Marylebone Academy

Inspection of a good school: Marylebone Boys’ School North Wharf Road, London W2 1QZ

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Inspection dates: 15 and 16 November 2022

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Outcome

Marylebone Boys’ School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and their families appreciate this welcoming school. Pupils learn well here. They are polite and respectful, both towards each other and staff. Each pupil has two nominated adults they can confide in and turn to if they have concerns. This helps to ensure that pupils are kept safe and feel well looked after.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The curriculum is typically ambitious and well designed. Leaders have high expectations of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). These expectations are realised in the classroom, and pupils enjoy learning broad and detailed knowledge across the curriculum. Most pupils stay on to the sixth form and of those, almost all go on to universities of their choice.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are excellent ambassadors for their school. Most are very eager to learn. Across the school, pupils enjoy taking part in the wide range of extra-curricular clubs and activities that staff organise for them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour around the building is calm and respectful. Pupils and sixth-form students said that bullying is rare and sorted out by staff if it does occur. Staff deal with any incidences swiftly and pupils trust them to do so.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Pupils follow a curriculum that matches the scope and ambition of what is expected nationally. In most subjects, leaders have thought carefully about what pupils need to know. Teaching of these important concepts has been organised so that pupils revisit and embed their understanding. This helps pupils to know and remember more over time. For example, in science, pupils develop a secure understanding of how to work scientifically. This helps them to plan and conduct more complex investigations successfully. Similarly, in design and technology, younger pupils learn about different resistant materials. This helps them to select and combine appropriate materials when designing and making 15 and 16 November 2022

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products. Careful sequencing in most subjects prepares pupils well for the curriculum in the sixth form and for future learning or employment.

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Teachers typically check pupils’ understanding of what they have learned. Errors and misconceptions are swiftly identified and corrected. Over time, pupils develop their understanding of complex ideas in a subject, such as the historical importance of divine right in history. Teachers’ subject knowledge is strong and regularly updated through the effective professional development opportunities provided to them.

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However, in a few subjects, the sequence of learning is not fully established and the end points that pupils need to achieve are less clear. As a result, pupils’ knowledge in these subjects is not developing as securely.

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There is a strong focus on pupils’ reading. Leaders and teachers promote its importance. Pupils talk with enthusiasm about the books that they are reading. Well-targeted support for pupils who need to catch up is provided. This typically supports these pupils to read with greater accuracy and confidence.

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Leaders have ensured that pupils with SEND are well supported. Staff have been trained to understand different needs. As a result, teachers know how to help these pupils to access the same curriculum as their peers.

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Behaviour and attitudes to learning are generally positive. However, some teachers do not communicate their expectations clearly. When this happens, pupils do not engage as positively with their learning.

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The extensive wider development programme aims to help pupils to become responsible citizens and critical thinkers. Pupils explained how challenges such as redrafting written work, redesigning projects, reading demanding texts and dealing with failure all encourage them to become more resilient. Pupils and sixth-form students spoke eloquently about how they are taught to respect others. They learn about healthy relationships in age-appropriate ways. The careers programme helps to prepare pupils well for the next stage of education, employment or training.

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Almost all pupils attend the wide range of after-school and enrichment activities. These include Ancient Greek, badminton, choir, cooking, French, guitar, jazz, Manga and pottery. Pupils and students have opportunities to become leaders, either as prefects or in supporting enrichment activities for younger pupils. For example, all Year 9 pupils are involved in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme.

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Leaders are sensitive to staff’s workload and well-being. The governing body oversees this aspect of the school’s work closely. Leaders engage well with parents and carers.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 15 and 16 November 2022

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There is a strong culture of safeguarding in which staff are alert to pupils who may be at risk of harm. Leaders identify and assess risks to pupils’ welfare effectively. They work productively with external agencies to ensure that pupils are kept safe. This helps to ensure that pupils and their families get the support they need swiftly.

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Staff and governors participate in relevant training so that their knowledge of safeguarding practice remains up to date. Pupils spoken with, including students in the sixth form, said that they feel safe in school.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, curriculum end points are not made clear and learning is, at times, not well sequenced. This means pupils’ learning is not organised in a way that helps them develop and deepen their knowledge. Leaders need to ensure that the curriculum in these subjects is structured in a way that supports pupils to revisit and embed their understanding. This will help them to learn and remember more over time.  Leaders have high standards of behaviour and effort. However, some teachers do not communicate these expectations clearly. This means there are occasions when pupils’ attitudes to learning do not match those expected by leaders. Leaders should ensure that teachers’ expectations of behaviour and attitudes to learning are consistently in line with the school’s behaviour policy.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in May 2017.

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How can I feed back my views?

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. 15 and 16 November 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. 15 and 16 November 2022

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form

Date of previous inspection 10 and 11 May 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Leaders do not use any alternative provision for pupils.

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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.  The inspection team conducted deep dives in history, mathematics and music. To do this, they discussed the curriculum with leaders, visited lessons and scrutinised samples of pupils’ work. They also spoke to pupils and teachers. Other subjects were considered as part of this inspection. 15 and 16 November 2022

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 The inspection team held meetings with senior and subject leaders to evaluate the impact of their work. Meetings were also held with members of the governing body, teachers, groups of pupils and sixth-form students.  Inspectors considered the 52 responses to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s questionnaire for parents. Consideration was also given to the 23 replies to the online staff questionnaire and 93 replies to the online pupil questionnaire.  Inspectors considered a variety of documentation provided by leaders, including external reviews of the school’s work; leaders’ self-evaluation; the school improvement plan; records of governing body meetings; behaviour information; school policies; the single central record of pre-employment checks; and information relating to the safeguarding of pupils.

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Inspection team

Anne Hudson, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Simon Conway His Majesty’s Inspector 15 and 16 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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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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