Bishop Stopford's School

Bishop Stopford's School Inspection report

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102052 Unique Reference Number Enfield Local Authority 307885 Inspection number 12 °13 March 2008 Inspection dates Mark Phillips HMI Reporting inspector

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

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Comprehensive Type of school Voluntary aided School category 11 °18 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 1099 School 174 6th form The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Derek Woodward Chair Mrs Bridget Evans Headteacher 31 March 2003 Date of previous school inspection Brick Lane School address Enfield EN1 3PU 020 8804 1906 Telephone number 020 8805 9434 Fax number

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11-18 Age group 12 °13 March 2008 Inspection dates 307885 Inspection number .

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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.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by one of Her Majesty's Inspectors and three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Bishop Stopford's is a large school, situated in the Southbury ward of Enfield. As a voluntary-aided Church of England school, it takes students from over 50 primary schools across a large number of wards in the Enfield and neighbouring boroughs. Admissions priority is given to regular churchgoers within the Enfield deanery. The number of students with minority ethnic backgrounds is over three times the national average. The percentage of students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is under half the national figure of which the largest number has speech, language and communication difficulties. Nearly all students come from areas where there are higher than average levels of social deprivation. Bishop Stopford's was awarded specialist school status in mathematics and computing in September 2004. The school was accredited Investors in People in 2001 and 2004, and the Healthy Schools Award in 2007. A major redevelopment including new buildings and

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Description of the school

refurbishment of older accommodation is currently taking place and is due for completion by September 2009.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Bishop Stopford's School, 12 °13 March 2008

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Grade: 3

Bishop Stopford's provides a satisfactory standard of education and students make good progress in their personal development during their time at the school. Staff have worked hard to improve attendance and behaviour; these are both good and students enjoy coming to a school where they say they feel safe. There is good provision to ensure students' well-being and the house system gives good pastoral support; academic guidance and mentoring is satisfactory. The care, guidance and support given to students is satisfactory overall. Achievement and standards are satisfactory, with some good features. Students join the school with above average standards and also attain above average standards at the end of year 11. They make better progress in Key Stage 4 than they do in Key Stage 3, particularly in English. Teaching is satisfactory; there are examples of good practice but at other times, the pace of

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Grade: 3

learning is too slow or there is not enough emphasis on the development of students' independent learning skills. In these lessons, students are too passive and rely on teachers to provide them with information or instruction. A good range of extra-curricular activities enhances the curriculum, which is satisfactory overall. Specialist status in mathematics and computing has brought a number of benefits. Interactive whiteboards are now in most classrooms and used confidently by teachers. The school's computer network is now much more manageable and helps efficient administration. There is a computer in every classroom, but student access to these is restricted and most work using information and communication technology (ICT) takes place in the dedicated computer suites rather than in subject areas. All students study for a diploma in ICT. The numbers of students gaining this qualification has contributed to raising the overall GCSE pass rates. In addition, some also study

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Grade: 3

for the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL). However, progress in the other specialist school subject, mathematics, has been lower than expected over the past three years. The school also acknowledges that there has been limited progress in fostering community links through specialist status and in providing additional curriculum courses, particularly in mathematics; whilst the 2007 results were an improvement on 2006 and the overall percentage of good GCSE passes has increased, students' progress in mathematics has not improved since the school achieved specialist status. Improving the strategic leadership of the specialist school strand is an important priority for the school's further development. Overall, leadership and management are satisfactory. The headteacher is, rightly, well-respected by parents, staff and governors. With the governing body she has successfully planned, and continues to raise funds for, the major building project that will undoubtedly improve the

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Grade: 3

school's learning environment. This work is being managed well. Provision in science and music has improved since the last inspection. The school's written self-evaluation identifies most of the school's strengths and weaknesses but some judgements are over-generous. In particular, the school has considered the number of good passes attained by students more than the quality of their grades or the progress that students make. The school gives satisfactory value for money and there is satisfactory capacity for further improvement.

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Grade: 3

During the inspection, sixth form students were on examination leave and so it was not possible to collect sufficient evidence to make judgements on a number of aspects. However, inspectors 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Bishop Stopford's School, 12 °13 March 2008 are able to report that standards in the 2007 examinations were broadly average and that students made satisfactory progress because their attainment on entry to the sixth from was also broadly average. Students told inspectors that their teachers are supportive, know them well and regularly review their progress. Numbers in the Sixth Form have increased significantly in recent years. Whilst the curriculum provides a good range of academic subjects, the school recognises that a wider range of courses, including more vocational options, is required to improve provision and increase numbers further. The new Sixth Form Centre, due to be completed in 2009, will also provide improved study and social facilities for students.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Raise standards further at Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 by focussing on the quality of the grades that all students achieve and the progress that they make, as well as the number of good passes that they attain. ■ Improve students' achievement in mathematics at Key Stage 4 to match their good achievements in English. ■ Improve the strategic leadership of the specialist school provision.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure that there is a consistent focus on the quality of students' learning and active participation in all lessons. A small proportion of the schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory but which have areas of underperformance will receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

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Grade for sixth form: 3

Standards in the 2007 Key Stage 3 tests were just above average. Students made the best progress in science. Whilst the Year 9 English results were disappointing, as they were in 2006, Year 11 students made very good progress to achieve high standards in their English and English literature GCSE exams. The school reports that this was because, when the school encountered staffing difficulties in English, the best teaching was allocated to Key Stage 4. Students also made particularly good progress in art and history, but standards were significantly below average in geography. All students took the Diploma in Digital Applications (DiDA) enabling the majority to achieve the equivalent of three or four good GCSE passes in ICT. In 2007, the school exceeded its targets to achieve its highest ever number of students gaining five or more good GCSE passes. Whatever their starting points or backgrounds, all groups of students made

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Grade for sixth form: 3

satisfactory progress. However, whilst the number of students gaining passes at Grade C or higher in mathematics was just above average, the number of students achieving A* or A grades was low and the school's records suggest that, overall, current Year 11 students are not on track to meet their targets in mathematics.

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Grade for sixth form: Insufficient Evidence

Students' personal development and well-being are good. Students say that they enjoy being in school and this is shown by their good attendance. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Bishop Stopford's School, 12 °13 March 2008 development is good and students from all backgrounds form positive relationships with each other. Some parents expressed concern to inspectors about students' behaviour. However, the behaviour seen by inspectors throughout the inspection was good. Following the introduction of a 'Behaviour for Learning' strategy, the number of fixed term exclusions has reduced significantly and there is very little permanent exclusion. Students say that they do not worry about bullying or harassment, and that there are no tensions around the school. They respond well to lessons on leading healthy lifestyles and know how to look after themselves. They enjoy and take a very active part in sports activities and make a good contribution to their school

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Grade for sixth form: Insufficient Evidence

community. The economic well-being of students is satisfactory. Achievement is good in literacy and ICT but students do not progress so well in numeracy. Students learn to cooperate well with each other, although their independent learning skills are not so well developed. Their acquisition of work place experience is satisfactory, and the school recognises that this is an area where more needs to be done in order to provide better for students' future economic well-being.

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Grade for sixth form: Insufficient Evidence

In the most effective lessons, students have plenty of opportunities to participate actively and develop their independent learning skills. In these lessons, students are stimulated and they are encouraged to think for themselves. However, there are too many lessons centred on teacher-talk and presentation rather than focussing on students' learning. The pace of these lessons is often slow and it takes too long for students to get going with their work. Although there are some notable examples of outstanding lessons, the school leadership acknowledges that staff turnover and temporary arrangements have affected the quality of teaching and learning in a small number of subjects, including mathematics. The school is aware of where teaching is less than satisfactory and takes appropriate steps to support and challenge these teachers. In most classrooms, relationships are positive. Work is usually marked regularly, but there is

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Grade for sixth form: Insufficient Evidence

inconsistency in the detailed feedback given by teachers to help students improve their work and increase their understanding.

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Grade for sixth form: 3

All statutory requirements are met in Key Stage 3. In Years 10 and 11 students choose from a range of academic GCSE options and, because of the school's specialism, all students study for a diploma in ICT. However, there are no additional or alternative examination courses in mathematics in Key Stage 4 for students that are more able or for those with learning difficulties. There are a small number of vocational GCSEs and, where appropriate, the school offers students an integrated programme of work-based learning and school-based study. There are planned elements of citizenship within the Key Stage 4 curriculum, but the school acknowledges that this experience is not yet consistent for all students. Students have a wide 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Bishop Stopford's School, 12 °13 March 2008 range of extra curricular activities including sport and drama. There are varied musical opportunities including a gospel choir, and good extension activities for the Music Form, an

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Grade for sixth form: 3

all-age tutor group selected on musical ability.

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Grade for sixth form: Insufficient Evidence

Good care is taken of students' welfare, and rigorous procedures ensure a safe learning environment. Teachers conscientiously supervise students during and beyond the school day, with high visibility leadership from senior staff; there are good links with other agencies to promote students' well-being. High regard is given to safeguarding procedures, which meet all requirements. Students' behaviour is monitored well and this leads to effective levels of support, such as behaviour intervention programmes in the learning support unit. The school's monitoring of attendance is also good. Academic support and guidance is satisfactory overall. The quality of marking is not consistent enough across the school and there are too many times when no reference is made to targets or how work may be improved. Support for students with learning difficulties is satisfactory and these students make similar progress to that of others.

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Grade for sixth form: 3

The headteacher and her two deputies work effectively together to give clear direction, which is central to students developing good personal skills during their time at school and has helped to raise overall GCSE pass rates. There are clear lines of responsibility for the management of each Key Stage, and strong management in a number of curriculum areas. Whilst the school's overall GCSE pass rates and ICT provision have improved, the specialist school strategy has not led to significant improvements in other aspects and the school acknowledges that this requires leadership that is more effective. Heads of House give good pastoral leadership although their involvement in monitoring students' learning is more limited. Governance is satisfactory. Governors are supportive of the school and have good knowledge of the standards attained by students but have less understanding of how well students achieve. The majority of parents

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Grade for sixth form: 3

are supportive of the school's work but a small minority believe that their views, and those of their children, should be taken into account more. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Bishop Stopford's School, 12 °13 March 2008 .

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Grade for sixth form: 3

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Bishop Stopford's School, 12 °13 March 2008

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Inspection judgements

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

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Overall effectiveness

3 3 How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in 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? 3 3 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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Achievement and standards

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

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Achievement and standards

3 3 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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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 How well learners enjoy their education 2 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

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How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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. IE - denotes that insufficient evidence was available to inspectors for a judgement to be made. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Bishop Stopford's School, 12 °13 March 2008

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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 3 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can 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? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Bishop Stopford's School, 12 °13 March 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

28 March 2008 Dear Students Inspection of Bishop Stopford's School,Enfield,EN1 3PU You may remember that we visited Bishop Stopford's recently. On behalf of my team I would like to thank you all very much for the courtesy and the warm welcome that you gave us, and I am writing now to let you know the results of our inspection. Your attendance at school is very good, and your behaviour is also good. We know that Mrs Evans and your teachers have worked hard to help you improve these, but you must also be congratulated for showing such positive attitudes. Overall, you are making satisfactory progress in your studies. You do particularly well in your GCSE English courses, and it is good that you all take an ICT diploma in Year 11. Last year, a higher-than average number of students gained five or more good GCSE qualifications, and these were record figures for the school. However, we think there are some things that will help you achieve even better in your exams. They are

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ aim for the highest grades possible, rather than being satisfied with just passing the exams

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ make sure that you are fully involved in all your lessons so that you become more independent in your learning, rather than relying on your teachers to do most of the work ■ improve the quality of your work and results in mathematics, which is one of your school's specialist subjects, with your school leaders planning more opportunities for you and the community to take part in mathematics and computing activities. These are challenges for everyone to work on, so you can play your part by aiming high and giving your best efforts in class and in your homework. There is no doubt that your teachers want the best for you so that you have the best chances with your education and employment, and we also wish you all the very best for the future. Yours faithfully, Mark Phillips Her Majesty's Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Bishop Stopford's School, 12 °13 March 2008

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