Future Academies Watford

Inspection of Future Academies Watford Horseshoe Lane, Garston, Watford, Hertfordshire WD25 7HW

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Sixth-form provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 28 and 29 June 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many pupils at Future Academies Watford behave well around school and in lessons. However, there are a significant minority who do not. This impacts the learning of others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils achieve well and enjoy their learning. Despite this, the individual needs of a significant proportion of pupils, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are not supported well. This hampers their progress.

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What is it like to attend this school?

While behaviour in many lessons is calm, there is some low-level disruption. Where this happens, pupils find it difficult to learn. When bullying occurs, staff deal with it quickly. Pupils are generally respectful to each other. However, some use derogatory language. Leaders address this issue, but it persists within the school community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils access a wide variety of relevant activities across the arts, sports and music. Visitors talk to pupils about issues such as racism. Many pupils respond to incentives that are in place, such as badges for accumulating positive points. Pupils wear their badges with pride.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Sixth-form students are well prepared for their next steps through the support provided by staff. Students demonstrate mature approaches to learning and are good role models. For instance, they volunteer to support younger pupils to read.

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better?

Leaders and the trust provide a clear vision for the school. They have started to make improvements to the curriculum. The positive changes are better established in some subjects than in others. With trust support, leaders have been able to set out what pupils should learn and when they should learn it. Leaders have introduced a standard format to lessons across all subject areas. This approach, while consistent, does not routinely encourage teaching which supports learning for all pupils’ needs. As the curriculum is new, leaders have not reviewed what works well and what needs to be better.

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better?

Leaders have developed the curriculum to improve the provision in modern foreign languages. This is supporting more pupils to study the core subjects that make up the English Baccalaureate (English, mathematics, science, history or geography and a language at GCSE).

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better?

Many pupils have gaps in their knowledge and understanding. These pupils are not able to make connections to apply to new learning. While work has been done to identify individual needs more accurately, this is still in the early stages of development. Too many pupils with SEND do not access a curriculum that meets their needs. They are not making the progress they should. 28 and 29 June 2022

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The sixth form is different. Leaders have ensured that the curriculum is ambitious. It is adapted to the needs of all students, including those students with SEND. Lessons are well planned. Teachers revisit prior learning and then build students’ knowledge from a secure base. Students have positive attitudes towards their studies and talk positively about how they are supported well by teachers.

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Pupils who are struggling to read do not get the right support. Teachers read to pupils during lessons. However, pupils are not given enough opportunity to read for themselves. For those pupils who struggle to read, books are not well matched to their reading knowledge. This is impacting on how well pupils access the curriculum.

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A significant proportion of pupils’ conduct falls below the required standard. Where this happens, pupils’ learning is disrupted. Leaders identify that behaviour requires improvement. They have implemented a range of behaviour systems. While leaders’ expectations around behaviour for learning are much higher than they previously were, they are not efficiently using the information that the new systems are providing them with. This is partly demonstrated by the high number of fixed-term exclusions within the school. Additionally, although leaders have put strategies into place to improve attendance following the pandemic, levels of persistent absence remain high.

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Leaders have a well-sequenced and age-appropriate provision which effectively develops pupils’ personal development. Lessons, assemblies and external visitors support pupils to understand the wider world. Pupils learn about different cultures and religions. They learn to respect differences. Pupils engage well with the wide range of opportunities leaders provide. They take part in trips and visits, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme and learn to play musical instruments. The careers education programme provides pupils with effective guidance to support their next steps.

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Teachers value the training and opportunities to share practice with each other. They say that leaders are considerate of their workload and well-being.

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Governors understand their specific roles and how these fit into the trust’s governance structure.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have ensured that all staff have received training and fully understand their responsibilities regarding safeguarding. Staff are confident and clear in reporting safeguarding concerns.

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Safeguarding

Governors regularly review and evaluate systems in place, which ensures they carry out their statutory duties.

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Safeguarding

Appropriate checks are carried out on new staff before they work in the school. 28 and 29 June 2022

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Leaders’ ‘respect’ initiative provides a channel for pupils to report concerns. Leaders work with other agencies where needed.

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Pupils are aware of how to stay safe through assemblies, lessons and external visitors. They are supported through age-appropriate contexts. Leaders have responded quickly to support pupils as local needs have arisen.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The needs of pupils with SEND are not currently well met. Leaders must continue to develop the curriculum and provide training to staff to ensure that adaptations can be made to meet the needs of individual pupils. This will enable pupils with SEND to build their knowledge and skills so they successfully access the curriculum and achieve well.  Support for those who struggle to read is not effective. Pupils are not given opportunities to improve their reading knowledge. Pupils struggle to access the rest of the curriculum. Leaders need to develop a systematic phonics-based programme to support pupils with the knowledge that they need to become fluent readers. This in turn will improve pupils’ opportunities to learn well in the rest of the curriculum.  While leaders have recently reviewed their approach to behaviour management, the information they are gathering from the reviewed systems that they have put

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

in place is not improving all behaviours. For example, there is a significant proportion of pupils that exhibit behaviours that are unacceptable. Leaders need to look closely at the information they gather and use this more rigorously to improve behaviours across the school.

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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. 28 and 29 June 2022

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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. 28 and 29 June 2022

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,111

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sixth form

Date of previous inspection 26 and 27 March 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Future Academies Watford joined the Future Academies Trust in 2020. Previously, it was known as Francis Combe Academy.  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.  Leaders use registered alternative provisions.

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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 28 and 29 June 2022

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and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the principal and senior leaders. The lead inspector met with four members of the local governing board and a trustee who is the chief executive officer.  Inspectors carried out deep dives into six subjects: science, art, Latin, Spanish, history and English. For each subject area, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited lessons with senior leaders and members of the trust’s curriculum team, spoke to teachers and pupils and reviewed samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors met with several groups of pupils, including single-sex groups. They talked about the quality of education in the school, as well as other aspects of school life.  Inspectors met with groups of teachers, including those in their early years of teaching, and support staff.  Inspectors spoke to leaders responsible for pupils with SEND and literacy across

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the school. Inspectors visited lessons with a focus on pupils with SEND with leaders. An inspector also listened to a selection of pupils read.  Inspectors held discussions with leaders, trustees, pupils and staff to explore how effectively pupils are safeguarded. Records relating to safeguarding, including pre-employment checks carried out before staff are appointed, were looked at.  The lead inspector reviewed a range of policies, improvement plans, the school’s self-evaluation, the school’s website and published information about the school’s performance.  The lead inspector spoke to a leader at the main provider of alternative provision.  Inspectors noted the 158 responses to the online Ofsted Parent View survey and the 152 free-text comments from parents. They also considered the 75 responses to Ofsted’s staff survey. There were no responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Wayne Jarvis, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Gary Phillips Her Majesty’s Inspector 28 and 29 June 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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