Ms Andrea Crawshaw Chair of Local Council: Mr M Hussain Self-Evaluation Document Autumn Term 2019

Name of Secondary School Address Unique Reference Number (URN) 111751 Headteacher: Mr Michael Laidler Executive Headteacher: Ms Andrea Crawshaw Chair of Local Council: Mr M Hussain Self-Evaluation Document Autumn Term 2019

School Context Acklam Grange School (AGS) is a large and popular comprehensive school on the south-west edge of Middlesbrough. It is a co-educational 11-16 school of 1448 (as of 20/09/19) students with a capacity of 1470.

AGS has a large and diverse catchment area, which covers a mix of private and council housing running from the town centre in the north to suburban areas in the south, producing student cohorts with an extremely wide range of backgrounds from areas of high unemployment and deprivation to more affluent areas on the edge of town. In 2018, 33% of AGS students lived the lowest 0-10% of IDACI defined communities with a school deprivation indicator of 0.28 compared to 0.2 nationally. In 2019, 41.2% of students are classified as Disadvantaged (Nat 27.7%). 14.5% (Nat 10.8%) of students receive SEN support with 1.1% (Nat 1.7%) in receipt of an EHCP. There are 20 children looked after in the school (1.4%). 38.4% (Nat 31.8%) of students come from ethnic minority origins (the majority being Pakistani Kashmiri) and 29.3% first language/believed not to be English (Nat 16.9%). In 2018-19 our stability rate was 93.1% compared to 91.6% Nationally.

In September 2010, the school community moved into a £27 million BSF new build. The old building was demolished during 2010-11. In September 2017, the school was designated as a Teaching School, by the National College of Teaching and Leadership. Andrea Crawshaw became Executive Headteacher and National Leader of Education, Michael Laidler, Headteacher and Jon Tait, Director of Teaching School.

In July 2018 AGS converted to academy status co-founding The Legacy Learning Trust (MAT). Andrea Crawshaw became CEO of the Trust and Nikola Flint became CFO of the Trust.

Over the past 4 years, the achievement of both the staff and students has been recognised in the following ways:  National Award Winner for Outstanding Secondary School Progress Award – 2018  Finalists for the National Outstanding Secondary School Progress Award – 2016, 2017  Ranked Number 1 School in Teesside – 2017 (Real Schools Guide)  Ranked in Top 5 schools in Teesside – 2018/2019 (Real Schools Guide)  SSAT Educational Outcomes Award Attainment – 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019  SSAT Educational Outcomes Award Progress – 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019  National Finalists for the Community Award – 2019  National Finalists for the Procurement Award – 2018  Gold Headstart Award for Mental Health – 2018  School of Sanctuary Award – 2019  Better Health at Work Award BRONZE, SILVER & GOLD standard Achieved – 2017-19  Combined Cadet Force First 500 Award – 2019  Excellence in Challenging Bullying Award – 2017,2018,2019,2020  Awarded National Citizenship School Winner – 2018-19  The school has been asked to share its expertise and school to school support at numerous regional and national conferences in the areas of leadership at all levels, teaching and learning, raising achievement, EAL provision and financial leadership.

Strengths at AGS:  Leadership at all levels through our Quality Assurance Cycle  Safeguarding and students’ personal development & Welfare (ARC Services)  School Ethos and SMSC – AGSPride – AGSFamily – committed high quality staff  Financial Leadership  Inclusive, broad and balanced curriculum for all that promotes high aspirations  Strong student outcomes for all groups of learners with different starting points  Quality of Teaching and Learning  Staff Wellbeing  Community Cohesion including Meserani Africa Project and Kashmir Education Foundation  Transition at all phases

1 | P a g e Acklam Grange School SEF Sept 2019 Leadership & Management Outstanding – 1

Evidence/Commentary:

The effectiveness of leadership and management, at all levels, continues to be outstanding, following Ofsted 2016.

The school is clear about its strengths and areas for further development and is working closely with all staff and Local Council members to meet ambitious targets for 2020 onwards. The Whole School Development Plan has clear, shared, key improvement priorities. These are incorporated in Faculty and Year Self-Evaluation and Development plans. Leaders at all levels and their teams are heavily involved in the development of these plans which are quality assured at the highest level by senior leaders and governors. In addition, all leaders have a sound understanding of the importance of strong financial leadership to ensure that curriculum provision and outcomes are maximised and sustainable. The school is truly working collaboratively to raise aspirations for all students and their families, maximising life chances within the challenging context of our local community.

Senior leadership capacity has been increased through the appointment of an Executive Headteacher and Head of School now Headteacher in September 2017. This has allowed for outstanding leadership retention and recruitment and key structural changes to roles and responsibilities, leading to greater accountability and consistency at all levels. A fully embedded Quality Assurance (QA) cycle and Acklam Grange Way enables all leaders and practitioners to rigorously monitor, intervene and review all areas of school life to make continuous improvements in order to sustain a high-quality educational experience for all.

A clear and ambitious vision and an inclusive ‘no child left behind’ ethos permeates through the school and is the cornerstone of leadership and our curriculum intent at all levels. Reformed GCSEs have been strategically implemented into a challenge for all curriculum from Year 7 upwards with impact visible through whole school results 2019 and internal data. The personalised learning pathways approach allows students to access a broad and balanced curriculum with every child receiving the support they need to successfully complete their full educational journey. This has been the main driver for exceptional outcomes across the whole curriculum, resulting in Acklam Grange being placed in the top quintile for attainment and progress for the past 4 years. Student progression rates to Post-16 are positive with AGS NEET % for 2018 being 1% when students leave our school, with the same predicted for March 2020. Further tracking and monitoring for prolonged Post-16 provision will be considered and remain a priority for school leaders.

Senior leaders demonstrate an ability to respond to educational change with vision, morality and purpose. The quality of middle leadership is strong and reflective of an exceptional collective workforce. Middle leaders fully embrace the direction set by senior leaders and value the investment the school has in their professional development and wellbeing. Middle leaders have played a pivotal part in the new reformed curriculum design and have ensured that all classroom practitioners feel confident and are fully equipped with subject knowledge and teaching pedagogy to achieve outstanding outcomes over time.

All staff have access to high quality professional development via ‘AGS Inspire’. This evidence based professional development programme has seen significant and sustained impact in the quality of teaching and staff development.

Our Teaching, Learning and Assessment (TLA) team are at the forefront of educational research, constantly digesting the most up to date and significant research on the science of learning before summarising key points and takeaway messages for staff via weekly AGS Inspire professional development sessions.

As part of the extended TLA team, three Lead Practitioners are led by an AHT, giving each a reviewed and accountable subject specific and whole school responsibility. Six Associate Lead Practitioners have been appointed to create an inter- school research and development team; developing innovative approaches to classroom practice and disseminating internal research and outstanding practice via AGS Inspire to all staff. This supports succession planning and a clear culture of learning amongst staff to continuously to improve individual and collective practice. In a recent Staff Voice, 100% of respondents agreed that they “welcome regular opportunities to develop their teaching”.

All classroom-based staff receive a professional development profile, highlighting areas of strength to share with others and areas for development. This is linked to targeted intervention professional development sessions. Newly Qualified Teachers, and all new staff, are subject to an extensive and high-quality, supportive induction programme. All staff are allocated a subject mentor. Progress and development are overseen by a senior leader. The impact of this is consistently embedded good or better teaching and strong student outcomes. Regular and bespoke professional coaching of staff at all levels is now the core business of the extended teaching and learning team with the sole purpose of improving teaching at all levels. An adaptable and responsive focus on professional coaching has enabled staff at all levels to develop professionally. All teachers are given opportunities to ensure excellent knowledge of the subjects they teach via dedicated subject knowledge enhancement as part of our

2 | P a g e Acklam Grange School SEF Sept 2019 regular, ongoing professional development programme. Faculty development time is utilised to support all staff within each subject area including bespoke provision for non-specialists. On top of the designated and directed professional development and INSET days, staff at Acklam Grange recorded an additional 701 voluntary hours of professional development via our AGS Inspire programme in 2018/19. Key foci of retrieval practice, spaced learning, metacognition, cognitive science and enhancing subject knowledge were further developed through strategic deployment of internal and external expertise. These will remain key foci throughout the next academic year. The 2018/19 QA of TLA (formal lesson observations, learning walks, lesson drop-ins, work scrutiny, results analysis) reflects that good or better teaching is now firmly embedded across all curriculum areas and is outstanding over time. The rigour of the QA cycle allows leaders to swiftly identify and implement targeted support if any elements of practice fall below our high expectations. Twenty-five staff were coached last year across a range of support areas: o All NQTs (statutory induction requirement) o Post NQT induction support o Development target(s) identified from Quality Assurance o New Staff o Targeted specialist subject knowledge enhancement o Staff undertaking NPQSL, NPQML or other relevant national professional qualifications o Pastoral Leadership Development

All leaders are mindful of the pressures of modern-day education for all stakeholders and recognise that staff and student wellbeing and mental health is an important priority and must remain that way. Leaders have developed a culture of openness, care and resilience, encouraging staff to identify and raise any issues and offer meaningful and appropriate support. Through robust policy and procedure implementation, approachable leaders and a dedicated HR team, any concerns are dealt with swiftly and efficiently. The leadership has been recognised by staff from the most recent survey with 85% agreeing or strongly agreeing that wellbeing is a priority for their employer.

Staff and student wellbeing champions have been appointed to compliment the work of all leaders, to ensure that staff and students are valued, supported and encouraged to develop personally and professionally within a learning and caring community. We offer a workplace where staff want to continue to work and a learning environment where families want to send their children and students want to learn. This is validated by our first-choice statistics and overwhelming number of appeals for places for our September 2019 intake. The school was ranked as the most over-subscribed secondary school in the Tees Valley.

A vital component of our overall wellbeing approach has been to undertake a detailed review of workload and procedures over the past 12 months. The review focused across the five main pillars of teacher workload and resulted in the removal of over 47 tasks to allow teachers to focus on their core role. This has also enabled us to retain and recruit the very best staff and further promote a value for money education provision. Some examples include:

 reduction in data entries  eliminating written reports  flexible staff development  flipped team meetings  collaborative planning  revised lesson planning documentation  restricting meeting time to 1 hour  introduction of email curfew  investment in admin and support staff

External verification and significant wellbeing and mental health successes include:

 Better Health at Work Gold Award (currently working towards continuous excellence).  Headstart Gold Award (promotion and supporting emotional wellbeing and mental health).  Oxford University ‘Myriad’ Mindfulness in Schools Programme with .B recognition, delivery of mindfulness techniques to support positive mental health  The average days sick has reduced from 10.41 to 3.13 (nat 4.1)  Only 4 teaching staff out of 97 left in 2018-19 and all were for promotions at different schools, highlighting our high-quality professional development but also that staff enjoy working and being part of our AGS family.

The impact of the school’s support for wellbeing issues and focus on reducing staff workload is exceptional staff performance, validated by our quality assurance cycle and student outcomes, and a very low staff turnover. Staff leavers are typically moving on for professional promotion.

Leaders see the importance of engaging stakeholders at all levels to maximise student care and outcomes and ensure that the school remains at the heart of the local community. Good and regular contact with parents and carers exists through various means and remains a key priority due to the challenging context of our local community. This includes

3 | P a g e Acklam Grange School SEF Sept 2019 meetings and events to share learning, information and advice all of which contribute to school improvement. To recognise the multi-cultural nature of our school and support achievement of all our students, we actively encourage engagement with a variety of stakeholders including students, families, local, national and international (Meserani and KEF) communities and faith leaders in order to celebrate the differences within our school context. The school continues to work collaboratively with a number of externals networks including key professionals, local, regional and national schools and services with the main aim to drive up standards at AGS and across the country to ensure all children maximise their potential.

Parent surveys reflect that the priorities we set and actions we take are having a positive impact:

97% of parents would recommend the school to another parent 96% agree or strongly agree that the school is well led and managed 92% agree or strongly agree that their child is taught well in school 96% agree or strongly agree that their children are happy at school 97% of parents agree or strongly agree that their children feel safe at school 98% of parents agree or strongly agree that their child is well looked after at school

Our school provides a financially, self-sustainable sport and leisure community programme to local residents which enables them to access affordable physical activity, promoting healthy lifestyles and contributing to town-wide priorities for improvement.

SMSC is a key strength of the school and is a golden thread which permeates all aspects of curricular and extra-curricular activities.

Active and committed Local Council members rigorously monitor, challenge and hold all school leaders to account via regular link meetings with senior leaders and termly meetings.

Local Council and trustee meeting minutes include evidence of specific training items in relation to roles and responsibilities. Minutes show evidence of the role being implemented with appropriate challenge with an emphasis on school improvement planning, self-evaluation and the financial performance of the school. Two distinct training days, (collaborating with Trustees) have taken place this year with an emphasis on vision and values, curriculum intent, financial leadership, school improvement and guidance to encourage constructive governor challenge. All governors have undertaken a skills audit concluding in action points for development.

Staff and Local Council members are comprehensively trained in all their statutory duties using a variety of training tools and resources. Training covers all statutory content but is also tailored to ensure awareness of the local context. Regular updates occur during the academic year.

Our safeguarding policies and procedures demand a culture of vigilance amongst all staff regardless of role. Robust methods of identifying students in need of support are in place, regularly reviewed through safeguarding team meetings and ARC Forums and monitored through Stages of Support. Safer recruitment practices are followed rigorously, and interviews are conducted with trained personnel present on all occasions.

A robust system for policy review is in place to ensure all policies are up to date and effective.

Additional Evidence  Single Central Record – up-to-date and safeguarding effective and rigorous

Key priorities :

L&M Priority Maintain outstanding leadership through a continued focus on and development of highly effective 1 and rigorous accountability and quality systems:  Effective governance at Local Council level  Ensuring value for money and financial sustainability  Securing outstanding Teaching, Learning and Assessment including development of staff pedagogy & relevant research  Securing outstanding Behaviour and Attitudes  Developing the Acklam Grange Way  Implementing and develop further our Quality Assurance cycle  Maintaining outstanding safeguarding provision

L&M Priority Sustain and further develop a first class quality of education provision, delivering outstanding 2 outcomes for all. L&M Priority Further develop whole school Social Capital through stakeholder engagement and communication 3 strategies in all aspects of school life including:  Parental engagement 4 | P a g e Acklam Grange School SEF Sept 2019  Parent Forum  Digital competence for all stakeholders  Refined Marketing strategy  Community engagement (Acorn programme, September Spectacular, CoCo group)  Links with MCLS, further and higher education providers, employers and local businesses to support outstanding CEIAG provision and our students’ future employability.  Links with other educational establishments and specialist sports coaching to support the development of our Sports Academy. L&M Priority To further develop a culture of openness, care and resilience, in support of staff and students’ 4 positive mental health, wellbeing, workload and retention which further impacts on sustainability of outcomes.

Quality of Education Outstanding - 1

Based on our student outcomes (last 4 years) and the impact of our rigorous quality assurance systems, highly bespoke AGS Inspire professional development programme, ongoing cycle of curriculum review and strategic implementation of evidence informed teaching policies in the Acklam Grange Way, we feel that the Quality of Education demonstrates continuous and sustained improvement and is therefore outstanding.

INTENT

At AGS we offer a curriculum that not only follows the principles of a broad and balanced curriculum promoted by the National Curriculum, but also deliver one that promotes equality for all students regardless of race, gender, sexuality or socio-economic background and provides equity by aiming to support students in overcoming those barriers proven to limit social mobility in Middlesbrough such as low levels of reading, vocabulary, low self-esteem and low aspirations.

Our curriculum aims to incorporate our five key AGS Pride characteristics which are intrinsic to everything we do. We aim to support and develop our five PRIDE values of Perseverance, Respect, Initiative, Direction and Expression throughout the implementation of our curriculum. We want to challenge all of our students to be confident articulate human beings who have those values, beliefs and skills that we believe will enable them to make a positive difference to themselves, their families and to help them shape a positive society in the future.

Embracing a personalised learning agenda, our curriculum design meets our students’ needs and promotes lifelong learning. Students are allocated to one of four Personalised Learning Curriculum Pathways each following a varying route and ensuring access to a broad and balanced personalised curriculum. Student’s needs are constantly reviewed and these pathways can and do change in response to student needs either through our regular pathway reviews or whenever it is deemed to be in the best interests of the student so that they experience a curriculum which is as bespoke and personalised as possible. Students follow a very aspirational and challenging, yet deliberately constructed learning journey from the moment they become part of the Acklam Grange Family in Year 7, which focusses specifically on developing the right skills and a broad range of knowledge that will enable them to contribute positively to British society.

To raise aspirations even further, students now follow an EBacc pathway, which entails all students beginning their GCSE studies from Year 9 in Humanities and a language for students in appropriate Pathways. Any student wishing to continue studying a language will be considered for a Pathway move in one of our termly pathway review meetings. This will be supported by students making further choices to personalise their studies even further for Years 10 and 11. Curricular aspirations have significantly risen throughout the past 5 years where students eligible for the EBacc has risen above the National level from 11% to 39% and the percentage achieving the EBacc is above National and significantly above most other secondary schools in the Tees Valley.

Whilst striving to be as aspirational as possible by promoting a curriculum with an academic focus characterised by the Ebacc, our students also have access to the support they need so that the core ingredients of reading and vocabulary are of a standard that allows them to flourish within their own personalised learning journey. Students are supported in making the right choices for their ability and interests, in striving for success and to go on to follow the Post-16 progression route they desire. In 2017-18 99% of students secured a place with a Post-16 provider of which we are very proud. This layered approach to personalising the length of courses is a further improvement to the curriculum model we offer which has enabled us to be consistently placed in the top quintile for the past 4 years for student progress.

The curriculum is reviewed annually to ensure it meets the needs of our current and future students as well as our community. This is through a detailed annual curriculum review which takes views of all stakeholders including Post-16 providers and more recently the sector summary report from the Tees Valley Combined Authority which details local employment needs. At the end of each year all students complete a MyPRIDE questionnaire which helps to identify any prevalent social attitudes and issues that may need addressing through PRIDE (PSHE) the following academic year.

It is our intention that Social, Moral, Spiritual and Cultural (SMSC) is embedded throughout all areas of our curriculum and beyond. PRIDE lessons are our version of Personal, Social and Health Education and offer a wealth of opportunities 5 | P a g e Acklam Grange School SEF Sept 2019 for students to access important learning experiences which significantly contribute to their development as independent and resilient learners and well-rounded citizens. PRIDE is also the vehicle for the promotion of British Values incorporating Democracy, Law, Mutual Respect, Individual Liberty and a Tolerance of different faiths and beliefs as well as the teaching of CEIAG, SRE and Citizenship. At AGS we aim to go beyond tolerance creating a culture of acceptance which celebrates difference and commonality.

IMPLEMENTATION

Across both KS3 and KS4, students follow a carefully planned, aspirational and sequenced journey which continually builds on prior learning and is designed to prepare the students for the rigours of national curriculum reform, providing an accumulation of fundamental knowledge and skills that prepare them for life Post-16 beyond Acklam Grange. Regular opportunities are taken for distributed retrieval practise, including low-stakes quizzing, making links between new content and that which has already been encoded into long term memory. This is underpinned by our AGS Success strategy which ensures that the science of learning informs teacher delivery and independent study.

Flexibility in curriculum delivery allows for responsive teaching, resulting from a clear understanding of what makes effective formative and summative assessment strategies which identify key misconceptions, gaps in knowledge and provides clear and purposeful feedback. Opportunities exist for students to receive direct teacher instruction and explore subject matter via discussion with peers and independent learning.

Our most recent student voice indicated the following:

o 93% of students, when questioned, agreed that they are encouraged to ‘think hard’ and independently look for solutions when they are ‘stuck’. o 92% recognise the opportunities afforded to them to develop concentration and resilience through periods of ‘silent focus’. o 93% of students feel that they are developing long term learning, leaving them well prepared to succeed in terminal examinations. o 90% of students understand the importance of long term independent study, following a ‘little and often’ approach.

The ‘AGS Cycle of Outstanding Teaching’ ensures a consistent and challenging approach to all planning, delivery and assessment of a coherent and challenging curriculum across the school. This bespoke and accountable lesson structure has ensured consistency across all subjects, whilst also ensuring progress across all years. The centralisation of faculty planning with a clear understanding of appropriate use of assessment has also ensured robust quality assurance of planning, assessment and delivery, resulting in a reduction in teacher workload.

Through our bespoke CPD development all staff receive subject knowledge enhancement opportunities and training. In the rare occasion a member of staff teaches out of specialism a mentor and additional support structure is put in place.

Reading and vocabulary are prioritised across the curriculum and key skills are taught explicitly to allow students to access the full curriculum offer. Students are encouraged to read widely and a rigorous focus on using challenging and knowledge and cultural rich texts across all subjects develops students’ fluency, confidence and enjoyment in reading. An explicit focus on using oracy effectively in the classroom to develop talk for learning and as an integral part of the PRIDE curriculum through AGS Enquire, ensures that students develop the necessary communication skills to enable them to articulate their viewpoint effectively. Following our extensive transition process, key information on all students including Literacy profiles are communicated and used by staff to monitor student attainment in reading and spelling and informs planning and appropriate delivery of lessons to accelerate progress. This continues to be a priority for our school.

Targeted intervention is used effectively to address areas of development for all students. Teachers ensure that their own speaking, listening, writing and reading of English support students in developing their language and vocabulary well. Student voice data in 2018/19 showed that 88% students agree that they are explicitly taught new vocabulary across all subject areas. All students have had experience of formal debate in the classroom. Students arriving at the school with a significantly below reading age are strategically targeted with Lexonic literacy programme working with a dedicated Academic Intervention Assistant enabling us to accelerate progress to support them accessing the curriculum and becoming secondary ready. Last year 91 Students accessed the reading intervention via our Connect programme. All students made positive progress and improved their decoding reading age between 19 months and 9 years.

Impact:

The impact of our shared curriculum intent, implementation and rigorous leadership ensures our students develop detailed knowledge and skills across the whole curriculum. This results in our students gaining above National results in almost all subjects and for all groups of learners, from all KS2 starting points. This is for both attainment and progress and is reflected in our results analysis below:

6 | P a g e Acklam Grange School SEF Sept 2019  Rapid improvement in students’ progress has continued. Results 2019 and internal tracking data of current year groups continue to highlight real impact and progress above National in many areas.  Achievement Team: AHT for KS3 and for KS4, overseen by HT with greater strategic SLT approach at all levels, adding more rigour and accountability for student outcomes at all levels  Progress meetings held every half term, current and predicted data analysed for all groups of learners per subject as a result any underachievement highlighted with students identified, swift intervention in place and IMPACT measured at next meeting  Quality Assurance cycle allowed all data to be triangulated through Lesson Observations, work scrutiny and moderation meetings prior to data entries to ensure accuracy, coupled with analysis of last summer’s exams predictions and two entry exams  Staff performance on predictions analysed: strategies and training put in place  Subject trackers created allowing checking of all components of data entry as a result greater confidence with data entered  Sophisticated data tracking system used with laser sharp analysis of all learners as a result less time needed to analyse, more to teach  Student support calendar created, including extracurricular (after school/holiday sessions/Saturday school), shared with parents  Weekly RMG meetings held between HT & English/Maths as a result more strategic approach to students and progress, higher degree of accountability and checking with meetings rotated between KS3 and KS4 to ensure monitoring throughout year. TLR post holders brought in to increase accountability at all levels  Curriculum pathways and aspirational targets: raised ethos and expectations of students & staff, these targets linked into the whole school appraisal. Academic mentor programme for Year 11 with one to one meetings, developing student responsibility for their learning and grades.  ARC forum: all key services in one area; personalised provision for all students who need it

P8 A8 %E/M Ebacc

+0.32 50.4 (5) 9-4 9-5 9-4 9-5 (Nat -0.02) (Nat 46.4) 70% 45% 33% 22% Nat (66%) Nat (43%) (Nat 24%) (Nat 17%)

 The profile of the 2019 year group was a challenging one for the school. Out of the 283 students 150 were Males and 133 Females which is significant. Over 37% were PP, 17% SEN and 29% EAL all of which is significantly above the national values. The prior attainment for this year group was strong from KS2 SATs (Low 7%/Mid 48%/High 45%).  Progress 8 overall is strong +0.32 (Nat -0.02) with 68% of the whole year group achieving a positive P8 score. All bands of entry for the first time have achieved a positive progress score which highlights the improvement made with our High Band on entry students that has been an AFI for the last few years (Low +0.33 (Nat -0.18) /Mid +0.32 (Nat -0.01) /High +0.32 (Nat +0.01)). The only negative progress 8 score is predicted to be SEN -0.31 (Nat -0.38).  70% (Nat 64%) of students achieved a standard pass (9-4) in E/M compared to 63% in 2018 and 45% (Nat 43%) achieved a strong pass compared to 38% in 2018. The improvement is significant and demonstrates the impact as an AFI last year. 7 | P a g e Acklam Grange School SEF Sept 2019  39% of all our students were eligible for the Ebacc (Nat 38.3%). 2019 Ebacc APS for full cohort is 4.05 (Nat 3.83) with an Ebacc APS for entered students calculated as 5.94 (Nat 4.47). The % of students achieving the Ebacc has increased significantly from 2018. 33% (Nat 24%) achieved a standard pass (13% increase from 2018 20%) and 22% (Nat 17%) achieved a strong pass (10% increase from 2018 12%) demonstrating the impact of our AFI last year.  % of students achieving 5 x 9-4 grades is 77% (2% increase from 2018) and 5 x 9-5 is 60% (6% increase from 2018)  % of students achieving 3 x 7-9/A/A* is 38% (15% increase from 2018 and was an AFI) (720 7-9/A/A* grades were achieved compared to 500 in 2018). 277 grade 8/9 were achieved with an incredible 48 grade 9s.  19 subjects have increased percentage of students achieving 7-9/A/A* from 2018 with 15 subjects achieving a % of 7-9/A/A* at or above the 2018 national figures.  19 subjects have increased percentage of students achieving 9-5 from 2018 with 8 out of 12 subjects above the 2018 national figures.  24 subjects have increased percentage of students achieving 9-4/A*-C grades from 2018 with 15 subjects achieving a percentage higher than 2018 nationals.  17 subjects increased their P8 score from 2018.

Best English  76% (Nat 75%) of students achieved a good pass (Grade 9-4) compared to 78% 2018  60% (Nat 60%) of students achieved a strong pass (Grade 9-5) compared to 60% 2018  22% (significant improvement) of students achieved grades 9-7 (13 grade 9 / 2018 9 grade 9) compared to 13% in 2018 which was an AFI last year.  Progress 8 is -0.05 compared with +0.1 in 2018  APS 5.00 (Nat 4.95) compared to 4.87 in 2018

English Language  71% (Nat 68%) of students achieved a good pass (Grade 9-4) compared to 69% 2018  50% (Nat 52%) of students achieved a strong pass (Grades 9-5) compared to 48% 2018  15% of students achieved grades 9-7 (7 grade 9/11 grade 8/23 grade 7) compared to 8% in 2018  APS 4.6 compared to 4.43 in 2018

Maths  76% (Nat 69%) of students achieved a good pass (Grade 9-4) compared to 69% 2018  52% (Nat 49%) of students achieved a strong pass (Grade 9-5) compared to 45% 2018  19% (significant improvement) of students achieved grades 9-7 (3 grade 9/15 grade 8/34 grade 7) compared to 12% in 2018 which was an AFI last year  Progress 8 is +0.01 compared with 0 in 2018 which is a great achievement with the differing profiles on entry between the year groups  APS 4.62 (Nat 4.56) compared to 4.29 in 2018.

Pupil Premium PP Progress 8 = +0.2 (+0.32 without Resolution) (Nat -0.32 / NPP +0.12) (Low - +0.25 / Mid - +0.04 / High - +0.28) NPP Progress 8 = +0.4 (Nat +0.12) Attainment 8 – PP – 45.64 (42.85 2018) / NPP – 52.33 (51.22 2018) (Nat NPP 50.14)

 52% of all PP students (80% NPP) achieved a good pass E/M Basics (Grade 9-4) 52% 2018  33% (7% increase) of all PP students (52% NPP) achieved a strong pass E/M Basics (Grade 9-5) 26% 2018  27% of PP students were eligible for the Ebacc compared with 47% of NPP. 19% achieved a standard pass (NPP 41%) and 12% achieved a strong pass (NPP 23%)  62% (71% 2018) of PP gained a good English pass (Grade 9-4) compared to 85% of NPP and 44% (48% 2018) of PP gained a strong English pass (Grade 9-5) compared to 70% of NPP  65% (60% 2018) of PP gained a good Maths pass (Grade 9-4) compared to 84% of NPP and 43% (34% 2018) of PP gained a strong Maths pass (Grade 9-5 SIG+) compared to 59% of NPP  66% (68% 2018) achieved 5 9-4/A*-C grades with 30% (16% 2018) achieving 3+ 7-9/A/A* grades  Progress for PP in English is estimated at -0.35 (-0.16 No Res) (+0.02 2018) against NPP of +0.05 and in Maths was -0.05 (+0.06 No Res) (+0.08 2018) against the NPP of +0.05  17 subjects achieved a positive provisional P8 score for this group with 9 increasing the score further from 2018  17 subjects have increased % of Student Premium students gaining grades 7-9

8 | P a g e Acklam Grange School SEF Sept 2019  17 subjects have increased % of Student Premium students gaining grades 9-5  17 subjects have increased % of Student Premium students gaining grades 9-4

Gender Male Progress 8 = +0.27(Nat -0.25) Female Progress 8 = +0.38 (Nat +0.22) Attainment 8 – Male - 49.03 (47.73 – 2018/Nat 43.81) / Female – 51.96 (48.73 2018/Nat 49.35)

 64% (66% 2018) of all Male students achieved a good pass for E/M Basics (Grade 9-4) compared to 75% (62% 2018) of the Females  40% (42% - 2018/Nat 40%) of all Male students achieved a strong pass for E/M Basics (Grade 9-5) compared to 50% (36% - 2018/Nat 47%) of the Females  34% (Males) and 45% (Females) were eligible for the Ebacc. 28% (Males) and 39% (Females) achieved a standard pass and 17% (Nat 13%) (Males) and 21% (Nat 21%) (Females) achieved a strong pass  73% (75% 2018) of Males achieved 5 9-4/A*-C grades, 57% (56% 2018) achieved 5 9-5 grades with 38% (20% 2018) achieving 3+ 7-9/A/A* grades  81% (81% 2018) of Females achieved 5 9-4/A*-C grades, 64% (54% 2018) achieved 5 9-5 grades with 39% (27% 2018) achieving 3+ 7-9/A/A* grades  70% (72% 2018) of Males gained a good English pass (Grade 9-4) compared to 81% (86% 2018) of Females and 54% (58% 2018) of Males gained a strong English pass (Grade 9-5) compared to 68% (66% 2018) of Females  74% (74% 2018) of Males gained a good Maths pass (Grade 9-4) compared to 79% (66% 2018) of Females and 52% (49% 2018) of Males gained a strong Maths pass (Grade 9-5) compared to 53% (40% 2018) of Females  Progress for Gender in English (Males -0.38 v Females +0.23) highlights the need for Males to remain an AFI. In Maths (Males +0.1 v Females -0.08) Males continue to outperform the Females  17 (Male) and 16 (Female) subjects achieved a positive provisional P8 score for these groups with 14 subjects increasing their P8 score for Males and 9 subjects for Females against 2018 results highlighting the impact of our whole school AFI last year.  18 (Male) and 17 (Female) subjects have increased % of students gaining grades 7-9 compared to 2018  12 (Male) and 17 (Female) subjects have increased % of students gaining grades 9-5 compared to 2018  18 (Male) and 20 (Female) subjects have increased % of students gaining grades 9-4 compared to 2018  The Females have outperformed our Males for Progress 8 again especially our White British Males these will continues to be an AFI.

SEN SEN Progress 8 = -0.31(Nat -0.38) (No Resolution -0.12) (Low -0.22 (-0.19) / Mid -0.40 (-0.27) / High – 0.04 (+0.52)) Non SEN Progress 8 = +0.44 (Nat +0.02) Attainment 8 – SEN – 38.92 (41.08 2018) / Non SEN – 53.93 (50.63 2018)

 27% (45% 2018) of all SEN students achieved a good pass in both E/M (Grade 9-4) with 8% (21% 2018) achieving a strong pass in both E/M (Grade 9-5)  38% (55% 2018) achieved 5 9-4/A*-C grades, 21% (34% 2018) achieved 5 9-5 grades with 10% (13% 2018) achieving 3+ 7-9/A/A* grades  6% of SEN students were eligible for the Ebacc compared with 46% of Non SEN. 4% achieved a standard pass (Non SEN 39%) and 2% achieved a strong pass (Non SEN 26%)  42% (58% 2018) gained a good English pass (Grade 9-4) and 23% (39% 2018) gained a strong English pass (Grade 9-5). Progress in English was -0.9 (-0.14 2018) -0.66 without resolution  44% (52% 2018) gained a good Maths pass (Grade 9-4) and 19% (24% 2018) gained a strong Maths pass (Grade 9-5). Progress in Maths was -0.47 (+0.1 2018) -0.34 without resolution  15 subjects achieved a positive provisional P8 score for this group  8 subjects have increased % of SEN students gaining grades 7-9 compared to 2018  9 subjects have increased % of SEN students gaining grades 9-5 compared to 2018  12 subjects have increased % of SEN students gaining grades 9-4 compared to 2018

EAL

EAL Progress 8 = +0.84/ Non EAL Progress 8 = +0.13 Attainment 8 – EAL – 50.86 (48.7 2018) / Non EAL – 50.22 (47.97 2018)

9 | P a g e Acklam Grange School SEF Sept 2019  68% (62% 2018) of all EAL students achieved a good pass in both E/M (Grade 9-4) compared to 70% (66% 2018) of our Non EAL  46% (37% 2018) of all EAL achieved a strong pass in both E/M (Grade 9-5) compared with 45% (40% 2018) of our Non EAL  80% (76% 2018) of all EAL achieved 5 9-4/A*-C grades, 60% (56% 2018) achieved 5 9-5 grades with 42% (27% 20180 achieving 3+ 7-9/A/A* grades  76% (79% 2018) of all Non EAL achieved 5 9-4/A*-C grades, 61% (54% 2018) achieved 5 9-5 grades with 37% (21% 2018) achieving 3+ 7-9/A/A* grades  73% (81% 2018) EAL gained a good English pass (Grade 9-4) compared to 78% (78% 2018) Non EAL  62% (57% 2018) EAL gained a strong English pass (Grade 9-5) compared to 60% (64% 2018) of Non EAL group  Progress in English for EAL was +0.31 compared to Non EAL -0.24  78% (66% 2018) EAL gained a good Maths pass (Grade 9-4) compared to 76% (72% 2018) Non EAL  49% (46% 2018) EAL gained a strong Maths pass (Grade 9-5) compared with 54% (44% 2018) Non EAL  Progress in Maths for EAL was +0.49 compared to -0.16 Non EAL  23 (EAL) and 17 (Non EAL) subjects achieved a positive provisional P8 score  20 (EAL) and 18 (Non EAL) subjects have increased % of students gaining grades 7-9 compared to 2018  16 (EAL) and 16 (Non EAL) subjects have increased % of students gaining grades 9-5 compared to 2018  18 (EAL) and 18 (Non EAL) subjects have increased % of students gaining grades 9-4 compared to 2018  Our EAL students continue to outperformed our NON EAL students for Progress but these results demonstrate the improvement of our Non EAL students have made but Non EAL (White British) remain an AFI

High Band on entry at KS2 – 121 students

Progress 8 = +0.32 (Nat +0.01) (Sig + increase from 2018 -0.15) APS – 63.01 (57.85 2018/Nat 61.13)

 96% (92% 2018/Nat 93%) of all our Most Able achieved a good pass in E/M (Grade 9-4), with 79% (73% 2018/Nat 78%) gaining a strong pass in both E/M  98% achieved 5 9-4/A*-C grades for the second year running, 93% (84% 2018) achieved 5 9-5 grades (9% increase) with 66% (41% 2018) achieving 3+ 7-9/A/A* grades (increase of 25% demonstrating the whole school AFI impact)  97% (96% 2018/Nat 95%) gained a good English pass (Grade 9-4) and 91% (89% 2018/Nat 87%) gained a strong English pass (Grade 9-5). Progress in English for this group was -0.23 in 2018 but has risen to +0.15 which is a significant increase  98% (93% 2018/Nat 96%) gained a good Maths pass (Grade 9-4) and 85% (78% 2018/Nat 84%) gained a strong Maths pass (Grade 9-5). Progress in Maths was -0.34 in 2018 but has significantly increased to +0.07 in 2019  19 subjects achieved a positive provisional P8 score for this group  20 subjects have increased % of High Band students gaining grades 9-7 from 2018  17 subjects have increased % of High Band students gaining grades 9-5 from 2018  20 subjects have increased % of High Band students gaining grades 9-4 from 2018

Mid Band on entry at KS2 – 127 students

Progress 8 = +0.32 (Nat -0.01) Attainment 8 – 43.47 (46.14 2018 / Nat 40.81)

 56% (58% 2018) (Nat 56%) of all our Mid Band achieved a good pass in E/M (Grade 9-4), with 22% (25% 2018 / Nat 25%) gaining a strong pass in both E/M  67% (78% 2018) achieved 5 9-4/A*-C grades, 40% (45% 2018) achieved 5 9-5 grades with 20% (16% 2018) achieving 3+ 7-9/A/A* grades  67% (77% 2018/Nat 73%) gained a good English pass (Grade 9-4) and 43% (55% 2018/Nat 52%) gained a strong English pass (Grade 9-5). Progress in English for this group was -0.28 however it is the Males that need targeting. (Male Mid -0.58 v Female High +0.03)  68% (66% 2018/Nat 63%) gained a good Maths pass (Grade 9-4) and 32% (31% 2018/Nat 32%) gained a strong Maths pass (Grade 9-5). Progress in Maths for Mid Band was -0.02 (Male -0.09 / Females +0.06)  17 subjects achieved a positive provisional P8 score for this group  11 subjects have increased % of Mid Band students gaining grades 9-7 from 2018  15 subjects have increased % of Mid Band students gaining grades 9-5 from 2018

10 | P a g e Acklam Grange School SEF Sept 2019  16 subjects have increased % of Mid Band students gaining grades 9-4 from 2018

LOW Band on entry at KS2 – 19 students

Progress 8 = +0.33 (Nat -0.18) Attainment 8 – 27.01 (32.88 2018/Nat 22.56)

 11% (17% 2018/Nat 10%) of all our Low Band achieved a good pass in E/M (Grade 9-4), with 5% (5% 2018/Nat 2%) gaining a strong pass in both E/M  21% (24% 2018) achieved 5 9-4/A*-C grades, 11% (12% 2018) achieved 5 9-5 grades with 5% (0% 2018)achieving 3+ 7-9/A/A* grades  26% (41% 2018/Nat 30%) gained a good English pass (Grade 9-4) and 11% (20% 2018/Nat 13%) gained a strong English pass (Grade 9-5). Progress in English for this group was -0.35 (Male Low -0.25 v Female Low -0.63 (Only 5 students))  16% (22% 2018/Nat 14%) gained a good Maths pass (Grade 9-4) and 5% (5% 2018/Nat 4%) gained a strong Maths pass (Grade 9-5). Progress in Maths was -0.14 (Males +0.01 / Females -0.56 (Only 5 students))  15 subjects achieved a positive provisional P8 score for this group  3 subjects have increased % of Low Band students gaining grades 9-7 from 2018  9 subjects have increased % of Low Band students gaining grades 9-5 from 2018  6 subjects have increased % of Low Band students gaining grades 9-4 from 2018

CLA (1 student)

CLA Progress 8 = +1.12 (Nat -0.87) (1 student)

 CLA student did not achieved a good or strong pass in E/M  English Grade 4 Progress Score +1.27  Maths Grade 3 Progress Score +1.19  Science (Combined) 3-2 Progress Score +0.7  Achieved 8 GCSE grades 9-1 inc GCSE Art Grade 3, CiDA Grade B, BTEC BS Grade Level 2 Merit  Student has secured a post-16 provision

Key Improvement Priorities for outcomes 2019/20

 Increase % of students achieving all Headline Measures including improved attainment and progress in Maths (SEN, FSM, Non EAL) and English (PP, SEN, Mid Band, White British Male)  To increase further the number of grade 7-9s awarded across the curriculum  To Increase progress all students in Science  Improve achievement further by accelerating the attainment and progress made across the curriculum by our SEN, Student Premium and Males (White British) students

Destination Data

Our students are ready for the next stage of education, employment or training by the end of their five years at AGS and leave with the relevant knowledge, skills and aspirations coupled with qualifications that allow them to go on to destinations to meet their interests and intentions for their course of study. The creation of our Careers team, development of the transition process and curriculum design has allowed us to continue to see strong progression figures, especially for our demographic area. NEET figure on leaving the school is expected to be 1% for 2018-19 and was the same for 2017-18, below National average in an area of high deprivation and unemployment, further indicates the role in raising aspirations and the work the school is achieving. While we are proud of this, our confirmed NEET rate for the new March checking exercise is an area for the school to develop further. Our most vulnerable students who receive our outstanding care and support are struggling once they leave us, not because of the appropriateness of the courses but due to emotional and social issues and lack of parental support. This is something we have identified and is a priority for the school.

In 2017/18 80% of our students went on to study level 3 qualifications, 14% to study level 2, 5% to study level 1 and 1% to study entry level/ESOL qualifications.

 Destination locations were as follows:

11 | P a g e Acklam Grange School SEF Sept 2019

 Industry sectors for vocational qualifications were as follows:

A Level choices were as follows:

12 | P a g e Acklam Grange School SEF Sept 2019

Key priorities:

QofE Priority 1 Implementation of a curriculum that prepares students for life in modern Britain, delivering outstanding outcomes for all. QofE Priority 2 Ensure that curriculum implementation provides strategic opportunities to support and develop high standards of literacy across the curriculum. QofE Priority 3 Provide first class staff development to maximise student outcomes, retain and recruit exceptional staff and place Acklam Grange at the forefront of educational research and innovation. QofE Priority 4 Secure substantial progress for all year groups, leading to outstanding outcomes at Key Stage 4 and sustainable engagement in further education and employment.

13 | P a g e Acklam Grange School SEF Sept 2019

Behaviour and Attitudes Good – 2

Based on the historic and current data coupled with the judgement in our most recent Ofsted report and the continued work and refinements we are doing to develop our systems and strategies even further, we believe that Behaviour and Attitudes is Good.

AGS has consistently high expectations and aspirations for the behaviour and conduct of all students. Leaders at all levels promote a culture of mutual respect and positive relationships which allows all students to feel valued and empowered to achieve. Our cohesive school community celebrates diversity within a culture of acceptance, where bullying, harassment and violence is never tolerated. Ofsted recognised, at our most recent visit, “a seamless integration from different ethnic groups” and that “teachers pre-emptively challenge narrow prejudicial views that students may be exposed to outside of school”.

Leaders recognise the highly complex needs of our student profile and in response have introduced a strategic focus on relationship and restorative training in our approach to support a culture of positive behaviour and attitudes. From this the whole school Respect Agenda was developed collaboratively, creating our three school rules; Respect Yourself, Respect Others and Respect your Community (3Rs). These are widely understood and displayed all around the school supporting the positive culture and ethos that pervades all aspects of life at AGS. Staff now use the language of Respect (3Rs) when reinforcing expectations and the 3R’s are displayed and referred to at every opportunity.

Throughout 2018/19 all staff attended compulsory training on relationships and de-escalation. ‘Meet and Greet’ procedures were adopted and staff trained on PIP/RIP (Praise in Public/Reprimand in Private) and the use of deliberate language to de-escalate situations. Impact of these strategies can be seen below.

Fixed Term Exclusions (FTEs) reduced for the second year running from 208 days lost in 2016-17, to 168 in 17-18 down to 138 days in 18-19. Students with one or more FTE were at 3.22%, below the national figure of 3.97%. Pupil Premium FTE (3.47%) were less than half of the national rate (8.93%). FTE for both girls and boys were below national figures, as were SEN and EAL. Some of the repeat offenders (students with more than one FTE) are slightly above (1.68%) national figures (1.51%), however our Pupil Premium numbers (2.21%) for this indicator are significantly below the national (3.84%) this remains a particular focus for the current academic year. Regrettably the school had 7 permanent exclusions (0.47%) which is twice the national average (0.22%). We genuinely feel this has been a statistical anomaly and does not reflect the usual number of these incidents as we are normally below the national. The high number has been due to some extreme external circumstances even though the school tried tirelessly to prevent and support both the students and the families.

Staff have been strategically deployed to promote calmer transitions during times of student movement (between lessons and at the end of break and lunchtimes). Training for all staff ensures that they fully understand their role and associated responsibilities and are proactively building positive relationships. Students appreciate the opportunity to positively interact with staff outside the classroom. Staff use radios at break and lunchtime to enable quicker response to potential issues. Incidents of poor behaviour at break and lunchtime are rare and when they do occur are dealt with swiftly. School is now much calmer during lesson transitions and staff feel better supported.

The school has a clear and consistent school consequence system that all staff and students understand. Students’ attitudes to learning has significantly improved and major behaviour incidents are rare because students value their learning and have embraced the Respect Agenda. The amount of students accessing Reflect has reduced by 50% over the last three years. The number of students being removed on a C5 sanction is now less than one student per lesson across the school. As students’ attitudes have improved, leaders have responded by raising expectations further and as such the school consequence system has now been adapted so that C2 sanctions are recorded on the system rather than waiting for students to get to C3. This effectively identifies any low level disruption to support a positive climate for teaching and learning. Reflect referrals also now include supportive and preventative strategies designed to improve the culture of the school.

Leaders have developed a range of tracking systems allowing real-time response (via Classcharts and Pastoral Support Assistants) to discuss any issues with students within the same lesson. Following further development of behaviour tracking systems and the weekly behaviour overview, key behavioural and pastoral staff are able to respond to issues within year groups, pathways and subjects with a much quicker turnaround. Faculty leaders analyse these with their SLT link fortnightly to identify issues and put support and training in place for staff and students. As a result faculty behaviour points have reduced throughout the last academic year and CPD put in place for staff who were identified as needing further support.

14 | P a g e Acklam Grange School SEF Sept 2019 Repeat offenders are also identified and interventions, including Behaviour Modification sessions have been delivered. In 2018/19, 150 students accessed Reflect specifically for C2 Behaviour Modification, 85% of these students reduced C2 points in the subsequent half term. Students causing further concern are discussed in our ARC Forum, which is a crucial fortnightly meeting bringing together key members of the core and wider ARC teams to discuss and plan logical and coherent provision for students in need (See PD section). Hotspots for behaviour concerns are also identified and are visited as a first port of call by a member of the leadership team on their SLT walk, as are cover lessons and NQTs. 100% of staff identify these walks as supportive and helpful to the learning environment.

Strategies to build relationships with key students have also been employed, including redeveloping the bike sheds, Lego therapy and use of the school therapy dog. Meetings between behaviour staff and key parents have taken place to build connections and promote more cordial working relationships. Reflect (internal inclusion) has undertaken a renovation to promote a warmer, more welcoming and restorative environment for students to reflect on their behaviour.

Instances of bullying, aggression, discrimination and derogatory language are rare. Students are supported through the use of Toot-Toot, and are made aware through transition, weekly tutor time, assemblies and via student PD days in September of how to and who to report issues to. Through a range of peer support groups (Anti-bullying ambassadors, Digital leaders, student leader well-being team, student prefects) students actively support the wellbeing of other students. The school has been recognised for this work by being awarded the Nationally recognised BIG (Excellence in challenging bullying) Award for 3 years running, becoming a school of sanctuary, excellence in digital leadership and being awarded the rainbow flag award. 95% of all parents surveyed felt that the school deals effectively with bullying. There were only 15 referrals to reflect for instances of bullying in 18/19. 14 of those were for incidents outside of school with only one repeat offender.

The attendance for the school is now on a four year upward trend reaching 95.7% for half terms 1-4 which is well above national of 94.6%. All groups are significantly above national measures. Whole school Persistent Absence in 2018 was 13.5% and decreased further to 10.8% which is 2.8% below the national figure overall and all groups of learners are significantly below the nationals especially our Pupil Premium students. Punctuality continues to be excellent demonstrating the positive attitudes the students have for the school. In 2019 97.9% of all students were on time to the start of the day.

Any persistently late or attendance concerns are strategically targeted and meetings with the Year Team and their parents/carers to remove any barriers to learning. Following meetings YL’s liaised with SLT and EWO for any further actions to be put in place. Our attendance and pastoral team undertake a wide range of preventative strategies working very closely with key students and their families who may be at risk of low attendance or persistent absence.

In summer 2019 the school introduced a new registration code (Q) for those students arriving late to lessons. A whole school focus on punctuality was launched, particularly when transitioning from break/lunch on the yard into lessons with assemblies, phone calls home and parental meetings set up to tackle the most frequent offenders. During the summer term, late to lesson codes reduced by over a half from over 600 a week across the school to around 2 per year group per lesson on average. Same day lunchtime detentions for punctuality have also decreased throughout the term.

Our Family Council (formerly Parent Council) and our Residents Group meet termly with a member of the SLT to identify any barriers or concerns to allow us to educate the students on these matters. Following on from this duty staff supported by SLT have now been positioned at Lodore Grove, Acklam Road and Acklam Shops. This has been done to support the local community and to reduce any potential incidents. The school has received several emails, phone calls and verbal messages of support from local residents and shopkeepers to thank us for the presence and the impact it has had in reducing litter and incidents of antisocial behaviour.

Key priorities:

B&A Priority 1 To continue to develop the Respect Agenda to promote a calm school through improved student behaviour and attitudes in and around school and in the wider community.

B&A Priority 2 To further reduce FTE and numbers of students accessing Reflect by working proactively and developing strategies around student behavioural support.

B&A Priority 3 To further develop positive parental, student and stakeholder relationships by building social capital, fostering a culture of kindness and promoting improved behavioural outcomes.

B&A Priority 4 To further develop students’ PRIDE in their education by maintaining high levels of attendance.

15 | P a g e Acklam Grange School SEF Sept 2019

Personal Development Outstanding - 1

Evidence/Commentary:

Based on historic and current data, the judgements in our most recent inspection and further development since this inspection, we strongly believe that Personal Development is outstanding.

Personal development of students is intrinsic to everything we do and is at the very core of our inclusive family culture. We strive to ensure that no student gets left behind and prepare our students holistically for life in modern Britain. Students are encouraged to be the best that they can be, to have high aspirations and celebrate difference and uniqueness. Our five PRIDE values of Perseverance, Respect, Initiative, Direction and Expression form the basis of our extensive work in this area and are closely linked to our Respect Agenda and positive ‘be kind’ messages around school. SMSC is a golden thread which truly weaves through all areas of school life and is particularly prevalent in students’ personal development. 98% of students surveyed said they feel safe and confident to express and reflect upon their own beliefs and show high levels of respect for others. Maintaining a strong commitment to students’ personal development over a sustained period has significantly contributed to our rapidly improving outcomes for all, improving trends for behaviour and attitudes, outstanding attendance and parental preference for admissions.

Our family culture is driven by a strong team of pastoral leaders who nurture and support students within their year families. Form tutors are an integral role within the family system and a key supportive relationship for all students. Each tutor family within a year group is linked to a famous inspirational leader, creating ‘house families’ to compliment the year group system. The house family system is a focus for further development to ensure continued holistic care and support, further development of character and an environment where students are encouraged to reflect on our AGS 3 big questions:

 Why am I here?  What’s going on in my world?  What can I contribute?

Pastoral families facilitate a structured student PD Day on their first day of the term, to prepare them fully for the year ahead and allow valuable time to reconnect with their tutor family group. 100% of students agreed that they felt that the Student PD Day prepared them well for the year ahead. A reformed student leadership programme, launched to build upon the well-established Prefect system, has allowed for increased opportunities for students in all year families to undertake leadership roles within an area of interest or expertise. The application and selection process for senior student leadership positions included writing and presentation of manifestos which were voted upon by the wider student population, allowing for a real experience of democracy for all.

Our family culture presents in various ways but particularly through our Family Council, where parents, carers or other family members of a student can volunteer to participate. The purpose of the Family Council is to play a vital role in school improvement, support the development of home/school partnerships and raise awareness of key issues. The schools commitment to the local community is driven through our termly residents meetings. All local residents are invited to celebrate and discuss any areas of concern or new initiatives that they would like to see implemented to strengthen our community. To recognise and celebrate our schools cultural diversity our Community Cohesion group meet termly to discuss key issues within the local and wider communities. This group consists of key figurehead within our major ethnic groups who support the school by communicating key messages and eliminating any misconceptions within their wider communities.

The PRIDE curriculum develops continuously, providing bespoke and relevant PSHE to all. Delivery of essential SRE, Health Education, Safeguarding and Welfare and Online Safety topics within a timetabled lesson is complimented with termly drop-down afternoons for more focused and in-depth learning. Students develop knowledge and skills to explore issues relevant to themselves whilst receiving strong advice, guidance and support throughout. Discussion and debate are a key focus of all PRIDE lessons, offering meaningful opportunities for students to express their opinions and show respect and tolerance of the opinions of others, also linking to our whole school focus of developing oracy. Fundamental British Values are explored throughout the PRIDE curriculum and underpin much of the wider Personal Development work in school.

16 | P a g e Acklam Grange School SEF Sept 2019 My PRIDE Pledge (Y7), Projects (Y8) and Events (Y9) offer all students a unique opportunity to develop employability skills and character through project-based learning activities designed to improve confidence, wellbeing, competitive edge and ultimately life chances. Collaboration with local employers and other schools enhances the students experience.94% of students understand how building strong relationships and the MyPRIDE pledge can help them to develop as a person during their time at AGS. Engagement and achievement at all levels remained high into year 2 of the My PRIDE programmes.

My PRIDE Pledge (Y7) Standard Hons Platinum 144 92 23 My PRIDE Projects (Y8) Credit Merit Distinction 181 54 2

Healthy lifestyles form the basis of many topic areas within the PRIDE curriculum and are also promoted through our curriculum, Sports Academy, Mental health and mindfulness programmes and our AGS Pride Mile.

An extensive rewards programme continues to identify and celebrate achievement at all levels and amongst all groups. PRIDE points awarded by staff acknowledge academic, extra-curricular, attendance and punctuality success alongside recognition for demonstrating the five PRIDE values. New strategies to develop intrinsic motivation have been trialled with the introduction of SLT postcards to celebrate student attitudes to learning. This is a point for further development. 94% of students know what each of the letters of PRIDE stand for and how they can display those values.

A high priority for the school is our transition at all phases. CEIAG Provision has been developed to ensure statutory provision to all students ensuring a stable, structured Careers programme is delivered by individuals with the right skills and experience. We are advancing towards achieving all eight of the Gatsby benchmarks by the end of 2020 as set out in the government guidance and this is a key priority in our school development plan 2019-20. The Compass Tool is used to evaluate the school’s progress against national progress. Data shows that on average our school scores significantly higher outperforming schools nationally across all 8 benchmarks, with the school meeting 100% of assessment criteria in 6/8 benchmarks. Staff and governors have received training on the Gatsby benchmarks and their statutory obligations under the framework. Our designated Careers Leader has commenced a post graduate qualification in Careers Leadership through Huddersfield University.

The school has a published careers programme (Y7-11) which ensures that all students receive good quality advice and guidance and meaningful opportunities to encounter the world of work, including; visits to further and higher education establishments and apprenticeship providers; Discovery Day at Middlesbrough College, FE providers attendance at Year 11 assemblies and drop-in lunch time sessions. Providers also attended the Year 9 Options evening and the Year 11 parents’ evening.

We have secured partnership working with Globalbridge over the next 5 years giving students access to a large range of employers, for further information and guidance and post 16 opportunities. In addition, students receive a personal profile and e-cv to present at college and job interviews. All year 11 students received unbiased, high quality careers advice through 1:1 interviews conducted by our in-house qualified careers adviser. Year 9 students also received a 1:1 options interview to support them making appropriate and informed choices to allow them to be successful and progress. Other opportunities included two roadshows delivered by the BBC that explored careers within the organisation. The BAE roadshow promoted STEM related careers to KS3 students. Year 9 to 11 students and stakeholders attended our Shine Careers event where they can engage with a range of providers from education, training, employment and the voluntary sector about future opportunities. Students in Year 10 are also able to book an interview with one of 12 local employers. Year 10 students were also involved in the Spotlight on Success event where they could select and attend careers talks delivered by employers across Teesside. To facilitate a smooth transition to post 16 we hold transition meeting with post- 16 training and education providers to discuss key students and the support that they would require. Strategic intervention with potential NEET students and their families are engaged with a number of additional meetings and visits to providers to raise aspirations and motivate students for the remainder of their school life and beyond.

An extensive programme enables students to make a successful transition from Key Stage 2 to Key Stage 3 and ensures that all academic, social and emotional needs are identified and appropriate curricula and extra-curricular provision is implemented. Termly Partner primary meetings are held with our main partner schools to encourage a close working relationship and identify any potential barriers to a smooth transition.

17 | P a g e Acklam Grange School SEF Sept 2019

Key staff from AGS visit our primary partnership schools in the summer term to meet the students and to also get key information from the Year 6 teacher to support transition. All primary schools also complete a transition document that provides a wealth of information; academic and social that we use to support transition. This information is disseminated to classroom teachers, as appropriate. Extended transition for key students took place prior to Induction Week. This invite was also extended post Induction Week for any student who was still anxious. Students who were to be joining AGS as a sole student from their primary school are also invited so that they can meet other students in a similar position.

We continue to have a strong working partnership with the MFC Foundation Stepping Up Programme, transition support for more vulnerable Year 6 into Year 7 students. The transition coach works with identified students from 5 of our partner primary schools in Year 6 supporting them in the classroom and on extended transition visits then transfers to AGS from September until the end of spring half-term offering one-one support, literacy intervention, lunch time and after school activities. We have a specialist mentoring room for this purpose. After considering prior year data, we identified a priority to encourage more Year 7 students to extra - curricular clubs. Through a successful Freshers Fayre on the first day of term take-up for clubs has been extremely high. Year 5 students have also had the opportunity to be involved in a range of STEM opportunities at AGS delivered by our Maths, Science and Technology/Engineering faculties. These proved extremely popular and were oversubscribed.

ARC (Achievement, Reintegration and Care) Services offer universal and targeted support to all students, providing coherently planned and effective wrap-around support packages to build resilience and break down barriers to learning and engagement. Working alongside Pastoral family teams, these services include; SEND, EAL, Welfare, PLC (Personalised Learning Centre), Counselling, Advance Classroom, CEIAG and specific literacy interventions.

Referrals continue to increase highlighting the significant level of need amongst our student demographic. Multiagency working with a range of external services is coordinated through ARC and ensures effective partnership working leads to successful outcomes for vulnerable learners.

Student groups who may experience barriers to learning, e.g. SEND, EAL, LAC, PP are closely monitored, and effective support packages are implemented quickly to ensure academic, social and emotional needs are met. ARC provision is regularly reviewed and aligned to meet the needs of students, for example a recent restructure of the Welfare Team to support an increasing number of safeguarding referrals and CLA. We have worked to upskill our team to enable cost effective delivery of specialist programmes to a wider student population. Key staff completed Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) training to deliver a structured and proactive programme to students.

Developments of ARC provision in 2018-19 include Lego Therapy, Art Therapy, anti-stress workshops, school dog therapy sessions, social skills workshops and attendance interventions. A wellbeing garden has been developed by students and staff for outdoor teaching and safe spaces. Targeted interventions through ARC have delivered catch up programmes to support accelerated progress in reading, literacy and numeracy.

ARC Services supports whole staff professional development. External speakers from the Educational Psychology Service, Bereavement UK, CAMHS, Eating Disorder and ASD Teams delivered sessions alongside AGS staff. ARC Forums are the crucial fortnightly meetings bringing together key members of the core and wider ARC teams to discuss and plan logical and coherent provision for students in need. Students are rigorously monitored through our Stages of Support system to ensure that support packages are regularly reviewed and remain effective.

18 | P a g e Acklam Grange School SEF Sept 2019 Celebrated successes include:  Case studies available to highlight impact of ARC.  SEN attendance 1.3% above national average (Terms 1-4)  SEN P8 -0.31 (No Resolution -0.12), Nat -0.38  Pupil Premium attendance 1.9% above national average (Terms 1-4)  Pupil Premium P8 +0.2, Nat -0.32  EAL Progress 8 +0.84  Achievement of Headstart Gold Standard which acknowledges school’s commitment to supporting mental health and emotional wellbeing of students.  BIG (Bullying Intervention Group) Award maintained for 3rd year, with our Anti Bullying Ambassadors and Digital Leaders being invited to speak at the Childnet national conference.  Achievement of Rainbow Flag Award to recognise support and inclusivity of LGBT+  Celebration of Refugee Week to raise awareness  Delivery of external agency specialist service interventions – CAMHS, Brook (Sexual Health), Headstart emotional wellbeing support, Educational Psychology interventions, Cleveland Police Antisocial Behaviour and Risky Behaviour workshops, Speech and Language support, HIP workshops.  117 Students were supported towards subject specific targets in a range of subjects through the Advance classroom.  33 students accessed an alternative qualification, with 100% pass rate at Level 2.

Last year 91 Students accessed the reading intervention via our Connect programme. All students made positive progress and improved their decoding reading age between 19 months and 9 years. During 2018-19 we have taken part in a national research study in partnership with the University of Oxford (MYRIAD) to explore the impact of mindfulness-based interventions in schools. 15 staff received personal mindfulness training and 4 were intensively trained to deliver the research lessons to groups of Year 8 and 9 students. Although the results of this specific intervention and research are yet to be published, we have taken the next step in developing a programme of five simple practices (The Mindful 5) to be rolled out and trialled with all students with the aim of supporting learning and wellbeing.

Identifying students with an aptitude for sport, who represent local clubs and teams in their chosen sport(s), our AGS Sports Academy empowers students to excel in their sporting achievements providing access to high-level specialist coaching, strength and conditioning and health and nutrition education. The programme is carefully designed to raise aspirations and links opportunities to positive attendance, punctuality, behaviour and effort across all areas of school. This programme acts as a motivator for many students and aims to improve levels of progress across all areas of the curriculum as well as developing students’ character and values in particular the AGS Sports academy values of PRIDE, Humility, Honesty and Integrity.

Sports Day brings together opportunities for extra-curricular participation, student leadership (particularly SLA and Sports Academy students) and our AGS house family system offering a feeling of belonging, supportive relationships and competitive edge.

Our extensive and coherently planned curriculum enhancement programme provides a wide ranging and rich set of experiences which; compliment learning and accelerate progress, support the needs of vulnerable learners, enrich life experiences and nurture interest and talent. The programme is under constant review to ensure it meets the needs of students and forms part of our school development plan. Participation spans all key groups and is supported if barriers prevent access.

Our school performances offer students who enjoy creative and performing arts an opportunity to work together and perform in front of an audience, either at our main annual performance or in smaller performances throughout the year.

DofE is offered to students as a Core DofE Award or can be achieved as part of participation in our AGS CCF programme. Staff work together to ensure students participate in the programme best suited to their needs and preferences. 19 Silver and 15 Bronze Awards were achieved through our Core provision, 14 of whom are now registered for the Gold Award with their further education provider.This includes a variety of modules and opportunities to gain a ‘First Response’ first aid certificate, students have extensive opportunities to take part in expeditions requiring challenging navigation whilst providing new cultural and social experiences within our region. Links to the curriculum support students to see the bigger picture, for example GCSE Geography students having the opportunity to see first-hand the practical implications of coastal erosion and sea defences.

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CCF (including DofE) AGS CCF 2018-19 (Average figures) F M Average total cadets 34 12 22 Total school staff 5 3 2 Total attached staff 3 1 2 Year group 8 9 10 11 9 10 9 6

14 Cadets are registered to achieve DofE as well as CCF training recognition. All cadets experience a range of cultural and social experiences which develop their character, resilience, discipline and positive attitudes. Leadership is a key component of the programme, 5 cadets have been promoted to Lance Corporal and given additional leadership responsibilities. 6 cadets have joined the local community cadet force. The contingent played a key part in the school’s AGS Remembers ceremony to mark the centenary of WW1.

The CCF programme also provides significant opportunity for staff skills and leadership development and enjoyment.

745 educational visits took place to a variety of locations locally, regionally, nationally and internationally enabling students to experience new places and different cultures. International visits to the Dordogne and Africa offered a large number of students sometimes life-changing experiences to explore the wider world. Regular positive feedback is received, complimenting our student conduct on visits.

Spanning four years, in celebration of the WW1 centenary, our AGS Remembers - Then Now and Forever project brought together our local community in a special and unique way. In our annual remembrance service, a single clay poppy was created in memory of each of our town’s fallen soldiers and in the final year the development of our recognised war memorial, the ‘AGS Wall of Poppies’ and ‘WW1 Timeline’. The project linked to curriculum areas and supported students’ learning in Humanities, English, Art and Technology. Students, parents and families, governors, local community members, partner primary schools, local celebrities, philanthropists, the Tees Valley Mayor and the national and international community came together to support the project, pin a poppy on the wall linked to fallen soldier, and attend or view our special services of remembrance. This project had a significant impact on all involved and was externally recognised as a finalist for the Education Business Awards Community Award in 2019.

Our September Spectacular is a local community annual family fun event which incorporates a 5k trail race and 2k family fun run, further promoting our family ethos and healthy lifestyles for all. The event engages local families in the life of the school promoting positive links and relationship building.

Our international partnerships remain a strength with the Kashmir Education Foundation (KEF) and the AGS founded Meserani charity. Students actively engage in fundraising, learn about other cultures and have the opportunity to visit schools in Tanzania for a truly life-changing experience.

The support for our Christmas Hamper project grows year on year and sees contribution from a wide range of staff and students. In excess of 70 hampers were prepared and delivered to local families in need in collaboration with ‘CAUSE’ charity. This year our Y8 PRIDE Project students extended this with deliveries to a local nursing home.

As a school who PRIDE ourselves on celebrating diversity and fostering a culture of interest in people, we often maximise opportunities to celebrate national days relating to key groups or messages.  Hello Yellow – Mental Health awareness  Anti- bullying week and Odd socks day  International Women’s Day  Scoliosis Awareness  Diabetes Awareness  Remembrance

We seek to create an environment for students, which emphasises our school values and human values and reinforces the positive key messages that our approach to student personal development is based on. Our PRIDE boards along the main student walkway into school reinforce our ethos as students enter and leave the site. Our ‘Be Kind’ message boards, which also display our AGS Respect Agenda, greet the students at both entrances to school. In the courtyard, boards detailing our house families and logos are interspersed with our AGS Pride Mile Boards reminding students to ‘Be Mindful,

20 | P a g e Acklam Grange School SEF Sept 2019 Be Active, Be Awesome’. Mindful 5 boards are strategically placed in outdoor areas to encourage students to practice the Mindful 5 techniques during their recreation time. For example, 7/11 breathing boards are displayed outside exam venues to encourage students to practice an easy technique to reduce heart rate and bring about calm. Quotes relating to our PRIDE values were selected by students and are displayed along corridor walls throughout the school, colour coded to each value. These quotes are a reminder of what each value means in practice.

Our AGS Culture display, in the dining hall, is an interpretation of Middlesbrough and the wider world which is multi-layered in its approach to engage any audience, but particularly students. The hanging banners display the golden rules of world religions in their origin language and an English translation to highlight that all religions have a common positive theme. The Middlesbrough wall celebrates cultural and religious landmarks in our town but goes beyond this to not only link to our school’s SMSC and Personal Development provision (e.g. CCF, DoE, CEIAG) and other display around school (e.g. AGS Pride Mile) but to also demonstrate our school’s values, Fundamental British Values and human values. The colour coded characterisation demonstrates further our PRIDE values giving examples that students may not have previously linked. The inclusion of the wider world aims to increase aspirations for travel and exploration and the two-way travel wall is a reminder that the world benefits from our town as much as we can all benefit from the rest of the world.

Staff are encouraged to use the display as an interactive discussion and learning tool at any time, and particularly in their faculties to support the promotion of SMSC through the curriculum. The SMSC team monitor staff and student use of the display to encourage innovation and share good practice around the school. It is a key priority to continue to develop this style of display throughout other areas of school to increase its impact further still.

Key Priorities:

PD Priority 1 Strengthen and expand universal and targeted support to enable students to develop greater resilience, confidence and independence to promote positive mental health. PD Priority 2 Further develop cultural capital to raise students’ awareness of the world around them, where they fit and what they contribute.  Why am I here?  What’s going on in my world?  How can I contribute? PD Priority 3 Build upon the PRIDE vision and provide even more opportunities for students to develop their character and understanding of what it means to be responsible, respectful and active citizens. PD Priority 4 Provide all students with the knowledge, skills, confidence and support for the next phase of education, training or employment so that students are equipped to make the transition to the next stage successfully.

Overall Effectiveness Outstanding – 1

Overall effectiveness of the school is judged to be Outstanding - 1 This is because, through self-evaluation, and verified by Ofsted 2016  Quality of Education is Outstanding - 1  Behaviour and Attitudes are Good – 2  Personal Development is Outstanding - 1  Leadership and Management is Outstanding - 1 (Safeguarding is effective)

We are very clear about the strengths and areas for improvement of the school because of our rigorous and robust Quality Assurance. In order to move to an OFSTED grading of Outstanding, we need to: Ofsted Areas for Improvement (AFIs) (from most recent Ofsted inspection report)

AFI1: Further strengthen the curriculum to increase challenge for students, leading to rising standards for all groups by: a) refining curriculum pathways so that they meet the needs of all students and enable them to follow courses that provide an appropriate level of challenge

21 | P a g e Acklam Grange School SEF Sept 2019 b) continuing to strengthen the curriculum, particularly at Key Stage 3, so that all students can make good progress and achieve better outcomes. AFI2: Continue to improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment so that the very best practice is shared and helps to improve standards across the school by: a) enabling teachers to combine their thorough planning with the ability to adapt teaching to meet the emerging needs of students in lessons b) improving assessment practices so that teachers focus on those areas for improvement that will have the most significant impact on students’ progress.

To sustain and improve within this grade, we need to:

See Whole School Development Plan 2019-2020

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