Graveney School
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School report Graveney School Welham Road, Tooting, London, SW17 9BU Inspection dates 17–18 March 2015 Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 Overall effectiveness This inspection: Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Outstanding 1 Achievement of pupils Outstanding 1 Sixth Form provision Good 2 Summary of key findings for parents and pupils This is an outstanding school. Governors and leaders have sustained a profile of The behaviour of students in lessons and around exceptional academic performance at Key Stage 3 the site is of a consistently high standard. Students and Key Stage 4. They are committed to whole- are able to assess risks and keep themselves safe. school improvement and are striving to achieve a Strong teaching contributes to the consistently high similar benchmark of excellence in the sixth form. results students achieve at Key Stage 4. The achievement of a very large majority of Leadership and management are not complacent. students at Key Stage 4 is impressive. Senior leaders are well supported and also Disadvantaged students achieve exceptionally well rigorously challenged by an effective and hard- and outperform non-disadvantaged students working governing body. nationally. At Key Stage 5, many students achieve All students’ receive a breadth of spiritual, moral, well. social and cultural experiences. An impressive range A comprehensive training programme and a of activities prepares all students very well for life in rigorous process of performance management modern Britain. underpin the impact senior leaders and governors have on the school’s performance. Inspection report: Graveney School, 17–18 March 2015 2 of 11 Information about this inspection Inspectors visited 42 lessons across all the key stages. Members of the school’s leadership team joined the inspectors for 12 of these visits. Inspectors made a number of shorter visits to lessons to evaluate particular aspects of teaching. Inspectors observed an assembly and an act of collective worship as well as a sample of tutor periods. Inspectors held meetings with senior and middle leaders, other staff, the vice chair of the governing body and two other governors. Telephone conversations were also held with representatives of the local authority. Inspectors met with different groups of students and spoke informally to students during the inspection. Inspectors took account of 158 completed staff questionnaires, one telephone call from a parent or carer, one email from a parent or carer and 345 responses to Parent View, the online questionnaire for parents and carers. The inspection team scrutinised a wide range of documentation about achievement, records of meetings, information relating to safeguarding and data on behaviour, attendance and exclusions. Inspectors looked at the school’s evaluation of its own performance, anonymised records of performance management, information about the curriculum, enrichment activities and the school improvement plan. Inspection team Lynton Karmock-Golds, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Jason Wye Additional Inspector David Davies Additional Inspector Lee Faith Additional Inspector Sai Patel Her Majesty’s Inspector Inspection report: Graveney School, 17–18 March 2015 3 of 11 Full report Information about this school Graveney School is a mixed 11–18 secondary school. It is one of the largest secondary schools in the country, with 1,970 students on roll. Most students in Year 11 choose to stay on into the school’s sixth form. This is significantly larger than most other secondary sixth forms nationally, with over 700 students on roll. Graveney School converted to become an academy on 1 August 2011. When its predecessor school, Graveney School, was last inspected by Ofsted in May 2011, it was judged to be outstanding overall. The Graveney Multi-Academy Trust was formed in April 2013 to incorporate one local primary school. It is a Leading Edge school and a prominent partner in the Wandsworth Leading Edge partnership. The school is led by a Principal and a headteacher, supported by a large team of experienced senior leaders. The students come from a wide variety of backgrounds and have very diverse ethnic heritages. The proportion of students from minority ethnic groups is significantly above the national average. More than a quarter of students do not have English as their first language, resulting in over 50 different spoken languages in the school. Just below one quarter of students are eligible for pupil premium funding. This is additional funding provided by the government for disadvantaged students. This is broadly in line with the national average. The percentage of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is below the national average. The academic profile of students coming into the school in Year 7 is higher than the national average. A very small number of students attend the Wandsworth Pupil Referral Unit for alternative provision. The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set out the minimum standards for students’ attainment and progress. What does the school need to do to improve further? Provide all students with specific feedback to enable them to improve their work further. Ensure that teaching in the sixth form is as effective as in the rest of the school, so that all students make outstanding progress. Inspection report: Graveney School, 17–18 March 2015 4 of 11 Inspection judgements The leadership and management are outstanding The Principal, headteacher, senior leaders and governors have consistently high expectations of staff and students. Challenging targets are in place and have contributed to the school’s successful outcomes over time. Senior leaders and governors are never complacent and are committed to further improvements. Staff feel proud to work at the school and speak very highly of the support and development they receive. Middle leaders embrace local and national developments and the outcomes of the students demonstrate the impact of their relentless focus on improving teaching. Senior leaders monitor the quality of teaching carefully, and their assessment is thorough and accurate. This supports a robust and rigorous process of performance management which rewards effective teaching. When underperformance is identified, this is addressed swiftly and effectively by senior leaders and governors. There are 10 newly qualified teachers currently at the school. They are extremely positive about the support they receive from middle and senior leaders. There is a well-planned and effective programme of training organised by a senior leader. The development of students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural experiences is a real strength of the school. There is an impressive range of activities and visits held throughout the year which include drama productions, music concerts and a very wide range of sporting events. This is an aspect the Principal and his staff have every right to feel proud about. Graveney School is about more than the pursuit of academic excellence, it is about the development of the whole person. Assemblies and tutor periods provide excellent opportunities for reflection. Students support each other well and contribute to their local community through a wide variety of social and charitable activities. Careful consideration has been given to preparing students for life in modern Britain. All aspects of the curriculum contribute to instilling fundamental British values, including the high quality citizenship, personal and social education delivered by specialist teachers. Students have a clear understanding of other faiths, cultures and lifestyles. Equality of opportunity is central to the ethos of the school and discrimination is not tolerated. The Principal proudly describes Graveney School as ‘many people but one school’. The curriculum meets the needs of all students in the school. It is under continuous review to ensure all students benefit from a wide breadth of subjects. The academy chooses to follow the National Curriculum at Key Stage 3 and tailors the curriculum well to the needs of students at Key Stage 4. The choice of subjects in the sixth form is extensive. There is a very wide range of extra-curricular activities which supports the curriculum. Students’ active participation in The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme is a real strength of the school. There is a comprehensive programme of careers guidance. As a result, students make well-informed decisions about the next steps in their education or future lives. There are many activities which contribute to students’ understanding about the world of work and their employability. In 2014, almost all students progressed into employment, education or training. School leaders and governors use pupil premium funding exceptionally well and the impact of their strategies is evident in the strong gains made by disadvantaged students. In 2014, disabled students and those with special educational needs also made very strong progress. This illustrates the school’s commitment to promoting equality of opportunity for all of its students. School leaders and governors are accurate in their self-evaluation of the school. They can identify the areas for development as well as the strengths of the school. They work closely with the local authority to ensure their assessment of the school is accurate and based upon secure evidence. Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive