Eastbrook School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment in the primary phase so that pupils make good or better progress by:
  • continuing to improve the professional development of teachers so that they have the teaching skills and knowledge to enable them to meet the needs of pupils in their classes more effectively
  • strengthening the quality of the curriculum, particularly to ensure that there is high-quality teaching in science
  • developing pupils’ mathematical skills and knowledge so that pupils make the progress of which they are capable
  • securing the improvements being made to the teaching of phonics.
• Improve the effectiveness of the early years provision so that children are better prepared for key stage 1 by:
  • consolidating the changes made to the curriculum for each of the areas of learning, including the use of outdoor space, so ensuring more effective support for pupils’ language and mathematical development
  • teachers and adults using their assessment of children’s work more effectively to adapt their planning so that teaching meets pupils’ different needs
  • ensuring higher expectations for children’s behaviour, particularly during whole-class teaching.
• Improve pupils’ personal development, welfare and behaviour by:
  • reducing absence and persistent absence overall and for groups of pupils, particularly in the secondary phase
  • raising expectations for pupils’ conduct, particularly at unstructured times, and challenging poor behaviour consistently.
• Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management by ensuring that:
  • all staff consistently apply school policies, particularly in relation to the management of behaviour and guidance to pupils on their work
  • strategies to improve outcomes for the most able pupils in the secondary phase have the intended impact
  • the system for tracking pupils’ progress enables leaders to have an accurate overview of pupils’ achievement
  • assessment information is used to evaluate the impact of actions to support particular groups of pupils, including the most able.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

• Since the previous inspection, senior leaders have not been effective in raising the quality of teaching and in ensuring consistently high expectations. Most-able pupils in the secondary phase, pupils in the primary phase and children in the early years have not made good progress over time.
• Leaders’ self-evaluation of the school’s provision is over-generous. To some extent, this is because their monitoring of the school’s effectiveness and the robustness with which they insist on policies being followed lack rigour. Systems are in place, but are not fully effective. As a result, there is too much variability across several aspects of the school’s work. For example, inspectors noted inconsistencies in the management of behaviour and in the expectations that teachers have of their pupils.
• Senior and subject leaders have not secured consistency in the quality of teaching, learning and assessment across the primary and secondary curriculum. There is effective teaching in subjects such as English and French. However, this is not consistently the case in other subjects, particularly mathematics and science. Leaders do not ensure that the good practice in teaching that is evident in some subject areas is shared widely enough.
• Leaders’ strategy to improve the progress of the most able pupils has not been effective. The current tracking of the most able pupils’ progress is not accurate or precise enough to give leaders the information they need.
• In the primary phase, assessment is at an early stage of development. Leaders have introduced a new assessment system in the secondary phase to help teachers to plan for pupils’ future learning. However, it needs time to become embedded.
• Leaders offer teachers a range of suitable professional development opportunities through which to improve their practice. Teachers new to the profession feel well supported.
• Pupils who have complex special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities are well catered for by the two area resource provisions. The care and attention they receive enable them to make progress in their studies and in their personal development. The school works well to enable these pupils to follow a curriculum appropriate to their needs. Funding for these pupils is used effectively. However, there is some inconsistency in the quality of teaching for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities who are not part of the two specialist provisions.
• Some areas of the primary curriculum remain underdeveloped. The newly appointed leader is taking action to ensure that an appropriate mathematics curriculum is in place. Leaders agree that the science curriculum is, as yet, not fully established. However, pupils have the opportunity to learn a broad range of subjects, including history, geography, Spanish and art.
• At key stages 3 and 4, leaders provide a broad and balanced curriculum. Although the proportion of the most able pupils who study the combination of subjects that make up the English Baccalaureate is below the national average, it is increasing.
• Leaders use the sport premium funding effectively to promote pupils’ healthy lifestyles. The use of sixth-form students and physical education staff from the secondary school enables primary pupils to experience a range of sports and develop a healthy attitude to physical exercise.
• The school is highly inclusive. A significant number of pupils join the school other than at the usual times, including those who speak English as an additional language. These pupils receive exceptional support from leaders at all levels. As a result, pupils new to the school integrate quickly and successfully.
• Through the North East Consortium, the breadth of choice available to students following 16 to 19 programmes is impressive, providing them with a wide variety of options to realise their aspirations and prepare themselves for future employment, training or education.
• The school makes good provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. In particular, through assemblies, volunteer activities and the ethics and cultural studies curriculum, pupils are able to develop an understanding of British values, especially respect and tolerance.

Governance of the school

• Governors are committed to achieving the best outcomes for pupils at the school. However, their role of critical oversight has not secured consistently high-quality teaching or good outcomes for pupils, especially for the most able and those in the primary phase.
• Governors are knowledgeable about some of the strengths and weaknesses in the school. They acknowledge that there is more to do in planning strategically for the most able pupils, but do not look at the outcomes of this increasing group of pupils closely enough. Therefore, leaders are not held to account fully for the impact of their work with most-able pupils.
• Governors ensure that they receive appropriate training for safer recruitment and child protection.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The systems that leaders have designed to safeguard pupils meet all of the statutory requirements. Leaders have made sure that the documentation on the vetting of staff is complete and fit for purpose.
• Leaders ensure that all staff receive appropriate training to enable them to keep pupils safe. Staff are knowledgeable about procedures and policies and leaders keep them up to date with changes and the latest government guidance.
• Procedures to identify and respond to any concerns about pupils are rigorous. Vulnerable pupils are supported well and communication with parents and carers in these cases is clear. Working relationships with other agencies to keep children safe are effective.
• Pupils feel safe and well supported.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• The quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement in both the primary and secondary phases in order to secure consistently good outcomes.
• Teachers’ expectations of pupils’ capabilities are variable and sometimes too low. Some teaching fails to provide work that challenges pupils to learn effectively, especially the most able pupils. There are examples of strong teaching with high expectations that lead to good progress over time, such as in English and French, but these are not typical.
• A feature of weaker teaching is the poor use of questioning, including the acceptance of short answers. As a result, some pupils do not make good progress. Where teaching is most effective, questioning is used well to check and to deepen pupils’ understanding, thereby building pupils’ confidence while raising the level of challenge through the complexity of the questions.
• Similarly, stronger teaching involves accurate and effective use of assessment to identify pupils’ mistakes and challenge any misconceptions. However, this is not consistent across the school and this has weakened pupils’ progress. Expectations of standards of presentation in pupils’ books are variable across different subject areas.
• Inspectors’ scrutiny of pupils’ work revealed mixed outcomes. With appropriate challenge, pupils produce work of good quality over time. This was seen, for example, in many of the English books. However, some work, including that of the most able pupils, was not good enough, showing little effort or care, with some work unfinished. Teachers do not consistently address these faults.
• The quality of teachers’ feedback to pupils is inconsistent. Senior leaders confirmed that some examples noted by inspectors did not meet the school’s marking policy. As a result, pupils’ commitment to improving their work is variable across the school. However, leaders in the primary phase understand these issues and plans in place are beginning to have a positive impact. Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement.
• Pupils insufficiently develop as responsible learners, for example in the lack of pride and effort that some pupils give to their work.
• Some pupils do not have the confidence to communicate clearly with adults, and staff do not routinely challenge them to improve or correct themselves. This hinders their progress because it limits their ability to frame an argument and test ideas, for example.
• Leaders do not have high enough expectations of how pupils should wear their uniform. As a result, too many pupils do not take pride in their uniform or appearance.
• Pupils know how to stay safe. They understand the risks they face in many different situations because they receive good advice from staff. For example, pupils understand the risks associated with using social media and the dangers associated with radicalisation and extremism.
• Pupils spoken to during the inspection did not consider bullying to be a significant problem. If an incident occurs, they know who to report it to and feel that staff are swift to take action.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.
• Most pupils in both the primary and secondary phases behave with respect towards each other and towards adults. However, in the secondary school, during lesson changes and at breaktimes, the corridors are noisy and, at times, disorderly because of the poor behaviour of some pupils. Inspectors heard several examples of unacceptable language being used by different groups of pupils.
• Pupils are not consistently timely in getting to their lessons, for example after breaktimes. They do not respond quickly to teachers’ instructions when challenged.
• Although low-level disruption in classes is rare, it does occur in the secondary phase where the teaching is less effective. Some staff and pupils indicated concerns about the consistency of leaders’ management of behaviour. Inspectors share these concerns.
• Leaders have not been successful in reducing the persistent absenteeism of some pupils. Although case studies show the impact that leaders’ actions have had on individual pupils, the absence rates of some groups, including those who have SEN and/or disabilities, remains too high.
• Primary pupils respond better to teachers’ expectations of good behaviour. As a result, in lessons and at breaktime and lunchtime, pupils cooperate with each other and play together safely.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• In each of the last two years, the overall progress made by the most able pupils has been significantly below the national average. Leaders were able to show how, in 2017, the overall progress of this group was negatively affected by some factors affecting pupils that were outside of the school’s control.
• The progress of the current most-able pupils in the secondary phase continues to vary widely. In some subject areas, such as English and French, higher expectations are leading to improved progress. In other subjects, including mathematics, science and humanities, there is a lack of effective teaching to help pupils tackle more challenging work. As a result, pupils are not developing the deeper understanding that they need to reach the higher grades of which they are capable. Teachers’ expectations for the presentation of work are also not consistently high.
• Pupils in the primary phase are not currently making good progress in a wide range of subjects, including mathematics. This is associated in part with significant changes to the curriculum. For example, science has only recently been introduced. While pupils’ progress is improving, more time is needed to embed the new curriculum plans.
• From their different starting points, pupils of lower and middle ability make better progress than those who have higher ability.
• In each of the last two years, pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds have typically made progress across the curriculum in line with that of other pupils nationally. This is because leaders have placed an increasing focus on meeting this group of pupils’ needs.
• Pupils who attend the two on-site resource provisions and the off-site alternative provision make positive progress. This is because leaders ensure that the curriculum they follow is tailored to match their needs. Close monitoring of pupils’ progress leads to effective support and interventions.
• Careful identification of need and well-thought-out support, particularly in relation to literacy and numeracy, help pupils who speak English as an additional language to make strong progress.
• Pupils receive good advice about the range of career opportunities open to them when they leave school. This helps them to be well prepared for the next stage in their education, training or employment.

Early years provision Requires improvement

• Children enter Reception with skills that are generally below those seen typically. The progress they made from low starting points is not good enough to fully prepare them for key stage 1. This is because the underdeveloped curriculum and inconsistent teaching are barriers to children achieving good outcomes in the early skills of reading, writing and mathematics.

• Assessment of children’s work is not thorough. While there is evidence to show improvements, the ongoing assessment of children’s achievements in each of the areas of learning is not being used effectively to enable teachers and adults to adapt their teaching to meet children’s needs. As a result, teaching is not currently supporting children in making good progress from their starting points.
• New leadership in the early years shows an accurate understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the early years provision. A number of issues have been quickly addressed, particularly in relation to the teaching of phonics. Consequently, children’s reading skills are improving.
• Support for disadvantaged children and those who have SEN and/or disabilities is effective.
• Welfare requirements and safeguarding arrangements are secure. Children are happy and cooperate well with each other. However, leaders’ expectations of behaviour are not consistently achieved. Consequently, children are not learning good routines to support their work and play.
• Strong links with parents ensure that there is effective communication between home and school. As yet, parents do not contribute to initial assessments and ongoing records of children’s achievement.

16 to 19 study programmes Good

• Leadership in the sixth form is stronger than in the rest of the school. As a result, students make progress in line with the national average on academic courses. On vocational courses, results are significantly above the national average, with the average grade being a distinction.
• Students’ good progress was evident in the work scrutinised by inspectors and in the lessons observed.
• The teaching observed in the sixth form was more effective than that observed in the main school. This is because, in the main, teachers plan appropriate activities to meet the needs of students. Activities are challenging and teachers use questioning well to ensure that students develop and justify their responses. Students say that relationships between staff and students are productive and that teachers help them with their studies.
• Effective careers advice and guidance for entry into the sixth form ensure that students take subjects that match their ability and aspirations. Consortium arrangements with All Saints Catholic School and Robert Clack School of Science enable students to have access to a wide range of courses. Numbers of students joining the sixth form have been low. However, there are now more Year 11 pupils, including the most able, choosing to join the sixth form.
• Some students join the sixth form without GCSEs in either English or mathematics at grade 4 or above. The proportion of these students who improve their grade and achieve a grade 4 or above exceeds the national average.
• Requirements of the 16 to 19 study programmes are met, including work experience opportunities for students. All Year 12 students engage in work experience activities and this allows them to develop both personally and socially.
• Students engage in a wide range of personal development opportunities intended to enhance their leadership skills, such as working with younger pupils in the school.
• The majority of students continue their studies to the end of Year 13. Careers information and guidance are strong and lead to an increasing number of students entering higher education, including some of the top-performing universities. Over time, nearly all leavers go on to appropriate further education, training or employment.

School details

Unique reference number 101243 Local authority Barking and Dagenham Inspection number 10041962 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school All-through School category Community Age range of pupils 3 to 19 Gender of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils in 16 to 19 study programmes Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 1,084 Of which, number on roll in 16 to 19 study programmes 110 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Phillip Waker Headteacher Valerie Dennis Telephone number 020 3780 3609 Website http://eastbrookschool.co.uk Email address office@eastbrookschool.co.uk Date of previous inspection 14–15 January 2016

Information about this school

• Eastbrook is a school for pupils aged three to 19.
• The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is high.
• The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is well above average.
• The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is well above average.
• The proportion of pupils who receive SEN support is above average.
• The proportion of pupils who join the school other than at the usual times is well above average.
• Fifteen pupils study vocational courses off-site at Havering Business Education Partnership.
• The sixth form operates within the North East Consortium, which is a partnership of three school sixth forms: Eastbrook School, All Saints Catholic School and Robert Clack School of Science.
• Sixteen pupils with additional speech, language and communication needs attend the school’s additional resource provision (ARP). A further 12 pupils attend a second ARP for social, emotional and mental-health issues.
• The school meets the current floor standards set by the government.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed several lessons in each phase of the school. They carried out several of the observations jointly with members of the school’s senior leadership team.
• Inspectors had discussions with governors, senior and middle leaders, other staff and a representative from the local authority.
• Inspectors looked at books of pupils and sixth-form students in a range of subjects.
• Inspectors had discussions with groups of pupils and sixth-form students, and talked with other pupils informally. Inspectors heard several younger pupils reading.
• Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in and around the school.
• The inspection team looked at a range of documentation, including the school’s evaluation of its own performance, leaders’ reports to governors, assessment information relating to current pupils’ performance, information relating to safeguarding and various other documents.
• Inspectors considered 64 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, and 38 responses to the staff survey. There were no responses to the pupil survey.
• Two of Her Majesty’s Inspectors visited the school to gather additional evidence on 27 February 2018.

Inspection team

Carolyn Dickinson, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Stephen Hall Ofsted Inspector Bruce Goddard Ofsted Inspector Tim Williams Ofsted Inspector Sam Hainey Her Majesty’s Inspector John Seal Her Majesty’s Inspector