Harris Girls Academy Bromley Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• As the sixth form grows, build on the strong teaching and learning to ensure that students achieve the highest grades in all subjects.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

• The principal is an outstanding school leader. Since taking up his post in 2014, he has created a culture and ethos in which pupils and staff are enthused and excited to excel. His uncompromising ambition for the school is balanced by an ever-present concern for the well-being of pupils and staff.
• Leadership at all levels is a strength of the school, including in the sixth form; leaders know their staff and their pupils extremely well. Relationships are highly productive. Leaders have a precise understanding of the school’s strengths and areas which they wish to develop further. Middle leaders are also a strength of the school. They work together to ensure that no stone is left unturned in supporting the academic success and development of their pupils. A parent reported in the Ofsted online survey that: ‘Our daughter has excelled above what we ever expected.’
• Highly effective training to develop teachers’ knowledge, understanding and skills has improved teaching rapidly and continues to do so. As a result, the school has a motivated and well-trained staff. In turn, this had led to pupils making outstanding progress. Teachers in the early stages of their careers feel well supported by more experienced colleagues.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported to make progress through plans which are specific to their particular needs. This helps individuals to flourish and be well prepared for life beyond school.
• Staff target specific help to pupils who need support with literacy or numeracy skills. This is effective in equipping pupils with the basic skills needed in all areas of learning. However, leaders have identified further reading support for these pupils as an area for development.
• The curriculum ensures that pupils experience a broad and well-rounded education. There is an emphasis on the subjects which contribute to the English Baccalaureate. As a result, the number of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, achieving the English Baccalaureate is well above average.
• Leaders give close attention to the development of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. An example of this is the support the pupils give to a local food bank. This support goes beyond collecting items; pupils have an understanding of the reasons why food banks exist and how they make a real difference to the lives of people.

Governance of the school

• Governors offer high levels of support and challenge to leaders through regular meetings and probing questioning. They share the high ambitions of leaders and do all that they can to help pupils to be successful.
• Governors have a sharp, incisive view of the quality of education in the school. They ensure that they are visible to staff and pupils, link with different departments and work alongside staff and leaders to bring about improvements.
• Governors take their roles seriously and undertake regular training to make sure their statutory duties regarding safeguarding are met.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• There is a strong culture of safeguarding in the school. The designated safeguarding lead has a secure understanding of safeguarding in the context of the school and local community. As a result of effective training, staff have good knowledge of issues such as online safety, mental health and the dangers of radicalisation and extremism.
• Pupils reported overwhelmingly that they feel safe in school. They feel cared for and confident that they have someone to talk to if they have a problem. Leaders ensure that pupils learn about the possible risks they face through the curriculum.
• Thorough risk assessments are undertaken for all off-site activities.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

• The excellent quality of teaching, learning and assessment throughout the school is a significant strength. Consequently, pupils make outstanding progress from their starting points.
• Teaching is characterised by strong subject knowledge. Teachers use highly effective questioning to assess, probe and develop pupils’ understanding. Misconceptions, quickly identified, provide a springboard to further learning and deeper understanding. Pupils respond well to teachers’ questions and are keen to answer and express their opinions.
• Teachers have high expectations of pupils and set high standards. Pupils are familiar with well-established routines, so lessons are calm and learning can proceed uninterrupted. Transitions between activities are quick. Pupils are sharply focused and highly engaged.
• Teachers use their expertise and the information contained in ‘progress maps’ about pupils’ progress and specific learning needs to plan activities. This ensures that the needs of all groups of learners are met. As a result, all groups, including disadvantaged pupils, pupils who speak English as an additional language, pupils who are the most able and pupils who have special educational needs/disabilities, make strong and sustained progress across the curriculum.
• Lessons are planned well to ensure that pupils are challenged, whatever their starting points. Teachers are unswerving in their belief that all pupils can succeed at the highest levels and give their time unstintingly to pupils as a result. When asked by inspectors what they liked most about the school, pupils invariably mentioned the teachers, and their willingness to help, as their first thought.
• Feedback, both verbal and written, is particularly strong. As a result, pupils are keen to learn from their mistakes and consistently commit to improving their work. Acting on advice, feedback and support from teachers, pupils make very good progress.
• Parents receive regular information about how well their child is progressing at parents’ evenings and in regular reports. There is an active parents’ forum from which leaders welcome parent feedback on all aspects of their child’s learning.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

Personal development and welfare

• The school's work to promote pupils' personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• Pupils have all the attitudes and habits of highly effective learners. This is a key reason behind the outstanding progress they make. They take pride in their work and are determined to succeed. They show resilience when faced with challenging work.
• The wide range of extra-curricular activities in which pupils engage, including sport, performing arts, robotics, Latin, Mandarin and debating, helps them to maintain healthy lifestyles, both physically and mentally.
• Pupils say that bullying is rare and are confident that school leaders will deal with it effectively should it occur. School records and communications with external agencies indicate that this is the case.
• Before taking a major decision, school leaders deeply consider the impact that it may have on pupils’ well-being. This is a central reason why the school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.
• Throughout the school, the behaviour of pupils was exceptionally polite, considerate of each other, staff and visitors. Pupils are confident when talking about their learning and experiences. They articulate their views well.
• Pupils get on well together in lessons, in and around the school, at break and lunch and in the canteen. The start and end of the school day and changes of lessons are very orderly. Lessons begin on time.
• Pupils enjoy and value their education. As a result, overall attendance continues to be above the national average. However, the attendance of some disadvantaged pupils does not reach the above average level of their peers. The school has worked to support these pupils and families to remove any barriers to learning and, as a result, their attendance is improving.
• The number of pupils excluded from school has reduced each year and is now below the national average.

Outcomes for pupils Outstanding

• In their time at the school, pupils make outstanding progress because of the outstanding teaching, care and support they receive.
• In 2017, overall, pupils made consistently outstanding progress, including in English, mathematics, science and a wide range of other subjects. This exceptional progress has resulted from the drive to ensure that every pupil receives high-quality teaching and develops as a successful learner.
• All groups of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, the most able pupils (including those who are disadvantaged) and pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, make progress that is well above that of pupils with similar starting points nationally.
• Inspectors looked carefully at the progress being made by pupils currently in all year groups. Evidence from observing in classrooms, looking at samples of pupils’ work and scrutiny of the school’s tracking records shows that pupils throughout the school are achieving well regardless of ability, background or starting point.
• The effectiveness of the school’s work to ensure that disadvantaged pupils make outstanding progress is clear; the progress made by this group in 2017 examinations was exceptional. The programme of support provided to all year groups ensures that any barriers to learning are removed.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities receive support so that they make progress that is at least in line with their peers throughout the school.
• Careers guidance is a strength of the school, including in the sixth form. This means that pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, employment or training, with over 80% going on to university after Year 13.

16 to 19 study programmes Outstanding

• Students achieve exceptionally well in the sixth form; the strengths found in the 11–16 element of the school are reflected in the sixth form. Students make above-average progress overall and extremely strong progress in vocational courses. Disadvantaged learners make better progress than other students.
• Leadership of the sixth form is strong. Excellent personal support and monitoring complement high-quality teaching. Students take pride in their work and build on the excellent study and learning habits developed earlier in school. Teachers use time effectively so that students acquire information in advance of lessons, enabling them to develop skills of analysis and evaluation in lessons.
• The sixth form is an increasingly popular destination after Year 11, both for the school’s own pupils and for those from other schools. Through collaboration with eight other Harris sixth forms, a wide range of academic and general vocational courses are available, offering students great variety. As the sixth form is still growing, some courses have a low take-up, for example mathematics. In 2017, the low number of A-level mathematics students, despite extensive support, did not achieve the highest levels achieved by learners on other courses.
• The small number of students who do not gain a GCSE in English and mathematics at the end of Year 11 receive support to attain these qualifications. As a result, students make strong progress towards a pass; re-sit success rates in both English and mathematics are above the national averages.
• The sixth form makes a positive contribution to the school. Students undertake leadership roles such as mentoring and assisting younger pupils to develop reading skills. Through their very positive attitudes to learning, attendance and behaviour, sixth formers are exemplary role models for younger pupils.
• Retention in the sixth form is above national average. This is because there is a strong induction programme with personalised advice and guidance given in relation to course choice. This is a strength throughout the sixth form. As a result, students are highly aspirational; an above average number of students successfully move on to Russell Group universities.
• As it is in the main school, safeguarding is highly effective in the sixth form. Students say that they feel safe and are well prepared for adulthood.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 137379 Bromley 10042102 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 Number of pupils on the school roll Of which, number on roll in 16 to 19 study programmes Academy sponsor-led 11 to 18 Girls Mixed 864 125 Appropriate authority Board of trustees Chair Principal Telephone number Website Email address Rosalyn Wilton David Astin 02087785917 http://www.harrisbromley.org.uk info@harrisbromley.org.uk Date of previous inspection 28–29 November 2013

Information about this school

• Harris Girls Academy Bromley is a member of the Harris Federation multi-academy trust.
• The school is an averaged-sized secondary school.
• The school meets the current government floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ achievement.
• The proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium funding is well above the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is above average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is below average.
• The school uses Harris Aspire, which is an alternative provision within the Harris Federation. Three pupils currently attend this provision.
• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school complies with Department for Education guidance on what academies should publish.

Information about this inspection

• The inspection was in two parts. Following a short inspection under Section 8 of the Education Act 2005, a full inspection visit took place in the following week to undertake a Section 5 inspection.
• Inspectors observed learning in a broad range of subjects across all year groups. Some of these observations were conducted jointly with the school’s senior leaders.
• Meetings were held with senior leaders, a governor, the chief executive officer of the Harris Federation, middle leaders and other teachers. Inspectors had formal discussions with pupils and also informal conversations throughout the inspection.
• The conduct of pupils was observed in lessons and during lesson changes, at break and lunch times, before school and as pupils were leaving school.
• Inspectors scrutinised documentation, including leaders’ evaluation of the school’s performance, the school improvement plan, information relating to the quality of teaching, information about pupils’ progress, the school’s policies and procedures and the arrangements for safeguarding.
• Inspectors took account of the 33 responses to the online parent questionnaire, Parent View, 76 responses to the staff online questionnaire and 11 responses to the pupil online questionnaire.

Inspection team

Carolyn Dickinson, lead inspector Yvonne Chisholm Tim Williams Her Majesty's Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Pamela Fearnley, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector David Plumeridge Ofsted Inspector