Endeavour Co-Operative Academy

Inspection of Endeavour Co-Operative Academy Hogarth Avenue, Brentwood, Essex CM15 8BE

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Sixth-form provision Good

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

Ofsted has not previously inspected Endeavour Co-Operative Academy under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. However, Ofsted previously judged The Endeavour School to be good, before it opened as an academy. 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 of the predecessor school. 6 and 7 June 2023

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending the Endeavour Co-Operative Academy. It is a happy school, where pupils benefit from strong relationships with staff. Pupils describe the school as being a family. Pupils trust adults in school to look after them and prioritise their best interests. They are supported with both their learning and with socialising during breaktimes. There are organised opportunities for pupils to play in team games and sports during the school day. These are sometimes led by the sixth-form students.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Classrooms are calm and settled, and pupils focus on their learning. Pupils are tolerant of each other and respectful of differences in others. They say their school is a safe space. Pupils trust that, were bullying to occur, staff would keep them safe. Important issues for their safety are regularly discussed in assemblies, and pupils appreciate the regular reminders.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy many opportunities to develop personal skills and prepare for adult life. Pupils use public transport to visit local voluntary organisations and use local sporting facilities. The school welcomes visitors to speak to the pupils. A travelling librarian has been organised by the local Headteachers’ Association, and pupils engage in discussions about books shared.

p.2

better?

There are many aims for the school curriculum. These include providing pupils with knowledge and skills, but also opportunities to develop their personal and social skills. The curriculum offer is broad and includes subjects such as horticulture, life skills and employability skills. The aim for pupils in key stages 4 and 5 is to leave education equipped for the next stages of life, including a range of suitable qualifications. Preparation for adulthood is a priority in the sixth form.

p.2

better?

The curriculum is usually well planned and sequenced across all year groups, including the sixth form. Leaders have thought about the journey through learning for pupils. For example, in physical education (PE), progress is made in throwing skills, which prepares pupils for shotput. In some subjects, component knowledge needs further consideration, to clearly define what pupils will learn and when, so that knowledge can build over time.

p.2

better?

Teachers use assessment to shape pupils’ future learning. They track the progress pupils make with their education, health and care (EHC) plan outcomes. Leaders take action if pupils underachieve. Leaders also use mathematics and phonics assessments to ensure that pupils have the basic literacy and numeracy skills needed to access the curriculum.

p.2

better?

Reading has a high priority across the school. Phonics is taught to all year groups, including the sixth form. In the younger year groups, the teaching of phonics follows 6 and 7 June 2023

p.2

3

a set programme. In upper years, the focus is on using phonic knowledge to improve spelling skills when writing. Teachers differentiate the teaching of phonics to match the ability of the pupils within their classes. Staff are well trained to deliver the phonics programme. Pupils engage well and learn the skills covered within the sessions.

p.3

3

There are many opportunities for pupils to engage in reading and listen to stories to develop a love of reading. A travelling librarian and teacher-led daily story time enhance the pupils’ experience of stories. There is a wide variety of books and resources to support reading, including reading schemes and an online library. However, books are not always well matched to the phonics pupils are learning. In the primary classes, there is a small number of pupils who still struggle to apply their phonic knowledge to reading. These pupils require further practice to become fluent readers.

p.3

3

Pupils behave well in lessons. They listen to their teachers and try hard. Pupils are supported by a large staff team. Therefore, pupils receive support swiftly and rarely need to ask for help. Staff frequently praise pupils. Pupils are motivated to learn. Teachers provide pupils with a lot of supportive materials to use when completing tasks. This means that pupils rarely fail.

p.3

3

Leaders prioritise pupils’ personal development. Pupils benefit from a variety of experiences to enrich their learning, prepare them for adult life and teach them how to keep safe. Pupils learn, in an age-appropriate way, about relationships and sex education in line with guidance from the Department for Education. They receive careers education across the school, starting with primary pupils learning about different jobs. Pupils in the sixth form have lessons in writing CVs and interview techniques, but they also learn about voluntary work to ensure that all can be active citizens.

p.3

3

Pupils value the school council. They are consulted on important decisions, such as the design for the new school building. Pupils learn about their own and other religions. They know the protected characteristics and speak of how their school is a safe space. When speaking about British values, some pupils’ understanding of certain aspects, such as democracy, was not as secure.

p.3

3

Leaders are ambitious for pupils. Governors receive detailed information from school leaders to ensure they are well briefed. Leaders care about staff workload. Teachers spoke about the support they receive to manage the annual review process. Governors and trustees have a new relationship, which goes beyond the scheme of delegation, using the expertise of the two teams to ensure the best possible support for the school.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 6 and 7 June 2023

p.3

4

Leaders have recently expanded the safeguarding team. As such, the designated safeguarding lead (DSL) is supported by a well-trained team, confident to identify and help pupils when needed. This has ensured that appropriate concerns are brought swiftly to the attention of the DSL and that pupils receive timely support for low-level concerns. New reporting software has recently been introduced, so all staff can report safeguarding concerns promptly.

p.4

4

Recruitment processes are robust and ensure that safeguarding is a priority from the outset. All necessary checks on staff, governors and visitors are completed to ensure that pupils are kept safe. Staff receive regular training to keep their knowledge up to date.

p.4

4

Staff are aware that policies are available to guide them in taking action about, for example, who to contact should a concern about a colleague arise. As such, staff feel confident in managing all safeguarding concerns.

p.4

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, including personal, social and health education, the curriculum lacks detail on the component knowledge to be taught. This means that pupils may not build a suitable depth of knowledge, such as their understanding of democracy. Leaders need to ensure that the component knowledge to be taught is specified so that pupils can learn well across the curriculum.  Some pupils in key stage 2 lack the phonic knowledge to read with fluency, and they do not get as many opportunities as they should to read phonetically decodable books. These pupils therefore lack the reading skills needed to access the wider curriculum. Leaders should ensure that pupils learning phonics get books to read that match the sounds they know.

p.4

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.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school. 6 and 7 June 2023

p.4

5

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. 6 and 7 June 2023

p.5

School details

Inspection number 10268205 Type of school Special

p.6

School details

School category Academy special converter

p.6

sixth form

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.6

sixth form

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

p.6

Information about this school

 The school is a special school for pupils with moderate learning difficulties. All pupils have an EHC plan.  At present, the youngest year group in the school is Year 3.  The school does not use any alternative education providers.  The school became Endeavour Co-Operative Academy in December 2018, when it joined Keys Co-Operative Academy Trust. This is the school’s first inspection since becoming an academy. The predecessor school received a short inspection in December 2015.  The school has a new sixth-form provision, which is in its second year of a three- year opening plan. The sixth form will accommodate pupils from years 12 to 14.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 7 to 13 with information and 6 and 7 June 2023

p.6

7

engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.  The school was due to commence a complete rebuild in April 2023, but this has been delayed.  The current headteacher is retiring at the end of this academic year. The deputy headteacher will become the substantive headteacher from September 2023.

p.7

Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.7

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 school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher and DSL, assistant headteacher, head of sixth form, governors, and the chief executive officer of the trust.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, life skills and PE. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum 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.  Inspectors also looked at a range of English books from across all year groups and sixth-form life-skills books.  When evaluating safeguarding, inspectors met with the DSL and the business manager. They reviewed records and spoke to pupils and staff.

p.7

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors considered 15 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, including free-text responses, 40 responses to the staff survey and 27 responses to the pupil survey.

p.7

Inspection team

Sarah Fowler, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

p.7

Inspection team

Joe Creswick Ofsted Inspector 6 and 7 June 2023

p.7

8

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.

p.8

8

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.8

8

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

8

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

8

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8