Wren Academy Enfield

Inspection of Wren Academy Enfield 62 Chace Village Road, Enfield EN2 8FU

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Inspection dates: 1 and 2 November 2022, and 4 May 2023

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 1 and 2 November 2022, and 4 May 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Wren Academy Enfield are polite and respectful. This is a calm and orderly school. Pupils are safe here. Leaders have high aspirations for pupils. They are creating a school that gives every pupil the opportunity to discover their talents.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations for all pupils. They do not tolerate poor behaviour or any form of discrimination. Bullying is rare. When it does occur, leaders deal with it effectively. It does not persist. Pupils are clear about the standards of behaviour expected of them. They behave very well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils show positive attitudes to their learning. They work hard in lessons and respond well to teachers’ instructions. Teachers encourage pupils to share their ideas and contribute to class discussions. Some pupils are eager to do so. Teachers help other pupils to build their confidence in speaking out.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have a strong belief in broadening pupils’ experiences. Some pupils are curriculum advisers to teams of teachers. Others are members of the student council. All pupils take enrichment classes in at least two activities each year. These activities include Mandarin, knitting, chess and computer coding. Pupils enjoy this aspect of their education.

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better?

Leaders have made significant progress towards achieving their vision for the school. They are providing a high-quality education. Trustees and governors fulfil their roles well. They challenge and support school leaders with rigour and insight. Leaders ensure that shared values, including kindness and justice, inform the school’s development. Staff enjoy working at the school. Leaders listen to staff, including over matters such as workload.

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better?

Currently, there are pupils in Years 7, 8 and 9. Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum that is well sequenced. This ensures that pupils build up their knowledge in a logical way. Leaders and teachers work together to review the curriculum. They adapt the order of topics and seek to enrich curriculum content. Leaders work hard to provide pupils with the best possible learning experience across the curriculum.

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better?

The curriculum is broad and balanced. Pupils study a wide range of subjects in Years 7 and 8 before making some subject choices for Year 9. They study all subjects in depth. Leaders are preparing pupils well for an ambitious, academic curriculum in Years 10 to 13. Pupils learn the foundational knowledge and skills they need to succeed at GCSE and A level.

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better?

Teachers have good subject knowledge. They explain new content well and use starter activities to help pupils remember what they have learned before. Teachers check pupils’ work and provide regular feedback. Pupils respond to this feedback, 1 and 2 November 2022, and 4 May 2023

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which helps them to improve their work. Pupils understand the importance of focusing on their work. They learn without disruption. However, some teachers do not always secure pupils’ knowledge and understanding well enough. They move on to new content too quickly for some pupils.

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Pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) get the help they need to access the curriculum. Leaders identify the needs of pupils with SEND with speed and accuracy. They provide teachers and teaching assistants with training and guidance on how to meet pupils’ needs. Pupils with SEND complete the same work as other pupils. They achieve well.

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Leaders prioritise reading. Pupils have their own reading books which they read during English lessons and in tutor time. Pupils at an early stage of reading get extra help with reading fluency and comprehension. Leaders are introducing the teaching of phonics for those pupils who still need help with learning how to read.

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Leaders have established a comprehensive personal development programme. Pupils are taught about physical and mental health, equality and diversity, and relationships. Pupils receive appropriate careers information, education and guidance. Leaders promote pupils’ personal development through the school’s Christian ethos. They use collective worship, tutor time and the house system to help reinforce that ethos and develop pupils' personal attributes.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have established a strong culture of safeguarding. They manage staff recruitment well and provide regular safeguarding training for staff. This training, along with frequent updates, ensures that staff have the knowledge they need to identify any concerns. They report such concerns immediately. Members of the safeguarding team know the pupils and their families well. They are alert to potential safeguarding risks and quick to organise early help, for example through counselling. Leaders also work well with external agencies to secure the help pupils need. Pupils learn about how to keep themselves safe, including online and in the local community.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some teachers move on to the next stage of learning too quickly. This means that some pupils do not secure their knowledge and find it difficult to build on what they have learned. Leaders should ensure that teachers secure pupils’ knowledge and understanding through appropriate questioning and sequencing of activities. 1 and 2 November 2022, and 4 May 2023

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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. 1 and 2 November 2022, and 4 May 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10247146 Type of school Secondary Comprehensive School category Academy free school

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school opened on 1 September 2020. There are currently pupils in Years 7 to 9.  The school uses no alternative provision.  The school is a Church of England school. Its academy sponsor is the Diocese of London. The school has not yet received its first section 48 inspection.  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 educational qualifications and apprenticeships.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. 1 and 2 November 2022, and 4 May 2023

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation.  Inspectors met with the principal, members of the leadership team, other school leaders, members of the local governing body, and members of the board of trustees. The lead inspector spoke with a representative from the Diocese of London.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, Spanish, and design and technology. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The school operates a policy of separation by sex for classes in English, mathematics and science. The school’s rationale for the policy is that this policy

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increases the number of girls studying STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects and the number of boys studying English and literature-based subjects at higher levels. Inspectors considered whether the separation by sex could constitute a breach under the Equality Act 2010. Inspectors concluded that there was no evidence to show a detriment to pupils. A positive action exemption applied under s.158 of the Equality Act was not considered by inspectors. It was not possible for the school to provide specific evidence to show that the policy could be linked to strong outcomes in national exams as there are no pupils beyond Year 9.  Inspectors spoke with subject leaders for science, history and geography. They visited lessons in these subjects.  Inspectors met with the school’s designated safeguarding lead. They looked at safeguarding documentation and record-keeping, including the single central

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record. Inspectors also spoke with staff and pupils about safeguarding.  Inspectors spoke to additional groups of pupils in relation to behaviour and attitudes, and personal development.  Inspectors considered the 527 responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey, 44 responses to the staff survey and 227 responses to the online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View.  Following the inspection on 1 and 2 November 2022, inspectors returned to the school on 4 May 2023 to gather further evidence about the school’s policy of separating pupils by sex for some subjects. They met with leaders, including some trustees. They also met with groups of pupils and staff. They scrutinised relevant documentation.

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Inspection team

Ian Rawstorne, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Hannah Glossop His Majesty's Inspector 1 and 2 November 2022, and 4 May 2023

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Gaynor Roberts, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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John Kennedy His Majesty’s Inspector 1 and 2 November 2022, and 4 May 2023

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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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