Chislehurst School for Girls Ofsted Report

Full report

In accordance with section 44(2) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement, because it is performing significantly less well than it might in all the circumstances reasonably be expected to perform.

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management by ensuring that:
  • as a matter of urgency, the school follows the latest statutory guidance in relation to supporting pupils with medical conditions
  • the school’s systems and processes for managing internal registration procedures are effective
  • all staff are fully trained and understand their different roles in ensuring that pupils are helped to be kept safe during the school day
  • governors challenge school leaders rigorously and routinely about the impact of their work, particularly on improving outcomes for disadvantaged pupils
  • outcomes in mathematics improve further, particularly for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds
  • leaders and governors effectively evaluate the impact of their decisions on how to spend pupil premium funding
  • all staff consistently follow important school policies, particularly in relation to taking class registers promptly and accurately, behaviour for learning and literacy.
• Improve outcomes in the sixth form, particularly for the most able, ensuring that students achieve the grades of which they are capable.
• Further reduce the rate of persistent absence of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds.
• Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, particularly in mathematics, by ensuring that all teachers consistently:
  • use learning activities that are well matched to pupils’ different abilities
  • support pupils in thinking more deeply about their learning so they become more secure in their knowledge, skills and understanding
  • develop pupils’ problem-solving and reasoning skills. An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved. An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

• Leaders and governors have not ensured that arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The school’s systems for supporting pupils with medical conditions are weak. The lack of vigilance and checking of systems by senior leaders puts pupils’ welfare at risk.
• The school’s internal registration systems are poorly managed and inaccurate. As a result, leaders cannot account for the whereabouts of some pupils and students throughout the school day.
• Leaders have not been successful in ensuring that the pupil premium funding is used wisely to improve the progress and attendance of disadvantaged pupils. As a result, this group of pupils, particularly those from lower- and middle-ability starting points, has been significantly underachieving over time.
• Leaders have not ensured that outcomes in mathematics have improved rapidly enough since the previous inspection. Although improving, pupils are not as confident in their use of mathematics, particularly in problem-solving and reasoning, as they should be.
• Leaders can account for the funding for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders take care to work with parents and pupils to adapt any support to meet their needs more effectively. Although subject leaders are monitoring the progress of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, there is some variability in the progress made by this group of pupils across the school.
• Leaders are ensuring that the curriculum is becoming more effective in meeting the needs and abilities of pupils. It is broad and balanced. Pupils and students in the sixth form have a wide range of courses to choose from. Leaders are ensuring that more of the most able pupils are studying demanding courses. Some pupils, particularly those in Year 11 and in the sixth form, are not always studying courses that are well matched to their needs and aspirations. Last year, leaders decided that pupils would sit their GCSE core science at the end of Year 10. The results, particularly for the most able, were well below what pupils were capable of achieving.
• There is a wide range of opportunities for pupils to take part in learning outside the classroom. These include visits to countries such as Canada and Iceland. These activities and visits help pupils to learn to work with other pupils from different cultures and encourage them to take part in new experiences.
• Leadership in the sixth form is showing signs of improvement, particularly in the progress made by students in Year 12. However, decisions in the past about which courses students could study were not the right ones. As a result, outcomes have been too variable in both academic and work-related courses.
• Leaders and teachers work to promote pupils’ understanding of the world around them is impressive. This includes exchanges with partner schools in France and Spain and a ‘connecting classrooms’ project with a school in Uganda. Pupils have a well-developed understanding of the difference between right and wrong and the meaning of democracy. They give back to the community through fundraising for national charities, such as the £2,274 raised recently.
• Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a strength of the school. As a result, pupils have a mature appreciation and understanding of British values so that they are well prepared for life in modern Britain.
• Year 7 catch-up funding is particularly effective in helping pupils to improve their reading abilities. The promotion of reading is stronger at key stage 3. A recent project used by leaders helped pupils to improve their reading ages.
• The school is the lead school for Bromley Collegiate, a school-centred initial teacher training partnership (SCITT). Leaders from the school are heavily involved in helping to train and support teachers new to the profession. Over time, 60% of teachers at the school have come through the SCITT programme. Most staff who replied to the Ofsted staff survey feel challenged and supported in becoming more skilled to fulfil their job roles. Teachers new to the profession are given precise and high-quality mentoring and training to equip them with the right teaching skills to move forward.
• There are some strengths in curriculum leadership. Outcomes in some subjects at key stage 4 are consistently well above the national average. These include English, modern foreign languages and geography. However, there is variability in outcomes in other subjects, including business studies, design and technology, and sociology.

Governance of the school

• Governors have not ensured that secure arrangements are in place to support pupils with medical conditions.
• Governors are not challenging school leaders rigorously enough. Leaders share a range of appropriate information with governors, including assessment information, but governors do not unpick the issues raised by leaders. Minutes show a tendency to accept information and not to challenge leaders enough. Governors do not have a sufficiently informed understanding of pupils’ performance and tend to reflect on pupils’ lower ability as a reason why outcomes are not as expected. Expectations are not high enough.
• Minutes are not taken at the curriculum committee. There is no evidence of questions asked or how actions are decided and reviewed at a later date.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.
• In vital aspects of the school’s work, such as supporting pupils with medical conditions, leaders have not been vigilant. This includes a lack of sufficient training and advice for staff. As a result, pupils’ health and physical well-being are at risk.
• Leaders do not check that basic school systems to record the presence of pupils in lessons are applied correctly. They do not always know where pupils are.
• Leaders have put in place an age-appropriate curriculum for pupils and sixth formers to learn how to keep themselves safe. This includes such areas as drugs and alcohol misuse, the use of social media and grooming. Most pupils, including those who completed Ofsted’s pupil questionnaire and those who spoke to inspectors, feel safe at school. They report that there are adults to talk to if they need support. Most parents who replied to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, felt that their child was safe and well looked-after. The school regularly surveys parents in all year groups. The vast majority agree that their children are safe at the school.
• All pre-employment and other statutory checks to ensure that adults are safe to work with children are in place.
• Leaders have an effective system for tracking pupils who need early help. Staff make referrals where they spot any signs of concern in relation to a pupil’s well-being. Leaders pick up concerns quickly and follow them through carefully.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• There is inconsistency in the quality of teaching both within and across different subjects. Consequently, pupils’ achievements over time, including those of students in the sixth form, are variable.
• Teachers are not ensuring that pupils are developing deep enough knowledge, skills and understanding across a range of subjects. This is particularly the case in mathematics. Pupils are not confident in using their reasoning skills and lack opportunities to solve problems.
• Work does not cater sufficiently for pupils’ different abilities. Some pupils also feel that work is not challenging them consistently to deepen their understanding. When work lacks challenge, pupils come off task and engage in low-level disruption. Some teachers do not have high enough expectations of what pupils are capable of achieving in their learning.
• Support for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is generally effective. Additional adults rightly encourage pupils to think for themselves rather than doing the work for them.
• Where teaching is most effective, teachers use their good subject knowledge to challenge pupils. Some teachers use questioning well to probe pupils’ thinking and to get them to apply their understanding. For example, in a Year 12 English lesson students were effectively considering different ways in which to structure an examination answer in order to achieve the highest marks.
• The impact of effective teaching over time is evident in the outcomes achieved in subjects such as English, languages and humanities, where progress is typically above the national average.
• Staff and pupils work well together. When teachers manage behaviour well, pupils settle quickly and produce high-quality work.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is inadequate.
• Leaders’ failure to ensure that secure and robust systems for dealing with medical provision puts pupils’ safety at risk. Medical plans are not up to date nor reviewed in line with statutory guidance. Leaders are not managing medicines properly.
• Leaders have not ensured that there is a culture where teachers and other adults understand the importance of recording pupils’ presence in lessons consistently and accurately, in line with the school’s policy. As a result, there is lack of vigilance in locating pupils’ whereabouts during the school day.
• Leaders have planned a comprehensive careers package for pupils in all year groups. Pupils are well supported when making their option choices. Sixth-form students feel prepared well for life after school, including learning about apprenticeships as well as further study at university.
• Pupils have a sense of moral purpose. They understand the difference between right and wrong. They have a secure understanding of the world around them. Through the training they receive from leaders, teachers and external agencies, pupils know how to stay safe on a day-to-day basis.
• Pupils who spoke to inspectors and those who completed the questionnaire felt that adults at the school are supportive and take bullying seriously. Most parents agree with their children. Leaders log bullying carefully and records show that bullying is rare, including incidents of racism and homophobia.
• Where pupils attend off-site education, leaders regularly monitor their welfare and attendance. Pupils are following courses that will help them prepare for their next steps in education, training or employment.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.
• The persistent absence of disadvantaged pupils is well above the national average. It is not showing rapid enough improvement. Leaders acknowledge that attendance is the main barrier preventing disadvantaged pupils from achieving well. However, leaders have not been successful in reducing persistent absence quickly enough. As a result, disadvantaged pupils are not making good progress over time.
• The implementation of the school’s behaviour for learning policy is not consistent across the school. When pupils come off task, some teachers do not always challenge pupils quickly and effectively. Pupils told inspectors that behaviour worsens when they are not with their usual class teacher. Parents’ views about pupils’ behaviour are mixed. School surveys show that parents are consistently more positive about pupils’ behaviour. However, of the 65 parents who replied to Parent View, just over half strongly agreed or agreed that pupils were well behaved.
• Leaders report that behaviour, particularly at key stage 3, is more challenging. This is why fixed-term exclusions, although below the national average, are rising. Leaders are currently undertaking a whole-school behaviour for learning policy review, prior to implementing changes for September 2017.
• In some lessons, pupils behave well and respond quickly to teachers’ instructions. In other lessons, often in classes where pupils are of the same ability and when teaching is not as effective as it should be, pupils become disengaged and talk among themselves.
• Attendance overall is in line with the national average.
• Pupils are confident young women who are welcoming, polite and willing to speak their mind. They fully engaged with the inspection process and were keen to share their views on the work of the school. The small group of boys in the sixth form settle well into the life of the school.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• The overall progress of girls in 2016, as measured by ‘Progress 8’ was significantly below that of other girls nationally.
• Overall progress in mathematics in 2015 was significantly below the national average, including for disadvantaged pupils. In 2016, the picture was more positive but progress for disadvantaged pupils was in the bottom 10% of all schools nationally.
• Currently, pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds are not making the same rates of progress as their peers nationally. Leaders are not rigorous enough in evaluating the impact of their pupil premium funding. As a result, differences are diminishing too slowly, particularly at key stage 4.
• At the end of 2016, the proportion of pupils achieving an A* to C grade in GCSE business studies, sociology, textiles and product design was significantly below the national average. The school’s current information is not showing rapid improvement.
• Progress in mathematics is starting to improve. Evidence from looking at pupils’ work and observations of learning show that pupils’ knowledge of mathematical concepts is becoming more secure. However, pupils are not typically confident in applying these concepts to solve problems. Leaders have identified that this as an area for improvement and are encouraging pupils to become more resilient. However, this initiative has not had sufficient impact.
• Pupils who speak English as an additional language achieve well. Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are making progress in line with their peers, although it varies in some subjects. This is because some teaching is not consistently meeting pupils’ needs.
• Leaders have been successful in improving outcomes for most-able pupils. In 2016, pupils achieved in line with other pupils nationally. The progress of most-able disadvantaged pupils was also in line with that of other pupils nationally.
• The school promotes reading effectively, particularly at key stage 3. The use of catch-up funding and a recent reading project have both helped pupils improve their reading abilities.
• Outcomes in certain subjects are strong and are a strength of the school. These subjects include humanities, English and modern foreign languages, where results are typically well above national averages. This is a result of stronger teaching over time in these subjects.
• Attainment in the English Baccalaureate and the proportion of pupils achieving an A* to C in English and mathematics are above the national average.

16 to 19 study programmes Inadequate

• The provision in the sixth form is inadequate because the arrangements for safeguarding are ineffective. The weaknesses relating to the welfare of pupils in key stages 3 and 4 apply equally to students in the sixth form.
• Teaching requires improvement because outcomes are too variable. In 2016, students studying some of the most popular subjects, such as history and applied information technology, significantly underachieved. Achievement in work-related courses was also significantly below the national average. In other subjects, value added is not improving quickly enough. Leaders acknowledge that progress is not where it should be, including for the current Year 13 students.
• The progress of the most able students in 2016 was significantly below the national average. This group makes less progress than students from other starting points. This is because students underachieved in the sciences and mathematics. The school’s current assessment information shows that the most able are still underachieving.
• In 2016, students from disadvantaged backgrounds underachieved significantly. Current assessment information shows that differences are diminishing too slowly.
• Leaders’ focus on attainment has meant too little weighting on the progress students are making from their starting points. This is changing and leaders’ actions are beginning to show improvements. The current quality of teaching is improving and so too is students’ progress on academic courses in Year 12. This is because leaders are now ensuring that the courses studied by students are better suited to their abilities.
• Progress for students who are working towards gaining a C grade or higher in either GCSE mathematics and/or English has improved, particularly in mathematics. This is because leaders have increased the number of lessons and secured better teaching in mathematics. Progress in English for those working towards a C grade or higher has typically been strong over time.
• Students have positive attitudes to learning. Attendance is 95%. Students are complimentary about the leadership team in the sixth form. Students, including the small number of boys, feel safe and well looked after.
• Students benefit from a range of activities that help them to learn about employment and the world of work. This includes a range of guest speakers coming in to motivate them and share experiences. Students are given effective guidance on university and apprenticeship options. As a result, applications to prestigious universities are rising.
• The proportion of students who are successful in moving from Year 12 into Year 13 (retention) is just below the national average but improving.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 136467 Bromley 10023715 This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act. Type of school Secondary comprehensive School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Gender of pupils in 16 to 19 study programmes Academy converter 11 to 18 Girls Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 1,108 Of which, number on roll in 16 to 19 study programmes 191 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Janice Larkin Karen Raven Telephone number 020 8300 3156 Website Email address www.chislehurstschoolforgirls.co.uk office@chsfg.org.uk Date of previous inspection 22−23 February 2013

Information about this school

• The school does not meet requirements on the publication of information about its 2016 results, the content of the curriculum in each year of each subject, the required information in relation to pupil premium funding and an accessibility plan on its website.
• The school does not comply with Department for Education guidance on what academies should publish about the Year 7 catch-up funding.
• Leaders added the required information to the school website by the second day of the inspection.
• The school is larger than the average-sized secondary school. The school has girls in Years 7 to 11. The sixth form has a small number of boys who join the school in Year 12.
• The school is the lead school within the Bromley Collegiate SCITT programme.
• The proportion of pupils with free school meals is above the national average. The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is below the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is below the national average. Most pupils are of a White British background. However, more pupils are joining the school from a range of minority ethnic backgrounds.
• Pupils who attend the school have average prior attainment from their primary school education.
• Leaders make use of the off-site education at the Hayes Campus of the Bromley Academy Trust, as required.

Information about this inspection

• The inspection team visited lessons in a range of subjects. Some of the visits to classrooms were undertaken jointly with school leaders. During these visits, inspectors also scrutinised a wide range of books to look at pupils’ learning over time.
• The inspection team held a range of meetings with senior and subject leaders to evaluate the impact of their work. Meetings were also held with governors, newly qualified teachers and different groups of pupils.
• Inspectors evaluated 65 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s questionnaire for parents, 81 replies to the staff survey and 132 replies to the pupil questionnaire. Inspectors also considered email communication from parents received during the inspection.
• Inspectors scrutinised a variety of documentation provided by leaders, including: internal assessment information for pupils in all year groups; leaders’ self-evaluation; the school improvement plan; minutes of governing body meetings; attendance and behaviour information; case studies; a variety of school policies; the single central record of recruitment checks; surveys of parent and pupil views carried out by the school; and a wide range of other information relating to the safeguarding of pupils.

Inspection team

Sam Hainey, lead inspector Jenny Gaylor Ogugua Okolo-Angus Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Brian Oppenheim Her Majesty’s Inspector Janet Shadick Pat Slonecki James Whiting

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector