Lift Greensward

Inspection of a good school: Greensward Academy Greensward Lane, Hockley, Essex SS5 5HG

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Inspection dates: 15 and 16 November 2023

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Outcome

Greensward Academy continues to be a good school.

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Outcome

The principal of this school is Katie Scarnell. This school is part of the Academies Enterprise Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Rebecca Boomer-Clark, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by David Hall.

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What is it like to attend this school?

At Greensward Academy everyone is valued highly in line with its motto: respect, equity, dignity. Pupils enjoy attending this school. They appreciate the quality and quantity of support they receive with their well-being, including their mental health. Pupils are adamant that this is a school where it is safe and normal to be different.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well here. Almost all pupils are keen to learn. There is little disruption to lessons. Pupils get on well and look out for each other. They treat adults and fellow pupils with respect.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are many opportunities for pupils to develop their self-confidence and broaden their interests. There can take part in a range of clubs, including sports, and there are many subject-based competitions. They can take part in musical productions and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of all pupils. They follow a broad curriculum, with a wide range of subjects to choose from, including vocational qualifications. Pupils learn about careers and develop the skills they need for employment or higher education. They achieve well and are well prepared for the next stage in their lives.

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

The school has developed a well thought out and ambitious curriculum. Subject leaders identify what pupils have learned in primary school as well as what pupils need to know by the time they leave school. They use this information to plan learning carefully so that 15 and 16 November 2023

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pupils build up a body of knowledge securely over time. The school has a consistent focus on building pupils’ range and use of important vocabulary. This strengthens pupils’ written work and their oracy. Teachers regularly check pupils’ knowledge of what they have learned. They increasingly use these checks to adjust the curriculum and how they deliver it. Pupils receive clear and useful feedback; they use this to improve their work.

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As a result of a well-designed and delivered curriculum, most pupils achieve very highly. Teachers know the needs of their pupils well. In most cases they adapt their teaching so pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), can access the curriculum. At times, support for these pupils in and out of lessons is not precisely matched to their needs. This means sometimes pupils with SEND do not always achieve as well as they should.

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Pupils read enthusiastically and often, including in form time, when they regularly discuss a diverse range of texts. The school uses checks to quickly identify weaker readers. These pupils receive high-quality support. As a result, they make swift progress, becoming increasingly fluent, accurate readers.

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The school has high and well-understood expectations of behaviour. Teachers apply school systems consistently and fairly. Consequently, pupils can focus on their learning with little interruption. A small number of pupils find it hard to meet expectations. The school supports these pupils well to improve their behaviour. Most pupils attend well. However, disadvantaged pupils sometimes attend less well than their peers. The school uses a wide range of approaches, including the use of alternative provision. This helps pupils who find it harder to attend school to do so.

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Students in the sixth form make important contributions to the school and local community, for example by mentoring younger pupils. They know how to study and use their time effectively. This builds on the high quality of teaching in lessons. As a result, students achieve highly. Almost all successfully go on to higher education or employment.

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The school’s personal, social and health education curriculum is well designed for pupils in all key stages. It builds pupils’ knowledge of how to keep themselves safe and healthy and how to be good citizens. They learn about topics such as the importance of consent, the dangers of gambling and safety on the roads. The school’s careers programme is exceptional. All pupils in Year 10 and students in Year 12 do work experience. Pupils in each year group meet a variety of employers, including apprenticeship providers. Pupils are, therefore, well-informed about their next steps and understand the options available to them.

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The school supports staff with their well-being and workload. Staff enjoy working here, and many stay here for a long time. This builds strong relationships between staff, pupils and parents. The school and trust provide professional development for staff, including early career teachers, that develops their skills and knowledge.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 15 and 16 November 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Disadvantaged pupils do not always attend as well or achieve as highly as their peers. The school should ensure that adaptations to the curriculum, and the specific support provided for these pupils, is always precisely matched to their needs, to ensure that they attend as well and achieve as highly as they should.

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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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good on 10 and 11 June 2014.

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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.

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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’ is used to mean pupils with SEND; pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 15 and 16 November 2023

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,590

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form

Website https://sites.google.com/aetinet.org/greens wardwebsite/home Date of previous inspection 20 February 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a member of the Academies Enterprise Trust.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.  The school currently uses three registered and two unregistered alternative provisions for pupils.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision. 15 and 16 November 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 the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The lead inspector spoke to the director of education of the trust as well as a trustee.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, art and design, geography and science. 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 discussed the curriculum in some other subjects and visited a range of lessons.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around

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safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors held meetings with a range of leaders, including the careers coordinator, and the special educational needs and/or disabilities coordinator.  The lead inspector met with early career teachers and staff involved in the induction of new teachers.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at other times around school. They met with groups of pupils to discuss behaviour in the school.  The lead inspector spoke with a representative from the alternative provision used by the school.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of records relating to behaviour and attendance.  The lead inspector considered the 225 responses and 127 free-text responses received during the inspection to Ofsted’s online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View. He also considered the 92 responses to Ofsted’s staff survey and the 207 responses to the pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Steve Woodley, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Ruth Brock Ofsted Inspector 15 and 16 November 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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