Villiers High School

VILLIERS SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 9 th – 12 th December 2002

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VILLIERS SCHOOL

Full inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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VILLIERS SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Villiers High School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Boyd Avenue Southall Middlesex Postcode: UB1 3BT

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 22 nd September 1997 Villiers High School - 4

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Aspect responsibilities

19385 Martin Beale Registered inspector What sort of school is it? The school’s results and pupils’ achievements How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? What should the school do to improve further? 9708 Sylvia Daintrey Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 4351 Jeanne Strickland Team inspector English (including the Key Stage 3 strategy) 19528 Roland Portsmouth Team inspector Mathematics 4126 Clive Parsons Team inspector Science (including the Key Stage 3 strategy) How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? 31685 Val Girling Team inspector Art 31345 Kay Arthur Team inspector Design and technology 22590 Bob Castle Team inspector Geography, citizenship 23588 Charanjit Ajitsingh Team inspector Punjabi, educational inclusion, English as an

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Aspect responsibilities

additional language 8052 Ken McKenzie Team inspector Information and communication technology 12408 Alan Frith Team inspector Modern foreign languages 27665 Alrene Lees Team inspector Music 23268 Kevin Corrigan Team inspector Physical education 17141 Paul Uden Team inspector Religious education 28002 Sue Taylor Team inspector Special educational needs 1795 Joyce Sanderson Team inspector History 7636 Anil Sinha Team inspector Urdu Villiers High School - 5 The inspection contractor was:

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Aspect responsibilities

2 Haselwood Drive Enfield Middlesex EN2 7BU

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Aspect responsibilities

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be raised with the inspection contractor. Complaints that are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED by writing to:

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Aspect responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Villiers High School - 6

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7

Information about the school How good the school is What the school does well What could be improved How the school has improved since its last inspection Standards Pupils’ attitudes and values Teaching and learning Other aspects of the school How well the school is led and managed Parents’ and carers’ views of the school

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 11

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

This is a large, mixed comprehensive school serving the culturally diverse area of Southall. Of the 1143 pupils between the ages of 11 and 16 over half are of Indian heritage and a substantial proportion are of Pakistani heritage. There is a significant refugee group, the main countries of origin being Somalia, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka. Over 90 per cent of all pupils have English as an additional language, of whom 94 are at an early stage of learning English. The main first languages spoken are Punjabi, Urdu and Somali. The proportion of pupils eligible for a free school meal is double the national average and there is also high pupil mobility both into and out of the school. The number identified with special educational needs, including statements, is broadly average. The attainment of pupils on entry to the school is below average particularly in English but also in science. The school receives funding through

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

the Excellence in Cities initiative which provides the finance for learning mentors and a gifted and talented programme.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Villiers is a good school that serves its community well and is providing good value for money. Staff strive with considerable success to meet the diverse needs of the pupils. Teaching is good, attendance is above average and the pupils are very keen to learn. As a result, they make good progress and achieve above average standards at GCSE. Relationships are harmonious, making for a good learning environment. The school is well led and managed, with a strong focus on improving teaching and raising standards.

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What the school does well

• Teaching is good overall and particularly so for Years 10 and 11, and pupils make good progress and achieve above average GCSE results. • Standards and the progress of pupils are particularly good in design and technology. • Pupils are highly motivated, work hard and have a strong desire to succeed. • The steps taken to reduce absence have met with considerable success and attendance is above the national average. • The headteacher provides clear direction and has secured much improvement to the school in recent years. • Staff are committed to their continuing professional development and to improving the quality of their work; they are supported in this by thorough monitoring and carefully directed training.

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What could be improved

• Standards are below average in information and communication technology (ICT) because pupils have insufficient opportunities to develop and apply their skills beyond Year 7. • The time allocated to religious education throughout the school does not enable the subject to be taught in sufficient depth and standards are below average. • Pupils do not achieve as well as they should in French and Spanish. • The governing body is not fulfilling its role effectively and does not ensure that the school fulfils all of its statutory responsibilities. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Overall improvement since the last inspection in 1997 is good. Results in Year 9 tests and at GCSE have risen. The Year 9 results have risen at a slower rate than at GCSE, and have fallen in English. Attendance has also improved considerably. The main shortcomings identified by the last report have largely been tackled successfully. Some aspects, such as meeting National Curriculum requirements for ICT and developing the pupils’ language skills remain identified by the school as in need of further attention. The clarity of leadership and the strengths in the school’s management place it in a strong position to improve further. Villiers High School - 8

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved at the end of Year 11 based on average points scores in GCSE examinations.

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similar

schools well above average A 2000 2001 2002 2002 above average average B C GCSE examinations B B B A* below average well below average D E

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similar

National test results for the pupils at the end of Year 9 (Key Stage 3 SATs) were below average in 2002 in mathematics and well below average in science, but in both cases were well above the average of results in similar schools. English results at Key Stage 3 have been falling and were well below average but close to similar schools. The reason for the lower English results was that there were fewer higher- attaining pupils in English.

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similar

The progress made by pupils in recent years from their Year 9 test results to GCSE is very impressive. The school is also particularly successful in enabling low-attaining pupils to achieve examination success. GCSE results improved sharply in 2002, following a fall from a high point in 1999, and were in the top five per cent of similar schools. Results in English, mathematics and science were all close to the national average and also represented well above average progress from the pupils’ earlier Year 9 results. Results in French and physical education have been particularly low in recent years and both geography and history were below average in 2002. 63 pupils were registered for vocational qualifications in 2002 with a 94% pass rate. The school’s challenging GCSE targets were marginally missed in 2002 and have been raised further for 2003.

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similar

There has been a difference in results between boys and girls in recent years. While girls have generally achieved better overall results at Year 9 this has been by a smaller margin than nationally; however, the gap widens at GCSE where girls achieve substantially better results than boys. The school does not analyse its results sufficiently by ethnicity and is therefore unable to identify significant patterns in the test and examination achievement of pupils from different backgrounds.

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similar

In most subjects, pupils achieve well and make good progress. This is particularly the case in English, mathematics, science and design and technology, although pupils do not achieve as well as they should in ICT, French, Spanish and religious education. Attainment improves as the pupils move through the school. Standards are generally below average in Year 9 and are average at this stage of the pupils’ final year in Year 11. Pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language make satisfactory progress towards their individual targets and similar progress in lessons as their peers. The programme for gifted and talented pupils enables them to be challenged and to make good progress.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils are highly motivated, work hard and are enthusiastic about what the school has to offer. They are keen to succeed. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Pupils mostly behave well in lessons and around the school, although a small minority does not. This is reflected in the high level of fixed-period exclusions. Personal development and relationships Pupils willingly take responsibility in classrooms and around the school. They fulfil duties conscientiously, such as the valuable role older pupils Villiers High School - 9 play as prefects. A significant feature is the warm and friendly relationships between most pupils. Attendance Attendance has improved and is above average. Pupils are mostly punctual to school and to lessons.

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Aspect Comment

Staff are very successful in promoting a conscientious approach in the pupils to their studies, particularly as they approach GCSE.

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Teaching of pupils: Years 7 – 9 Years 10 – 11

Quality of teaching Satisfactory Good Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses.

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Teaching of pupils: Years 7 – 9 Years 10 – 11

The good overall teaching and the pupils’ strong commitment to their work are resulting in good learning, particularly as pupils approach GCSE in Years 10 and 11. The teaching of mathematics and science in Years 10 and 11 is good. Teaching is satisfactory in English throughout the school and in mathematics and science in Years 7 to 9. The best teaching is carefully planned and well organised by teachers who have a good command of their subjects. These lessons are challenging and interesting. Skilled questioning is used to probe and deepen the pupils’ understanding and to challenge their thinking. The pupils mostly rise to this challenge by concentrating and working hard. New skills are learnt quickly. Shortcomings in a handful of lessons occurred when the teachers did not control the behaviour of a small number of pupils effectively, or when inappropriate teaching methods were used, such as not using

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Teaching of pupils: Years 7 – 9 Years 10 – 11

the language sufficiently in French and Spanish. Marking is not always sufficiently informative to enable pupils to improve their work, a matter that the school is seeking to rectify. The Key Stage 3 strategy has been satisfactorily implemented, although greater coherence is needed in the promotion of literacy, numeracy and the use of ICT in subjects. The wide range of the pupils’ needs is met well in many lessons; however, the adequate progress of pupils with special educational needs would be better with more consistent adaptation of methods and resources. They would also make better progress, as would more advanced learners of English, with more classroom support. The teaching of early learners of English is good.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The curriculum generally meets pupils’ needs and aspirations, with particular strengths in the range of foreign languages offered from Year 7 and the introduction of vocational courses in Years 10 and 11.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs The recently written individual education plans have clear targets; however, methods to assess the progress made by pupils over time are not sufficiently secure.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Appropriate support is given to pupils who are at an early stage of learning English, but more help is needed for more advanced learners.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Social and moral development are both promoted well. There are satisfactory arrangements for the pupils’ spiritual and cultural development. Villiers High School - 10 How well the school cares for its pupils Care and guidance are good. Pupils feel secure in the school and well supported by the team of year heads and tutors. Of particular strength are the procedures to monitor and improve attendance. National Curriculum requirements are not being met for ICT and for the use of ICT in subjects. Furthermore, insufficient time is provided for the teaching of religious education. Systems for assessing the pupils and monitoring their progress are satisfactory, but are not consistently applied by staff. A satisfactory partnership has been established with parents, although more could be done to consult them over the future direction of the school.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher provides a clear direction for the work and improvement of the school. Senior staff support her effectively in the drive to improve the quality of the work of staff. Middle managers are becoming increasingly adept at reviewing their work and initiating improvements.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Governors are neither sufficiently involved in shaping the school’s direction through the formulation of policies nor in monitoring their implementation.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Monitoring of the work of teachers is thorough and outcomes are linked closely to their further training. The use of data to evaluate the effectiveness of the school is not sufficiently rigorous.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Funding has been used well to support the school’s main priorities such as improving ICT provision, improving aspects of the accommodation and supporting the professional development of staff.

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Aspect Comment

The process of faculty review is an important tool in the drive for higher standards and for establishing a shared commitment amongst staff to the school’s improvement, particularly through their professional development. Staffing, accommodation and learning resources are satisfactory overall. The school has neither adopted nor applied the principles of best value to inform financial planning.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children like school • Their children are making good progress • Staff have high expectations • Teaching is good • The school does not work closely with parents • The information about how their children are getting on • The range of extra-curricular activities

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team supports the parents’ favourable opinions of the school. While communication and links with parents are generally satisfactory there is room for improvement. The range of extra-curricular activities is satisfactory overall, but limited in physical education. Villiers High School - 11

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. The below average attainment of pupils when they enter the school in Year 7, particularly in the crucial area of literacy is a significant factor in the subsequent standards that they achieve and their rate of progress. Furthermore, some later arrivals to the school enter with very limited English language skills. It is a testament to the work of staff that most pupils achieve well and are successful during their time at Villiers High School.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. Test results for Year 9 pupils in mathematics in 2002 were substantially higher than five years previously, while results in English were substantially lower. Results in science have improved but have not kept pace with rising standards nationally. Overall results in 2002 and those in English and science were well below the national average. Results were slightly better in mathematics and were below average. These results compared favourably with similar schools and represented satisfactory progress overall from the pupils’ earlier Year 6 test results. There were two main reasons why results in mathematics were better than English or science. Firstly, more pupils achieved the standard expected of Year 9 pupils in mathematics and secondly a much higher proportion than in English or science exceeded this standard.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. Overall, GCSE results have fluctuated in recent years, rising in 1999 before falling for both of the next two years. Results improved sharply in 2002 in terms of both the proportion of pupils achieving five or more A*-C grades and the average points score. The 2002 GCSE results were above the national average and very high in comparison with similar schools. These results represented very rapid progress for the pupils from their earlier Year 9 test results. The school was particularly successful with pupils of average and below average ability as the proportion of pupils achieving five or more A*-G grades was well above average. The school had slightly less success at the highest A* and A grades, where no subject significantly exceeded the national figures.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. Of the core subjects, results in English and mathematics in 2002 were close to the national average in terms of the proportion of pupils achieving an A*-C grade, and science results were above average by this measure. Of the other subjects, standards in design and technology were above average (as they were in 2001), while in art, English literature, French, geography, history and physical education, standards were below average. This repeated the 2001 pattern for English literature, French, history and physical education. There has also been some significant difference in the performance of pupils in the different GCSE examinations that they took. For example, in both 2001 and 2002 the pupils achieved better results on average in design and technology than in their other subjects while they achieved worse results on average in English literature, French, history, mathematics and physical education.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. There has been some difference in the performance of boys and girls over the last five years in Year 9 tests. Boys at Villiers do better in comparison with girls than their counterparts nationally. It is only in English that girls have achieved consistently better results than boys, but generally the gap is smaller than seen nationally. This advantage that boys have at Year 9 is reversed by GCSE. Girls have regularly achieved better GCSE results than boys and apart from 2001 the gap in results has been much greater than nationally.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. The school has considerable test and examination data available to it but does not analyse this to identify any variation in test examination results by the different ethnic groups, some of which are represented in large numbers. The information provided for the inspection team rendered it impossible to judge progress over time and in lessons of pupils of different backgrounds.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. There are several important factors leading to the good progress that the pupils are currently making. Teaching is good, particularly in Years 10 and 11. The pupils are highly motivated and Villiers High School - 12 keen to do well so that they take up every opportunity offered to them to learn and improve their work. Attendance is also above average so that pupils are in school more at Villiers and therefore benefiting from the good teaching to a greater extent than elsewhere; this also reflects their keenness to do well. Pupils make good progress in most subjects and particularly in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science. Standards rise as the pupils move through the school from being well below average on entry to below average by Year 9 and generally close to the national average by Year 11.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. There are some exceptions to this. Teaching does not focus sufficiently on the language in French and Spanish. As a consequence, pupils do not make the progress they should and achieve standards which are below average. Although pupils make satisfactory progress in the music option in Years 10 and 11, this is from a low baseline and their standards remain well below average. Similarly, standards in history are below average by Year 11. By contrast, standards are above average in design and technology and Punjabi by Year 11; in the latter case many pupils who are Punjabi speakers take GCSE early.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. Number reinforcement is part of mathematics lessons and there is a scheme in place for mental skills to be practised during tutor time once per fortnight. The National Numeracy Strategy is in place in the mathematics department but there has not been any recent whole-school training on the promotion and application of number skills in other subjects or an audit of where skills are used in subjects. Opportunities are missed in many areas for the correct application of number skills. The pupils’ mental arithmetic skills are sufficient for them to use in other subjects and they use electronic calculators effectively. There is evidence of some of the relevant skills in science and geography where charts, graphs and diagrams are well used. The pupils’ spatial awareness is well developed in art and design and technology subjects use skills as appropriate.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. One area that has improved considerably in recent years but still remains an area for further development is information and communication technology (ICT). It is only in Year 7 that pupils have lessons specifically dedicated to the teaching of ICT skills. The model adopted by the school is that these skills should be taught thereafter through other subjects where the pupils will also have the opportunity to apply them in their learning. The current provision is patchy. Some good skills development is evident, but it is not consistent between subjects or at times within classes in the same subject. The consequence is that pupils do not achieve as well as they should and standards are below expected levels throughout the school. The pupils also do not consistently and readily use their ICT skills to support their learning where appropriate.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

11. Pupils with special educational needs are making satisfactory progress in both their lessons and in withdrawal groups. This progress would be more marked with greater levels of classroom support staff and if teachers consistently planned lessons with these pupils in mind, and adapted their teaching and the resources used. The school has recognised the latter point, and staff are being trained and coached to improve this aspect of their work. It is not possible to judge their progress over time towards their specific targets, such as those on individual education plans, as these have only just been put in place. The work of pupils with statements and others with identified special educational needs shows that they make satisfactory progress over time. Pupils with English as an additional language represent the great majority of pupils in the school. Those at an early stage of learning English make good progress in the development of their language

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

skills. In general, pupils with English as an additional language make good progress in most subjects.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. The pupils’ attitudes to learning are a significant strength of the school. Their motivation, hard work and desire to succeed are major factors in the good progress that they make and the impressive results that they achieve in their GCSE examinations. Most pupils enjoy coming to school, behave well and relate positively to each other and to their teachers. This creates a climate in which teachers can teach and pupils can learn. The favourable picture described in the last inspection report has been maintained with some improvements in pupils’ aspirations and independent learning skills. Villiers High School - 13 13. The attitudes and behaviour seen in lessons during the inspection were good overall and were based on the good relationships that generally prevail throughout the school. The pupils’ response to teaching was very good or excellent in nearly a quarter of lessons. In Years 7 to 9 it was

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

consistently good: most pupils were interested in the topics, concentrated on their tasks and were conscientious about their homework. They are often reluctant to make contributions to the whole class but respond very well to opportunities to work together in pairs and small groups. In the best lessons in Years 10 and 11, for example in the top sets in English and mathematics, the pupils responded very well to the high level of challenge and the opportunity to engage in group discussion. In a few lessons, mainly in lower-attaining groups, some of the pupils were not inspired by the activity, talked too much and showed disrespect to the teacher.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. The pupils are generally enthusiastic about the school and the activities that it offers. This can be seen in the impressive annual school magazine to which pupils from all year groups contribute, their celebration of refugee communities through the ‘Migrating Swallows’ project and their participation in the ‘Love Science’ production which was performed at The Royal Opera House. The younger pupils like the wide variety of new opportunities available to them, especially in the practical subjects such as drama, physical education, art and technology. The older pupils appreciate the improvements in facilities and the opportunities to take part in work experience, school productions and trips. Pupils from both key stages have concerns about some aspects of school life, however. These include inconsistencies in practice between teachers and provision in physical education. Some of their views are listened to, for example the school council is planning

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

a survey to gather pupils’ ideas about improving arrangements at lunch-time.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Behaviour around the school is mainly good. The pupils move around the corridors and staircases in a lively and good-humoured manner. They are well disciplined at assemblies and in the canteen. Few lessons were disrupted by bad behaviour; however, there is poor behaviour amongst a small minority of pupils in all year groups. This is reflected in the high rates of both permanent and fixed-period exclusions which have continued this term and which are significantly higher than at the last inspection. Incidents include physical violence resulting in police action, bullying, verbal abuse and theft. Most of those pupils permanently excluded were on the school’s special educational needs register for emotional and behavioural difficulties. A small number of parents attending the pre-inspection meeting expressed significant concerns about pupils’ behaviour outside school. Inspectors did not find any evidence to justify these views.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. The pupils are making good progress in their personal development. Throughout the school they are increasingly taking responsibility for recording and monitoring their own achievements through, for example, their homework diaries and progress files, and for evaluating their academic progress with their teachers and parents. They are keen to do more work by themselves but say that they are often frustrated by difficulties in gaining access to the ICT rooms and the library, although both facilities are available to them at lunchtime and after school. The school is appropriately highlighting the further development of pupils’ independence in its new school improvement plan. As at the last inspection, the pupils willingly undertake responsibilities in the classroom and around the school. The older pupils play a valuable role in school life and learn skills of leadership through being prefects, peer listeners and school council representatives.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. Attendance has been maintained at above average rates since the last inspection and has improved still further. This is a significant achievement for the school, its pupils and their parents. In the autumn term so far, attendance is over 93 per cent throughout the school and over 92 per cent at Key Stage 4. These good levels of attendance have a very positive effect on the standards which pupils are able to reach, especially in Year 11. Unauthorised absence is below the national average. A small number of parents were concerned about truancy after registrations but inspectors found that the few incidents are picked up quickly by the school. Punctuality is good, with the vast majority of pupils arriving at school and to lessons on time.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

Villiers High School - 14 18. The good overall teaching in the school is a significant reason for the good progress made by the pupils. This is particularly the case in Years 10 and 11, where there is a higher proportion of the best teaching than in the lower part of the school. Pupils work hard in lessons and learn new skills rapidly. Teaching has improved since the last inspection in that less is unsatisfactory and slightly more is very good or excellent.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. Many teachers have a sound command of their subject material which they present in a lively and interesting manner. This engages the pupils who respond by working hard and with interest. This subject expertise is evident when teachers used skilled and probing questioning to extend the pupils’ thinking and understanding. This was seen to very good effect in a Year 8 science lesson on reproduction as the pupils’ knowledge was extended by probing questions which also assessed and built on their prior attainment. Teachers in these lessons have high expectations and provide a good level of challenge that also extends thinking and understanding. Challenging teaching inspired the pupils in religious education as they learnt about what might constitute a ‘just war’. A cracking pace was generated in a Year 10 media studies lesson studying the history of a popular song. Learning was managed very effectively, the pace was demanding and the work set

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

challenging. A very challenging Year 10 top set mathematics lesson extended thinking as the pupils developed the skills of putting a series of statements together to explain their reasoning and their proof of a problem. Where the teacher’s expertise is less sound, understanding is not developed sufficiently; main learning points are skirted around and not developed fully.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. There are many good examples where teachers use and develop the pupils’ ICT skills to support learning in several subjects, as in a very good Year 7 Punjabi lesson where the pupils produced a poster of classroom rules using a computer or in a lively and thought-provoking religious education lesson where Year 11 pupils looked at current issues as reported on the Internet. A further valuable example was seen in a Year 10 art lesson when the interactive whiteboard was used to present the lesson structure as the pupils confidently worked at developing and manipulating a computer-generated image. Such examples are not seen consistently throughout the school as opportunities to use computers are not planned sufficiently systematically and coherently to give all pupils equal opportunities to develop and apply their skills.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. Much effective learning takes place in lessons where the teacher adopts a variety of methods to interest and stimulate the pupils. This is often linked to very careful planning, particularly when some sessions last for three consecutive lessons, as in a Year 11 textiles lesson, where a wide range of methods was adopted, allowing the pupils to be interested throughout. Resources and a variety of styles were used effectively in a well planned and prepared Year 7 religious education lesson introducing Buddhism – the lesson was interesting and motivating with clear aims and objectives. In a well-managed, carefully planned and thoughtfully organised Year 11 PSHE lesson on budgeting, a fast pace was generated through the good use of a range of methods. Similarly, a brisk pace was generated in an excellent Year 8 English lesson studying the media world in newspapers, but the teacher remained attentive to the needs of all pupils. Entertaining methods

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

were used to intrigue and animate the pupils and excellent team work was evident from the two teachers.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. By contrast, a small number of lessons are dreary and uninspiring, leading to boredom and inattentiveness, or the teacher talks too much, thus limiting the pupils’ opportunities to become involved in their learning. Where there are particular weaknesses in teaching these are associated in some instances with the inability of the teacher to manage the behaviour of the pupils effectively. As a result, the flow and pace of learning slowed when the teacher either ignored the poor behaviour or had to spend an excessive amount of time in trying to control it. In some cases this is associated with unclear objectives for the lesson or insufficient explanation of what the pupils are to undertake. One specific shortcoming in French and Spanish lessons is that insufficient use is made of the target language, with most of the lesson being conducted in English. This severely limits the pupils’ opportunities to practise and develop their skills.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. The implementation of the National Literacy Strategy in the English department has been satisfactory and good planning has identified the activities which have been most productive in improving learning and attainment. Very good use is being made of these in some classes and Villiers High School - 15 others would benefit from more attention to the recommended lesson structure. In the school as a whole, the effects of the strategy are variable. Few departments have their own policies for literacy but some schemes of work include use of key words, writing frames and activities to develop speaking and listening skills. Good work in literacy was noted in religious education, drama, geography and ICT. Subjects such as art, physical education and music which do not traditionally have a literacy or literary emphasis could identify more precisely the part which language skills and literature could play in their schemes of work. Literacy is an explicit requirement of all lesson

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

plans. There are some very good examples of contributions to literacy; however, not all teachers are implementing this requirement effectively.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. Marking policy rightly focuses on providing pupils with comments which will help them to improve the standard of their work and attainment. Pupils are not provided with their National Curriculum levels or predicted GCSE grades, although teachers can keep a record of these if they wish. The pupils are therefore very reliant on written and oral comments to know how they are progressing. Frequently, however, marking is not done or comments made are restricted to the presentation of work. Marking is carried out very well in science, ICT, geography and design and technology where it supports and enhances the pupils’ learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25. Teaching generally shows inconsistent use of resources and teaching strategies specifically designed to aid the learning of pupils with special educational needs. In the best lessons, there is good use of a variety of approaches including the use of targeted questioning, visual aids and a range of tasks focused on the learning objectives. Generally, however, teachers do not show evidence of planning to meet the specific requirements of pupils with special educational needs. Teaching assistants are very well trained and are generally effectively used by subject staff. Liaison between the learning support department and subject teachers is developing through the teaching assistants being linked to subject departments and through the involvement of subject departments in the monitoring of the pupils’ progress towards their specific individual education plan targets. Individual education plans are of good quality. The targets in them are clear, criteria

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

are given for the achievement of the targets and strategies and resources are suggested for use by teaching staff and teaching assistants.

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PUPILS?

26. The school offers a satisfactory range of learning opportunities. Statutory requirements for the teaching of the National Curriculum are met, with the exception of ICT. Insufficient time is devoted to history and geography in Years 7 to 9 to enable the expected depth of study to take place, as at the time of the previous inspection. There is also insufficient time for religious education to meet the expectations set out in the locally agreed syllabus. The diversity of languages offered from Year 7 onwards is good and recognises the strengths that many pupils have in this area.

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PUPILS?

27. The school is taking account of developments with the Key Stage 3 national strategy. Two literacy training days have been held, staff are aware of the key principles and there are good examples of each subject area contributing to the development of key skills. Numeracy developments are less advanced. Consequently, where subjects are helping pupils to use numeracy as part of subject teaching, it is often in isolation of what is being taught in other subjects or in mathematics. Booster classes in preparation for Year 9 tests have been successfully implemented, especially in science.

p.15

PUPILS?

28. The school is working with some success to meet the needs of all pupils. The programme for pupils identified as gifted or talented in a particular area enriches their experiences and enables them to make good progress. The arrangements to support the language development needs of early learners of English are good. Their needs are carefully assessed and met well in small withdrawal groups. The provision for more advanced learners of English is less effective, partly because of the failure of some teachers to adapt methods and materials sufficiently. A number of vocational options have been introduced into the curriculum in Years 10 and 11 since the previous Villiers High School - 16 inspection and this is enabling the needs and aspirations of a greater proportion of the pupils to be met. There is an increasing coherence to work-related learning, including work experience and careers education and guidance. The recent appointment of a co-ordinator for external links

p.15

PUPILS?

should further secure the pupils’ experiences in this aspect.

p.16

PUPILS?

29. The school provides the same broad, balanced curriculum for pupils with special educational needs as it does for all its pupils. Pupils who need extra work on literacy take only one foreign language and the time made available is used for lessons to improve their reading, writing and understanding of English. Pupils are generally taught alongside their peers with a minimum of withdrawal into smaller teaching groups to develop their literacy.

p.16

PUPILS?

30. Links with feeder primary schools have improved and the school now has quicker access to a better range of information and data on the pupils. Some teachers have visited primary classrooms to observe the teaching methods and levels at which the pupils are working. It is too early for this to have systematically fed back into the schemes of work, but there is a heightened awareness of issues about repetition and progression in Year 7. A new, local sixth form centre is to be opened soon. Relationships with key personnel at the new centre are being established and this should enable Villiers High School to form productive curriculum links and to aid pupil transfer. At the moment, pupils transfer to a variety of different institutions to continue with their post-16 education.

p.16

PUPILS?

31. A range of additional activities extends the experiences of individual and groups of pupils. A group of Key Stage 4 pupils, for example, put on a short play for Key Stage 3 pupils about animal experimentation and laboratory rats. There are trips to museums and galleries, and links with schools in other parts of the country and even internationally are developing well. Opportunities are also provided for the pupils to extend their knowledge and skills through booster activities, in preparation for Year 9 tests for example, and through continuing with their work in technology workshops or ICT suites. There are, however, fewer opportunities provided in areas such as sport and physical education. Some departments, such as science, have set themselves a target of introducing more extra-curricular activity.

p.16

PUPILS?

32. The school makes satisfactory provision for the pupils’ personal development, with that for social and moral development being good. There are some good opportunities for the pupils to take responsibility, through prefect duties for example. Pupils are involved in a peer listening scheme and the school council has helped to develop a paper recycling scheme and a health in the community initiative. Many lessons are specifically structured to require pupils to work together, to co-operate and support each other in their learning and work productively in groups. The PSHE programme enables the pupils to explore moral and social issues, including sex and drug education. It is also making a strong contribution to the development of the key principles of citizenship. Visits to museums and galleries help to broaden the pupils’ cultural development and this is supported further through work with visiting artists. Displays, such as those in science,

p.16

PUPILS?

encourage the pupils to interact with some of the social and moral implications of scientific research. The time devoted to religious education limits the contribution of this subject to social, spiritual, moral and cultural development.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

33. The range and quality of pastoral care, support and guidance provided by the school remains good. The pastoral structure of heads of year and form tutors who move up the school with their year groups, and ensures that most pupils feel reasonably secure and well known in this large school. Members of the pastoral team combine their experience from many years’ service with a willingness to try new ideas in order to raise achievement. For example, the team has introduced case conferences where the individual needs of pupils who have been identified as being of concern are discussed with the staff who teach them and plans for action are devised. Morning and afternoon registration periods are used effectively to help pupils with their learning and development. This is an improvement since the last inspection. The school makes effective use of a good number and range of strategies and agencies in its efforts to remove barriers to learning.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

Villiers High School - 17 This drive is particularly successful in the last few months of the pupils’ compulsory schooling when there is a great focus on helping pupils on the borderline of achieving five A*-C grades at GCSE. The learning mentors funded by the Excellence in Cities initiative, for example, provide very good guidance to selected Year 11 pupils on how to manage their work and behaviour in the run-up to coursework deadlines and examinations so that they can achieve their potential. Their contribution is now appropriately being extended to support and guide other groups within the school, such as Year 7 pupils with low self-esteem and Year 9 and 10 pupils of black heritage who are underachieving.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

34. Procedures for monitoring and improving attendance are very effective. The school employs a former head of year with long experience of the school and the families who send their children to it, for four days a week to follow up swiftly absences from registrations and lessons. She also counsels and supports pupils and parents, sometimes by home visits, when there are circumstances preventing regular attendance. She keeps very good records which enable her to identify patterns and trends very quickly, for example in extended holidays and truancy. The monitoring of attendance is improving even further with the trialling of a new registration system which enables all staff to check the attendance of pupils lesson by lesson on their lap-top computers.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

35. Procedures for monitoring and improving behaviour are satisfactory, with room for improvement, as the school itself recognises in its development plans. The whole-school behaviour policy is regularly reviewed and updated in the light of staff experience and national guidance. There is a good focus on the importance of classroom management in controlling pupils’ behaviour. The rewards systems are being refreshed with a view to introducing a more motivating structure for all age groups. During this transition period, some pupils are reporting inconsistencies in the allocation of rewards. The school is working with several specialists, some from the local education authority, to devise programmes of support for pupils with challenging behaviour. These have not yet had an impact on reducing the rate of permanent and fixed period exclusions. The school has worked hard to reduce the incidence of bullying and name-calling. Methods used

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

include assemblies, the school council, the training of older pupils as ‘peer listeners’ and the PSHE programme, backed up by the school’s clear anti-bullying policy statement.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36. The procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress across the curriculum are developing. Overall the systems for assessing pupils’ attainment and monitoring their academic progress are satisfactory, but there is some inconsistency in the way that faculty areas carry out the school’s policies. Data for all pupils is collected on a central database, is available to all staff and consists of pupils’ levels at the end of each key stage, annual examination marks, report grades and an assessment of whether pupils are achieving their potential. Pupils who are underachieving are identified and referred to pastoral staff to support them. Subject teachers also identify those causing concern and set them targets.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. Academic progress is monitored within faculty areas and is generally satisfactory. In art the processes for monitoring are good, but in music and modern foreign languages they are unsatisfactory, owing to their infrequency. Although it is an expectation of the school that each lesson plan should have methods of assessment built into it, this is inconsistently carried out. Assessment systems are sometimes used to guide planning, for example in art the schemes of work have been reviewed; however, in ICT, music and modern foreign languages this aspect is unsatisfactory.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. The co-ordinator for special educational needs manages the process for the identification and assessment of pupils’ needs effectively. Good links with primary schools facilitate arrangements for individual pupils on entry to the school and there are satisfactory systems within the school to identify pupils with special educational needs after this. Statements are reviewed regularly. The provision stated on them is in place, supplied by a very well-trained and able team of teaching assistants. Liaison with a wide range of external agencies is very good. The progress of pupils with special educational needs is assessed and monitored in the same way as all pupils through the school’s database. These records and the pupils’ individual education plans are available to all staff. Individual education plans are of good quality, with specific targets, suggested strategies Villiers High School - 18

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

and resources, and include contributions from the pupil and parents. However, these have only recently been written. It is planned that they should be reviewed once each term through input from subject teachers. At present, however, due to the previous lack of setting of short-term targets for pupils with special educational needs, there is no method of measuring their specific progress over time.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. The school’s arrangements for child protection are good. The designated teacher and his assistant in child protection matters are highly experienced and up to date with local procedures. Heads of year are trained and all staff are briefed annually. The school’s health and safety policy, on the other hand, has not been reviewed by the governing body for a number of years, in breach of legal requirements. Arrangements have been left to staff but these have sometimes been disrupted by difficulties in recruiting and retaining key administrative and premises personnel. Procedures are now improving, under an experienced chair of the governors’ building sub- committee together with the appointment of a new director of finance, facilities and information who has a clear responsibility for health and safety. Appropriate measures have been taken to improve the security of the site, which are enhanced by the use of prefects to check on pupils’ passes

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

when they leave and return at lunch-time and good liaison with the local school beat officer. A programme of remedying hazardous deficiencies in the accommodation has been drawn up and is being implemented, although progress is slow in some areas, for example in physical education. The headteacher and caretaker are vigilant as they walk around the site but there is no formal system of risk assessment. The arrangements for first aid are unsatisfactory. There are not enough first aiders with up-to-date training. There is no first aid cover outside office hours. There has been no training to help staff deal with particular medical conditions. There is no person in charge of first aid arrangements.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

40. The majority of parents have positive views about the school. A greater number than at the last inspection responded to the questionnaire and they expressed particular satisfaction with the school’s expectations of their children to work hard and achieve their best. They are also pleased with the progress their children are making. A quarter of those responding to the questionnaire were concerned about aspects of communication with the school and provision of activities outside lessons. The inspection team found that these features are generally satisfactory but that there is room for improvement. A very small number of parents attending the pre-inspection meeting expressed major concerns about the school. Inspectors found that the broad picture painted by these parents of a school where standards are falling is not true.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

41. The school has a satisfactory partnership with the parents of its pupils, with some good features as the school tries out different ways of informing and involving them in their children’s education. Most parents are keen for their children to do well, and support the school very effectively to reinforce its aims of hard work and good behaviour. They ensure that their children attend regularly and on time. They are eager to know how well their children are doing as was seen by their high attendance at the new-style pupil-parent consultation days held this term. At these, they heard their own children a summary of progress so far and the individual targets set which will be reviewed with them next term. Parents’ attendance was not as good at the Key Stage 3 curriculum evening which gave them the opportunity to meet their children’s subject teachers and find out what is being taught and how they can help. Homework diaries are better used as a

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

means of communication between home and school than at the last inspection. Written reports from Years 7 to 10 give parents a good picture of their children’s strengths, weaknesses and progress in most subjects. Parents of pupils in Years 10 and 11 are very well informed about GCSE course requirements and how they can help their children revise. Good written information about the school is provided in newsletters but these do not always reach the parents because of the uncertainties of relying on pupils to deliver them home. The school’s web-site already provides some useful information for parents but could be exploited further to ensure that those with access to the Internet can find out more about the school, for example the names of the governors and reminders of key dates. Much communication is by telephone but heads of year are not always able to respond straight away because they also teach. E-mail could be used more as an

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

Villiers High School - 19 alternative. The school has sufficient bilingual staff to enable it to communicate with most parents whose first language is not English, and it appropriately uses the local education authority’s translation service for Tamil speakers.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

42. Parents make a good contribution to the work of the school through their support of their children’s education. Many parents and carers of pupils with special educational needs attend their children’s annual review meeting in response to the school’s strenuous efforts to involve them. Similarly, many parents of pupils identified as gifted and talented have been visited at home to engage their support for the study skills programme. The school is making good attempts to encourage parents to have a wider involvement in the life of the school through TOPS, the teacher- parent-student association. Under the leadership of a parent who is also a learning mentor, the group has held a community event in the local park to raise awareness of health issues. The school has worked with groups of parents on developing the home-school agreement, but does not systematically seek the views of parents nor consult with them on school development, as

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

required by the principles of best value.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

43. The headteacher has a clear vision and has successfully shaped the direction that the school has followed since the last inspection. Her leadership style and the management structures introduced have focused sharply on improving teaching and raising standards and have served the school well. With the exception of two recent appointments, other members of senior management are long-serving. All are effective in their individual roles.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

44. The role of the head of department has developed considerably under the astute guidance of the headteacher and senior management. The processes of line management and faculty review have both given heads of department a much clearer view of how they can make a difference. Management of the core subjects and design and technology is particularly effective and has enabled change to be embraced to the benefit of pupils; however, there are some weaknesses in the management of French and Spanish, partly, but not completely accounted for by illness.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

45. A wide range of processes have been introduced since the last inspection to monitor the work of staff and departments so that change and improvement can be secured. The system of faculty review is a thorough process and is enabling departments to reflect more closely on the work that they do. It is also developing well in staff the skills of self-evaluation. Monitoring the work of staff through classroom observation is also rigorous but does not always focus on current priorities within the school and their impact on classroom practice. The focus in all of these activities is well linked to the continuing professional development of staff, who show a strong commitment to the school, the pupils and to improving their own performance. One inventive initiative has been to provide coaching for some staff and working alongside others to develop particular aspects of their work. The school sees this as a major tool in its drive to improve the quality of teaching.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

46. The school has much test and examination data available in a manageable form. It uses this to good effect to monitor the progress of individuals, to identify any potential underachievement and then to take action. The school is less adept at using data to evaluate its effectiveness or the success of action taken, particularly on groups of pupils. It therefore has no clear picture whether or not the work done is as effective as it could be and more importantly the resources allocated are being used to best purpose.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

47. The governing body does not have the processes in place to give it the capacity to fulfil its role or to ensure that all statutory requirements are met. Governing body committees do not have clear terms of reference to guide their work and to inform their operation. The governors who lead committees are unsure of how they might carry out their functions more effectively and feel that they are not provided with sufficient information. Governors do not prepare and review policies that should shape the operation of the school on a regular basis. In many cases policies are old and out of date, and in some cases do not exist. For example, the statutory requirement is not fulfilled to have an agreed policy on race equality and to monitor its implementation. There is not a regular Villiers High School - 20 and systematic process by which policies are reviewed and updated to take account of changes in

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

legislation and the governing body does not monitor policy implementation. As such, governors do not have a secure basis on which to monitor the work of the school and hold senior management to account for their actions. Governors are also unable to identify whether or not the school fulfils its statutory responsibilities. There is a feeling amongst some governors that they are not enabled to fulfil their role in the way they would like, although few show great commitment to gaining a good understanding of the school and attendance at meetings is irregular for several. The school is currently in the process of constructing a new long-term development plan, bringing this in line with the financial, rather than the academic year. This is a process in which few governors have shown significant interest.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

48. The recently appointed financial manager is coming to grips with the financial systems within the school and is striving to improve financial control, which had not been fully secure in the past. The most recent audit report highlighted a several areas where control needed to be tightened and made several recommendations, which the school is striving to follow. Governors have also not adopted a best value statement and do not apply its principles to inform the decisions that they make. Consultation with stakeholders, including governors, is very limited; criteria by which governors can evaluate whether or not they are getting value for money from spending decisions are inadequate and the school does not compare and contrast its performance sufficiently with other schools.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49. The governors’ annual report and prospectus do not include all the information for parents that is legally required. Omissions include: full details of test and examination results compared with the school’s targets and national data; the destinations of pupils leaving school at 16; the success of the school’s special educational needs policy; the admission and treatment of disabled pupils; how funding from the local education authority is spent.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. Staffing levels are good. The school has a significant number of long-serving staff which has provided stability for pupils. At the same time the school successfully attracts new staff with fresh ideas through its involvement in teacher training schemes. Staffing is good in art, design and technology, geography, history, Punjabi and physical education. Teaching assistants make a valuable contribution to the support of pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language. The school has made good progress in supporting staff through professional development, which was a key issue at the last inspection. The process is now well organised and structured. It is linked firmly to the cycle of performance management and school development, and makes effective use of training opportunities ranging from formal courses to informal coaching. The school has successfully achieved the Investors in People award.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. Teaching assistants are well trained in supporting both pupils with special educational needs and pupils with English as an additional language and are shared between both groups of pupils. Their training has improved since the last inspection. They are deployed well into the teaching groups that need them; however, there is generally too little teaching assistant support for the number of pupils who need additional help in the classroom.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. Accommodation is satisfactory overall. Much work has been completed in the last few years, but more needs to be done. There is sufficient space for teaching nearly all subjects, although some rooms are a little small for the numbers in the classes. Some departments benefit from specialist or well-adapted rooms where pupils’ work can be effectively displayed, for example art, music, Punjabi and religious education. The science laboratories are currently unsatisfactory but in the process of being refurbished. The facilities for physical education, both indoor and outdoor, are poor and have a negative effect on standards and provision. Most of the school is inaccessible to any pupil in a wheelchair, including the library which is too small for the numbers in the school.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. Learning resources are satisfactory. This is an improvement since the last inspection when the enhancement of resources was a key issue for action. Resources are at least satisfactory in all subjects and good in art, design and technology, music, religious education and Urdu. There are still some shortages of textbooks in English and history. Much money was spent last year on computers, bringing the ratio of computers to pupils up to the national average; however, some Villiers High School - 21 pupils report that access to computers is not always easy. Good improvements have been made to the library since the last inspection with the appointment of a full-time professional librarian. She improved the quality of the book stock, monitored borrowing patterns and acted on the findings, and ran exciting projects to encourage reading.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. The experienced special educational needs co-ordinator has been in post since January 2002 and has a clear idea of the future direction of the department in its role of providing teaching which matches different learning styles. She has provided training for staff on the use of teaching assistants in the classroom and the use of different teaching strategies, approaches and resources to meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs. The introduction of individual education plans, which are reviewed termly, will enable the progress of pupils with special educational needs to be monitored closely. The links between the learning support department and subject departments are developing because teaching assistants are attached to subject departments and subject teachers will be involved in the review of individual pupils’ targets through the intranet. At present there is no special educational needs policy to provide information

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

and clarify expectations for all staff as detailed in the new Code of Practice.

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

55. In order to build on the good progress made since the last inspection and to raise standards further, the school should:

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Improve the provision for teaching ICT by preparing, implementing and monitoring a plan that guarantees all pupils’ rights to a coherent programme of skill development and application, and by: • Ensuring that all pupils are taught the skills required by the National Curriculum • Ensuring that all subjects fulfil their statutory responsibilities to develop and apply the pupils’ skills consistently and systematically • Developing an assessment system to evaluate the progress and attainment of pupils, particularly in Years 10 and 11 (paragraphs 10, 20, 26, 37, 113, 114, 116 and 117))

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Provide teaching time for religious education that is in line with the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus, particularly in Years 10 and 11 (paragraphs 26, 146, 148 and 149)

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) Improve the quality of teaching in French and Spanish so that pupils can achieve higher standards in particular by: • Ensuring that teachers use the language more extensively in lessons • Adapting teaching methods to meet the needs of pupils more closely • Improving marking and assessment procedures so that the pupils are clearer about how to improve their work • Providing greater opportunities for the pupils to become more responsible for their learning (paragraphs 8, 22, 118, 119, 120, 123 and 124)

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(4) Ensure that the governing body is in a position to fulfil its role effectively by: • Providing each committee with clear terms of reference to inform its work • Increasing the level of expertise through a programme of governor training • Ensuring that all policies to guide the work of the school are in place, are regularly reviewed to a clear timescale and have a system to monitor their implementation • Establishing clear criteria and procedures by which governors can exercise oversight of the work of the school • Ensuring that all governors play a more active part in preparing the strategic long- term plan for the school’s development • Introducing procedures whereby governors can more closely monitor the management of finances Villiers High School - 22 • Ensuring that all statutory responsibilities are met and particularly those in relation to Race Equality Policy, ICT teaching, religious education, collective worship and

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

both the prospectus and the governors’ annual report to parents. (paragraphs 47 - 49)

p.22

Other issues which should be considered by the school

56. In addition to the items above, the governors may wish to consider the inclusion of the following points in their action plan: • Improve the accommodation in physical education, food studies and textiles. (paragraphs 52) • Improve first aid arrangements. (paragraphs 39) • Ensure greater consistency in the promotion of numeracy and citizenship. (paragraphs 9, 27, 95 and 96) • Ensure greater consistency to the implementation of the school’s assessment policy. (paragraphs 36-37) Villiers High School - 23

p.22

ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

57. Over ninety per cent of pupils are at the higher stages of learning English as an additional language. They do not require additional support as they take full part in the mainstream curriculum. Their achievement is good in all subjects and they progress well. They do well in GCSE examinations. Pupils at the early stages of learning English as an additional language also achieve well in smaller classes taught by specialist teachers. Where pupils receive support in classes, given by teaching assistants who may share the pupils’ language, they make satisfactory progress but it is not consistent across departments and the school as a whole. Ninety-nine pupils receive support on a small withdrawal group basis across the school, most of which is aimed at parallel yet separate English language provision which helps pupils to gain certificates through the administration of JETSET tests.

p.23

ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

58. The subject teachers, on the whole, have good strategies for meeting the pupils’ general needs but those at the early stages have fewer opportunities for supported speaking and listening and effective models of spoken and written language in classes. Those who are at the more advanced levels do not get sufficient support and sometimes struggle to achieve their academic potential to develop understanding and skills in subject specific language. This slows down their achievement and attainment particularly in Key Stage 3.

p.23

ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

59. The quality of teaching and learning for pupils who are at the early stages of learning English is good. The teachers plan their lessons well and use their subject expertise effectively to balance speaking and listening, and reading and writing activities to enable pupils to improve their use of English. Appropriate strategies, including very effective demonstrations and simplified instructions, help pupils to make progress well, sometimes beyond expectations both in understanding the language and the rules of grammar. For example, in a Year 7 group, the teacher explained what ‘possessions’ are and ‘what is special?’ by opening her handbag and showing them some of the things she keeps in it such as keys, pens, paper and a mobile phone. Pupils were encouraged to talk about what they had in their pockets, which was extended to things they consider special in their homes. The pupils talked about items like computers, play

p.23

ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

stations, bicycles, books, clothes and prayer mats and why they were special to them. Where there is a wide range of ability and insufficient additional support, regardless of the best efforts of the teacher and learning assistant, pupils do not achieve their full potential as was observed in ASDAN lessons in Year 10, which are more suitable for pupils with special needs.

p.23

ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

60. On the whole, pupils respond very well, eagerly and readily as they gain confidence and feel secure. They collaborate well with each other as a diverse multicultural and multilingual group and they are happy to share their experiences and learning with each other. Some who have been in the school a lot longer than the more recent arrivals assist their peers by helping them to settle in school and interpreting for them. They take full responsibility in school and have gained tremendous self-confidence, though their academic language still needs development. Out of a group of 8 pupils who are learning English as an additional language and have been in the country for less than two years, three have become prefects.

p.23

ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

61. Pupils are assessed on entry by a teaching assistant, and an identification of those needing additional support is made and recorded. In addition, regular assessments are made to ascertain pupils’ progress and to identify any areas of particular concern. The curriculum leader oversees provision but does not directly teach pupils who learn English as an additional language. He provides training to teaching and non-teaching staff. Teaching assistants work as special needs assistants and are answerable to the special needs co-ordinator. A short induction programme may be set up, if resources are available, for new and refugee pupils.

p.23

ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

62. As mentioned in the previous report the total volume of support remains insufficient to meet the needs of all pupils, although special needs assistants are being trained to support pupils who are at the early stages of learning English. There are some culturally relevant and bilingual resources such as dictionaries in the specialist area, with a designated computer room for teaching English. Villiers High School - 24 Villiers High School - 25

p.23

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 58

p.25

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very poor

p.25

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching.

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll 1143

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 401

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 23

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 201

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 1060

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 61

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 54

p.25

Attendance

National comparative data 7.8 National comparative data 1.2 Villiers High School - 26 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Villiers High School - 27

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 3 (Year 9)

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 3 for the latest reporting year 2002 119 120 239

p.27

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 3 (Year 9)

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.27

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 3 (Year 9)

Boys 51 68 64 Numbers of pupils at NC Level 5 and above Girls 66 67 67

p.27

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 3 (Year 9)

Percentage of pupils School 49 (56) 58 (63) 55 (58) at NC Level 5 or above National 66 (64) 67 (66) 66 (66)

p.27

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 3 (Year 9)

Percentage of pupils School 13 (16) 33 (31) 24 (25) at NC Level 6 or above National 32 (31) 45 (43) 33 (34)

p.27

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 3 (Year 9)

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.27

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 3 (Year 9)

Boys 62 70 68 Numbers of pupils at NC Level 5 and above Girls 77 65 59

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 3 (Year 9)

Percentage of pupils School 58 (60) 57 (54) 53 (54) at NC Level 5 or above National 67 (65) 70 (68) 67 (64)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 3 (Year 9)

Percentage of pupils School 27 (26) 29 (29) 31 (25) at NC Level 6 or above National 32 (31) 44 (42) 34 (33)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 3 (Year 9)

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 4 (Year 11)

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 4 for the latest reporting year 2002 127 98 225

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 4 (Year 11)

GCSE results 5 or more grades A*-C 5 or more grades A*-G 1 or more grades A*-G

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 4 (Year 11)

Boys 56 120 124 Numbers of pupils achieving the standard specified Girls 65 102 103

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 4 (Year 11)

Percentage of pupils achieving School 54 (47) 98 (97) 99 (100) the standard specified National 50 (48) 91 (91) 96 (96)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 4 (Year 11)

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 4 (Year 11)

Average point score School 43.8 Villiers High School - 28 per pupil National 39.8

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 4 (Year 11)

Figures in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 191 8

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 4 5

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 89 2

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 23 4 1

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – African 102 19 1

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – any other Black background 4

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and classes: Y7 – Y11

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 71.5 Financial year 2001-2002

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 16.3

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 26 Total income 4,334,371

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 661.5 Total expenditure 4,333,288

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Deployment of teachers: Y7 – Y11 Expenditure per pupil 3,701 Percentage of time teachers spend in contact with classes 71.4 Balance brought forward from previous year -37,757

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Average teaching group size: Y7 – Y11 Balance carried forward to next year 0 Villiers High School - 29 Key Stage 3 23.8

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 24

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 27

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Villiers High School - 30

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Percentage of responses in each category

Strongly agree Tend to agree Tend to disagree Strongly disagree Don’t know

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 37 51 5 1 5

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 46 36 9 5 5

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 36 45 11 7 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 35 39 19 6 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 43 37 7 5 7

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 57 32 5 2 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 28 40 16 9 7

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 30 47 7 4 12

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 39 38 11 4 8

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 31 33 17 5 14

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Other issues raised by parents

The small number of parents who attended the pre-inspection meeting were much less supportive and in some cases quite critical of the school. Their concerns about behaviour and the school’s responses to their concerns were very much outweighed by the large number of positive questionnaire replies. Villiers High School - 31

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ENGLISH

Overall, the quality of provision in English is satisfactory .

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ENGLISH

Strengths • A high proportion of pupils are entered for and achieve good standards at GCSE. • There is good leadership and organisation of the department. • The stability and teamwork of the English staff is good.

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ENGLISH

Areas for improvement • The attainment of pupils in national tests in Year 9 needs to be raised. • The overall quality of teaching needs to match the very good lessons seen.

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ENGLISH

63. In the national tests taken at the end of Year 9, standards have remained below the national average for the past four years. There has been a decline since the previous inspection, when they were reported as close to the national figure; however, in comparison with similar schools, attainment is good. Following a sharp dip in 1999, standards have moved forward steadily; however, results in mathematics and science were better than in English. There was a particularly marked contrast in higher-level attainment, with very few pupils reaching the higher Level 6 in English. Standards at GCSE have improved since the last inspection. The percentage of pupils attaining A*-C grades in English and in English literature has risen slightly over the past three years and is now close to the national average. Literature remains further below average with 52 per cent of pupils attaining A*-C grades in comparison with the national figure of 65 per cent. In

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ENGLISH

2000, attainment at the highest level was particularly good. 9 per cent of pupils gained A* or A in English and 12 per cent in literature. High-level attainment was similar in English this year but the number attaining A*-A in literature has dropped to only 1 per cent. These results represent good achievement in a school where the large majority of pupils speak English as their second language and where attainment on entry has been well below average. Commendably, the English department enters all pupils for both English examinations and very few fail to obtain a grade. Girls do better than boys in both the Year 9 tests and GCSE English, as they do nationally. The gender gap is wider in the GCSE examinations than in the corresponding Year 9 tests.

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ENGLISH

64. Work seen during the inspection indicates that in general these standards are being maintained and that the key areas for improvement have been identified and targeted. The quality of teaching is good overall in both key stages. It results in the maintenance of good standards of work in Years 10 and 11, and evidence of gradual improvement in attainment by the end of Year 9. In both key stages, pupils at early stages of English acquisition and those with the potential for very high attainment present the greatest challenge and opportunity for teachers. Support for pupils with special educational needs is generally good, and some examples of very effective liaison and support were seen.

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ENGLISH

65. Pupils listen well in class. Most are eager to learn, and they want to understand and follow instructions. They ask questions if they do not understand and sometimes challenge the statements or views that they hear. They work well in pairs and sometimes in groups, although group discussion is more successful in Years 10 and 11. They do not have enough opportunities for more sustained talk, for example by preparing presentations, arguing a case, taking part in whole class discussion and debate. A presentation to the whole-class was made after a short preparation in a Year 11 lesson, where very good small group discussion preceded the talk by one of the group. There was little evidence of research, at home or in the library, being used as preparation for pupils to take the lead and make a more sustained presentation to their class.

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ENGLISH

66. The books chosen for class work in Years 7 to 9 and for GCSE study in Years 10 and 11 provide a good range of reading. A Year 11 class showed keen interest in their GCSE text An Inspector Calls , and in a Year 9 class there was lively reading aloud of extracts from Macbeth . A small Villiers High School - 32 stand of attractive books is provided in classrooms but pupils were not seen choosing or reading books and there was little general talk of books in lessons, apart from those being studied. Some opportunities in lessons for making links, offering suggestions or sharing recommendations were missed.

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ENGLISH

67. Pupils write regularly in lessons and for homework, and basic skills are being steadily improved. There are good examples of imaginative writing in current files and exercise books and the school has published volumes of pupils’ poetry. GCSE work includes some thoughtful critical and analytical essays on books being studied but their quality does not yet match the previous higher- level attainment in literature. In Years 7 to 9 the submission of written work for marking is not frequent enough and the use of the GCSE coursework model, with several major assignments per term, is less suitable at this stage. The teachers’ fuller evaluations and comments, although usually very thorough, are confined to these stored folders of work. There is little use of marking as a dialogue between teacher and pupil, with weekly comments and targets helping the pupils to check their progress and see improvements. Brief comments such as ‘Good effort’ or ‘Well done”

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ENGLISH

do not help pupils to recognise strengths and weaknesses in their work.

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ENGLISH

68. The quality of teaching in the lessons was satisfactory overall. Two good, one very good and one outstanding lesson show that there is excellent practice in the department to be shared and developed. In the best lessons, the planning and the preparation of material were very thorough, as was timing. The lesson objectives were clear and the pace brisk, although the needs of slower learners were not neglected. Although there was a careful plan for the lessons, teachers were quick to see appropriate opportunities for occasional deviation and extension, to get pupils thinking and to extend their experience and vocabulary. Their own input was stimulating and good whole- class teaching provided an essential framework at the beginning and end of the lesson. Very well- planned team teaching in an excellent Year 8 lesson stimulated lively interest in newspapers: pupils compared tabloids and broadsheets, distinguished between fact and opinion and considered

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ENGLISH

contrasts of style. The serious objectives of the lesson were met through teaching methods which gave pupils a good deal of fun and enjoyable interaction. In a very good Year 9 lesson, careful selection and the teacher’s own role play and voice skills made Shakespeare accessible to a class of lower-attaining pupils. Purposeful and involved, they discovered that they could speak the lines and did so with vigour. The outstanding feature of these lessons was the response and enthusiasm of pupils and the good learning which resulted.

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ENGLISH

69. Where the teaching was less successful, the whole-class work was often insufficiently interesting and interactive. There was over-reliance on setting pupils tasks, with teachers then routinely writing their answers up on the board. Worksheets and group work were not always set in a framework of good teacher input and class involvement; however, even when teaching was no more than satisfactory there were some gains in knowledge because pupils were motivated and ready to co-operate and teachers obviously cared about their progress. Sometimes compliance was more evident than enthusiasm, but in only one lesson were pupils restless and obviously bored.

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ENGLISH

70. There has been satisfactory improvement since the last inspection. The drop in attainment in the Year 9 national tests is offset by the marked improvement in the GCSE results, which are now much better than those reported in 1997. Standards of teaching and learning have been maintained and the quality of leadership and management is now good. Teachers are keen to discuss and evaluate their work. Their professional and constructive response to lesson observations and comments was a very positive feature of the inspection of the department. The handbook and the annual faculty review show a clear sense of direction and priorities. The evaluation of the department’s work is thorough and carefully presented and good use is being made of the data now available to track progress, predict attainment and assess value added.

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Drama

71. In the past three years, 40 pupils have taken GCSE drama each year. Results have improved during this time and are only marginally below the national average. They represent good progress by pupils who regularly represent a very wide range of ability. Villiers High School - 33 72. Overall, the provision for drama is satisfactory, with some excellent features. Drama is taught throughout the school. In Years 10 and 11 it is a popular GCSE option with an improving success rate. There is one full-time teacher of drama, who teaches throughout the school. A teacher from another department, with experience as an actor, takes some classes in Years 8 and 9. Drama accommodation in the Expressive Arts faculty includes a spacious studio and some access to a studio used mainly by the physical education department. This is generally satisfactory but will be improved when the studio has better lighting, which is rightly seen as a priority by the teacher

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Drama

73. A good lesson observed in Year 7 showed pupils learning the techniques and disciplines of drama and responding very well to the teacher’s skilful management and high expectations of them. In a good physical warm-up and a series of movement and mime exercises which followed, pupils worked with concentration and good control. Presenting their work at the end of the lesson, they watched others with close and courteous attention. It was clear from this lesson that drama can contribute significantly to the pupils’ confidence and personal development. A satisfactory Year 10 lesson with a focus on written coursework showed that substantial written work had been done in this first term of the GCSE course, although some pupils were finding this more difficult than the practical element. A satisfactory lesson in Year 8 would have been better with some modification of the scheme of work. Pupils had been working on the Titanic project throughout the term and its

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Drama

potential for interesting drama seemed to have been fully explored. The drama teachers are now considering shorter and more flexible projects for this age group.

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Drama

74. Drama is an important feature of the school’s extra-curricular programme and also its relations with the community. Previous activities have included contributions to a version of Turandot produced in co-operation with the Royal Opera House and other departments, which provided good opportunities for gifted and talented pupils. In the last two years there have been several productions. A project with the PSHE department involved a local magistrate, youth workers and the police, when the drama teacher directed a performance called The Crime of Your Life. Drama also contributed to the very imaginative project Migrating Swallows led by the department in charge of English as an additional language. An after-school drama club meets weekly and is currently rehearsing a musical version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

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Drama

75. Visits to theatres are organised regularly, for GCSE drama pupils and others, and membership of the National Theatre Backstage Pass Project is an excellent initiative. This not only offers ticket discounts but also free drama workshops and membership of National Theatre Education.

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MATHEMATICS

Overall, the quality of provision in mathematics is good .

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MATHEMATICS

Strengths • The very good relationship between teachers and pupils establishes a positive working atmosphere. • The planning of lessons provides a range of learning opportunities for all pupils. • Progress from Key Stage 3 to GCSE is good. • The subject knowledge of the teachers is very good.

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MATHEMATICS

Areas for improvement • More use of computers in lessons should be made to enhance teaching and learning. • The pupils’ need knowledge of their own learning and standing in relation to National Curriculum levels and potential GCSE grades. • There needs to be greater application of number skills across the curriculum.

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MATHEMATICS

76. Standards in the end of Key Stage 3 assessments and at GCSE have risen since the last inspection. Results achieved in the national tests at the end of Year 9 (Key Stage 3 SATS) in 2002 were below the national average; however, as the attainment of these pupils on entry was below the national levels this still represents at least satisfactory progress for all and for many Villiers High School - 34 pupils it represents good progress. The achievement of boys is better than that of girls, contrary to the national picture. GCSE results achieved in 2002 were close to the national average as they were in 2001. There was little difference between the performance of boys and girls in 2002. Pupils entered for mathematics in 2001 and 2002 did worse in this subject than in the average of all their other subjects. If the overall results are compared to the prior attainment of this group of pupils, these results indicate good improvement.

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MATHEMATICS

77. The standards of work seen during the inspection reflect these results but are slightly higher, as the attainment of pupils upon entry to the school is improving. Higher-attaining pupils in Year 9 confidently solve simultaneous equations by graphical and algebraic methods. They also solve triangle problems by the use of Pythagoras’ Theorem. Average-attaining pupils confidently solve equations and use prime factors of numbers to investigate highest common factors. These pupils are working at national expectations for pupils of this age. Lower-attaining pupils develop their measuring skills by estimating common lengths in the classroom and then measuring. This is coupled with rounding of numbers to a given number of decimal places.

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MATHEMATICS

78. Higher-attaining pupils in Year 11 confidently use a range of skills from the higher tier of entry at GCSE. They know and can use statistics to analyse data and refer to standard deviation as a measure of spread. They can also use trigonometry to solve triangles in two and three dimensions. The average-attaining pupils follow the intermediate level examination. They can solve triangle problems in two dimensions. They use a lesser range of data handling skills but confidently use the different types of average in analysing data. Lower-attaining pupils reinforce their number skills and follow the foundation course.

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MATHEMATICS

79. The teaching is good overall. The best lessons started well and contained material that stimulated pupils to work hard. Teachers have very good subject knowledge and use this to prepare and present lessons well. Teachers use a range of teaching methods to involve pupils in lessons. Direct teaching is coupled with group and paired work and where necessary practical work is undertaken. Teachers strike a good balance between exposition and practice or reinforcement in lessons and the work set is challenging but not daunting for pupils. Teachers mark and record progress well, although the feedback given to pupils in their exercise books is inconsistent across the department. Some teachers are very positive and their comments indicate the way to improve. National Curriculum levels or GCSE grades are not shared with pupils during normal working and most pupils have no effective idea of how they stand in relation to national expectations or the

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MATHEMATICS

expectations teachers have of them. Year 11 pupils know their level of entry and grades available but target grades are not given until after mock examinations.

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MATHEMATICS

80. The good teaching evokes an equally good response from pupils. Pupils are positive about mathematics and work hard during lessons. They co-operate well with their teachers and readily engage in any of the activities that are required of them. They are mutually supportive: in one lesson seen where the class were using computers they readily helped each other, with pupils who had greater expertise explaining to others how to progress. In lessons where they are asked to work on the board or engage in discussions they do so and are very responsible in paying attention to their classmates. Teachers use the classroom teaching assistants well. In one lesson the lower-attaining pupils successfully stayed on task with the support of their assistant.

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MATHEMATICS

81. This is a good department with a range of strengths. Results have risen since the last inspection, with issues being satisfactorily tackled. There is stability in staffing that has enabled the improvements to be sustained. The department is well led. Staff share a common desire to raise standards and are mutually supportive in sharing ideas and expertise. All attainment targets are covered; there are adequate opportunities for assessments, with investigational tasks and the use of computers included. The assessments are used to monitor progress and there is some analysis to consider possible changes to teaching to ensure progress does occur. The departmental development plan is mainly concerned with raising standards but does not contain any indication of likely costs. This means that priorities for development cannot be established, as limited funding inhibits growth and the development of teaching. The head of department does

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MATHEMATICS

monitor teaching and there is time for discussion afterwards. This has encouraged improvements in teaching and subsequent learning by pupils. There are no computers available for use in the Villiers High School - 35 classrooms. Teachers do have laptop computers to assist with their administration but there are no readily available facilities for the display of these so that they could be shared with the whole class.

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SCIENCE

Overall, the quality of provision in science is good .

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SCIENCE

Strengths • The pupils make good progress in developing their knowledge and understanding. • The pupils have a high motivation to succeed. • There is a high proportion of very good teaching. • Much planning focuses on how pupils learn most effectively. • Good leadership and effective management ensure that the department is well placed to continue the good improvement of recent years.

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SCIENCE

Areas for improvement • There is a need to develop greater consistency between teachers to ensure that the best practice is shared across the department. • Ensure that the use and evaluation of assessment information and data lies at the heart of planning. • Continue to improve the use of ICT to support learning, especially the monitoring and evaluation of experimental data.

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SCIENCE

82. The pupils achieved results in the 2002 Key Stage 3 tests that were below the national average, but above those achieved in similar schools. This represents good progress, given the pupils’ attainment on entry to the school in Year 7. Results were similar to mathematics, above English and have improved at about the same rate as nationally since the previous inspection. The performance of boys and girls is very similar. The 2002 GCSE results were broadly in line with the national average and a significant improvement on those of 2001. A higher proportion of girls than boys achieved a grade C or above, although a higher proportion of boys achieved the very highest grades of A and A*. These results are well above those achieved in similar schools and represent continued good progress through Key Stage 4. Pupils do as well in science at GCSE as they do in their other subjects.

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SCIENCE

83. Standards of work similar to those achieved in tests and examinations were observed in lessons and in the pupils’ books. The pupils’ verbal answers to questions are often better than their written ones and so teachers are providing opportunities for pupils to demonstrate their ideas in a variety of written forms. This includes, for example, writing the question that would generate the answer provided by the teacher. There is also a strong emphasis placed on key scientific words and their meaning so that pupils use technical vocabulary with increasing accuracy and understanding. The pupils’ number skills are sufficient to support learning in science. Many activities planned by teachers also require the pupils to discuss their ideas, often, as in a Year 11 lesson exploring static electricity, in depth in small groups and with the whole class. The pupils’ experimental and investigative skills are developed as well as their knowledge and understanding. Pupils in Year 10

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SCIENCE

were, for example, able to detect simple patterns in their measurements of the time taken for a parachute to fall, while changing its weight or surface area, and explain why this happened.

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SCIENCE

84. The overall quality of teaching is good. A high proportion is good and very good, although some is unsatisfactory. This is an improvement since the previous inspection. There is much carefully thought through and structured work that focuses well on the learning outcomes intended by the teacher. In a Year 8 lesson on reproduction the teacher skilfully questioned the pupils to ascertain what they already knew, dealt with their misconceptions and developed their understanding further. There is also much effective use of pictures and models, as in a Year 10 lesson on motion, so that pupils can hear words, see them written down and observe their meaning. Classroom assistants provide very effective support for pupils and teachers and have a positive impact on the progress that pupils make, especially that of pupils with special educational needs and those at the early stages of acquisition of English. Some innovative and effective work is also helping the pupils to

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SCIENCE

Villiers High School - 36 take more responsibility for their own learning, to show more initiative and work independently. In a Year 10 lesson exploring osmosis the pupils were expected to demonstrate how far they felt that they had achieved the learning objectives set by holding up different coloured cards – green for fully, red for little and amber for some. In a Year 8 lesson exploring pollination the teacher had established an effective framework that enabled pupils to work systematically through a series of activities, deciding for themselves which route to take depending upon their understanding. In some satisfactory lessons and in those judged to be unsatisfactory the pupils’ learning was insufficiently well structured to provide appropriate access to the intended learning outcomes for all pupils. There is a need to develop greater consistency between teachers to ensure that the best practice is shared across the department.

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SCIENCE

85. The pupils have a positive attitude to their learning and there is a strong desire to succeed. Their behaviour is good, although there are occasional lapses when teaching is less demanding.

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SCIENCE

86. Leadership of the faculty is strong. A clear and appropriate direction for further development has been set and a collegiate approach and understanding is developing well. There is also a good focus on building the capacity of individual members of the department through taking additional responsibility or identifying areas for professional development. The progress made since the previous inspection is satisfactory overall, but good more recently. The areas for improvement identified in this report are contained within the departmental action plan. The effective management demonstrated by the head of department should ensure continued success and improvement.

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ART AND DESIGN

Overall, the quality of provision in art and design is satisfactory .

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ART AND DESIGN

Strengths • A good contribution is made to the personal development of pupils through cultural and social aspects. • Work using computers and specialist design programmes is good. • Presentation in sketchbooks in Years 10 and 11 is of high quality.

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ART AND DESIGN

Areas for improvement • More work using three-dimensional materials needs to be undertaken. • More work inspired by good quality artefacts, objects and plants should be offered. • The quality of lesson planning needs to be consistent across the department.

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ART AND DESIGN

87. The proportion of pupils gaining GCSE grades A*-C in 2002 was below the national average and continued the downward trend of the last three years. Pupils generally achieve better in art than in most other subjects they take and girls achieved considerably better than boys. Pupils taking GNVQ intermediate achieved very well but the small numbers involved make national comparisons meaningless.

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ART AND DESIGN

88. Pupils are working at a level below national expectation but achieve well when taking into account standards when they entered the school. Pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language make similar good progress to their classmates. There is increasing control in the use of materials across Years 7 to 9, and sketchbooks are used well to collect and develop ideas. Pupils take a pride in their work and present it with care. Some pupils achieve very well, and high attaining pupils in Year 9 demonstrate their understanding of the work of Picasso by creating a Cubist style portrait of a classmate, colouring it most effectively using a harmonising colour scheme.

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ART AND DESIGN

89. Pupils are working in line with national expectations by Year 11. This represents good progress over time taking into account standards at the end of Year 9. During Key Stage 4 pupils grow in knowledge and understanding. Many pupils relate their own work well to the work of famous Villiers High School - 37 artists and craftspeople and document this well in their sketchbooks, which are presented thoughtfully. Some high-attaining pupils show the influence of Kandinsky, Klimt and Georgia O’Keeffe on their ideas, some of which are developed on the computer. Work using ICT is impressive, with original artwork being scanned in as well as digital images, to produce sophisticated designs for CD covers. This is the first year of developing work using ICT, and the full impact of this high quality work on subsequent examination results is not known, but looks positive at this stage. There is a predominance of work based on pictures from books and a great

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ART AND DESIGN

reliance on copying. Much of the resulting work is pedestrian. The quality of drawing directly from objects, especially the skilful use of tone to show form, is underdeveloped and affects the quality of final outcomes. There is a lack of three-dimensional work.

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ART AND DESIGN

90. The quality of teaching, and consequently learning, is good in Key Stage 3. In Key Stage 4, the quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall. Teachers’ strengths lie in the good quality discussion with individual pupils about their work, helping them to improve it. They have good subject expertise and manage pupils well, allowing every pupil the opportunity to learn in their class; however, the teachers’ assessments of the pupils’ standards at the end of Year 9 in 2002 are not well related to standards expected nationally, indicating that the teachers do not have a grasp of what these standards are. Where teaching is good or better, teachers are clear about their aims and communicate these well to pupils ensuring that good learning takes place; however, when insufficient thought is given to planning and objectives are not made clear, time is wasted and progress is considerably slower. Where forethought is insufficient to provide inspiring objects

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ART AND DESIGN

for pupils to work from, motivation and the quality of work is directly affected. Pupils are rarely offered the opportunity to discuss their work at the end of lessons and as a consequence do not share difficulties or raise self- esteem by sharing in one another’s successes. Most pupils want to do well and are enthusiastic about their art lessons; however, a small proportion is less motivated. Teachers deal well with such attitudes and make their high expectations clear, with the result that the learning of others is not disrupted.

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ART AND DESIGN

91. The quality of leadership and management is satisfactory. The department is reflective and has identified priorities for future development; however, management of the department would benefit from policies being written to clarify certain aspects of practice and thus support new and less experienced members of the team. For example, a policy statement on spiritual, moral, social and cultural aspects would fully acknowledge the valuable contribution made by the art department to personal development in the form of trips to major galleries in London, the study of western and non-western artists and cultures and the links with local galleries and establishments. Literacy, numeracy, the use of ICT and differentiation are included in the schemes of work but have no policy statements. There is no health and safety policy. Monitoring of teaching is carried out regularly but the system does not encourage the identification of areas of weakness and has

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ART AND DESIGN

therefore had insufficient effect on improving the quality of teaching in the department. Additional courses of GNVQ and AS Level have been introduced to suit the varying needs of pupils, and the provision for working with computers has developed considerably since the last inspection; however, staff instability has recently adversely affected examination results. In response to this, schemes of work are being reviewed and an emphasis placed on improving literacy, on three- dimensional work and work based on drawing from observation. The use of clay and other materials will be made more manageable by the provision of ancillary help to deal with routine matters, releasing teachers to use their time more valuably. Progress since the last inspection is satisfactory.

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CITIZENSHIP

Overall, the quality of provision in citizenship is satisfactory .

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CITIZENSHIP

Strengths • The appointment of a co-ordinator to take charge of citizenship has given direction and leadership. • An analysis of existing provision has taken place. Villiers High School - 38 • The enrichment activities including the school council are strengths; they successfully involve pupils in the wider and practical aspects of citizenship. • The PSHE programme makes a good contribution to citizenship.

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CITIZENSHIP

Areas for improvement • The subject needs a specific citizenship scheme of work. • There is no structured programme for the rigorous monitoring and evaluation of the quality of teaching and the coverage of citizenship. • Structured assessment procedures are needed to check the progress pupils are making. • Departmental staff have mapped out areas to promote citizenship but still have to develop these within their teaching; citizenship needs to be made more explicit.

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CITIZENSHIP

92. As a formal subject, citizenship has only very recently been introduced, although some aspects of the subject have been part of the curriculum for some time. The standards seen on inspection are average by the end of Years 9 and 11. In lessons seen, where citizenship was an important element, pupils were beginning to acquire knowledge and understanding of different aspects of society, for example human rights and conservation issues. They are also developing their discussion skills in pairs and small groups as well as developing their skills of justifying their opinions orally and in writing. Both boys and girls are achieving well.

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CITIZENSHIP

93. Overall, the quality of teaching and learning is good. During the inspection, some PSHE lessons were observed in which citizenship was a major focus. Teachers demonstrate at least good subject knowledge and understanding, as seen in a Year 10 sex education lesson. Teachers have high expectations and plan lessons well with clear aims and objectives that are shared with pupils. This was well exemplified in a Year 11 lesson about careful budgeting. Lessons have a variety of planned and structured activities, which helps to maintain the pupils’ interest and concentration.

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CITIZENSHIP

94. The pupils respond well to the different approaches, which helps to promote a positive learning atmosphere in lessons. Year 9 pupils, in tutor time, discussed racism related to the Stephen Lawrence incident; a witness session showed how one West Indian pupil had suffered racial abuse when living in Jamaica. Pupils have positive attitudes to citizenship; Year 7 pupils successfully debate friendship and bullying and learn about being assertive. Year 10 and 11 enjoy discussing and debating major issues in society; as young citizens they are formulating their own ideas. Some mature Year 10 pupils cogently argue different views about relationships. They work successfully in pairs when discussing issues like successful budgeting. Such examples successfully demonstrate that literacy and numeracy support work in citizenship. There are also some aspects of work that are supported through ICT.

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CITIZENSHIP

95. Opportunities are missed at times for the development of citizenship aspects or of explicit links made to citizenship themes. In English, for example, the GCSE literacy anthology includes a story which deals with race relations in the cultural setting of East London. In a Year 8 geography lesson on coastal erosion pupils make decisions about action to be taken, as seen through the eyes of different people and argue the advantages and disadvantages of different methods of coastal protection. Both these examples offer opportunities for good links with citizenship.

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CITIZENSHIP

96. Citizenship within subjects is in the early stages of its development and most subjects still have to be more explicit about when they are promoting active citizenship. Although subjects have identified citizenship it is not yet embedded in lessons; it is incidental. History, geography, religious education, Punjabi and mathematics give glimpses of citizenship, but in few subjects were pupils made aware that they were improving their skills and knowledge of becoming informed citizens. This shortcoming needs to be tackled. Once this is established the subject can be monitored and assessed effectively. By contrast, citizenship enrichment is good and this takes place through a range of activities like the Years 7 and 8 Tudor/New World project and the re- cycling project. Pupils are involved in charity work. The ‘Socrates’ fashion show involves pupils in a wide range of activities like dieting, reading, viewing and linking with a local fashion house. The

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CITIZENSHIP

school council is an effective and well-supported body that allows pupils to participate in decision- making related to the school. The prefect and peer support programme all give opportunities for Villiers High School - 39 pupils to be involved in worthwhile and practical citizenship. The PSHE programme very actively promotes citizenship.

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CITIZENSHIP

97. An analysis of subjects including PSHE has identified areas where they contribute to learning about citizenship. Curriculum work is enriched through a programme of extra-curricular events. The appointment of a co-ordinator did not take place until last June. Since his appointment he has not had sufficient time to develop the subject. Citizenship within the curriculum is, therefore, in the early stages of development. Villiers High School - 40

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

Overall, the quality of provision in design and technology is very good .

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

Strengths • The quality of teaching and learning is good. • The pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are good. • The design and technology curriculum has breadth and relevance. • The department is well led and managed, teamwork is strong and there is a commitment to improve further.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

Areas for improvement • Greater use of ICT in teaching and learning needs to be made. • More planning for differentiated teaching and learning in lessons is required. • Accommodation is in need of refurbishment.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

98. GCSE results have been above the national average for the last two years. Boys did slightly better than girls in 2001; girls did much better than boys in 2002.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

99. The pupils’ attainment is in line with national expectations by Year 9 (end of Key Stage 3). The pupils make good progress from lower than expected levels of attainment on entry, with no significant differences between boys and girls. A very well planned and organised rotation has been developed in Years 7 to 9 to ensure that pupils experience product analysis, focused skills development tasks and design and make assignments, which support further skill development. They are gaining good experience of a range of materials and tasks. Their awareness of design skills is good. Higher-attaining pupils can use tools and techniques with confidence and precision, use information from a wide range of sources including the Internet and are able to make design and manufacturing decisions based on the needs and aspirations of users. Lower-attaining pupils experience difficulty in exploring a wide range of options, but are helped by effective support

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

materials and teacher intervention to consider other ideas before choosing one. The organisation of design and technology into generic skills lessons and expert specialist materials elements, together with good support materials for pupils, like log-books, ensures good progress. In Year 9, pupils who had completed a graphics project developing a range of ideas on the production of business cards, headed paper, maps and invoices, were effectively supported in their learning by the provision of a range of resources including access to ICT to manufacture the cards, maps and paper. Pupils were then supported in the evaluation of their project, using a framework produced to guide the process. Pupils, with support from the teacher, were able to assess their work very accurately to a National Curriculum level.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

100. Year 10 and 11 pupils have access to a core of construction and choices between food, textiles and graphics. They make good progress in Year 10 and standards are above average at Year 11. The pupils are given access to a wide range of materials, techniques and tasks, which develop their designing, planning and making skills. Design folders contain very good designing and planning work and the standard of manufacture by Year 11 is much improved, often very good. Higher-attaining pupils are highly motivated, and their design folders are beautifully kept with imaginative personalised design sheets. A range of materials and control is evidenced in their work and pupils are able to draw inspiration from a range of sources to inform their final products. Pupils use taste panels, questionnaires, product analysis and consumer testing to inform their work. They use a wide range of tools and materials with confidence in both the core element of

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

the course (construction) and the option element (textiles, food or graphics), producing work of a very high standard. Lower-attaining pupils use the support materials, like coursework guidance, to produce design sheets, sequence of work planning and research flow charts. They produce work which is finished to an acceptable standard. In a Year 11 textiles lesson, the teacher had planned a challenging series of activities for each of the three 50-minute periods, with learning intentions clearly written on the board. A clear design brief had been set and pupils worked with a range of resources to decide, as a team, who the product would be for and what kind of flexible storage unit would be fit for purpose. Pupils also received a demonstration on appliqué as a means of Villiers High School - 41 decoration and were to complete a sample; the teacher then demonstrated laminating as another decorative option. This brisk pace ensured that pupils remained motivated and on task and

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

challenged them appropriately, intellectually and creatively.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

101. The quality of teaching overall is good at both key stages. Effective behaviour management is a strong feature of lessons and teachers maintain a brisk pace, often introducing several activities in a three-period session. The pupils’ attitudes to the subject are good. They concentrate and work hard. The teachers have good knowledge of their subject. There is much evidence of effective organisation, planning and resourcing of lessons. Teachers’ individual coaching of pupils, particularly those with special educational needs and English as an additional language is very effective; this ensures that good progress is made by these pupils. There are strong links with literacy to support pupils’ learning, evident in the learning materials provided and practical application of numeracy seen in design folders, for example the careful use of measurement. Pupils are encouraged to use ICT as a tool to support their designing and making, although this

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

remains a focus for development in the department. The teaching assistant works effectively with individuals and groups of pupils and is a valued member of the team. Teaching could be improved further by planned differentiation of tasks and resources for pupils.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

102. Leadership and management of the department are good. Planning is good and ensures clear direction for the work of the department. Monitoring and evaluation of the quality of teaching and learning are good and are supported well by further training. The department is currently reviewing its marking strategy to include constructive comments by the teacher on how pupils might improve their work. There is a need for the department to continue to develop access to a range of control activities particularly ICT, and to revise the scheme of work accordingly. Extra-curricular provision, particularly study support is good. There is a clear and evident commitment to improve and to succeed shared by all staff. Staff collaborate well, succeeding by using individual strengths to build a competent, confident team approach to delivering a quality curriculum for pupils. Teachers and support staff make the most of the accommodation they have; however some rooms are in

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

need of refurbishment and health and safety risk assessments should be carried out regularly.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

103. The department has made good progress since the last inspection. Standards have improved and become more consistent. The progress of pupils at Key Stage 3 has also improved and is now good. Access to ICT and control technology elements has been developed; there is now a well- equipped and well-used computer room within the department.

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GEOGRAPHY

Overall, the quality of provision in geography is satisfactory .

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GEOGRAPHY

Strengths • The recently appointed geography specialists are having a good impact on raising standards. • Teaching is good; teachers have very good knowledge, high expectations and enthusiasm. • Pupils are achieving well as a consequence of the good teaching. • Marking is good; it assists pupils to move forward.

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GEOGRAPHY

Areas for improvement • The subject has been badly affected by the impact of temporary and supply teachers, which has affected the continuity of learning. • There is insufficient time for geography in Years 7, 8 and 9; lack of time constrains the breadth and depth of the curriculum. • Improved tracking of GCSE pupils is needed to improve examination results. • The range of activities and tasks is, at times, not sufficient to meet the wide range of abilities.

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GEOGRAPHY

104. The results gained by pupils in the 2002 GCSE examinations were below average, a decline since 2001 when results were broadly average. This fall was a consequence of teaching by temporary and supply teachers. Pupils did not do as well in geography as they in their other subjects. This Villiers High School - 42 situation has now been remedied, as there is a new head of department and another full-time geography specialist. There was no significant difference between the results of boys and girls in either 2001 or 2002.

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GEOGRAPHY

105. By the end of Year 9, standards are below average. This represents good achievement for pupils in Years 7 to 9, including pupils with special educational needs and for those for whom English is an additional language. In Year 7 pupils learn the basic skills of geography successfully. They learn how to use an atlas, and use the contents page, index and the different maps in order to find out about physical features or political matters. The basic mapping skills of scale, direction, title and key are well taught. These skills are consolidated throughout Years 7 to 9 and developed further to meet pupils’ needs. Teachers take opportunities to reinforce and develop this work. For example, Year 7 pupils successfully use co-ordinates and symbols as a result of repetition and consolidation. Pupils’ numeracy does not inhibit their learning. Literacy is promoted well, and gives pupils confidence in their learning. Key words are explained carefully and their meaning

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GEOGRAPHY

understood. Many pupils show a basic knowledge of plate movement and the consequences. High-attaining pupils understand how greater devastation occurs from earthquakes in less economically developed countries than in more economically developed countries. Confident and enthusiastic teachers with very good geographical knowledge and high expectations ensure that pupils learn well, as seen in a Year 8 lesson on coastal erosion and protection. There is a need for the pupils to make greater use of computers to support their learning in geography. The limited time allocated for geography in Years 7, 8 and 9 constrains some of the progress pupils make in geography. This inhibits the breadth and depth of geography taught, which is well seen in the small amount of work produced over a period of time. Pupils in Years 7, 8 and 9 show an eagerness to learn and respond well to good teaching. They are well motivated; however, in a

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GEOGRAPHY

minority of lessons the range of activities and tasks is not always sufficient to meet the wide range of abilities within a class of pupils. Teaching and learning are good in Years 7 to 9 and are responsible for the improvement in standards over the three years.

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GEOGRAPHY

106. Few pupils have chosen geography as their GCSE option in Years 10 and 11. The current Year 10 pupils began this course with below average standards. In work seen, by the end of Year 11 standards are average; this represents good achievement. Pupils are very responsive and want to learn; they both ask and answer questions well. This was well exemplified in a lesson on trade in the “Tiger Economies”. The quality of the questioning challenged and extended all pupils to such an extent that both teacher and pupils had to research the latest information about quintinary industries. Good challenge and pace are present in most Year 10 and 11 lessons, for instance on acid rain and global trade. The quality of teaching and learning is good in Years 10 and 11. In a very small minority of lessons, a greater range of teaching methods is needed, especially for the higher-attaining pupils. Year 11 pupils begin to analyse data, but lower-attaining pupils have some

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GEOGRAPHY

difficulty undertaking analysis, for example, equating Newly Industrial Countries with Roston’s model of urban development. Pupils make good use of technical terms. Teachers’ knowledge, as in the earlier years, is very good and it is well applied to stretch pupils. Access to computers is limited, which constrains the investigative element of the subject. There is a need to develop better tracking procedures for GCSE pupils in order to improve examination results. All pupils in Years 10 and 11, including those with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language make good progress.

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GEOGRAPHY

107. Overall, there has been insufficient improvement in geography since the last inspection. This is a consequence of a succession of temporary and supply teachers, a matter that has been tackled successfully. A newly appointed head of department is now giving clear direction for the subject. Areas for development have been identified and action instituted. For example, consistent marking is helping pupils to make improvement in their work. As yet, it is too soon to measure the impact of these new strategies. The new department is now working closely together and teachers are very supportive of one another; they are enthusiastic and committed to the raising of standards. Villiers High School - 43

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HISTORY

Overall, the quality of provision in history is satisfactory .

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HISTORY

Strengths • Pupils’ interest and attitudes help them to make good progress in Years 7, 8 and 9. • Teachers work hard and effectively to develop literacy and ICT skills.

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HISTORY

Areas for improvement • Standards are below average in lessons and GCSE examinations. • Pupils are hampered in GCSE examinations by poor revision skills. • A minority of pupils are not well motivated in Years 10 and 11; this affects their progress.

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HISTORY

108. The proportion of A*-C grades in the GCSE examinations rose in 2002 but was still well below average. Pupils do not do as well in history as in their other subjects. There is no significant difference between the performance of boys and girls. Although GCSE results at the last inspection were well above average, the department has not been able to maintain that standard. Direct comparison is difficult because there have been substantial changes in examination requirements, the ability of pupils, and also staff changes and absences.

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HISTORY

109. Standards are below average but pupils make good progress in Years 7 to 9. Pupils enter Year 7 with a limited vocabulary in reading and writing. Their experience of history has varied and their skills are well below average. By the end of Year 9, understanding of chronology is secure. A wide range of methods is used in lessons and this encourages motivation. For example, in Year 8 the mock trial of Louis XVI not only reinforced understanding of the difference between constitutional and absolute monarchy but sparked a discussion on present day monarchy. The pupils’ essays on changes in life 1700 –1900 show that they have grasped well the impact of change, but they do not support their judgements with specific references to dates and events. They pick out evidence from sources, particularly pictorial ones, but cannot always develop it in further detail. The pupils do not always develop sufficient depth of knowledge, although in part this

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HISTORY

is the result of insufficient time for the subject and weak literacy. Extended writing skills improve steadily. Orally there is substantial improvement, so Year 9 pupils explain their ideas more effectively. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress similar to other pupils. Pupils who are still at the early stages of learning English make variable progress. When pupils beginning English have no support in lessons, their progress is slight. In other lessons, with support and specially prepared materials, their progress is good. One or two examples of very good progress were noted when pupils showed good detailed understanding of a topic such as child labour. Overall, their progress is satisfactory.

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HISTORY

110. Pupils make satisfactory progress in Years 10 and 11. The pattern of attainment seen in Year 11 lessons reflects the GCSE results. High-attaining pupils build up their knowledge well, particularly in the unit on India. Average and lower-attaining pupils find it difficult to select relevant facts and evidence. Pupils are helped to revise by extra classes and these have improved marks from mock examinations. In Year 11, pupils discuss the mark schemes and how to apply them after their mock examinations so they can improve their work. Although coursework is completed by everyone, a small number still fail to obtain a grade because of their examination performance. Pupils with special educational needs and those still at the early stages of learning English lack precise vocabulary in their answers. Their written work is developing with the use of writing frames to help them to organise their ideas and knowledge. Although pupils enjoy history in Years 7 to 9

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HISTORY

and work hard generally, a minority in Years 10 and 11 show little interest and their poor motivation sometimes affects progress.

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HISTORY

111. The quality of teaching is good as it was at the last inspection; however, the less effective lessons occurred more often in Years 10 and 11. All teachers have good subject knowledge combined with understanding of examination techniques. The emphasis on explaining concepts and vocabulary seen in all lessons helps the pupils to understand unfamiliar expressions such as ‘back to back’ housing. In ICT sessions, teachers combine the development of enquiry skills and Villiers High School - 44 use of historical sources with developing word processing and other computer skills. In some lessons, teachers seize the opportunity to link numeracy to chronology, but this is not yet consistent. When teachers use materials well suited to individual ability levels, for example by providing simplified word lists and sentence outlines, pupils progress more rapidly. Homework is regularly set. Although work is consistently marked, comments are variable in their usefulness to

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HISTORY

pupils. There are examples of very helpful suggestions for improvement but it is not uniform practice.

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HISTORY

112. The head of department is concerned at the below average standards and has analysed results thoroughly. Some action has been taken by the introduction of revision classes and the provision of individual textbooks for Years 10 and 11. Leadership and management are satisfactory. Teachers are committed and work well together. They have put together a good set of resources for the India unit, although this needs further refinement by including some simplified materials and using larger print. In Years 7, 8 and 9 more explicit guidance on how to reach higher levels is necessary. GCSE predictions have not been accurate, and better tracking and targeting needs to be developed. Opportunities for teaching citizenship have been identified in the schemes of work. There is a programme of outside visits that is being re-planned because of syllabus changes. It is important in helping to ensure better understanding of aspects of life in the past. Improvement in

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HISTORY

the provision of ICT has been good. Overall improvement is satisfactory.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Overall, the quality of provision in information and communication technology is unsatisfactory .

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Strengths • Teaching and learning in discrete ICT courses in Years 7 and 10 are good. • The management of discrete ICT courses is effective. • The computer network is effectively managed. • All teachers have been provided with portable computers.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Areas for improvement • There needs to be more consistent and systematic use of ICT in subjects. • ICT should be used more to measure, record and respond to events. • The assessment of ICT capability for all pupils in Years 10 and 11 should have their ICT capability assessed.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

113. Standards in ICT by the end of Year 9 are below average; however, inspection evidence indicates that standards in the ICT course in Year 7 are generally consistent with national expectations and sometimes good. The discrete ICT course does not continue into Years 8 and 9 and pupils do not have sufficient and appropriate opportunities to develop their ICT capability in other subjects. Pupils in Year 7 make good progress in developing their ICT skills and knowledge, often from a low level on entry. In a Year 7 ICT lesson, pupils were making good progress in learning the use of presentational software to create a series of slides about themselves. Keyboard skills were variable but all pupils were becoming confident in the use of a range of functions, which enabled them to combine text with pictures and set pages out in an appropriate way. The more confident pupils were able to add animated features and interesting backgrounds. Most were able to explain

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

in detail why they had chosen particular features.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

114. There are no examination results to report in ICT. Three groups of pupils in Year 10 are now following a GCSE ICT course for the first time, and they are making good progress. These pupils are reaching standards which are consistent with expectations. In one class, pupils were producing spreadsheets to manage a school visit. They used the school intranet to obtain coach costs and the Internet to find entry prices for attractions. All pupils could use basic formulae and many were able to use the spreadsheet to calculate discounts which were available for group activities. The remainder of pupils in Year 10 together with pupils in the current Year 11 do not have adequate opportunities to develop and use ICT skills in the subjects of the curriculum, and standards overall are below expectations. Villiers High School - 45 115. Pupils in ICT lessons have a very positive attitude towards their work; they are able to collaborate

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

effectively in pairs and make good contributions during question and answer sessions. Pupils are keen to volunteer to demonstrate their work to the rest of the class, and effective peer support was a feature of most ICT lessons.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

116. The ICT course in Year 7 and the GCSE course are well planned and well managed. Very effective departmental teaching resources are available via the school’s computer network and Internet use is well managed. Teaching in ICT lessons in Year 7 is good overall and some very good lessons were seen. In the examination course in Year 10, teaching is at least good and often very good. Activities are designed to provide appropriate challenge for the whole ability range and lessons have good pace. Pupils with special educational needs and those needing additional support in learning English are well catered for. In ICT lessons, pupils have frequent opportunities to assess each other’s work on-screen, and with good teacher guidance are usually able to make insightful comments using appropriate vocabulary. Where lessons in other subjects were observed in ICT rooms, teaching was at least satisfactory and some was very good. Lessons were well planned

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

using a range of software and the Internet. In a very effective Year 11 religious education lesson based upon current international issues, the Internet was used well in order to enhance teaching and learning. Good assessment procedures are in place for pupils taking ICT courses and also to provide a National Curriculum assessment level at the end of Year 9; however, there is no assessment of ICT competence in Years 10 and 11 for those who do not take the GCSE course.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

117. There have been improvements since the last inspection with some improvement in standards by the introduction of discrete ICT lessons and the increased level of resources. Most teachers have recently completed a programme of ICT training and all teachers have the use of a portable computer with a wire-less connection to the school network. This is raising the profile of ICT in the school and encouraging greater use for teaching and administrative purposes. The curriculum has recently been audited to determine where ICT is used in different subjects. Some remedial work is underway to extend ICT use but the requirement to use ICT to measure, record and respond to data in practical activities is not yet in place. The use of ICT to enhance teaching and learning, particularly in English, mathematics and science needs to be developed further and in a systematic way, in order to ensure that all pupils have appropriate opportunities to use and

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French and Spanish

Overall, the quality of provision in French and Spanish is unsatisfactory .

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French and Spanish

Strengths • The department makes a good contribution to the pupils’ moral, social and cultural development. • The work of the teaching assistant is carefully integrated into language lessons and pupils with special educational needs are well supported.

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French and Spanish

Areas for improvement • GCSE attainment in European languages need to be raised. • Improve teaching by using the foreign language more extensively in lessons and adopting methods more suitable to the pupils’ needs. • Improve marking and assessment procedures so that pupils know how to improve. • Enable pupils to be more independent and responsible for their learning.

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French and Spanish

118. The pupils entered for GCSE French in 2001 achieved worse results in this subject than they did in the average for all their other subjects. Results improved slightly between 2001 and 2002, but they remain well below the national average. Pupils will take GCSE examinations in Spanish for the first time in 2003. Villiers High School - 46 119. Standards observed in lessons in both French and Spanish at the end of Year 9 are below average. A few pupils are capable of writing and speaking at length in the language they are learning, but most can produce only brief phrases. The work of some of the more able pupils shows that they have the opportunity to undertake some extended writing tasks; they learn about different verb tenses in French and Spanish and some pupils learn to use them correctly. These pupils make satisfactory progress. Pupils with special educational needs are supported well,

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French and Spanish

particularly when the teaching assistant is present; however, opportunities for pupils to practise speaking are uncommon. Teachers only rarely write helpful remarks on pupils’ work to guide them on how they might improve and do not use the extensive lists of suggested comments in the departmental handbook.

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French and Spanish

120. In Years 10 and 11, the progress of the majority of pupils is unsatisfactory, although some lower- ability pupils make satisfactory progress. In one lesson for pupils who find learning difficult, the teacher enabled them to concentrate successfully on writing a piece of coursework; they were supported by the teaching assistant and used grids presented in the form of writing frames. No significant differences were observed between the achievement of boys and girls or between other groups; all pupils have an equal opportunity to learn. In most lessons the expectations of teachers are too low: they use the foreign language rarely and translate instructions into English too readily. Pupils therefore feel no need to understand French or Spanish. The performance of higher-ability pupils is limited because teachers rarely provide additional tasks for those who finish early, thereby depriving them of the opportunity to achieve their potential.

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French and Spanish

121. Some trips abroad are undertaken. Certain pupils have the opportunity to use ICT facilities in some lessons, but this is not yet provided systematically for all pupils. The moral, social and cultural dimensions are well supported by the modern languages department. The cultural dimension is a real strength, helped by the fact that some staff are native speakers of the languages learned. There is a clear moral framework in lessons; teachers provide very good role models and there are plenty of opportunities for social development through pair and group work.

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French and Spanish

122. The teaching in Years 7 to 9 is satisfactory. A calm, disciplined atmosphere prevails, and examples of good practice were seen in a few lessons. For example, some teachers used French and Spanish frequently; one teacher conducted a review at the beginning and end of a lesson; strict timescales with good pace were seen in two lessons and one teacher encouraged pupils to use creative ideas for using language; however, planning for the use of the foreign language does not often take place and the use of suitable resources, such as flashcards, is restricted. One teacher spoke no French throughout a lesson and no attempt was made to create a Spanish- speaking atmosphere in another. It is rare for pupils to be given a purpose or made aware of the audience for their work.

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French and Spanish

123. The teaching in Years 10 and 11 is unsatisfactory. Strengths include good discipline, opportunities for pupils to reflect constructively on moral issues and the use of Spanish by the teacher in one lesson; however, pupils do not have enough practice in using the foreign language and speaking exercises are not authentic; pupils simply practise saying dialogues, without having to elicit any real information or deal with any unpredictable element. Ongoing assessment procedures can be misleading; for example a grade C was given to one pupil for a basic performance, which would not by itself qualify for that grade at GCSE. Teachers use a limited range of methods, most often choosing to explain the grammar of the language and requiring pupils to translate sentences; whilst this was sometimes useful for some pupils, it was not effective for most when used in isolation. There is poor use of time in some lessons and it is rare

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French and Spanish

for more able pupils to be given independence or additional work, and consequently they work at the same pace as the others.

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French and Spanish

124. The leadership and management of the department are unsatisfactory. Priorities for development focusing on the improvement of teaching are appropriate, but there is much inconsistent practice, especially in the procedures for marking and assessment and the teaching methods. The monitoring of the department is good and evaluation is satisfactory, though it does not include enough analysis of performance data, and measurable targets are not set. As a result, development is unsatisfactory. Despite the fact that training has taken place and the departmental Villiers High School - 47 handbook is full of good ideas, very few of them are being put into practice. Staffing, accommodation and resources are satisfactory and the department uses new technology, but not consistently. Whilst there is a shared commitment to move forward and the capacity to succeed, there is, at present, no clear vision or clear educational direction for teaching European foreign

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French and Spanish

languages, and improvement since the last inspection has been unsatisfactory.

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Punjabi

Overall, the quality of provision in Punjabi is good .

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Punjabi

Strengths • Results continue to be above average in the GCSE examinations and some pupils are entered in Year 9. • Pupils show a good grasp of Punjabi and use it well in their activities. • Overall, the teaching is good. • Pupils’ self-study materials on the school intranet for use on their own in lessons and at home are good.

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Punjabi

Areas for improvement • Boys’ standards particularly at GCSE higher grades need to be improved. • Aspects of citizenship require development. • There should be consistency in the use of ICT in all year groups.

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Punjabi

125. In 2002, the proportion of pupils gaining A*-C grades in GCSE was above the national average, maintaining the position of 2001 of 100 per cent A*-Gs; however, girls continue to achieve better than boys. A quarter of the pupils in the group had special educational needs and they all achieved between D and G grades.

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Punjabi

126. In the lessons seen and from an analysis of their work, pupils make good progress by the end of Year 9 and their attainment is in line with national expectations, with a significant number of pupils exceeding it. By Year 9, pupils have a good grasp of Punjabi in the four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. Their listening and speaking skills are better than their skills in reading and writing. They can engage in conversations about different types of food and drink, listen and respond to the audio tapes well, show greater confidence in reading with expression and are applying basic grammatical elements in a variety of contexts. Standards of pronunciation are good. For example, in a Year 9 lesson the pupils did short role-plays on asking and giving directions in pairs in Punjabi, asking and answering questions and using the vocabulary for turning right or left, going straight, negotiating traffic lights and describing landmarks. Some pupils are

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Punjabi

doing so well that they are being entered for GCSE two years earlier than normal. Year 7 pupils can demonstrate that they are confident in the use of ICT to recognise and decode sounds and symbols, to make short sentences and to add pictures and borders to make posters about class rules in Punjabi.

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Punjabi

127. In Years 10 and 11 pupils are very confident about their skills in Punjabi. They can express themselves well both orally and in writing. Their use of Punjabi in buying and selling and in checking hotel accommodation shows increasing flexibility in the use of verbs, singular and plural nouns and pronouns. Pupils are developing sound understanding of present, past and future tenses. They are acquiring skills to write about holiday and leisure activities. Pupils have very good attitudes to learning and they show an appropriate range of oral and written skills. They are enthusiastic about the subject and many make rapid progress. Pupils work well on their own and with each other to practise conversation and to respond to tasks set by their teachers, with whom they have formed very good relationships.

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Punjabi

128. The quality of teaching and learning is good. The teachers demonstrate very secure subject knowledge, used with enthusiasm and appropriate challenge for pupils to do better. Planning is mostly clear and purposeful. The organisation of classes and teaching methods are appropriate to the needs and abilities of pupils to help them to remain interested and focused, including those with special educational needs and those who are gifted and talented. Expectations are high and Villiers High School - 48 clear goals are set for pupils to improve. There is a good balance between the four skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing which enables pupils to develop the techniques and skills necessary to improve. There is generally a calm atmosphere in classes and occasional disruptions are dealt with effectively. Pupils’ work is regularly marked, assessed and graded, particularly in the upper years. A system of self-assessment by pupils has been introduced,

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Punjabi

enabling them to assess their own work and that of their peers. The subject contributes well to the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and cultural awareness is high, enabling pupils to have high self-esteem.

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Punjabi

129. The leadership and management of the subject continue to remain good since the last inspection. Resources are good and recently the school website has put on line self-study materials for pupils to use at home and to learn with their parents, a unique achievement by the staff to increase effectiveness of teaching support for pupils. There are good displays of pupils’ work in classrooms and the accommodation is adequate; however, the rooms allocated are on different floors, which reduces the effectiveness of the day-to-day links in the department. Since the last inspection, the high results have been maintained and the quality of resources has improved immensely.

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Urdu

Overall, the quality of provision in Urdu is good .

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Urdu

Strengths • The quality of teaching is good. • The department is well managed and well supported by senior management. • Pupils demonstrate sustained commitment to Urdu and are therefore rewarded with very good progress.

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Urdu

Areas for improvement • Teaching methods need to be refined to motivate all pupils in lessons. • Further encouragement should be given to pupils so that they can acquire greater independent learning skills.

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Urdu

130. GCSE results were good at the time of the last inspection and they continue to be above average. A small number of pupils gain GCSE grades in Year 9 and others are successfully entered for A Level in Year 11.

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Urdu

131. Overall standards by Year 9 are above average. The pupils can speak Urdu with confidence, demonstrating a range of vocabulary and a good grasp of grammar. The pupils’ knowledge of vocabulary is very good, both in terms of their range and the levels of difficulty. They have progressed steadily beyond the basic vocabulary and grammar. They can speak Urdu confidently, understand classroom instructions delivered at normal speed, respond to complex questions and take part in a variety of conversations. The pupils’ pronunciation of the sounds of Urdu and their feel for the language are excellent. Their writing skills and the quality of their handwriting have both developed well, with some pupils demonstrating a very good grasp of the Urdu script.

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Urdu

132. Pupils make suitable progress towards the demands of the GCSE examinations in Years 10 and 11. Their competence, both in spoken and written Urdu, is above average. They demonstrate their continuing acquisition of Urdu, both written and spoken. The range of their vocabulary is appropriately widened and their grasp of grammar is consolidated.

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Urdu

133. The quality of teaching is good at both key stages. Consequently, the pupils’ progress generally both in lessons and over time is very good. Lessons are generally well prepared and their objectives are usually shared with pupils. This ensures the pupils’ co-operation and willingness to engage with class activities. The teachers’ high expectations and their brisk pace motivate all pupils. Teachers provide consistent and competent exposure to the target language, which raises the status of the language and creates an agreeable classroom ethos. In the light of the pupils’ sound linguistic background in spoken Urdu, teachers wisely plan a greater focus on the written Villiers High School - 49 work. Good class management normally leads to purposeful lessons in which pupils can concentrate on planned classroom activities; however, some aspects of class management unduly encroach upon the teaching-learning time, which could be avoided through better planning and

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Urdu

through making lessons more interesting for all pupils. Also, there is need for developing independent learning skills so that while a teacher is providing necessary individual support to some, others may concentrate and benefit from working on their own. Lessons contain a variety of suitable activities, and effective use is made of video as well as audio equipment in order to maintain both the pupils’ interest and the brisk pace of work. Numeracy, literacy and basic skills are planned and developed. ICT is increasingly incorporated into lessons. Teachers plan and deliver their lessons to ensure that the needs of the less able and the talented pupils are met regularly. Teachers also provide individual support to pupils in order to keep them all involved.

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Urdu

134. The consistency of the quality of Urdu provision is due largely to the leadership of the community languages department and the continuity of staff. Parents and the local community have also made a positive contribution towards maintaining the good quality of this provision in the school. Accommodation and resources are good. The department’s current endeavour to integrate ICT more into the pupils’ daily learning experience shows promise.

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MUSIC

Overall, the quality of provision in music is satisfactory .

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MUSIC

Strengths • The pupils enjoy music. • Some features of teaching and learning are good. • The technology resources are very good.

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MUSIC

Areas for improvement • Long-term planning for the development of the pupils’ musical skills especially at GCSE level is not sufficiently in place. • Higher-attaining pupils are not always challenged appropriately in lessons. • The assessment procedure does not ensure that the pupils’ progress is being tracked closely. • ICT is not used sufficiently in the curriculum.

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MUSIC

135. Results in GCSE music in 2002 showed that 10 out of the 11 pupils taking the examination achieved a grade between A* and G, but only 1 pupil achieved a higher grade. There are too few pupils to make reliable comparisons with national figures or between boys and girls.

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MUSIC

136. Standards seen during the inspection are below average in Year 9, but given the standards on entry, achievement is satisfactory. This is because teaching and learning are satisfactory overall. Pupils with special educational needs learn as well as other groups of pupils, but higher-attaining pupils do not make the progress they are capable of because they are insufficiently challenged. Pupils can play 12-bar blues on the keyboard. Many pupils learn all three-parts of varying difficulty and a few go on to improvise simple rhythms. These parts are simplified for lower-attaining pupils. About half of the pupils can play these together successfully, feeling the beat and listening to each other. Many more can do this when the teacher accompanies on the accordion. Without this support, the ability to play together is much reduced, not only because the pupils are not completely fluent with the notes, but because they are not yet aware of how to listen at the same

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MUSIC

time as playing. All pupils work in the same room without headphones, sometimes with as many as three to a keyboard. Listening skills are not being developed while this happens because it is very difficult for the pupils to hear themselves and how they sound with other players. Pupils are very well managed and behave well in most lessons. The majority of pupils organise their group work well, using the time allowed for activities productively. This was particularly noticeable in a Year 8 lesson when pupils rehearsed and performed their vocal compositions based on Roald Dahl’s poem about Little Red Riding Hood . In this very enjoyable lesson, pupils worked hard to develop and refine their vocal sequences which were very well presented to the class. Many were imaginative and funny and all pupils, even those who are still learning to speak English, took part Villiers High School - 50 enthusiastically and effectively as part of the group. Some pupils, however, and particularly a

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MUSIC

class of Year 9 pupils, were poor at organising group work and as a result made little progress with practical activities in the lesson.

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MUSIC

137. Standards seen and heard in Year 11 are well below average. Given the low starting point of many of these pupils, achievement is satisfactory. The group is made up of pupils of very different attainment, including pupils new to the school whose first language is not English and whose experience of music is very limited. These pupils have worked very hard to learn to play favourite pieces on the keyboard. Most pupils do not have regular instrumental lessons, although the Rock School from the local education authority is providing some training in pop instruments and in the use of ICT. One boy plays the tabla well. Compositions vary greatly. A girl writes romantic-style piano pieces well and a boy composed a very simple but effective piece for xylophone. The technology studio is not being used yet for pupils to develop their composition skills. Using this excellent facility will necessitate a rethink in the arrangement and management of activities in the

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MUSIC

classroom. Computers with keyboards and music software are too new to make an impact on the compositions of these pupils. Currently there is no scheme of work for the GCSE course. Planning to develop instrumental and composition skills should be a priority of the department.

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MUSIC

138. Teaching is satisfactory overall but there are many good features in lessons. As a result, aspects of pupils’ learning are also good. Lessons are well planned with varying activities which motivate the pupils. Lessons are conducted at a good pace and pupils work quickly and well. Much of the lesson is practical and lower and middle-attaining pupils are given appropriately challenging work to do, but higher-attaining pupils are not always challenged sufficiently for them to make the progress of which they are capable.

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MUSIC

139. Pupils are assessed at the end of each unit for the work that they have done. Some pupils were able to say what level they were achieving but they were very unsure what these meant. Pupils are encouraged to think about and appraise their own and others’ work and they do this as a regular feature. As yet, pupils are not being critical enough nor using language either in speaking or in writing that expresses the quality of their work. The procedures for assessing pupils are quite muddled. Pupils are not sufficiently involved with the process. They need to know how well they are doing and what they have to do to improve. Teachers need to help pupils chart their progress. The information gleaned from assessment is not yet being used to plan for improving the quality of teaching and learning, nor for finding the relative strengths and weaknesses of different groups of pupils in order to discover how best to support them.

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MUSIC

140. Leadership and management are just satisfactory. It is difficult to evaluate improvement since the last inspection as circumstances have changed. There are different staff, and financial support for instrumental teaching was withdrawn. The projects devised for pupils between Years 7 and 9 are interesting, but there is no scheme of work for GCSE. The development of the pupils’ instrumental and compositional skills is not planned for this level. Instrumental lessons are being re- established and about 17 pupils are now learning to play instruments. Extra-curricular activities are few and pupils attending so far are small in number. The school works in conjunction with such bodies as the Royal Opera House to provide musical experiences outside the classroom. Two years ago pupils presented their own version of Turandot , working with teachers and musicians from the Royal Opera House. Pupils were also able to see the dress rehearsal of the

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MUSIC

professional production of Puccini’s opera.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Overall, the quality of provision in physical education is unsatisfactory .

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Strengths • The management of pupils in lessons is good and as a result pupils have a positive attitude and participate enthusiastically in lessons. • Teachers set high expectations of pupils in terms of participation and behaviour. • The department is very well staffed. Villiers High School - 51 Areas for improvement • GCSE results are significantly below the national average. • Accommodation is poor; it impedes the teaching of the curriculum, has an adverse effect on standards and is demoralising for both staff and pupils. • There are no formal assessment procedures in place which are used to assess the pupils' attainment and progress in relation to National Curriculum levels. • Lessons are not clearly related to schemes of work and do not always include explicit measurable outcomes clearly linked to National Curriculum levels and strands of work. • A number of significant educational initiatives have not been integrated into the work of the

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

141. GCSE results have been consistently below the national average for the last three years, with the proportion of pupils achieving a C grade or better being less than half the national figure. Relevant strategies have been put in place to tackle this situation, including the setting by ability of pupils, assessing their practical performance in core lessons as well as in examination classes and switching to a syllabus which more closely matches the aptitudes and aspirations of pupils. In one of the two Year 11 theory lessons observed, the majority of students' work and responses showed very little awareness of the knowledge, understanding and written demands of the course.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

142. In lessons, the majority of pupils in Years 7 to 9 are attaining at the level expected nationally but there is a significant minority who still require teachers to reinforce the simplest teaching points if they are to master the basic techniques necessary to make progress. This was particularly evident in lessons observed for Year 8 netball and rugby and Year 7 basketball; however, the majority of pupils in these years are able to copy simple skills with control and co-ordination and are beginning to understand how to improve their own performance. The majority of pupils in Years 10 and 11 are also performing at a level which would be expected at this stage. Most perform with enthusiasm, some with precision, and they work hard at improving their performance; some talented boys consistently use advanced sports skills in lessons, particularly in basketball. In all year groups there is a very wide spectrum of attainment but teachers are able to accommodate

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

this through individual support and encouragement, and as a consequence, pupils make at least satisfactory progress in lessons. Pupils have a very lively, positive approach to physical education and all listen carefully to the teacher and practise conscientiously as individuals and in groups. Occasionally, teachers have to work hard, and do so effectively, to keep some pupils from disrupting lessons but there were several unsatisfactory instances observed where the teacher spent too much time disciplining individuals at the expense of maintaining the focus of the lesson.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

143. Teaching was satisfactory overall, with one very good lesson for a GCSE theory session conducted in the classroom. In this instance, the recently appointed teacher prepared a stimulating set of activities, engaged in very effective individual support and was not distracted from the lesson objectives by some very poorly behaved pupils. The department is well staffed and teachers set high expectations of pupils in terms of participation, behaviour and kit; however, lessons are not clearly related to schemes of work and do not always include explicit measurable outcomes linked to National Curriculum levels and strands of work. This is made worse where teachers do not devise and use written lesson plans, for example in a Year 7 basketball lesson, which was satisfactory overall, but lacked clear outcomes which could be evaluated by the teacher. In a good Year 10 badminton lesson, where the very well-prepared teacher made

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

supportive interventions, pupils were able to execute a range of shots to enable them to rally effectively. The teacher's enthusiastic and authoritative interventions in a Year 10 basketball lesson, emphasising the key teaching points, enabled pupils to improve their skills in passing, catching and shooting. Pupils are encouraged to evaluate each other's performance, particularly in girls’ lessons, and this was evident in a Year 7 gymnastics lesson and a Year 11 football lesson.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

144. The curriculum offered to pupils meets statutory requirements at both key stages but its effective delivery is seriously hindered by the condition, availability and usage of the facilities available at the school and off-site. The two gymnasiums are cold and in a poor state of repair as are the netball courts. The school has to travel to facilities for football and rugby where the changing and showering accommodation is dilapidated, the artificial surface is unusable and the unreliability of Villiers High School - 52 the coach service puts further pressure on lesson arrangements. The use of the local community centre for badminton and basketball provides additional facilities for the school, but whilst these are spacious they are old, dreary and in need of renovation. It is noted that the school has plans to upgrade the on-site facilities and make use of more appropriate local facilities, but without an

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

extensive and far-reaching investment in new, improved accommodation for the subject the delivery of the curriculum and improvements in standards will continue to be adversely affected.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

145. A further shortcoming is that there is insufficient time for Year 10 and 11 pupils who are not studying GCSE. In addition, there are no formal assessment procedures in place which are used to assess pupils' attainment and progress in relation to National Curriculum levels. The school provides a reasonable range of extra-curricular activities, clubs and school teams for pupils to improve their skills, particularly in football and basketball; however, it is disappointing to report that these have recently declined and, for a department which is so well staffed with full-time teachers, activities at lunch-time and after school are not extensive. Significant initiatives have not been integrated into the work of the department, including provision for pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The department has made unsatisfactory progress since the last inspection. It is recommended that a comprehensive departmental development plan is produced

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

which details the issues to be tackled, the associated targets for measuring success, the resource implications, the dates for completion and the persons responsible for ensuring the actions are successful.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Overall, the quality of provision in religious education is unsatisfactory .

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Strengths • Results at GCSE are rising. • Teaching in half the lessons is good, very good or excellent. • The head of department has effected many changes both to raise the profile and improve the efficiency of the department.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Areas for improvement • The Agreed Syllabus cannot be taught in sufficient depth and breadth at both key stages because the recommended time is not allocated. • A lack of rigour in marking and assessment procedures does not tackle low standards of written work at both key stages. • There is a need to target individuals and groups who are underachieving using levels of attainment as a more efficient bench-marking tool.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

146. Standards of attainment and progress in the examination option in Year 11 are rising. Results at A*-C grades in GCSE religious studies rose in 2002. Girls achieve much better results than boys. Standards of attainment in general religious education at Key Stage 4 are unsatisfactory because of insufficient time given to the subject and insufficient rigour in marking and assessment procedures. It is hoped to enter the present Year 10 for the short course GCSE but in order to do this the course has had to be started in Year 9 because less than a third of the time recommended by the Agreed Syllabus is given at Key Stage 4. This in turn impacts unfavourably on the implementation of the Agreed Syllabus at Key Stage 3, which only has three per cent of the time instead of the five per cent recommended.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

147. No unsatisfactory teaching was observed and half the teaching observed was good, very good or excellent. Teaching was good or above where imaginative methods were used to engage the interest of the pupils, resulting in progress in learning and attainment during the course of the lesson. Not all staff articulated clearly the aims and objectives at the start of the lesson and then checked with pupils at the end to see if these had been achieved. There was inconsistency in the quality of the planning of lessons. A particularly good lesson in Key Stage 3 involved a game of ‘snakes and ladders’ to introduce the pupils to the concept of karma. The pupils enjoyed the Villiers High School - 53 game and understood the concept. A particularly good lesson at Key Stage 4 involved ICT very effectively in considering the Just War theory. The pupils were engaged in completing a worksheet and in visiting the Bite-Size revision site from the BBC. The teacher had planned and presented

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

the lesson very well and, because it involved topical issues, such as relationships with Iraq, the results were very good and there was excellent progress in both learning and levels of attainment. ICT is being developed. The pupils are very positive about the subject. They are well motivated and anxious to learn. They regard the subject as relevant to their lives and they enjoy learning about other faiths and examining the similarities and differences between them. There was evidence of differentiated tasks in the lessons of one teacher, but there is inconsistency in meeting the needs of pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

148. The head of department, who is relatively new in post, has effected far-reaching changes in order to raise the profile and status of the subject within the school. Resource provision in terms of textbooks has greatly improved. Weaknesses at the last inspection have been tackled satisfactorily. Some attention needs to be given to the staff handbook to include literacy, numeracy and other policies but good examples were seen of literacy promotion at Key Stage 3 in terms of difficult word lists for different religions. The limitation of time, which was a key issue at the last inspection, has not been tackled. This, together with a lack of consistency in agreed standards and levels of attainment, leads to poor quality and quantity of work at Key Stage 3 and in general religious education at Key Stage 4. There is a mismatch between the quality of teaching observed and the standards demanded of the pupils in written work.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

149. There needs to be a more rigorous assessment procedure at both key stages but especially at Key Stage 3 in order to raise levels of attainment. A start has been made on this but it needs to be more thorough. Apart from raising the attainment of boys, other groups who are underachieving need to be targeted. There needs to be more consistency in the quality of diagnostic and formative marking. The strategies that are in place at Key Stage 4 to address the discrepancy between girls’ and boys’ achievement need to be firmly in place at Key Stage 3. With the adoption of levels of attainment, exemplification of standards and appropriate moderation of assessment, the tracking, monitoring and targeting of all pupils and especially those who are underachieving will be more effectively promoted.

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