Latimer AP Academy Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment by ensuring that:
  • teachers set challenging targets for pupils based on their academic ability and check regularly how well pupils are achieving them
  • the proportion of pupils who make good or better progress is increased across a wide range of subjects and key stages, particularly in science at key stage 3.
• Improve pupils’ personal development, welfare and behaviour, by:
  • thoroughly checking patterns of absence and punctuality of pupils and using this information to develop strategies so that more pupils are on time for school and attendance rates improve to be in line with national averages
  • taking effective action to ensure that behaviour at less formal times, such as during breaktimes, is always of a high standard.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The inspirational head of school, supported well by senior leaders, provides good and cohesive leadership. All leaders, including those responsible for governance, are committed to raising pupils’ aspirations and this is effectively communicated to all staff. There is a shared purpose for all pupils to reach their full potential irrespective of their backgrounds or challenging circumstances.
• External support provided to the school is highly effective. The school’s conversion to academy status, as part of the Tri-Borough Alternative Provision Trust (TBAP), has provided a range of successful opportunities to support the continual drive to school improvement. School leaders, staff and pupils benefit from the support that the trust gives, including the sharing of good practice among other academies within the trust. Leadership of Latimer AP Academy is held in high esteem for the guidance they give across the trust and for the advice shared locally and at national level.
• Staff development is managed effectively. Leaders have adopted the trust’s rigorous system to monitor and improve teaching. Teachers receive constructive coaching because of leaders’ precise evaluation of their performance. Teaching staff are enthused by the training and development they receive and report that it is having a positive impact on the pupils’ learning. As a result, staff morale is high.
• The broad curriculum is purposeful and provides pupils with a range of learning opportunities. Key stage 4 pupils are able to pursue a wide range of courses, including sociology and painting and decorating, to support their future career choices. The curriculum suits the needs of key stage 3 pupils by helping them to apply their knowledge across a number of subjects.
• The strong ethos and TBAP ‘family’ atmosphere contribute well to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. For instance, pupils explore poetry from a range of cultural perspectives. The curriculum is further enriched by school trips, including visits to a farm and sporting activities that develop pupils’ personal interests.
• Leaders’ commitment to pupils’ safety, progress and establishing a deep understanding of pupils’ needs are particular strengths of the school. The school’s effective work to promote equality and diversity, supported by the trust, helps prepare pupils positively for a life in modern Britain. For instance, construction work-related placements are offered to both girls and boys. Disadvantaged pupils are able to access a full range of experiences they might not have otherwise.
• Additional funding, including the special educational needs and pupil premium grants are used effectively. Leaders meticulously target the monies to support the well-being and academic achievements of eligible pupils. Leaders maintain the drive to overcome pupils’ barriers to learning so that they can achieve their potential. The school does not receive the Year 7 literacy and numeracy catch-up funding.
• School leaders and staff are coping well with challenges they face as result of the poor school building. Pupils have a considerable number of stairs to climb each day, particularly to and from the outside area and adults manage this well. Additionally, there are no facilities for the teaching physical education on site.
• Leaders have recently introduced a system called ‘Progress 5’ that monitors pupils’ performance, including progress within the curriculum, attendance and literacy. This process has not had time to be fully established to enable leaders to identify pupils’ performance and intervene where appropriate.
• The school’s self-evaluation and school development plan include plans for some improvements. However, it is not clear how key areas will be tackled, particularly the low attendance and punctuality for a small group of pupils, because targets are imprecise and monitoring procedures too vague.

Governance of the school

• Those responsible for governance, including members and directors of the academy trust, are making strong contributions to the development of the school. Placing the pupil at the centre of everything they do, they strive to improve pupils’ life chances.
• Governance as represented by the local advisory board has a clear understanding of the strengths and the issues faced by school leaders via the receipt of regular reports from senior leaders. As well as providing support, the board scrutinises the reports to challenge school leaders by asking pertinent questions on all areas of pupils’ performance.
• A representative from the local authority sits on the local advisory board and is able to provide further assistance to school leaders when appropriate. For instance, by realigning external services to match specific pupils’ needs.
• Directors oversee the effective spending and use of additional government funding, including the pupil premium grant, to ensure that disadvantaged pupils achieve well.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• There is a strong focus on safeguarding among leaders and staff, particularly in ensuring that the risks associated with gang culture are taken fully into account. Close working with a large number of professionals and specialist organisations has helped to promote pupils’ welfare and safety.
• School leaders have established high-quality care and excellent child-protection procedures for pupils. Drawing on the trust’s resources, appropriate vetting systems are effective to ensure that adults are suitable to work with children.
• Staff know exactly what they would do if they were presented with a safeguarding matter. They are suitably trained and kept up to date with the recent issues on protecting children, including the risk of extremism and radicalisation. Leaders have ensured that pupils are aware of the issues surrounding child sexual exploitation as they attended a workshop on this subject.
• Engagement with parents, the local authority and collaboration with external agencies ensure that pupils receive early help to safeguard them, should they need it. Written records are carefully maintained to monitor the help that pupils are receiving.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. Pupils are provided with a wide range of opportunities to explore topics they are interested in. Pupils appreciate the good quality of teaching and individualised support they receive because it helps them to learn well.
• Teaching provides a calm approach to learning so that pupils quickly settle into their activities. This purposeful attitude keeps most pupils on task throughout their learning time. Inspectors observed this, and both teachers and pupils confirmed that this is normal.
• Teachers use their good subject knowledge and their understanding of the pupils’ needs to plan engaging lessons over time. Positive responses to teachers’ planning have resulted in improving some pupils’ key skills, including reading. Teaching staff have recognised the talents of some pupils and organise clubs to further develop their skills such as debating and creative writing. Such abilities are then demonstrated outside of the school environment during inter-school competitions. Pupils told inspectors that their last debate was about perceived gender differences but they concluded that there were no differences between the sexes.
• The quality of teaching and learning in art and English and sometimes in mathematics is particularly strong. Pupils are inspired and motivated to produce high-quality artistic work because of the skilful guidance they receive. Pupils’ engagement in English is stimulated through purposeful discussions about relevant topics, which improve their communication skills and motivate them to be inquisitive learners.
• Teaching assistants are readily available to provide timely support to pupils. They work closely and effectively with teachers to ensure that poor behaviour does not interfere with the learning or enjoyment of others. For that same reason, leaders told inspectors that pupils’ use of derogatory language is tactically ignored during lessons so as not to disrupt the learning. Where teaching and learning is strong, adults use skilful questioning to draw out pupils’ knowledge and make them think about new ideas. Where it is weaker, limited questioning sometimes results in one-word answers and fails to help pupils to develop new concepts that will move them on in their learning.
• For some pupils, poor rates of attendance affect their learning. Scrutiny of pupils’ work demonstrated that the lack of continuity leads to pupils often falling behind in their work.
• Some pupils do not make strong progress considering their starting points across the curriculum, particularly in some subjects at key stage 3. The level of work for some pupils is not challenging enough because it is pitched too low. Pupils, including the most able, are unable to experience high order learning, for instance developing evaluative skills, particularly in science.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• The positive relationships between staff and pupils promote pupils’ personal development effectively. Most pupils start the school with a negative outlook gained from previous disrupted educational experiences. The strong pastoral systems ensure that pupils settle quickly into the school. A recent parental survey conducted by the school supports this.
• Pupils develop confidence and positive attitudes to learning. Pupils are presented with a range of opportunities to develop their self-confidence. Pupils told inspectors that the school is providing them with a second chance, so they have more positive aspirations for their future lives.
• The school’s provision to support pupils’ physical and emotional well-being is excellent. Pupils have a wide range of therapy interventions on offer, including support from the school nurse and music therapy to help them with their individual needs. Rigorous monitoring demonstrates a high take-up and positive response to the support employed.
• School leaders consider pupils’ safety as a high priority, including within the local community. Pupils are encouraged to stay away from crime and gang-related activities by strong partnerships with outside agencies and effective learning through the curriculum. For example, pupils recently attended first-aid sessions and their feedback of such training was positive.
• Pupils say they are safe in school. Pupils have a good awareness of the different forms of bullying and report that bullying is rare in the school. When it does happen, they told inspectors it is dealt with quickly. School’s logs support this view.
• Teachers and adults have an inconsistent approach to tackling the pupils’ use of derogatory language. This was witnessed during the inspection.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils generally behave well in class and at their alternative provision, as confirmed by school reports. Pupils are attentive because they are keen to learn and receive high levels of support.
• Behaviour in the dining hall is calm and orderly. Pupils enjoy their meals and happily talk with their friends. A high proportion of staff responded to the online survey and agreed that behaviour is good.
• Pupils show respect for their learning environment, which is clean, and striking wall displays show their inspirational artwork. Pupils were not fazed by the introduction of their uniform, which is worn with pride by all.
• At times, some pupils’ behaviour during unstructured times, particularly as they move around the building, is less than good. Leaders and staff are present in the corridors and encourage pupils to move swiftly to lessons after lunch and breaktimes. Some pupils respond quickly to these requests but not all do.
• Punctuality to school is improving. Parents receive weekly postcards praising their child’s progress, good attendance and punctuality. The breakfast club provides a nourishing meal for pupils to start their day and encourages them to arrive for lessons on time. Scrutiny of the school’s attendance registers show that some pupils do not take up this offer.
• Overall attendance is low. Leaders are making concerted efforts to support pupils with poor attendance and low punctuality levels. School records show success stories of improved attendance levels for some individual pupils, including when compared to their previous school. Nevertheless, some pupils still do not attend regularly enough.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Pupils join the school at various stages of their education, with relatively low attainment levels. Interruptions to their schooling, fragmented attendance and exclusions from their previous schools have led to gaps in their knowledge. There is no published data available regarding the standards achieved by pupils in the school.
• School leaders and teachers are committed to preparing pupils for the next steps of their education or employment. They ensure that by the time pupils leave, they are equipped with the necessary social, academic and employability skills to be successful. In 2016, all Year 11 pupils secured college placements because of very effective targeted careers advice and work experience. Additionally, nearly half of current Year 11 pupils have already secured apprenticeships or college placements to further their education, including some who will be studying for A levels.
• Assessment on entry is robust. Leaders effectively seek nationally recognised certifications in relation to pupils’ starting points, as assessed from induction information. In 2016, most pupils successfully obtained a combination of work-related and academic qualifications in English and mathematics.
• School leaders effectively use the pupil premium funding. Resources are prioritised wisely to improve the outcomes of disadvantaged pupils. The school’s focus on literacy and reading has led to improved reading ages of most eligible pupils.
• Pupils who attend alternative provision achieve well. School leaders receive regular information on their attendance and the progress they are making.
• Most pupils make good progress from their different starting points in some subjects, including English, mathematics and art. Often from low starting points, some pupils’ progress varies, including pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and across key stages. The low attendance of some pupils affects their progress.
• Progress in science, particularly at key stage 3, is improving. Work scrutiny of pupils’ work indicates that opportunities to develop their analytical skills are limited.

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School details

Unique reference number 140807 Local authority Kensington and Chelsea Inspection number 10023595 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 Alternative provision School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Academy alternative provision converter 11 to 16 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 51 Appropriate authority Academy trust Chair Paul Dix Executive Headteacher Krishna Purbhoo Head of School Telephone number Website Email address Tony Meehan 020 3108 0345 www.tbap.org.uk/latimer latimeradmin@tbap.org.uk Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• 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.
• Latimer AP Academy converted to become an academy on 1 April 2014. The school is part of the Tri-Borough Alternative Provision (TBAP) Multi-Academy Trust. TBAP Teaching School Alliance is also part of the trust.
• When Ofsted last inspected its predecessor pupil referral unit in July 2013, it was judged to be good. The executive headteacher is now the chief executive of the trust.
• The school provides for key stage 3 and 4 pupils who have been permanently excluded from school or who at risk of permanent exclusion.
• The majority of pupils have social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. A very small number on roll have a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan.
• The proportion of pupils who are eligible for additional pupil premium funding is above average.
• Out of the 51 pupils on roll currently eight pupils attend alternative provisions to support their learning needs. These providers are:
  • Westside School, Hammersmith
  • Epic learning, Ladbroke Grove
  • The Lighthouse Group, Hammersmith
  • Catch-22/The Pupil, Parent Partnership, Ladbroke Grove.
• The head of school leads on research and development as part of the TBAP Teaching School Alliance that offers support to other academies in the trust.
• The school is located on the top two floors of a building above a local primary school.
• The school operates a breakfast club each day.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed teaching and learning in 13 part-lessons. Of these observations, 12 were carried out jointly with senior leaders.
• Meetings were held with senior leaders, teachers, teaching assistants, the therapy team leader, chair of the local advisory board, the chief executive officer of the TBAP Multi-Academy Trust and the head of the TBAP Teaching School Alliance. A telephone conversation was held with a representative from the local authority.
• Inspectors met groups of pupils, spoke to others informally and examined their books in a wide range of subjects.
• Inspectors examined a range of documentation provided by the school, including the school’s own self-evaluation. Records relating to attendance, punctuality, behaviour and safeguarding were also considered.
• Inspectors considered the 14 responses to the Ofsted online staff survey and the findings from a recent parent survey conducted by the school.
• There were too few responses to Ofsted’s free-text service and to the Ofsted online questionnaire, Parent View, to be reported on directly.

Inspection team

Rosemarie McCarthy, lead inspector Mary Geddes Nasim Butt Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector