Greenford High School

101940 Unique Reference Number Ealing Local Authority 307859 Inspection number 11 March 2009 Inspection date Samantha Morgan-Price HMI Reporting inspector

p.1

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

p.1

Comprehensive Type of school Foundation School category 11–19 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 1686 School (total) 496 Sixth form The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Scott Packman Chair Mr Mathew Cramer Headteacher 7 February 2005 Date of previous school inspection Lady Margaret Road School address Southall Middlesex UB1 2GU 020 8578 9152 Telephone number 020 8747 7891 Fax number

p.1

11–19 Age group 11 March 2009 Inspection date 307859 Inspection number .

p.1

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.

p.2

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. 2 of 10 Inspection Report: Greenford High School, 11 March 2009

p.2

Introduction

The inspection was carried out by one of Her Majesty's Inspectors and an Additional Inspector. The inspectors evaluated the overall effectiveness of the school and investigated the following issues:

p.3

Introduction

■ the achievement of the more able students, girls of average ability and students in the sixth form ■ the effectiveness of the school's strategies to raise attendance

p.3

Introduction

■ the effectiveness of some middle leaders' actions to raise achievement.

p.3

Introduction

Evidence was gathered from lesson observations, discussions with the headteacher, other teachers, the chair of governors and students at the school. Inspectors also undertook examination of documentation and parental surveys. Other aspects of the school's work were not investigated in detail, but the inspectors found no evidence to suggest that the school's own assessments, as given in its self-evaluation, were not justified and these have been included in this report.

p.3

Description of the school

The school is an over-subscribed, foundation comprehensive school which serves students from a diverse socio-economic background. It received Language College Status in 2001. It is also a Training and Leading Edge School. The school has also received the Sportsmark and the Healthy Schools Award. The proportion of students entitled to free school meals is above the national average. The proportion of students whose first language is not English is much higher than average. The school has a sixth form of just over 500 students and approximately three quarters of Year 12 students are former Year 11 students at the school. Just under half of sixth form students receive Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA). The headteacher was appointed in January 2009.

p.3

Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 10 Inspection Report: Greenford High School, 11 March 2009

p.3

Grade: 2

This is a good school. Students enter the school with standards that are below the national average and make good progress because of an exemplary curriculum, good teaching, care, guidance and support and effective leadership and management. The school celebrates its diversity well and its specialist language status enables students to gain a good awareness of other cultures. At the end of Year 11 standards of attainment are generally above average and improving. Over 60% of students gained five or more A* to C grades, including English and mathematics at GCSE, which is well above the national average. There is a wide variation in levels of performance in different subjects. Students in mathematics, English, business studies, communication studies, sociology, physical education (PE) and statistics gain above the national average for the top A* to C grades. In contrast, students in art and design, MFL and other

p.4

Grade: 2

languages are not reaching national averages. Standards students attain are broadly average at the end of Key Stage 3 but the numbers gaining Level 5 in science remain below national expectations. Students make good progress from their time of entry to their exams at the end of Key Stage 4. However, the more able boys and girls did not progress as well as other groups in the school. Girls' progress was not as good as boys' in Years 10 and 11. Support for these groups of students is in place but there are currently no robust means of measuring the impact of these initiatives on their progress. Students demonstrate good personal development and well-being. They praised the opportunities provided for them to stay fit and healthy. As a result, participation in sport-related extra-curricular activities is high. Students show a healthy regard for not only fellow students but all members of the school community. Students' behaviour in and around the school is

p.4

Grade: 2

good, although a small minority of parents expressed concerns regarding the behaviour of a few students. Students take an active part in running the school. Through various councils, they help to appoint new teaching staff and some are trained to observe teachers and to provide feedback on the quality of their lessons. Students also take part in many events, including the 'Citizens' Jury', which is a chance for them to debate issues with local councillors. The school's judgement that teaching and learning are good is confirmed by inspectors. Joint lesson observations indicated that the school is well aware of its strengths and weaknesses in teaching and learning. Lessons seen that were good or better had good pace and extended opportunities for students to reflect on answers to open, probing questions. In these lessons, teachers assessed students' learning well and enabled students to learn independently. Less

p.4

Grade: 2

effective lessons had unclear learning objectives, and teaching resources failed to engage students' interest. The use of differentiated tasks or extension activities is limited and this impacts on the progress of the more able students. Some lessons didn't provide the appropriate stretch or challenge to meet the needs of all students. In some subjects, the marking of students' work does not always provide sufficient evaluative comments to enable them to improve. In one lesson, good use was made of a sixth form student to support students in a PE lesson by analysing their performance. The curriculum is outstanding. The extensive breadth of provision in the form of learning pathways at Key Stage 4 is excellent. These pathways cater extremely well for the needs of all students of different abilities and aspirations. Early entry for the more able students at GCSE 4 of 10 Inspection Report: Greenford High School, 11 March 2009

p.4

Grade: 2

is used effectively in modern foreign languages and mathematics. There is excellent provision for extra-curricular activities, and students value the wide range of sports opportunities. Students have the opportunity to participate in discussion about the curriculum and have influenced practice. For example, a philosophy club was introduced at the request of interested sixth form students. They are well prepared for their future life after school with good provision for literacy and numeracy, and excellent access to information and communication technology (ICT). Care, guidance and support are good. The school is committed to raising the achievement of its students and to safeguarding their health and well-being. Fixed rate exclusions have reduced by a third in the last year as a result of using alternative sanctions to enable students to remain in school. The school's procedures for safeguarding students are robust and are regularly

p.5

Grade: 2

reviewed. Prospective Year 7 students are supported well with cross-phase projects and visits to the school. As one parent wrote 'My child has had a great start to Year 7. The teachers' positive attitudes and dedication towards my child are fantastic...Thank you Greenford High School'. Year 9 students are given just as good support prior to choosing their options in Key Stage 4. Achievement is celebrated at all Key Stages, with students gaining awards for good attendance as well as good academic achievement. Pastoral support workers and teachers are part of the team who work well to provide students with effective pastoral care. Three quarters of students in Year 11 in 2008 stayed on at school and entered the sixth form. Robust tracking systems are in place to measure students' performance against challenging targets. However, the rapid use of these systems to address individual students' or whole-group performance is

p.5

Grade: 2

not as effective it could be. Students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are ably supported to achieve well. A broad range of opportunities exists outside the classroom to support learning. Improving attendance has been a key priority for the school. Strategies include 'catch-up' support for students returning after a period of illness, issuing parental contracts, and reduced timetables for school refusers. These measures are working well and have led to good improvement in the last two years. Attendance is satisfactory and continues to improve. Leadership and management are good. The new senior leadership team is well led. Leaders have a good understanding of the key priorities that are clearly identified in the school's self-evaluation, indicating the school has a good capacity to improve. Middle leaders, some of whom are new in post, are clear about their responsibilities and their part in raising achievement.

p.5

Grade: 2

Good plans are in place to improve the proportion of outstanding and good lessons in the school. However, the use of the school's extensive assessment information by managers to identify students' progress and improve achievement is underdeveloped. In 2008 the school did not achieve its specialist status targets. Since then, effective actions such as early intervention support for students at risk of underachieving, have brought about improvement and as a result the school is well on track to meet targets in all three languages this year. Data also suggest that students are set to achieve their target grades in art and design. The good student performance in business and PE is also on track to be maintained. The school has effectively evaluated its contribution to community cohesion, which is good. This has been achieved by developing and promoting a clear and detailed understanding of its own community

p.5

Grade: 2

and the different faiths, ethnicities and cultures that exist within it. Leaders and managers have also identified clear next steps in how to develop community cohesion further. The new school building, which was funded through a Private Finance Initiative (PFI), is enabling teachers to deliver lessons in a well-equipped environment. The governing body is well led and provides good challenge to the work of the school. 5 of 10 Inspection Report: Greenford High School, 11 March 2009

p.5

Grade: 2

The sixth form is all-inclusive; this is reflected in its outstanding curriculum where students can choose from an excellent range of entry to Level 3 courses. Up until two years ago, many students entering the sixth form came from other institutions or without the required number of GCSEs for entry to A-level courses. Students entered the sixth form with below average standards; they made good progress to achieve standards in Year 13 that were broadly average. The numbers gaining the top A and B grades have increased but remain below average. The school's own data indicate that students are on track to make good progress and to achieve standards that are higher this year. Students can select a combination of vocational and academic courses, including many Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC) and Applied A-levels. Programmes such as accelerated learning and entry to higher education promote

p.6

Grade: 2

students' learning and prepare them for the next steps after the sixth form. Extra-curricular activities include a leadership challenge day which students speak highly of. Good student achievement is not just down to an excellent curriculum but also to good care, guidance and support, personal development and leadership and management. Many students take on responsibilities in and around the school and are keen to work with younger students. Students enjoy their lessons and are proud of their school, acknowledging the high levels of support given to them by staff, particularly the pastoral support workers. The behaviour of students is good, as is their commitment to adopting healthy lifestyles through initiatives such as the Advanced Entitlement Programme. The wide range of extra-curricular activities enables students to exercise leadership, including in the wider community. Pastoral support to help them prepare

p.6

Grade: 2

for life beyond school, such as into higher education and the world of work, is a strength of the sixth form. Teaching is good and is contributing to good progress overall. Leadership and management of the sixth form are also good, with recently strengthened arrangements in place for personal tutoring.

p.6

What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve the achievement of the more able students by increasing the challenge within lessons, so that they achieve as well as they can. ■ Improve the effectiveness of leaders and managers by making better use of assessment information in order to accelerate student achievement. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: Greenford High School, 11 March 2009 .

p.6

What the school should do to improve further

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 of 10 Inspection Report: Greenford High School, 11 March 2009

p.7

Inspection judgements

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

p.8

meeting the needs of learners?

Yes Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection 2 2 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well being? 2 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

p.8

Achievement and standards

2 2 How well do learners achieve? 3 2 The standards 1 reached by learners 2 2 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners How well learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make progress

p.8

Achievement and standards

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. 8 of 10 Inspection Report: Greenford High School, 11 March 2009

p.8

well-being of the learners?

The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 The extent to which learners enjoy their education 3 The attendance of learners 2 The behaviour of learners The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

p.9

full range of learners' needs?

1 1 How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 2 2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

p.9

achievement and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 2 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 2 How well does the school contribute to community cohesion? How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 9 of 10 Inspection Report: Greenford High School, 11 March 2009

p.9

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

24 March 2009 Dear Students Inspection of Greenford High School,Middlesex,UB1 2GU Thank you for welcoming us when we came to visit your school. It was a pleasure to meet many of you during our recent visit. We judged that your school provides you with a good standard of education. One of the strengths of the school is the excellent curriculum in both the main school and the sixth form. We judged that overall you make good progress in the school to achieve above average standards in your GCSEs at the end of Year 11. We also judged that you achieve standards in Year 9 and in your A-levels that are in line with national averages. You display good personal development and well-being and some of you are members of a very active school council. We were impressed with the council's role in interviewing staff and observing lessons. Your contribution to the school is good and you participate well in the extensive opportunities to engage in school

p.10

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

activities, especially sport. In addition to the excellent curriculum provided, good care, guidance and support from your teachers and other support workers help you to achieve well. Leaders know the school well and are committed to helping you achieve the challenging goals you have been set. The relatively new school buildings are enabling your teachers to deliver lessons in very good classrooms and other learning facilities. We judged that there were some areas of the school's work where leaders need to focus their attention. Leaders have been asked to:

p.10

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ improve the achievement of the more able students by stretching them further in lessons

p.10

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ use the good assessment information about your performance so that you make faster progress. Yours faithfully Samantha Morgan-Price Her Majesty's Inspector 10 of 10 Inspection Report: Greenford High School, 11 March 2009

p.10