Marshalls Park Academy

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Marshalls Park Academy Pettits Lane, Romford, Essex RM1 4EH

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Outcome

Evidence gathered during this ungraded (section 8) inspection suggests that aspects of the school’s work may not be as strong as at the time of the previous inspection. The school’s next inspection will be a graded inspection.

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Outcome

The Headteacher of this school is Neil Frost. This school is part of South West Essex Community Education Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Stephen Munday, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by John King OBE.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for what pupils can achieve. However, these high aspirations are not fully reflected in the outcomes pupils attain. Pupils enjoy coming to school. This is reflected in high attendance rates. Pupils have positive working relationships with staff, which creates a welcoming and supportive school community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has established a clear behaviour policy that is well understood and consistently implemented. Pupils behave well in lessons, at break and lunchtimes and as they move from lesson to lesson. The school is proud of its inclusive culture, where pupils are taught to respect and tolerate difference.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are supported to make the right choices about the curriculum they follow. They are guided to choose subjects that are closely linked to their interests, strengths and future career aspirations. This ensures they are on the appropriate path to achieve their goals when they leave school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides a wide range of opportunities for pupils to develop their talents and widen their interests, including sport activities, debating competitions, outings to theatre performances, and to colleges and universities. The school ensures that every pupil has the opportunity to go on at least one international visit. 29 and 30 April 2025

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

The curriculum has been reviewed and planned to support pupils to build their knowledge over time. However, not all staff check routinely that pupils know and remember the knowledge they have been taught. Often, pupils are expected to move on to the next stage of their learning before securing previous knowledge. This means that misconceptions are not routinely picked up by teachers and addressed promptly. As a result, when this does occur, some teachers move pupils on to the next phase of their learning before they are ready.

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

The school has introduced a number of approaches to check pupils’ progression through the curriculum. When used well, teachers understand what pupils have learned and use the information to plan pupils’ further learning. However, when these checks are not used as effectively, pupils are not given routinely clear guidance on how to improve their work. This means that pupils sometimes are unsure what they need to do to develop their knowledge fully.

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

Typically, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified effectively but support for their needs is variable. The use made of information about the individual needs of pupils with SEND is inconsistent. When teachers adapt learning appropriately, pupils with SEND build on their knowledge and skills and are helped to achieve well. However, learning is not routinely adapted as effectively and pupils with SEND sometimes struggle to learn the curriculum.

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

Pupils’ personal development is supported effectively, including through assemblies and during tutor time. They benefit from the experience of external speakers, who help them consider potential risks to their health and well-being. This helps to prepare pupils for life in modern Britain. Pupils are taught about the importance of healthy relationships and how to keep themselves safe. As a result, pupils are encouraged to avoid risks and look after their mental health and well-being. The careers programme includes independent advice and guidance that helps pupils to make the informed choices about their next steps. Pupils attend careers workshops and meet employers, all of which helps them to make decisions about their futures.

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

Leaders have taken effective action to help pupils attend school regularly. The school uses a range of effective strategies to work with pupils, parents and carers to help remove challenges to coming to school. Staff say that leaders take their workload and well-being into account through the trusts’ ‘well-being charter’. They benefit from training and support. The trust provides challenge and support to the school’s leaders. However, although areas for improvement have been identified, these priorities have not been fully embedded across the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 29 and 30 April 2025

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The checks that staff make on pupils’ knowledge lack precision. As a result, misconceptions and gaps in understanding sometimes go unnoticed and unaddressed. The school should ensure that the checks teachers make on pupils’ knowledge and understanding are effective, timely and routinely applied.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Tasks are not adapted routinely well to support pupils with SEND. As a result, pupils with SEND sometimes struggle to complete the work set. The school should ensure that all teachers adapt work appropriately for pupils with SEND, so that they can learn the curriculum successfully.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 for overall effectiveness in January 2020.

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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. 29 and 30 April 2025

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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 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). 29 and 30 April 2025

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School details

Type of school Secondary Comprehensive School category Academy converter

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1183

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provision

Date of previous inspection 30 January 2020

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Information about this school

 The school is part of South West Essex Community Education Trust.  The school currently makes use of four registered alternative provisions.  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.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 29 and 30 April 2025

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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.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and a range of senior leaders. The lead inspector also spoke with a representative of the trust, including the chair of the trust board and the CEO.  Inspectors visited a wide sample of lessons across a range of subjects, spoke with pupils and teachers and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders including the designated safeguarding lead, 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 observed pupils’ behaviour in a range of situations, including in corridors, at

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breaktimes, at lunchtimes and in lessons. They also spoke to pupils about behaviour and bullying. Inspectors spoke with leaders, teachers and pupils about the school’s programme of personal development.  Inspectors considered the responses from parents to Ofsted Parent View. This included the comments submitted via the free-text facility. Inspectors also considered the responses to Ofsted’s survey for staff.

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Inspection team

John Blaney, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Hannah Glossop His Majesty’s Inspector 29 and 30 April 2025

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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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