Clapton Girls' Academy

Inspection of Clapton Girls' Academy Laura Place, Lower Clapton Road, London, E5 0RB

p.1

Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Sixth-form provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Outstanding

p.1

Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The headteacher of this school is Anna Feltham. This school is in a single-academy trust, Clapton Girls’ Academy Trust. The trust is overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Frances Feeney.

p.1

Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school has not been inspected under section 5 of the Act since May 2013. 22 and 23 May 2024

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have a thirst for learning new knowledge and ideas here, and demonstrate high levels of maturity. Staff guide pupils to be kind, honest, aim high and keep trying.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

All pupils meet leaders’ exceptionally high academic expectations. They strive to learn all that they should. They participate enthusiastically in class. Younger pupils see students in the sixth form as role models who inspire them to achieve highly and act wisely. Pupils are safe.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils participate fully in a varied and high-quality selection of clubs and educational visits. The school develops pupils’ specific talents and interests through activities and popular clubs including dance, football, drama, basketball and boxing club.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

In the sixth form, all students take part in a range of enrichment activities, such as the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. The school also provides students in the sixth form with all the careers information and support that they need to make decisions about their future careers.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

School-wide events, such as ‘Clapton’s Got Talent’ and the ‘Clapton Carnival’ involve many pupils, and parents and carers. In the sixth form, students take on leadership roles including leading assemblies and mentoring younger pupils.

p.2

better?

Over many years, the school has designed and implemented a highly ambitious curriculum. This curriculum provides pupils with deep knowledge across a full selection of subjects from Years 7 to 9. For example, all pupils study two languages until the end of Year 9.

p.2

better?

Leaders at all levels make intelligent decisions to ensure that excellence is maintained across all areas of the school. Additionally, the school is mindful of the workload and wellbeing of staff, and takes this into account when implementing change. The school is supported by trustees, who know the context and community of the area well and ensure that the school is held to account.

p.2

better?

Subject leaders have ensured that the important knowledge that pupils should know is clearly taught and systematically revisited so that pupils retain this information in the long term. In art, for example, pupils learn to monoprint in Year 7. In Year 8, they combine this skill with collages and in Year 9 use monoprints as part of photo montages. The school also ensures that pupils learn subject specific vocabulary across all subjects to enhance pupils’ reading fluency. In the sixth form, teachers deploy their excellent subject knowledge to stretch academically and support sixth- form students to achieve the best academic outcomes possible. 22 and 23 May 2024

p.2

3

The curriculum is delivered expertly. Approaches to teaching are highly subject specific and enable pupils to become subject experts. For example, in religious education, pupils are regularly asked probing questions throughout classes in order to crystalise their understanding of complex moral issues. In mathematics, teaching regularly and precisely checks that all pupils know and remember what they have been taught.

p.3

3

Published academic outcomes over many years show that pupils achieve highly in their GCSE examinations and across all qualifications in the sixth form.

p.3

3

Leaders have set out very clear behaviour expectations that are understood by all. Pupils help each other to be resilient and to persevere in their studies. They gladly follow the schools’ expectations to be polite, and to listen to staff and each other. The school provides an expansive range of assistance for those pupils who need it so that these pupils also reach the school’s high behaviour expectations. Students in the sixth form exemplify the school’s desired behaviours and attitudes to learning.

p.3

3

Leaders take fair and impactful action to ensure that pupils attend school regularly. As a result, attendance rates continue to rise following pupils’ return to school after the COVID-19 pandemic.

p.3

3

The school supports pupils with SEND very effectively. Leaders ensure that help for pupils with SEND is carefully crafted across all subjects. Teachers make sensitive and appropriate adaptations to resources so that regardless of need, pupils with SEND can access the full content of the curriculum.

p.3

3

Pupils who need to improve their reading confidence and fluency receive effective support too. The English faculty has carefully chosen a wide selection of books to engage and enthuse all pupils, no matter their starting point, so that they can improve their fluency and confidence in reading.

p.3

3

The school has organised a full careers programme across each year, for pupils of all ages, including careers-focus days. During focus days, pupils are taught topics including financial literacy in Year 7 and in Year 12, students take part in a stock market challenge. Pupils appreciate these highly informative and well-organised events.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

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. 22 and 23 May 2024

p.3

4

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.

p.4

Further information

In the report, 'disadvantaged pupils' is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (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). 22 and 23 May 2024

p.4

provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1194

p.5

sixth form

Date of previous inspection 21 and 22 May 2013 under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 The school uses four registered alternative providers.  The school is part of the Clapton Girls’ Academy 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.

p.5

Information about this inspection

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

p.5

Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision. 22 and 23 May 2024

p.5

6

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, inspectors met with the headteacher and other senior leaders. Inspectors met with leaders with responsibility for pupils with SEND, behaviour and attendance, reading, pupils’ wider development, careers and sixth form.  Inspectors met with representatives from the trust.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: religious education, mathematics, art, English and modern foreign languages. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, 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.

p.6

6

 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 safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors considered the respective responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for parents, staff and pupils.

p.6

Inspection team

Guy Forbat, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Fiona Jatta Ofsted Inspector 22 and 23 May 2024

p.6

7

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.7

7

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.7

7

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.7

7

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

p.7

7

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

p.7