The Foundation School Inspection report

Unique reference number 100188 Local authority Greenwich Inspection number 385400 Inspection dates 29 February–1 March 2012 Lead inspector Christine Raeside HMI

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005 which gives Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills (HMCI) the authority to cause any school to be inspected. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

Type of school Comprehensive School category Foundation Trust Age range of pupils 11–16 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 784 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jim Draper Executive Headteacher Chris Tomlinson Head of School George McMillan Date of previous school inspection 17–18 November 2010 School address Middle Park Avenue Eltham SE9 5EQ Telephone number 020 88590133 Fax number 020 82941890 Email address [email protected]

Age group 11–16 Inspection date(s) 29 February–1 March 2012 Inspection number 385400

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Inspection report: The Eltham Foundation School, 29 February–1 March 2012 3 of 13

Introduction

Inspection team

Christine Raeside Her Majesty’s Inspector

Sarah Hill Additional Inspector

Gill Walley Additional Inspector

When The Eltham Foundation School was inspected in November 2010, it was judged to require special measures. Subsequently the school was inspected on two occasions. This inspection was carried out with two days' notice. Inspectors observed 33 teachers and lessons, of which six were joint observations with members of the senior team. In addition, the inspection team made short visits to a number of lessons, sometimes accompanied by a senior leader. They held meetings with groups of students, members of the governing body and school staff, including senior and middle leaders. Inspectors took account of the responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) in planning the inspection, observed the school’s work, and looked at a range of documents, including the school improvement plan, minutes of the governing body and school policies. Because of the nature of this inspection, the inspection team did not receive parental questionnaires.

Information about the school

The Eltham Foundation School is a smaller-than-average comprehensive with more boys than girls on roll. It has higher-than-average proportions of students known to be eligible for free school meals, who speak English as an additional language and who come from minority ethnic backgrounds. The proportion of disabled students and those with special educational needs at the school action level of support is slightly higher than usual; the proportion with statements of special educational needs or at the school action plus level of support is much higher than average. There are higher than usual numbers of students entering and leaving the school at other than the conventional times. The school is currently in a Trust partnership with the local authority and the University of Greenwich. In September 2012 it will join the of academies and become Harris Greenwich Park. It will also become a football academy in partnership with Charlton Athletic Football Club. It meets the current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for students’ attainment and progress.

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Inspection judgements

Overall effectiveness 3

Achievement of pupils 3 Quality of teaching 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils 3 Leadership and management 3

Key findings

 In accordance with section 13 (4) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires special measures.

 This is a satisfactory and rapidly improving school. Students make satisfactory progress overall and GCSE results are rising. For example, the proportion of students achieving five or more GCSEs at grade C or higher in 2011 was well above the national average. However, although the gap is closing, the proportion gaining both English and mathematics continues to be an area for improvement. Overall, achievement is satisfactory, with strengths in English because almost all groups of students are making progress well above expectations. In mathematics, the pace of improvement has been slower, as effective staffing and classroom practice become established, but is now accelerating. The impact of improvements is not yet embedded or sustained; this means that the school’s overall effectiveness is satisfactory rather than good.

 Teaching is having an increasingly powerful impact on progress because it is constantly under review and improving. Previous weaknesses have been eradicated and much teaching is now good. It is satisfactory overall, because improved classroom methodologies are still being fully established and embedded. Some variation remains: in the extent to which tasks match students’ needs and are adjusted in response to misconceptions; in the impact of marking on progress; and in opportunities for students to articulate their learning.

 Improvements in behaviour and attendance are marked. Students are now proud to belong to the school and feel safe. Their attitudes to one another and to learning are highly positive. Attendance is close to average overall, although there is still some variation between different groups and the proportion of students persistently absent from school, although falling rapidly, remains an important focus.

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 A relentless and uncompromising drive for improvement, led by the executive headteacher, head of school and senior management team has transformed attitudes and expectations, which are now characterised by pride and ambition. Aspirations are high; there is intolerance of low expectations. Robust performance management has led to extensive changes in staffing and a school sharply focused on achieving excellence.

 Schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory may receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise standards of attainment to at least the national average and increase rates of progress for all groups of students, especially in mathematics, through consistently good or outstanding teaching. Do this by ensuring that all teachers:

match and adapt tasks and activities to the specific learning needs of groups and individuals make effective use of assessment information and questioning to diagnose misconceptions and adjust tasks so that students grasp and embed skills and concepts rapidly increase opportunities for students to work collaboratively and to discuss and articulate their learning in pairs and groups regularly provide detailed and developmental feedback to students on how to improve their work through consistently high quality marking, which elicits student response and accelerates learning.

 Secure above average or high levels of attendance for all groups of students and further reduce the proportion of students persistently absent from school to well below the national average.

Main report

Achievement of pupils

In 2011 GCSE results at grade C or higher, including English and mathematics, rose by 20 percentage points. Well-founded forecast grades indicate further improvement in line with students’ rapidly accelerating progress, already partly secured through the results of examinations taken early in English and mathematics. Students’ attitudes to learning are positive; their confidence and resilience are increasing. This was exemplified in a mathematics lesson where Year 11 students, all of whom had already secured a C grade or better, worked diligently towards higher grades that would exceed their targets. Inspirational teaching was giving them the confidence and self-belief to push for higher results.

Where the development of literacy skills is incorporated into a lesson effectively, it has a demonstrable impact on progress. Boys worked together in physical education (PE) to write explanations of what they had learned. The collaborative writing

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sparked a lively debate about skills and technique. They used technical vocabulary accurately and expressed their learning with growing sophistication. The literacy focus had deepened understanding of the skill. In mathematics, students routinely write an explanation of the mathematical process learned at the end of each lesson. One girl explained very clearly how this helped her to be sure that she had understood. ‘If I can’t explain it clearly, I haven’t got it.’

Attainment on entry to the school is significantly lower than average. Although attainment by the end of Year 11 remains low overall, it is improving rapidly and is at least average for those groups of students making good or excellent progress. This includes those who speak English as an additional language, students who are disabled or have special educational needs and those of African or Caribbean heritage. Rates of progress and levels of attainment are uneven, however; for example girls did not do as well as boys last year in GCSE mathematics and English, but their overall progress measures were better. Where there has been past underachievement, such as in science and mathematics, better teaching and more consistent staffing are having a positive impact. For example, in mathematics, teachers now plan together so that there is continuity of teaching and assessment. Systems of tracking, monitoring and intervention are extremely robust. Although the impact of this is growing, it has not yet secured good or better attainment and progress for all groups of students across all subjects, so that achievement is satisfactory overall.

Quality of teaching

Students consistently say that teaching is greatly improved. They describe lessons as more engaging and interactive, and teachers as genuinely interested in the progress of each individual and who will stop at nothing to help them achieve their target grades. In the best lessons this confidence is well-founded. Teachers use detailed evaluation of students’ individual needs to plan activities that will challenge and stretch everyone. They check carefully for understanding before moving on and allow time for reflection. Pace is brisk and activities time-limited. Lessons start promptly, with ‘do now’ tasks to engage thinking and are interspersed with ‘push yourself’ activities to increase challenge. In a Year 7 technology lesson all of these features, along with structured opportunities for students to discuss what they had learned, resulted in outstanding progress. A variety of assessment methods in the lesson and in books showed that students were habitually checking their own and one another’s understanding.

Such good practice is not yet consistent across all subjects, however, so that teaching remains satisfactory overall. This is often because teachers are inclined to dominate the lesson with lengthy explanation, limiting students’ involvement and slowing the pace of learning. Planning has improved to take account of assessment information about each individual. However, this is not always used sufficiently well to devise tasks and activities that will match students’ differing needs. Although teachers check for understanding, they do not always adapt their approach to take account of the result, or they move activities on too quickly for students to grasp key concepts. Marking is inconsistent in impact. Teachers do not always allow time for students to respond to written feedback so that its influence on learning is diminished.

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The curriculum is planned to foster resilience, pride and a love of learning. Students assess one another with accuracy, sensitivity and respect. When a gifted mathematics student led sections of a lesson, questioning his peers’ understanding of algebra, they showed him the same degree of respect and attention as they had the teacher. In the same lesson, the teacher’s reference to the place of mathematics in the universe had a visibly emotive impact.

Behaviour and safety of pupils

Students are rightly proud of the improving reputation of their school. They describe behaviour as having changed dramatically with the arrival of the new headteachers. They feel exceptionally safe and have full confidence in staff to deal with any concerns that arise. They are proud of how well students from very different backgrounds mix. They describe bullying as rare and school records support this perception. They learn about different forms of bullying and personal safety in school, for example through a workshop dedicated to cyber-bullying or through science lessons on the harmful effects of drugs.

Exclusions, which have been high in the past, are dropping as a result of successful and consistently-applied strategies to promote and reward good behaviour, attendance and punctuality. The ‘late on the gate’ system has seen persistent lateness plummet. Attendance is improving across all groups and is now approaching the national average overall. Senior leaders rightly consider this an ongoing priority until attendance is above average or high for all groups. To this end, there is a determined approach to persistent absence, which includes home visits and legal action where necessary. Although the proportion of students persistently absent is still too high, it is falling quickly as a result. Students increasingly take responsibility for their own behaviour. For example, the school council-devised community code of conduct has been distributed to local businesses, enabling them to report any infringements. Parents and carers are able to track their child’s behaviour and attendance record through an online parent portal.

Leadership and management

The executive headteacher and head of school have brought a renewed sense of pride and aspiration to the school. The mantra of ‘pace, purpose and pride’ permeates school life. The senior team is highly cohesive and effective. Senior leaders model outstanding teaching and continually evaluate the impact of teaching on learning. Meticulous progress tracking and forensic interpretation of assessment information ensure that no group or individual is left behind. Students are given ambitious targets and feel determined and well equipped to meet or exceed them. The capacity for further sustained improvement is strong.

The curriculum is developing well to meet the needs of all students. It is increasingly founded on a GCSE core, with alternative qualifications offered only to those for whom they are most appropriate. It is consequently, and appropriately, becoming more demanding and will contribute to the drive for higher standards as new courses and better-matched pathways come to fruition. Adapted and alternative curriculum

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options promote personal and social aspects of learning. For example, the ‘N-gage’ and ‘Back on Track’ pathways seek to re-motivate students at risk of disengaging. Such initiatives bring students into contact with the wider community. They raise self-esteem and support the development of social skills necessary for success in later life. In addition, students participate in a range of opportunities to engage with others’ experiences, such as regular singing events with Age UK or volunteering schemes in conjunction with the local community hub, including an Alzheimer’s support group.

Middle leadership is strengthening. A team of advanced skills teachers is supporting improvements in teaching and learning. Curriculum area leaders are sharpening their evaluation of departmental performance. Their analyses are scrutinised by governors for rigour and increasingly contribute to whole-school improvement planning. New leadership in mathematics has yet to show impact in sustained improvements in achievement, but teaching is satisfactory overall with some outstanding practice. In science, the substantive head of department, although appointed, has yet to take up post. Interim arrangements have been successful in re-aligning the course structure, recruiting stronger teachers and establishing classroom practice that is consistently at least satisfactory.

The governing body is increasingly involved in challenging the school and in holding senior and middle leaders to account. They have been highly receptive to strategies for improvement and have taken difficult decisions in partnership with the headteachers to secure the financial stability and future expansion of the school. Parents and carers have been involved in consultation processes through the active parent council. Arrangements for the safeguarding of students and staff are secure and well managed. A commitment to equality of opportunity and to exceptional achievement for all is central to the school, which is actively pursuing a cultural diversity award. The drive to ensure that no group or individual is disadvantaged is shared by all.

Senior leaders have made highly effective use of partnerships to drive improvement. This has been appropriately selective and focused on building internal capacity. Strong links with current and future partner schools are expertly used, to moderate internal evaluation, to model excellence in teaching and to support leadership development.

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Glossary

What inspection judgements mean

Grade Judgement Description Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils. Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves.

Overall effectiveness of schools

Overall effectiveness judgement (percentage of schools) Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate Nursery schools 46 46 8 0 Primary schools 8 47 40 5 Secondary 14 38 40 8 schools Special schools 28 48 20 4 Pupil referral 15 50 29 5 units All schools 11 46 38 6

New school inspection arrangements have been introduced from 1 January 2012. This means that inspectors make judgements that were not made previously. The data in the table above are for the period 1 September 2010 to 31 August 2011 and represent judgements that were made under the school inspection arrangements that were introduced on 1 September 2009. These data are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk). The sample of schools inspected during 2010/11 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools. Primary schools include primary academy converters. Secondary schools include secondary academy converters, sponsor-led academies and city technology colleges. Special schools include special academy converters and non-maintained special schools. Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning and development taking account of their attainment.

Attainment: the standard of the pupils’ work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

Attendance: the regular attendance of pupils at school and in lessons, taking into account the school’s efforts to encourage good attendance.

Behaviour: how well pupils behave in lessons, with emphasis on their attitude to learning. Pupils’ punctuality to lessons and their conduct around the school.

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving based on its self-evaluation and what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the governors and headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school.

Learning: how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners.

Overall effectiveness: inspectors form a judgement on a school’s overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school.

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils’ attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

Safety: how safe pupils are in school, including in lessons; and their understanding of risks. Pupils’ freedom from bullying and harassment. How well the school promotes safety, for example e-learning.

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This letter is provided for the school, parents and carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s main findings from the inspection of their school.

2 March 2012

Dear Students

Inspection of The Eltham Foundation School, Eltham SE9 5EQ

Thank you for the warm welcome you gave us when we inspected your school recently. You were keen to tell us about the significant improvements to your school. We agree with you that your school is greatly improved. It is now satisfactory overall, but improving all the time.

Your achievement is improving because you are being set much more demanding targets than in the past. Your confidence to achieve these targets is growing. You show determination to succeed and are prepared to work hard in lessons to achieve your best possible level or grade. Students' GCSE results were better last year than ever before and are set to improve further. They are still below the national average, but rising.

Teachers know your individual needs well. The best lessons give you time to think and make sure you have grasped the concept before moving on. They also give you excellent advice in your books about how to improve. Not all lessons are equally good yet, however. Some still plan for different needs, but do not provide varied tasks or change the plan if necessary, to make sure everyone can succeed. Some marking does not give clear enough advice or the teacher does not make sure you take account of the advice and act on it. You learn really well when you have the chance to discuss your work and explain your learning. Some of you told us how helpful it is to have time dedicated to helping you improve your speaking skills. We agree and we have asked your teachers to ensure all lessons give you the opportunity to articulate your learning.

Behaviour was good around school and, taking into account exclusions and attendance, is now satisfactory overall. This is another feature of your school that rightly makes you very proud. Exclusions are falling because of improved behaviour and because you respect your code of conduct, both in school and the community. Your attendance is much better than it was but needs to improve further and equally well for everyone.

You can help the school continue to improve rapidly by continuing to push yourselves to meet or beat your targets, for both achievement and attendance.

Yours sincerely

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Christine Raeside Her Majesty's Inspector

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