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CONFIDENTIAL The school is aware that 2014 outcomes were affected by a small number of students who were educated off-site, and continues to work closely with external provision to ensure more effective support and intervention. A number of changes have been implemented to support improvement this year; the development of lead practitioners in core subjects is enabling a strong drive to support behaviour for learning as well as focus on continuous improvement in teaching and learning. A number of new middle leader roles have been appointed and with school induction are beginning to influence and contribute to the wider school effectiveness. A new head of department in technology, of food, and of ICT have been appointed. Improvements in science are steady; coursework results in physics and chemistry are looking strong, and matching that historically of biology. The school is rightly planning to ensure it is well prepared for the Progress 8 measure, appointing more staff in humanities including a second in department. The current year 11’s attainment of entry was overall significantly below national levels and slightly below that of the previous year; 26% are considered to be performing in the lower prior attainment band compared with 16% nationally. The school predicts approximately 60% will achieve 5A*-CEM. Analysis to date indicates that students are making good progress and that at least 85% in English and 72% in mathematics will make at least three levels of progress. This will consolidate the high expectations of the school and endorse the rigorous evaluation systems in place. Evaluation of Key Stage 3 indicates that attainment will further strengthen in both English and in particular mathematics; the school is predicting a neutral Progress 8 measure for 2016 and +0.5 for 2017. Support for more vulnerable students The 5A*-C EM attainment gap between disadvantaged and other students began to close in 2014 to 20%. The school has a programme of support and mentoring for students in receipt of Pupil Premium, which is supporting accelerated progress. The school predicts that the attainment gap will further reduce in 2015 to 15-18%. Analysis of the impact of this through Key Stage 3 indicates that progress in English and mathematics between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged students will close to approximately 6%. The school has four children in care (CiC) students. Discussion with the team supporting inclusion explored the range of strategies in place to support the range of student needs. Linking the SEND needs and interventions with parent support advisor and welfare assistant support, as well as aspects of the Flexible Learning Centre enables the school to have a more holistic view and access to a range of strategies to ensure greater support. The use of inclusion mapping outlining a hierarchy of needs and analyses supports fortnightly inclusion meetings involving heads of year and pastoral leads. The team acknowledges the positive impact of the recently appointed assistant Year Leads in supporting students’ pastoral needs more effectively, and proactively, enabling Year Leaders to concentrate of student progress rather than behaviour. Page 4 of 6 LLP Report of visit Harrow Way Community School March 2015
CONFIDENTIAL The use of an internal exclusion room has developed, with greater focus now on ensuring it provides alternative provision. The school‘s data shows that Year 11 exclusions are higher in 2015 than Year 11 students last year but that the number of days lost has halved, indicating a shift in culture across the school. The progress of SEND students is not yet sufficiently high; whilst attainment at School Action level is broadly in line with national expectations for 5A*-CEM measure, those at School Action plus (SA+) are below, although attainment in English is stronger. The SEND team has identified that the combined SA+/FSM profile is of particular concern and these students have been targeted as they join the school at Year 7 and into Year 8. A range of commercial approaches is being used, as well as intervention teaching strategies, including homework sessions, precision teaching, a focus on literacy and language skills, as well as close monitoring of behaviour and attendance. The range of outreach support for this group of pupils has now been extended. The school has a number of positive case studies, which can exemplify the impact of this work, but recognises that further work is required. The school is clear that improved linking of strategies and approaches used across primaries in to secondary needs to be more robust with higher expectations of the adult professionals and students’ engagement. Work has been established with the feeder schools to address this more coherently. The recently appointed deputy headteacher is exploring the school’s approach to supporting the most disadvantaged students. Work to date has focused on developing a greater understanding that a tighter and more holistic view needs to be held of these students in terms of their parental engagement, the independence of them as learners, their literacy skills, and their mental and emotional health and well-being, and that this information and approach needs to be better understood across the whole school on a student by student basis. The emerging view is that this work will then link more closely to that of the current inclusion practices and result in raised aspirations for these students at the outset. It is expected that this work will sharpen the work of support staff working with these students, increase the pace of literacy interventions, and raise the understanding of what students require beyond offering with the school has access to. This work is ambitious but appropriately aspirational and will fine-tune the approaches and the provision that the school already has in place. It is envisaged that a team of staff will support this work with the deputy headteacher. School improvement priorities The Strategic Improvement Plan is in place and has identified appropriate areas for development in line with the Ofsted priorities and in support of the school’s work towards being an outstanding school. A continued focus on improving achievement for all student groups underpinned by developing teaching and learning is at the core of the school’s work. Priority for support The school continues to be a low priority for LA support, due to its improved achievement, its strong approaches to self-evaluation and evidenced commitment to improve. Page 5 of 6 LLP Report of visit Harrow Way Community School March 2015
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