviour policy. Leaders do not have high enough expectations of pupils’ behaviour or of staff in upholding the behaviour policy. Consequently, poor behaviour and low-level disruption in lessons are commonplace and often not challenged by staff. This has a detrimental impact on pupils’ learning and their overall experience of school. Leaders should have a clear and well-considered rationale for their revised behaviour policy and explain this thoroughly to pupils and staff. Staff should have training and support from leaders to uphold the policy effectively so that the frequency of poor behaviour rapidly reduces and pupils’ attitudes to their learning and their life in school improve.  Some staff do not feel consulted regarding school policy, practice and changes

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that have an impact on their workload and well-being. Some staff do not feel supported by leaders and are very anxious about their workload. Leaders should improve their systems for communicating and consulting with staff so that staff views are understood and considered in leaders’ decision-making.  Leaders, including those responsible for governance, do not have an accurate view of the priorities for improvement in the school. They do not give due attention to issues such as pupils’ behaviour and staff workload and well-being. This means that there is disquiet among some staff and pupils about their day-to- day experiences in school, and a lack of confidence in leaders to support them and make the improvements needed. The trust should revise its processes for its oversight of the school’s work. Trustees need to ensure that they identify the specific actions needed to address areas of concern swiftly and effectively.

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 Pupils in Years 7 to 11 have not received a comprehensive, well-delivered programme of careers education and guidance. This means that they have not had access to the full range of information and support they need to help them make decisions about their future education, training and employment. Leaders should implement the newly developed whole-school careers education programme.

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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 . 3 and 4 February 2022

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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. 3 and 4 February 2022

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School details

Local authority London Borough of Waltham Forest

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School details

Inspection number 10221212 Type of school Secondary comprehensive

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sixth form

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Lammas School and Sixth Form converted to become an academy school in December 2018. When its predecessor school, Lammas School and Sixth Form, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.  The school is part of the Griffin Schools Trust.  There have been several changes in the leadership of the school in recent years. The headteacher took on this role in September 2021.  A small number of pupils attend alternative provision at Waltham Forest College, Hawkswood Therapeutic School, and Oak Therapeutic.  At the time of the inspection, the school did not meet 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. 3 and 4 February 2022

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We deemed the inspection a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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Information about this inspection

In accordance with section 44(2) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement, because it is performing significantly less well than it might in all the circumstances reasonably be expected to perform.

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Information about this inspection

This was the first routine inspection the school had 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

 This inspection was carried out because Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector wished to determine the effectiveness of safeguarding arrangements at the school as concerns had been raised with Ofsted. Inspectors’ initial areas of focus were on the effectiveness of safeguarding and on pupils’ behaviour.  Inspectors held meetings with school leaders, including the headteacher, the chief executive of the trust who is also the chair of the governing body, and other governors. Telephone conversations were held with representatives from the local authority and alternative provision used by the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: art, English, history and science. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also considered a range of other subjects.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors looked at school policies and other documents, including those relating to behaviour, school development, minutes of meetings of the governing body, staff training and the provision for pupils with SEND.  The inspection of safeguarding included meeting with the designated safeguarding lead, looking at records of safeguarding concerns, reviewing the school’s work with outside agencies, reviewing relevant aspects of the curriculum and talking to pupils and staff.  Inspectors considered the responses to surveys completed by pupils and staff. Owing to technical issues, the free-text facility in the online survey, Parent View, was not available. 3 and 4 February 2022

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Inspection team

Amanda Carter-Fraser, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Sophie Healey-Welch Her Majesty’s Inspector 3 and 4 February 2022

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