Djanogly City Academy Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Reduce further the proportion of pupils excluded from school and ensure that rates of attendance improve so that they compare favourably with schools nationally.
• Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment by ensuring that:
  • leaders work with the relevant staff to eradicate the remaining inconsistencies in the quality of teaching
  • teachers consistently provide work that challenges the most able pupils so that they reach the high standards of which they are capable.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The executive principal and the head of school provide strong strategic leadership. They are highly ambitious and motivated to improve pupils’ life chances. The philosophy of ‘achievement: no excuses’ permeates the school. Pupils are grateful that their school has improved.
• Leadership at all levels is of high quality. Senior leaders are clear about their roles and responsibilities. Their successes provide convincing evidence that they have the capacity for further improvement. They are positive role models for others in the school. The achievement leader is particularly effective. Middle leaders understand the key priorities for the school and their part in addressing them. Their actions are contributing to valuable improvements.
• Teachers’ professional development is a strength of the school. Teachers receive many opportunities to develop their practice, learn from each other and join local networks. Leaders have involved teaching staff in research trips to other countries in order to develop expertise and gather examples of best practice. All are keen to find effective strategies to support pupils to learn and achieve better.
• The system to manage teachers’ performance has been effective in bringing improvement in the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. Teachers’ performance is regularly reviewed to identify any training needs or to celebrate and share best practice.
• The leadership of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is good. The funding allocated to support these pupils is used wisely. Pupils make strong progress as a result.
• The newly established curriculum is supporting pupils to gain broad and varied experiences. Many pupils arrive at the school from different countries speaking no English. Ensuring that pupils gain the literacy skills required to access their learning is at the heart of the curriculum. The additional opportunities to study a range of subjects including music, drama and art help to deepen pupils’ cultural understanding, which in turn helps them to place their learning into context. Older pupils within the school said that the curriculum is better preparing them for their futures than what went before.
• Leaders have arranged school improvement support from the Nova Education Trust. This support has been highly effective.
• The Year 7 literacy and numeracy catch-up premium is having a positive impact on pupils’ achievement. A greater proportion of pupils who enter the school below the expectations for their age in English and mathematics are now beginning to make the progress they should.
• The evaluation of the impact of pupil premium spending is not yet as strong as is needed. However, funds are used effectively to ensure that disadvantaged pupils make progress.
• Leaders are aware that despite significant improvements there remain inconsistencies in the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, particularly, but not exclusively, in modern foreign languages.
• Leaders’ actions have not yet fully addressed the issues relating to attendance and exclusion. Although there is evidence of rapid improvement, the proportion of pupils excluded from school is higher than national figures and some pupils are still not attending school every day.

Governance of the school

• Governors have a good understanding of the strengths of the school and the areas that require additional improvement. For example, they pay particular attention to issues around pupils’ attendance and exclusion. They challenge leaders to hold them to account and helpfully support them to make improvements.
• The chair of governors is also a trustee of the Djanogly Learning Trust. He was in this role at the previous inspection. He has shown a great deal of commitment to improving the school.
• Effective governance structures are in place. Governors have a good range of skills and knowledge. They have strong oversight of financial matters and have helped to ensure that an appropriate school budget is in place.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• All staff, including volunteers and members of the governing body, are trained well. Rigorous safeguarding systems are well understood and implemented consistently.
• Comprehensive safeguarding arrangements are in place to ensure safe staff recruitment processes. Records are well kept and regularly quality assured by a representative of Djanogly Learning Trust.
• The leader of pupils’ safeguarding has the advanced designated safeguarding lead qualification. She contributes to local authority networks and provides expert support and guidance to others in the locality.
• Pupils have a positive view of their school. They said that they felt safe and that they knew who they could turn to if they needed help or advice.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Lessons are characterised by strong and positive relationships between pupils and teachers. Teachers know pupils well and plan carefully to meet their learning needs. Teachers’ subject knowledge is good. For example, in a computer science lesson the teacher displayed a considerable depth of knowledge and high expectations. He guided the pupils through a well-sequenced task ensuring that they were able to apply their learning independently and successfully.
• Teachers are well prepared for the challenges of teaching pupils who enter the school at unusual points in their learning. Those pupils that enter the school speaking little or no English are particularly well supported and they progress well.
• Regular ‘vocabulary’ lessons are timetabled. These lessons routinely develop the skills pupils need to access the curriculum. For example, opportunities are found to provide pupils with the context required to understand and then complete English comprehension tasks profitably. This is particularly important for such a culturally diverse school population.
• Explanations given by teachers are clear and concise. Teachers review pupils’ learning regularly within the lesson and offer individualised support to either help pupils to catch up or additionally challenge. Inspectors saw evidence of this within English, mathematics and science. Pupils said that teaching has improved ‘a lot’. They were unequivocal in the warmth of their feedback about this aspect of the school’s improvement.
• There remains some inconsistency in the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. Teaching is not as strong in modern foreign languages as it is in other subjects. In other curriculum areas, teachers sometimes move pupils on to the next task without thoroughly checking their understanding.
• Some lessons do not extend or deepen the knowledge and understanding of the most able pupils.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pastoral leadership is good. The leader is respected highly for her work within school and within the local authority.
• Pastoral leaders, teachers and support staff have a coherent overview of pupils’ academic progress and their well-being. They have built positive working relationships with a wide range of support agencies, including the local authority and the police school liaison officer. Creative approaches are found to address the very many complex needs of pupils that the school serves.
• Pupils are taught well to safeguard their own health and welfare. They speak knowledgeably and with maturity about many areas of life that could present risk, including keeping safe online. On the day of the inspection, pupils were involved in an event focused on tackling local community issues.
• Leaders, pastoral and teaching staff know the pupils well. They go to extensive lengths to understand the unique context of the community and the challenges pupils face.
• Pupils said that incidents of bullying, including those online, were extremely rare and that if issues emerged they would be quickly and effectively dealt with by teachers or support staff.
• Careers advice and guidance are developing further under new leadership. Pupils in Year 11 said that they appreciated teachers’ efforts to support their future choices. They did say that moving forward they would wish this to be more bespoke. Leaders have plans to address this.
• Pupils within alternative provision are supported well in order that they are able to achieve and succeed.
• Lessons start punctually. Pupils arrive to lessons, and the vast majority settle quickly to their learning. They behave well and exhibit an enjoyment of learning. Occasionally, pupils are not fully engaged and this inhibits their learning and colours their view of learning.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Leaders strive to ensure consistency for pupils. They believe that this contributes to pupils feeling safe in school. Pupils concur.
• All staff have undertaken significant training in order that the behaviour policy is always implemented effectively. All in school understand G.R.A.D. (Grit, Respect, Achievement, Discipline).
• The school has developed a highly structured approach to the management of pupils’ behaviour. There is a clear set of classroom expectations and corresponding rewards and sanctions. Pupils said that behaviour in lessons and around the school had ‘really improved’. They said that they ‘were now deciding to behave in school and learn’.
• Pupils are proud of their school and wear their uniforms smartly. The school site is well-kempt, with no sign of litter or graffiti. Pupils’ work is displayed and is celebrated.
• The proportion of pupils excluded from school is decreasing rapidly but remains too high.
• Pupils’ attendance is improving but remains an area of focus for leaders. Many successful actions happen to ensure that pupils are in school. However, the proportion of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, not attending every day is higher than national figures.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• In 2017, pupils, including those of lower ability, made progress that was significantly better than average and in the top 10% nationally across the eight key subjects studied in key stage 4, including English and mathematics. Pupils made much faster progress in 2017 than in 2016.
• Although the proportion of pupils achieving a grade 4 or grade 5 in English and mathematics was below the national average it was a marked improvement on the previous year. Lower and middle ability pupils’ achievements were above national figures.
• Leaders’ information and inspection evidence indicate that the improvements seen in 2017 will continue. Pupils within the current Year 10 are predicted to make strong progress and attain at levels closer to national figures at grade 4 and 5 in English and mathematics. There are similar improvement trends in the current Year 9.
• Leaders’ information and pupils’ work indicate that a greater proportion of pupils in key stage 3 than previously are developing the required knowledge, skills and understanding to do well. A large proportion of pupils are making the progress expected for their age, including disadvantaged pupils.
• The progress made by pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities has improved. Leaders’ careful monitoring of pupils’ progress allows leaders to provide additional support and expert help, which results in pupils making faster progress.
• A small number of pupils receive their education in alternative provision. Leaders closely check the progress that this group of pupils is making. They evaluate the impact of the provision and check that it matches pupils’ needs. These pupils are making good progress and achieving well.
• Pupils’ progress in science has improved since the previous inspection. At the end of key stage 4, the majority of pupils made progress similar to schools nationally. Although the most able pupils’ attainment was in line with national figures, their progress was slightly below.
• The proportion of pupils who leave school and are not in education, employment or training is lower than national averages. Pupils are prepared well for their future next steps.
• The proportion of pupils entered to achieve the English Baccalaureate is higher than seen nationally. The proportion of pupils achieving this standard was much lower than national averages in 2017.
• In 2017, pupils underachieved in humanities and in modern foreign languages. Leaders’ information and inspection evidence indicate that current pupils’ progress in the humanities is improving. However, pupils’ achievement in modern foreign languages remains a focus for improvement for the school.
• Leaders recognise that not enough of the most able pupils achieve the highest grades in their GCSE examinations.

16 to 19 study programmes Good

• Senior leaders have close oversight of the sixth form. They are resolute in their ambition to ensure that the small cohort of students are successfully prepared for their next stage. The proportion of pupils to move to higher education, employment or training is above the national average.
• Teaching is strong in the sixth form. Teachers have good subject knowledge and show a real enthusiasm to support students in their learning. Students are very positive about the provision. They are self-assured, confident and successful learners.
• The school meets the requirements of the 16 to 19 study programmes. All students in the sixth form undertake relevant work experience; this includes sports leadership within local primary schools. Strong and productive links exist with Nottingham Forest Football Academy and Nottingham University.
• Teachers intervene promptly if students fall behind. Students make strong progress from their starting points. Current students’ progress shows further improvement from the good outcomes in 2017.
• Leaders have designed a curriculum which supports students positively for life in modern Britain. The core learning supports them to develop skills such as following rules, teamwork, personal leadership and the leadership of others. Students act as role models within the school and within other contexts including in local primary schools.
• Students show the value of their learning, and attend the sixth form well. Their conduct in lessons is good as is their conduct around the school site. They are terrific ambassadors for the school.
• The provision supports students to positively develop their physical and emotional development and to cultivate healthy lifestyle choices. Their learning includes healthy diets, the importance of regular exercise and the value of positive psychology.
• Students receive high-quality and impartial careers guidance. The induction programme effectively prepares students and their parents or carers for two years of study in the sixth form. Retention rates are better than the national average.
• Currently, limited courses are offered. Plans are in place to extend the range of courses further.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 134253 Nottingham 10036076 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Secondary Comprehensive School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Gender of pupils in 16 to 19 study programmes Number of pupils on the school roll Of which, number on roll in 16 to 19 study programmes Academy sponsor-led 11 to 19 Mixed Mixed 710 13 Appropriate authority Chair Board of trustees Mr Kevin Maxwell Executive Headteacher Mr David Hooker Head of school Mr Damian Belshaw Telephone number 0115 942 1300 Website Email address www.djanogly.notts.sch.uk dcareception@djanogly.notts.sch.uk Date of previous inspection September 2015

Information about this school

• A large proportion of pupils enter the school with no information about their prior attainment. Some have not received any education when they enter the school. Others have received a fractured experience of education.
• A large proportion of pupils enter or leave the school at unusual points within the school year.
• A large proportion of pupils are from minority ethnic groups. A significant proportion of pupils speak English as an additional language.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is much larger than the national average. Some disadvantaged pupils are not entitled to pupil premium funding as they are newly arrived into the country.
• A small number of pupils receive their education within alternative provision provided by FUEL independent school, Buxton Training Enterprises, TLG Nottingham and Jubilee House.
• The school is smaller than average. The sixth form is much smaller than average.
• The school is part of the Djanogly Learning Trust. The chair of the governing body is a director of this trust.
• The Nova Education Trust provide school improvement support. The executive headteacher is a director of this trust.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards for the end of key stage 4, which set the minimum expectations for students’ attainment and progress.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors visited 46 lessons, the vast majority of which were seen jointly with senior leaders. During lesson observations, inspectors sampled pupils’ work and talked to pupils in order to evaluate the quality of their learning. Inspectors also made short visits to tutor time and to the forum session at the start of the school day.
• Inspectors observed pupils’ learning within their vocabulary lessons.
• The school behaviour support provision was visited.
• Inspectors observed the behaviour of pupils at break and lunchtime and as pupils moved around the school.
• Inspectors scrutinised a range of pupils’ work across a range of subjects.
• Inspectors held a number of meetings with the executive principal, head of school, senior and middle leaders, the chair of the local governing body, who is also a director of the Djanogly Learning Trust, and two further members. The lead inspector spoke to a representative of the Nova Education Trust.
• Inspectors spoke with three representatives of Nottingham local authority in order to discuss pupil exclusion and pupils’ safeguarding. The lead inspector spoke with the police school liaison officer.
• Inspectors spoke with pupils in meetings, in lessons and around the school at breaktime.
• One inspector telephoned the alternative provision provided for a small number of pupils.
• The inspection team looked at a wide range of the school’s documentation, including the school’s evaluation of its own performance, the school improvement plan, data on pupils’ attainment and progress, attendance and behaviour records, safeguarding procedures and evaluations of the quality of teaching.
• Inspectors took account of eight responses to Ofsted’s online Parent View questionnaire and 39 responses to the survey of school staff.

Inspection team

Jayne Ashman, lead inspector Linda Thompson Andy Hunt Nigel Boyd Russell Barr Nina Bee

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector