Hornchurch High School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Ensure that all pupils have opportunities to deepen their understanding of subjects in all their lessons, by:
  • strengthening professional development for teachers, focusing on the use of questioning to challenge pupils and the use of teachers’ feedback in lessons to promote learning for all pupils.
  • embedding a culture of pupils reading widely across all subjects.
• Ensure that all governors have received training to enable them to fulfil their roles.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Leaders have played a pivotal role in establishing a culture of high aspirations for pupils. All staff share the belief that ‘pupils come first’. Staff and pupils work closely together and contribute to the ethos of the school. As a result, pupils make good progress across a range of subjects.
• Leaders have high expectations of the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. They monitor the quality of teaching frequently. They take swift action when they find that teaching does not have enough impact on pupils’ outcomes. Leaders provide a wide range of professional development opportunities for teachers.
• Leaders ensure that pupils, parents and carers understand their high expectations of behaviour and attendance. As a result, attendance is consistently above the national average. Leaders have successfully supported individuals to improve their attendance so that the proportion of pupils who are persistently absent has reduced. Persistent absence is now lower than in most secondary schools nationally.
• The curriculum supports pupils’ academic and personal development well. Senior and middle leaders work together to ensure that the curriculum is broad and provides challenge for all pupils. Leaders have carefully considered how they can provide pupils with a range of experiences both in and outside of lessons. New extra-curricular activities like the ‘Brilliant Club’ have enabled pupils to experience university life. This is typical of the drive by leaders to ensure that pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education.
• Leaders have used the additional funding the school receives for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) effectively. Pupils receive the help and support they need to overcome their barriers to learning. Disadvantaged pupils make strong progress from their starting points, especially in English, mathematics and science.
• Year 7 catch-up funding is used well to support pupils who arrive in Year 7 with weak literacy and numeracy skills. These pupils are given additional teaching throughout Year 7 and Year 8. As a result, most of these pupils make at least as much progress as their peers.
• Several strategies have been introduced to promote reading across the school. Some of these have had some impact, for example all pupils bring a book to school every day. However, leaders understand that their plans to ensure that all pupils read widely need to be embedded further.

Governance of the school

• The governing body is well led. Governors provide an appropriate balance of support and challenge to school leaders. They check leaders’ actions to ensure that they have an impact on pupils’ learning and achievement.
• Governors check that leaders are effective in targeting funds available for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND. They have a good understanding of the impact that this has had on improving progress for these groups of pupils.
• Several governors are new to their roles. Leaders agreed with inspectors that new governors would benefit from additional training to ensure that they are fully confident in questioning leaders about all areas of the school.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders and governors have successfully established a school where pupils state that they feel safe.
• Staff are appropriately trained; they register concerns well, and these are handled appropriately and promptly. Case files are detailed and record information accurately. Staff work effectively with external agencies, and governors are kept up to date about safeguarding matters.
• Arrangements to carry out the checks required to ensure that all adults in the school are suitable to work with children and young people are very thorough. The records of these checks are accurately maintained.
• Pupils learn how to stay safe from risks. Leaders provide many opportunities to learn how to stay safe. Pupils are clear that teachers do not tolerate bullying. They are confident that teachers deal with the few incidents that do occur effectively.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teachers have high expectations regarding pupils’ readiness to learn. This has resulted in almost all pupils having positive attitudes to learning. Most pupils take pride in their learning and take care to present their work well.
• Leaders have worked hard to ensure that teachers provide most-able pupils with opportunities to progress well in their subjects. Teachers have responded positively to this and plan more-demanding work for the most able pupils. At their best, teachers can adapt their questioning of these pupils so that they can achieve a deeper understanding. However, leaders recognise that more time is required to ensure that all teachers are confident to do this.
• Teachers’ subject knowledge is secure. They plan sequences of learning that build on what pupils already know. Across subjects, teachers plan learning that engages and interests pupils. This helps pupils make good gains in their knowledge, skills and understanding.
• Most teachers give pupils helpful feedback and guidance on how to improve their work. For most pupils this enables them to correct any errors in understanding very quickly. However, teachers giving helpful feedback is not consistently embedded across all teaching groups.
• Teachers use homework effectively to support and consolidate pupils’ learning. Teachers use a range of strategies, for example ‘knowledge organisers’, which have enabled most pupils to deepen their understanding of subjects.
• Pupils and parents agree that teachers set appropriate amounts of homework, in line with the school’s policy.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Staff know pupils well, and most parents and carers indicate that their children are safe, happy and well cared for. Several parents praised staff for the high level of support they provide to pupils, especially those new to the school.
• Pupils are positive about the changes leaders have made to ensure they are cared for. For example, pupils value the new student services area which provides them with another place to go if they need additional support during the day.
• Pupils value their education and understand the importance of attending school regularly. Overall attendance is higher than the national average, and the proportion of pupils who are persistently absent has reduced. Leaders’ actions have reduced rates of absence for disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have SEND. The progress for these groups has now improved significantly.
• Senior leaders have high expectations of punctuality to school. They reinforce the importance of being on time to school and lessons. As a result, pupils’ punctuality has improved significantly. It is rare for a pupil to be late to school.
• The school is a friendly, inclusive community. Pupils are respectful of difference. Incidents of racist, homophobic and derogatory language are usually reported by pupils. Most pupils spoken to by inspectors were clear that teachers do not tolerate such incidents and deal with the few that do occur effectively. Leaders’ work to promote equality is effective. Pupils understand why they should respect the beliefs and views of others.
• Leaders have employed several strategies to raise pupils’ aspirations. This includes a new plan for careers education. This is starting to impact on pupils’ ability to make well-informed decisions about post-16 education and training. As a result, high numbers of pupils continue in education or training at the end of Year 11.
• Pupils respect their school environment. They keep their school litter and graffiti free and feel proud of their school. The impact of leaders’ work in reinforcing pupils’ positive attitudes to school life was evident in all meetings held with pupils.
• Pupils are encouraged to be active members of their school community and encouraged to take on leadership roles within the school. There is an active school council and several pupils take on the role of prefect in order to contribute to improving their school.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils’ conduct in lessons and when moving around the school site is good. The school is a calm, orderly and purposeful learning environment. Pupils are polite and courteous to one another and to adults.
• Pupils behave well at informal times, such as breaks and lunchtimes. They socialise sensibly in mixed groups and work well with others when required to do so.
• Teachers have high expectations regarding behaviour and apply these consistently. Pupils say that there are few occasions when the behaviour of others disturbs their learning. They say that teachers deal appropriately with instances that do occur. The responses to Ofsted’s online surveys show that the large majority of parents and all staff confirm this view
• Leaders use fixed-term exclusions appropriately, and information shows that the number of pupils excluded from school has reduced. Leaders have established an inclusive school. They work hard to support pupils who have behavioural difficulties to meet the school’s expectations, both in and out of school. The use of the school’s internal exclusion centre and reporting systems is having a positive impact on the behaviour of pupils in the school.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• In 2018, Year 11 pupils’ overall progress improved but remained significantly below the national average. The proportion of pupils achieving the higher GCSE pass in English and mathematics was also below the national average but improved from 2017.
• Historically, pupils with lower starting points made better progress than other pupils in the school. Leaders have taken swift action to replicate this across all groups of pupils. They have improved teaching and the curriculum in all subjects. As a result of these changes, most pupils make accelerated progress across a wide range of subjects.
• Disadvantaged pupils have not always performed as well as their peers in a range of subjects. However, the school’s internal assessment data indicates that this is no longer the case, and that these pupils are making similar progress to their peers. The scrutiny of the work of disadvantaged pupils indicated that they are now making rapid progress across a wide range of subjects and in all year groups.
• Pupils with SEND receive effective support in lessons. As a result, this group of pupils are making accelerated progress from their individual starting points. Most continue in education after they leave school and are well prepared for this next stage.
• Pupils who enter the school with literacy and numeracy levels below those expected for their age receive additional teaching in both mathematics and English to ensure that they catch up with their peers. These pupils are improving their skills rapidly, especially in reading.
• Leaders have developed the curriculum and teaching to ensure that there is a high level of challenge for most-able pupils. Inspectors found that these changes have started to impact on the progress these pupils make across a range of subjects. In English, mathematics, science, history and geography most-able pupils are now making rapid progress. However, leaders are aware that this needs to be consistent across all subjects.
• A very small number of pupils attend alternative provision. These pupils are monitored closely by leaders. Inspectors found that these pupils were making rapid progress across a range of subjects.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 143946 Havering 10058922 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 Academy sponsor-led 11 to 16 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 780 Appropriate authority Board of trustees Chair Headteacher Mr Rohan Alexander Ms Valerie Masson Telephone number 01708 691441 Website Email address www.hornchurchhigh.com office@hornchurchhigh.com Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• The school is a smaller-than-average-sized secondary school.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is above the national average.
• The proportion of pupils with SEND and the proportion who have an education, health and care plan are lower than national average.
• The school uses two alternative providers: Barking and Dagenham College and Koru for a small number of pupils.
• The school is part of Partnership Learning academy trust.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed learning in lessons across a range of subjects and in all key stages. Some lessons were jointly observed with senior leaders. Inspectors observed tutor time and looked at pupils’ work in and out of lessons across all year groups.
• The lead inspector met with the headteacher, subject leaders, members of the governing body and one representative form Partnership Learning trust.
• Inspectors held meetings with the school’s leaders who have responsibility for safeguarding, teaching, behaviour, attendance, and additional funding.
• Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons, and at breaktimes and lunchtimes. They spoke formally with pupils in key stages 3 and 4. Over the two days, inspectors spoke informally with pupils about their learning and their safety.
• Inspectors scrutinised a wide range of documents, including the school’s self-evaluation, the school’s development plan, minutes of meetings of the local governing body, information about the attainment and progress of all pupils, records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding, and information on the school’s website. They also checked the school’s single central register of staff’s suitability to work with children.
• Inspectors evaluated responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, and responses to Ofsted’s staff questionnaire.

Inspection team

Helena Mills, lead inspector Katerina Christodoulou Ben Thompson Vikram Gukhool Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector