Little Ilford School

Inspection of Little Ilford School Rectory Road, Manor Park, London E12 6JB

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Inspection dates: 23 and 24 November 2022

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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Overall effectiveness Good

This school was last inspected ten years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

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Overall effectiveness Good

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between inspections. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last inspection 23 and 24 November 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders set and maintain high standards of education and care for all pupils. They consider how they can provide further opportunity, including through a rich curriculum offer. This school has a culture of aspiration for all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who are disadvantaged.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe at the school. Bullying is rare, but is dealt with effectively when it happens. Leaders have introduced a new behaviour system to reward excellence and effort and promote productive classroom environments. Pupils have positive attitudes to learning. They engage well with their studies and develop secure knowledge across the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and teachers have recently reviewed the curriculum to ensure that it is broad and ambitious for all pupils. The new curriculum ensures that each pupil learns a wide range of subjects in depth before they choose their GCSE options. Teachers are knowledgeable and well trained. They consider how they can enrich learning further, for example, through providing pupils with trips and additional clubs.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and governors actively consider how to make things better for pupils. They involve pupils closely in this work. Pupils are keen to make suggestions and know that they will be listened to. Parents and carers think highly of the school.

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better?

The school is a calm, purposeful place of learning. Pupils make strong progress through the curriculum. They are taught about the school values of courage, commitment and compassion. These values are interwoven purposefully into aspects of pupils’ learning. For example, in physical education, staff encourage pupils to put these values into practice when they take part in cross-country races. Staff reinforce the importance of showing a compassionate attitude to others’ performance and encourage pupils to be committed to maintaining their best pace.

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better?

In Years 7 to 9, pupils learn a curriculum that has been well thought through. It provides breadth of learning and depth. Leaders have planned recent changes to the curriculum extremely carefully. In all subjects, the content has been well considered to give pupils both a broad cultural context, as well as to achieve high standards. For example, in art, Year 9 pupils now study a wider range of artists and schools of artistic thought, building up their knowledge of different techniques and styles. Visits to galleries are planned to enrich pupils’ learning further.

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better?

Leaders give careful thought to how the curriculum in each subject can best be taught and assessed. They support teachers to develop and strengthen their expertise. Teachers understand the needs of pupils well. They set demanding work 23 and 24 November 2022

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that focuses on helping pupils work towards the agreed curriculum goals. Lessons are carefully sequenced. However, at times, teachers do not check sufficiently well how securely pupils remember key ideas in a subject. This affects how well pupils are able to draw on their previous learning when they move on to study new ideas. Leaders have rightly identified this as an area that needs strengthening.

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Pupils with SEND are very well supported. Their needs are identified and understood accurately. Pupils within the resourced provision learn an ambitious curriculum, gain qualifications, and are taught how to be independent.

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Pupils who join the school with difficulties in reading are identified quickly. Leaders have put in place a system of targeted support, catering for each pupil’s individual needs.

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Pupils learn a broad and well-taught programme of personal, social and economic education. This has been designed to support pupils to become active, considerate and reflective citizens in modern Britain. Leaders have also put in place a strong careers programme that meets individual needs well. All pupils receive the guidance they need to make ambitious, well-informed choices about their future lives, including GCSE options and the transition to sixth form or college.

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Pupils attend well. They are generally happily engaged in school life. Any incidents of poor behaviour are dealt with quickly and effectively. Nevertheless, some pupils question the fairness with which the new behaviour system is applied. Others know how to report concerns but said that they would, on occasion, not do so. Leaders are currently working on making sure that their new approaches to promoting high standards of behaviour are well understood by pupils and parents.

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Leaders and governors work closely with families. During the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders thought carefully about how to support their community. The changes they have put in place are well judged. Staff are supported and held to account. Governors know the school thoroughly. They provide expert challenge and support.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The safeguarding team works closely with the pastoral and behaviour teams to identify and meet pupils’ needs promptly and effectively. Pupils have access to a range of support on site to meet their pastoral needs. For example, counselling is available for pupils who might need it. Where necessary, leaders make referrals and work with wider agencies to support pupils’ welfare. Records of safeguarding concerns are rigorous.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and staff are well trained in safeguarding. Staff know how to report concerns and do so swiftly. 23 and 24 November 2022

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Pupils feel safe. They know how to make staff aware of any worries they have. Leaders have provided different ways for them to do this to promote a culture of openness.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Sometimes, teaching does not build in sufficient emphasis to ensuring that pupils remember securely what they have been taught. This affects how well pupils are able to recall previous learning and use it to understand new subject content. Leaders need to ensure that teachers check understanding, so that pupils learn and remember more across the curriculum.  While leaders’ new behaviour policy is working well, sometimes the new approaches are not fully understood by some pupils and parents. Leaders need to continue their work to embed this system with all stakeholders and ensure that all are confident that approaches are applied with fairness.

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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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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. 23 and 24 November 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10255351 Type of school Secondary Comprehensive School category Community

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School details

Number of pupils on the school roll 1596

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website http://www.littleilford.newham.sch.uk/

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School details

Date of previous inspection 3 and 4 October 2012, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is currently expanding due to local demand. There are ten forms of entry in Years 9 to 11, and twelve forms of entry in Years 7 and 8.  Since the last inspection, there have been two changes of headteacher, and a number of changes to the senior leadership team.  Leaders make use of four alternative provisions: three of these are registered schools and one is a specialist service provided by the NHS.  The school has a resourced provision, which provides additional support for pupils with autism spectrum disorder. Currently, 23 pupils are on roll.  Careers guidance 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. 23 and 24 November 2022

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded 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 senior leaders, governors, subject leaders and groups of staff. The lead inspector held a separate telephone call with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in science, English, geography, art and PE. Each deep dive involved discussing the curriculum with subject leaders, visiting lessons, reviewing pupils’ work and speaking with teachers and pupils from the lessons inspectors visited.  Inspectors also looking at the curriculum and visited lessons in some other subjects, including drama, mathematics, French and history.  Inspectors visited the resourced provision that provides specialist support for pupils with autism spectrum disorder. This involved meeting with teachers and

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Information about this inspection

leaders and visiting lessons.  Inspectors held meetings with leaders responsible for the school’s safeguarding arrangements. They also looked at safeguarding records, including pre- employment checks for staff.  Inspectors spoke to the staff who lead on behaviour and personal development. They also reviewed a range of documentation in these areas.  Inspectors spoke to a range of staff about their well-being and workload. They considered staff responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff.  Inspectors spoke to a range of pupils from different year groups. They considered pupils’ responses to the online survey.  Inspectors considered responses to the online parents’ survey.

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Inspection team

Alice Clay, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Katerina Christodoulou Ofsted Inspector 23 and 24 November 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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