The John Roan School 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 has serious weaknesses, 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, including governance, by:
  • ensuring that teachers’ assessments of pupils’ learning and progress are accurate and reliable
  • holding staff to account for the progress and learning of pupils they teach
  • ensuring that additional funds are spent effectively to improve the progress of pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities, and pupils who start the school with low attainment in reading, writing and mathematics, and/or those who are disadvantaged.
• Improving teaching, assessment and pupils’ learning, by:
  • ensuring that teachers have consistently good subject knowledge and receive training when this is not the case
  • improving the teaching of reading, writing and mathematics skills and knowledge across the curriculum
  • supporting all staff to follow the school’s behaviour policy and promote a consistently calm learning atmosphere, so that pupils are actively engaged in their own learning and make progress.
• Improving pupils’ personal development and behaviour, by:
  • improving their attendance and punctuality
  • reducing the number of fixed-term exclusions
  • ensuring that the curriculum matches pupils’ needs and engages and motivates pupils
  • providing effective guidance for pupils when they make subject choices for GCSE. An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium funding should be undertaken to assess how this aspect of leadership and governance may be improved.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

• Frequent changes in the leadership of the school over recent years have created uncertainty for pupils. This has had a negative impact on teaching, pupils’ learning and behaviour in the past. Parents have expressed concern about these frequent changes in leadership.
• Leaders and governors have not made sure that additional funding, including the pupil premium funding, the Year 7 numeracy and literacy catch-up funding and the funding for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities, is spent effectively.
• Leaders have not evaluated the curriculum to check that it meets pupils’ needs. They have not ensured that pupils build the strong knowledge and skills they need in reading, writing and mathematics. As a result, pupils fail to develop the necessary knowledge and skills in these subjects. Pupils do not typically read for pleasure. They choose books that are not challenging and that do not develop their reading effectively.
• In the past, pupils have not received effective guidance to help them to make subject choices for GCSE. Many pupils in key stage 4 are on inappropriate courses because of this lack of support.
• Parents do not receive enough information about their children’s learning and progress. The response to Parent View, the Ofsted online survey, was very high and in many instances parents were critical of the school’s lack of communication with them.
• Pupils are not encouraged to take on responsibility widely in the school. Leaders have not ensured that pupils have opportunities to contribute to helping the school to develop and improve.
• The headteacher designate is an experienced headteacher with high expectations. She has identified accurately where improvements are needed most. She has a clear vision of what needs to be done. Pupils, parents and staff said that under her leadership the behaviour of older pupils is improving.
• An effective programme of training for all teachers is now in place. Leaders have identified key priorities to develop teaching. They have delivered whole-school training on assessment and how to use assessment information to match work to pupils’ needs. A team of leaders coaches teachers to improve classroom practice and teaching is improving as a result. However, with the high turnover of temporary staff the impact on improving the overall quality of teaching is at an early stage.
• Senior leaders have put training in place to support middle leaders in developing leadership skills. This training is too recent to have had a sustained impact on pupils’ outcomes. However, middle leaders are more confident in analysing pupils’ progress and use this information to provide additional support for pupils in Year 11 who fall behind.
• Pupils take part in extra-curricular activities including drama performances and sporting activities. Over 200 pupils from all year groups choose to study a musical instrument. Other extra-curricular opportunities focus mainly on support for pupils in Year 11 for examinations. Pupils in Year 11, including disadvantaged pupils, attend these additional sessions regularly and as a result they make stronger progress than in the past.
• A new programme to develop spiritual, moral, social and cultural development was introduced in September 2017. As a result, pupils learn about fundamental British values, develop mutual respect for other cultures and faiths, and prepare for life in modern Britain. Pupils said that they enjoy this programme, which is delivered through tutor time and in assemblies.
• Leaders and governors have ensured that provision in the specially resourced provision is tailored carefully to pupils’ needs.

Governance of the school

• The governing body has recently carried out a review of governance. Newly recruited governors have brought relevant expertise and experience to the governing body. However, governors have not acted to secure improvements in response to the review.
• Governors are ambitious for the pupils. Together with the local authority, they organised additional support for the school through the University Schools Trust. Governors are focused on improving the quality of the school’s work, but it is too soon to evaluate the impact of new initiatives because many of the changes are so recent.
• Governors have not made sure that they receive sufficiently detailed information from senior leaders to enable them to ask challenging questions about pupils’ outcomes. This affects governors’ ability to make strategic decisions. For example, governors have not ensured that pupil premium funding, Year 7 catch-up funding and funding for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities have been spent effectively.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• The checks on staff prior to employing them are appropriate. Senior staff with responsibility for safeguarding are suitably trained. All staff have received safeguarding training and are vigilant. Pupils said they feel safe in school. However, leaders have not made sure that pupils have a detailed knowledge of how to keep safe outside of school.
• First aid for pupils and medical provision is effective. Leaders make sure that risk assessments ahead of educational visits are thorough.
• Leaders engage effectively with parents and other stakeholders to make sure that pupils are supported and safe.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

• Frequent changes in teaching staff have had a negative impact on pupils’ learning. Many classes are taught by temporary teachers. This situation has persisted for several years. Pupils are frequently disaffected, behave poorly in class and disturb the learning of others. Parents are rightly concerned about the impact of weak teaching on their children’s learning.
• The depth of teachers’ understanding, and knowledge of their subjects is variable. Pupils are typically unclear about what they need to do to achieve well and are unsure how to improve their work.
• Teaching does not meet the needs of different groups of pupils. Teachers rarely plan tasks that meet the needs of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities. Support for pupils in Years 7 to 10 who fall behind in their work is not focused effectively to help them to catch up.
• Assessment of pupils’ progress in Years 7 to 10 is not reliable. Teachers do not generally identify pupils’ needs or know their pupils’ starting points. Despite the wide range of pupils’ starting points, pupils are often expected to do the same work. In some classes in key stage 4, pupils are set tasks more suitable for pupils in key stage 3, while in some key stage 3 classes, pupils repeat learning that they covered in primary school. Pupils who find the work too difficult or too easy, and pupils who are bored, often show a lack of engagement and disrupt learning.
• The assessment of attainment in Year 11 is more accurate than in other year groups. Teachers have benefited from training and additional guidance from leaders. However, leaders and governors do not hold staff rigorously enough to account for pupils’ progress.
• Leaders have put training in place to help improve the quality of teaching. There are pockets of effective teaching and learning in the school and teaching is improving because of the initiatives introduced by leaders. Where teaching is well planned, pupils respond with positive behaviour and learn well. Learning in Year 11 is improving because the quality of teaching is improving. However, training and support have not had a sustained impact on improving teaching quality overall and pupils’ outcomes.
• Staff in the specially resourced provision know the pupils well. Staff support pupils well when they join the school in Year 7. Almost all pupils spend at least half their time in the mainstream provision. Communication between teachers in the specially resourced provision and teachers in the main school is effective. Many staff have completed additional training to support the learning of pupils from the specially resourced provision alongside other pupils.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement.
• Pupils’ knowledge of how to keep themselves safe from harm is limited. Their awareness of the risks to their safety that they may face outside school, including gangs and knife crime, and how to avoid them, is not strongly developed.
• The school’s bullying records are not carefully maintained and do not show how effectively leaders deal with any incidents of bullying. Some pupils said that low-level bullying is not dealt with effectively by all teachers.
• Pupils’ approach to learning is typically unenthusiastic. Pupils’ attitudes do not generally have a positive impact on their progress.
• There is a programme of careers advice and guidance for all year groups. Leaders use local employers effectively to support pupils in making appropriate careers choices. Guidance for pupils selecting GCSE subjects is not as helpful.
• Leaders introduced a new, coherent approach to personal development and welfare in the autumn term 2017. The school’s ‘Pride’ values encourage pupils to be proud, respectful, involved, determined and excellent. These values are developed through special focus days which pupils enjoy and are helping to improve pupils’ personal and emotional development.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is inadequate.
• Many pupils do not control their own behaviour effectively. Younger pupils’ behaviour around the school is frequently boisterous and there is a great deal of disruption in lessons and assemblies. This poor behaviour is ignored by some teachers.
• Attendance rates are below the national average and persistent absence is well above the national average. Many pupils arrive late to school and are late to lessons during the day. Rates of attendance for disadvantaged pupils, pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities and White British pupils are well below the overall school averages. Last term, leaders ensured that the system for tracking pupils’ attendance was sharper than in previous years. There was a slight improvement in overall attendance in the autumn term in comparison with the same term last year.
• Pupils’ attendance and behaviour in alternative provision is checked by leaders. Most of these pupils have improved their attendance because of the effective support provided in the alternative provision. Several pupils have improved their behaviour and are now back in school.
• Fixed-term exclusions for poor behaviour have risen over time. The school’s records show that boys, disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities have higher rates of exclusion from school than other pupils. Pupils at risk of exclusion are not well supported.
• Since the headteacher designate joined the school, leaders have introduced a new behaviour policy and new approaches to managing pupils’ behaviour. This has already secured improvements to pupils’ behaviour in key stage 4 and the sixth form.

Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

• Pupils’ GCSE results in 2017 show that overall progress by the end of Year 11, including in mathematics, English and science, was well below that of pupils nationally. Pupils’ progress from all starting points was consistently low. Middle-attaining pupils made the weakest progress.
• The percentage of pupils achieving a strong pass in GCSE English and mathematics was well below the national average. Boys’ progress was considerably below that of girls. Progress and attainment in 2016 examinations were also below average. In 2016 and 2017, disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities made inadequate progress.
• Pupils in the mainstream school who have SEN and/or disabilities are not well supported and do not make the progress they are capable of.
• Outcomes and progress for disadvantaged pupils are poor because additional funding for eligible pupils is not is not used well.
• Pupils’ work in books, in all subjects, indicates that, overall, pupils currently at the school make weak progress over time. Many pupils in Year 7 and Year 8 produce work which is often untidy.
• Pupils make strong progress in the specially resourced provision. Parents appreciate the support their children receive.
• Pupils are positive about the impact of the programme of careers advice and guidance. In 2017, a high proportion of pupils progressed to training and employment. This reversed the downward trend of previous years.

16 to 19 study programmes Requires improvement

• In the sixth form, new leadership has introduced new systems for target-setting and tracking students’ progress. Leaders are ambitious and determined to bring about improvements in students’ outcomes in A-level examinations.
• Students following applied courses, including sports science, health and social care and information technology, achieve well in comparison with national averages. This is because the applied courses suit students’ needs and interests and teaching is more effective than on other courses. Students who need to improve their mathematics and English GCSE grades achieve outcomes which are in line with national averages.
• Attainment and progress at A level is broadly average. Teaching is not routinely challenging, particularly for the most able students. In AS-level examinations reported in 2017, students’ progress in mathematics, biology, history and psychology was not as strong as in other subjects. In A-level examinations in 2017, students’ progress in psychology, chemistry and geography was not as strong as other subjects.
• Teachers’ assessments of students’ attainment and progress are generally accurate. Assessment information for current Year 13 students suggests that their progress at A level is better than in previous years.
• Leaders ensure that students experience a wide range of work-related activities. Students receive effective careers advice and are well prepared for university. High numbers of students continue their education in Year 13 after Year 12. Students typically move on to university and employment when they leave the school. They enjoy the range of extra-curricular activities and revision support that the school offers.
• Students feel safe and are taught how to keep themselves safe. They learn how to avoid dangers such as radicalisation and knife crime. Students develop leadership skills through organising charitable events. They also take responsibility as mentors to younger pupils.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 100192 Greenwich 10037695 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 Foundation 11 to 18 Mixed Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 1,241 Of which, number on roll in 16 to 19 study programmes 160 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Christine Whatford Headteacher designate Cath Smith Telephone number 020 8516 7555 Website Email address www.thejohnroan.greenwich.sch.uk info@thejohnroan.greenwich.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 21—22 November 2013

Information about this school

• There have been many changes in staff over recent years, including in the senior and middle leadership teams. There have been five headteachers in three years. The headteacher designate started to support the school’s work in September 2017 and was appointed in February 2018. She currently works four days in school each week. She will take up her full-time post as headteacher in September 2018.
• The school runs specially resourced provision, a specialist autistic spectrum disorder unit, which supports 14 pupils aged from 11 to 16.
• The school uses the Greenwich local authority alternative provision.
• Governors brokered support from the University Schools Trust.
• The school does not meet the current government floor standards.
• The school meets the Department for Education’s definition of a coasting school based on key stage 4 results for the period 2015 to 2017.
• The school is based on two sites. Pupils in Years 7 and 8 are on the Maze Hill site. Years 9 to 11 are based on the Westcombe Park site. Sixth form students are based on both sites.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors visited classes across all key stages and subject areas. They looked in pupils’ books to review progress over time. They also visited two assemblies.
• Inspectors met with pupils, teachers, middle and senior leaders and governors. The lead inspector met with representatives of the local authority and from the University Schools Trust. Inspectors reviewed a range of school documents relating to pupils’ behaviour, safety, teaching and learning, and pupils’ progress and attainment.
• Inspectors considered 245 responses from parents, 16 responses from pupils and 54 responses from staff to the Ofsted online questionnaires. They also reviewed the school’s questionnaires from staff, pupils and parents which were conducted recently.

Inspection team

Joan McVittie, lead inspector Jenny Gaylor Jo Jones Beverley Johnston Johanna Davey

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector