Wimbledon College

Age group 11-18 Inspection date(s) 2 -3 May 2007 Inspection number 286459 Unique Reference Number 102681 Local Authority Merton Inspection number 286459 Inspection dates 2-3 May 2007 Reporting inspector Michael Lynes HMI

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Type of school Comprehensive School category Voluntary Aided Age range of pupils 11 - 18 Gender of pupils Boys Number on roll School 1341 6 th form 325 Day care NA Funded nursery education NA

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Appropriate authority Merton Chair Mr Andrew Kennedy Headteacher Fr Adrian Porter SJ Date of previous school inspection 8 October 2001 Date of previous day care inspection NA Date of previous funded nursery education inspection NA

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School address Edge Hill London SW19 4NS Telephone number 020 8946 2533 Fax number Wimbledon College Inspection report Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report 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. Document reference number: HMI 2507 01 April 2007

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors and two Additional Inspectors.

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Introduction

The school was visited by three inspectors over a two day period. Inspectors investigated the following issues: achievement and standards, leadership and management, personal development and well-being, care, guidance and support, and the sixth form. Evidence was gathered from the school’s self-evaluation (SEF) national published assessment data, the school’s own records and other documentation, and observation of the school at work. Parent’s questionnaires and interviews with senior and other staff, and students also informed inspector’s judgements. Other aspects of the school’s work were not investigated in detail, but inspectors found no evidence to suggest that the school’s own assessments in these areas, as given in the SEF, were other than justified.

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Description of the school

Wimbledon College is an 11 – 18 Roman Catholic secondary school run by the Jesuits since 1892. It operates a shared sixth form with the Ursuline High School. The school has been part of the reorganisation of secondary schools in the borough of Merton and has recently undergone some challenging times. In 2005 Years 7 and 8 were supplemented to the existing provision, adding an additional 400 boys. The number of students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities (LDD) is about the national average. The number of students from a minority ethnic background is high as are the number of pupils who speak English as an additional language (EAL). Attendance is above the national average.

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Key for inspection grades

Grade 1 Outstanding Grade 2 Good Grade 3 Satisfactory Grade 4 Inadequate Document reference number: HMI 2507 01 April 2007

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Overall effectiveness of the school Grade: 2

Wimbledon College is a good school with some outstanding elements, but also some satisfactory ones. The outstanding features of the school are the personal development of students, the science department and the provision for those with LDD. The satisfactory aspects of the school are in the sixth form provision.

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Overall effectiveness of the school Grade: 2

The young men who leave the college are a credit to themselves, their families and the school. They are a pleasure to spend time with. They are developing into mature, confident, balanced adults and are well equipped to lead productive and fulfilling lives. This is due in no small part to the unstinting support, guidance and hard work of all the staff at the school. However, students’ academic progress is not as good as their personal development. This is particularly true in the sixth form, and is the reason that the school is not yet outstanding.

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Overall effectiveness of the school Grade: 2

The school has faced significant organisational challenges due to the addition of Years 7 and 8 in 2005. It now successfully caters for students between the ages of 11-18. The leadership and management of the school have worked hard to ensure that there has been minimal disruption to the life of the school. This has meant that the focus on monitoring teaching and learning has not been sharp enough. Consequently, achievement in 2006 was not as good as in previous years.

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Overall effectiveness of the school Grade: 2

The headteacher’s good leadership has ensured that the school is now emerging from this challenging period. He is well-liked and respected by students and has an impressive first hand knowledge of them. They value his open and approachable style. He is very well supported by the deputies responsible for personal development and well-being. He has put into place a number of initiatives which have improved the curriculum and strengthened the monitoring of academic achievement. Data on student achievement is now collected and analysed, but does not yet consistently provide timely information that will enable the school to accurately identify and target potential underachievement. The use of assessment data to set realistic targets is not yet well embedded hence the tracking of progress across subjects is inconsistent. Senior leaders are acutely aware of this and there are recent examples of good intervention in Year 9, where there are now good

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Overall effectiveness of the school Grade: 2

arrangements to enhance literacy and numeracy levels.

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Overall effectiveness of the school Grade: 2

The capacity to make further improvements is satisfactory. It is not yet good because there is considerable variability in the quality of middle leadership, as evidenced by the 2006 GCSE results. The senior leadership team do not yet rigorously monitor and evaluate the impact of both their own and middle leaders’ actions. This means that they do not have a consistently accurate picture of students’ academic progress that allows them to plan interventions to improve it. This leaves students vulnerable to underachievement.

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Overall effectiveness of the school Grade: 2

Students’ attainment on entry to the school is above the national average. Examination results are well above the national average by the end of Year 9, this is good progress. However, English results in 2006 dipped, being below both science and mathematics. Students continue to make good progress in Years 10 and 11 with results being well above the national average. Science results are excellent, and in Document reference number: HMI 2507 01 April 2007 2006 the English results improved. However, many other subjects in the curriculum, including religious education, did less well than in previous years. The GCSE 5 A*-C results including English and mathematics were significantly above the national average for boys. The most able boys do not achieve as much as they should, and there is some evidence that middle ability boys underachieved in 2006. The school has provided convincing evidence to suggest that achievement in the current Year 9

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Overall effectiveness of the school Grade: 2

will be at least satisfactory and in Year 11 at least good.

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Overall effectiveness of the school Grade: 2

The school provides a very caring and supportive environment where all students, regardless of their needs and vulnerabilities, feel safe and successfully develop their personal qualities. A parent commented, ‘We are truly grateful that our son has spent his formative years in such a caring and supportive environment where virtually every teacher has taken an interest in helping him develop his full potential.’ Provision for students with LDD is outstanding. They benefit greatly from carefully managed and integrated support, which enables them to successfully meet the targets set for them in their individual education plans (IEPs) and annual reviews. Provision for ensuring health and safety is very strong. Child protection and risk assessment procedures are robust and staff are aware of their responsibilities. When appropriate, support is further enhanced by the effective involvement of outside professional agencies.

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Overall effectiveness of the school Grade: 2

Students’ personal development is outstanding. Relationships throughout the school are very positive. Students are proud of their school and are developing well as individuals as a result of the Jesuit ethos of cura personalis (care of the individual person). A real strength of the school is the way it involves students in decision- making and policies through consultation opportunities as well as through the formal deliberations of both the whole school council and the sixth form council. Students, for example, are rightly proud of their part in improving healthy eating at school and providing basketball equipment in all three of the playgrounds. Students say they feel happy, safe and secure in school. They also report that if there are any incidents of bullying or racism, these are dealt with quickly by the school. One commented, ‘A strength of the school is that it is a community, you can freely talk to teachers and

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Overall effectiveness of the school Grade: 2

there is always someone to listen to you if necessary.’ Many students actively participate in out of school hours learning, particularly music and sporting activities. Students are also involved in work in the local community as well as with a school building project in India. They are very well prepared for the next stages of education or training as a result of their good standards of literacy and numeracy and the work related activities they are involved in. A very high proportion of students stay on into the sixth form and then continue into higher education.

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Effectiveness and efficiency of the sixth form Grade: 3

The entry into the sixth form includes pupils who join from a range of other schools. The students’ standard of attainment on entry into the sixth form is at the national average. Students make satisfactory progress in year 12, about a quarter leave at the end of the year, many to go to other institutions following mainly vocational courses and some starting work with training. The school gives these students good guidance in this regard. Those remaining continue to make satisfactory progress in year 13. The pass rate at A level is better than the national average, but there are fewer A grades than the national average. Standards are therefore broadly in line Document reference number: HMI 2507 01 April 2007 with the national average. Over the last 2 years there has been a decline in the effectiveness of teaching and learning in raising standards, which are now satisfactory. Evidence provided by the school indicates that achievement will also be

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Effectiveness and efficiency of the sixth form Grade: 3

satisfactory this year. The good measures that the school has put into place, which include a very effective independent study area and changes to the curriculum, have yet to impact on standards.

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What the school should do to improve further

 standards and achievement in the sixth form

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What the school should do to improve further

 sharpen the evaluation of teaching and learning to increase the amount of good and outstanding teaching

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What the school should do to improve further

 the analysis of student performance data by senior and middle leaders to ensure the early identification of potential underachievement procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk.

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Inspection judgements

Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate. School Overall 16–19

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Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? 2 3

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Overall effectiveness

The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage N/A The capacity to make any necessary improvements 3 3

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Achievement and standards

How well do learners achieve? 2 3 The standards 1 reached by learners 2 3

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Personal development and well-being

How good is the overall personal development and well-being of the learners? 1 1 The extent of learners’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 How well learners enjoy their education 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community 1 How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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The quality of provision

How effective are teaching and learning in meeting the full range of learners’ needs? 2 3 How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 2 2

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The quality of provision

How well are learners cared for, guided and supported? 2 2

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Leadership and management

How effective are leadership and management in raising achievement and supporting all learners? 2 3 Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? Yes Yes Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? No

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Leadership and management

1 Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low.

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Leadership and management

All white boxes must be completed. The grey boxes are used wherever the inspection team has sufficient evidence to come to a secure judgement. 4 May 2007

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Inspection of Wimbledon College, London, SW19 4NS

It was a great pleasure to lead the inspection of your school. We enjoyed meeting and talking with you, and were impressed by your confidence and the articulate way you expressed yourselves. Thank you for being so open and honest with us. It is very clear that you are proud to attend the school and really value the way that your teachers care for you and help you to develop.

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Inspection of Wimbledon College, London, SW19 4NS

We have judged the school to be good with outstanding features in: your personal development, the science department, and provision for those students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. However, we have judged the sixth form to be satisfactory as we believe that you could achieve higher academic standards than you currently do. Senior leaders agree with our judgements and are making plans to improve the following areas:

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Inspection of Wimbledon College, London, SW19 4NS

 teaching and learning so that the amount of good and outstanding teaching is increased

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Inspection of Wimbledon College, London, SW19 4NS

 analysing information on your progress to make sure that you are making at least good progress in all your subjects

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Inspection of Wimbledon College, London, SW19 4NS

You can play your part by continuing to give feedback on what you find helpful and not helpful in lessons; as I know you do in some subjects. You can also ask your teachers regularly about how well you are doing, and how you could do better. Many of you told us how much you appreciate Father Porter. I am sure that you will want to do everything that you can to work with him, and all the teachers, to make sure that Wimbledon College quickly becomes an outstanding school. It most certainly has the potential to do so.

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Inspection of Wimbledon College, London, SW19 4NS

I wish you all the best, particularly those of you with examinations coming up.

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