Lambeth Academy Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve leadership and management by:
  • using information effectively to establish an accurate view of how well pupils are doing in a range of subjects
  • sharpening the way in which governors hold leaders to account for the progress that groups of pupils make
  • giving parents the information they need to help their child to make better progress.
• Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment to improve outcomes for pupils across the curriculum by:
  • ensuring that all teachers have high expectations of the standard of work pupils can produce, particularly middle- and higher-ability pupils
  • teachers learning from the most effective practice in the school
  • developing teachers’ use of questioning to deepen pupils’ understanding.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management

Requires improvement

• Since the previous inspection there have been changes at senior management level. The pace of improvement has slowed, and the school’s performance has declined. Leaders did not recognise this and their evaluations of the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement are overgenerous.
• Leaders have put training and new initiatives in place. For example, teaching champions have been appointed to facilitate training for staff. The impact of these initiatives is not monitored effectively. Consequently, the quality of teaching, learning and assessment is too variable. Pupils do not make good progress across a range of subjects, including English, science, humanities and French.
• Post-16 progress and outcomes, particularly in academic subjects, have not been prioritised highly enough. This has led to insufficient progress for students in the sixth form.
• Systems for managing the performance of staff are not focused sharply enough on the progress being made by groups of pupils in all subjects and across all year groups. Where underperformance is identified, plans are put in place to support teachers. However, the lack of a sharp focus on pupils’ outcomes means that these plans are not effective enough to secure improvements.
• Middle leaders are ambitious for the school but their roles are underdeveloped. There is more to be done to ensure that these key leaders develop the sustained improvements needed in teaching and learning.
• The curriculum offers a wide range of option subjects in key stage 4. However, at key stage 3, opportunities for the most able pupils to study academic subjects are too limited. This contributes to a below-average number of most-able pupils achieving the English Baccalaureate.
• Additional funding to support disadvantaged pupils is allocated appropriately. However, leaders do not evaluate the impact of their strategies sharply enough in order to raise outcomes for disadvantaged pupils.
• Leadership of the provision for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is strong. These leaders have a good understanding of pupils’ individual needs and provide support for them throughout the school. As a result, pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities make good progress from their starting points.
• Leaders use the Year 7 catch-up funding effectively to drive up standards for those pupils not yet ready for the demands of secondary school English and mathematics. Pupils make more significant gains in mathematics than they do in English.
• There is a comprehensive programme of extra-curricular activities, including performing arts and sport. A high proportion of pupils participate in these activities.
• Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted throughout the school. Pupils participate in a range of artistic, musical and sporting activities. There is a well-thought-out assembly and tutor programme which helps prepare pupils for life in modern Britain.
• A small number of parents commented on the lack of clarity in the reports they receive about their child’s progress. Leaders are reviewing how they report pupils’ progress to ensure that parents have relevant information to help their child with their work.

Governance of the school

• Governors are committed to the school and its pupils. However, they have not challenged leaders robustly enough to ensure that all groups of pupils make good progress. Governors work closely with school leaders to evaluate examination data and internal progress information. Nevertheless, governors need to improve their skills in analysing such information so that they can question leaders more rigorously.
• The governing body is aware of the importance of safeguarding and is vigilant in ensuring that arrangements meet statutory requirements. Governors receive regular training to enable them to carry out their duties effectively.
• The trust has provided support, particularly to leaders and governors. Trust leaders acknowledge that the school’s performance in 2017 was disappointing. They are planning action to support and develop leaders and governors.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders provide systematic training for all staff to ensure that pupils are kept free from harm. Staff have been trained in the ‘Prevent’ duty, which helps them to identify pupils who are vulnerable to extremism or radicalisation. Pupils confirmed to inspectors that they feel safe. Pupils have a good awareness of risks to their safety, and understand how to minimise these risks.
• The school has robust systems to check that all employees are suitable to work with pupils. Record-keeping is comprehensive and meets requirements.
• Senior leaders work closely with external agencies to deal with any concerns regarding pupils who may be vulnerable to risks. Any concerns are followed up quickly.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inconsistent within and across subjects. Teaching is not strong enough to ensure that pupils, particularly middle- and higher- ability pupils, make consistently good progress.
• Some teachers do not communicate consistently high expectations of participation in lessons. For example, pupils, particularly middle-ability boys, are not always challenged for poor effort or lack of participation. It is too easy for pupils not to take part.
• Teachers have secure subject knowledge which they use to plan lessons and meet the requirements of examinations and the national curriculum. However, some pupils are not sufficiently motivated by the lesson activities provided and so do not push themselves to extend their knowledge.
• The use of skilful questioning by teachers is uneven. Some questioning does not allow pupils to deepen their understanding or develop their reasoning skills. However, inspectors also noted examples where questioning was effectively targeted at pupils, drawing out and probing their understanding. For example, in a Year 11 English lesson on sentence structures, the teacher questioned pupils skilfully. This improved the range of vocabulary used by pupils to explain their understanding.
• Where written and verbal feedback is effective, as in English and mathematics, pupils are able to learn from their mistakes. Consistently in English, and sometimes in mathematics, inspectors found that pupils were keen to improve the quality and standard of their work.
• The progress of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is improving. The recently appointed SEN coordinator, a member of the senior leadership team, is a passionate advocate for these pupils. They receive effective support and, as a result, make good progress.
• The school’s work to develop literacy skills at key stage 3 is increasingly effective. As a result, reading ages are rising quickly.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• The school’s programme for personal development enables a wide range of learning opportunities. The use of assemblies, tutor time and other occasions provides for systematic coverage of topics. In addition, opportunities are taken to integrate topical news items so that pupils can apply their learning to the real world.
• The vast majority of pupils are proud of their school. They wear their uniform well and make sure that the school is free from litter.
• Pupils said that adults in school are always approachable and are there to support them academically, emotionally and socially. There are strong, supportive relationships between staff and pupils.
• Pupils understand how to keep themselves safe in a variety of situations. For example, they recognise the potential dangers of the internet. Pupils say that they feel safe and comfortable in school. They know whom to approach to seek support and trust that staff deal effectively with bullying. Most parents agreed that the school deals effectively with bullying and ensures that its pupils are well behaved.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. They are polite and well mannered. This contributes strongly to the orderly environment in the school.
• Low-level disruption in lessons is rare. In the few cases where pupils misbehave, teachers use the school’s behaviour policy consistently. Pupils generally respond quickly to guidance and so lessons continue unhindered.
• Pupils are punctual to school and to lessons. Rates of attendance are above average, including attendance of disadvantaged pupils. Fewer pupils than seen nationally are persistently absent from school; if pupils are absent there are robust systems for checking their welfare.
• This is an inclusive school and leaders do not take the decision to exclude pupils lightly. Nevertheless, fixed-term exclusions remain higher than national average.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• Pupils’ progress is variable and requires improvement. Provisional outcomes suggest that for those who left Year 11 in 2017, progress over time was disappointing. In particular, middle- and higher- ability pupils, including the disadvantaged, did not make the progress of which they are capable.
• Progress in English for those at the end of Year 11 in 2017 was weak for all ability groups and disadvantaged pupils. However, inspectors observed consistently high standards of teaching in English across key stage 3 and 4. As a result, current pupils are catching up and making good progress.
• In books, the quality of work is variable. Work is sometimes of good quality, well presented and shows good or better progress where expectations are high, but this remains inconsistent. In some subjects, work is not of a high enough quality.
• Provisional outcomes in 2017 for lower-ability pupils were better than for other groups in the school. Pupils who join the school with low attainment receive effective support through Year 7 catch-up funding. As a result, they develop basic skills quickly in literacy and numeracy.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities are well supported in lessons. Consequently, they are able to access the curriculum and make good progress. Some pupils follow alternative courses to GCSE to enable them to move to the next stage of their education successfully.
• Leaders’ information indicates that current Year 11 progress is improving and inspectors’ analysis of pupils’ work found some evidence of improvement. However, there remains too much variation across different subjects, year groups and different groups of pupils.
• The school provides good-quality careers advice and guidance. A high proportion of pupils find places in education, employment or training when they leave.

16 to 19 study programmes Requires improvement

• Outcomes for the sixth form have varied year on year. In 2016, academic results in the sixth form declined. There has been some improvement in 2017.
• In 2016, disadvantaged students made less progress than other students nationally in academic subjects. Progress in vocational subjects for all groups of students remains above national average.
• Leaders have not ensured that rates of progress in academic subjects are improving rapidly. This is because teaching, learning and assessment in the sixth form is not strong enough. Students are not given sufficient opportunities to develop deeper thinking in order to make sustained progress.
• The proportion of students who complete their courses is below the national average. However, students are well supported in moving to alternative courses or provision.
• Students who need to resit GCSE English or mathematics make good progress in level 2 qualifications in both these subjects.
• The curriculum offers a wide range of academic and vocational subjects. Leaders have ensured that students also benefit from an enrichment programme which includes work experience, volunteering and leadership opportunities.
• Students’ conduct is good, they are mature, articulate and helpful. They are proud to be part of the sixth form and feel valued and cared for by staff.
• Support and advice regarding students’ next steps is good. Students understand the variety of routes open to them, for example through apprenticeships and higher education. The proportion of students who move on to higher education, training or employment is in line with the national average.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 134815 Lambeth 10036356 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 Mixed Mixed 944 166 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Chioma Oganya Carol Shepherd 020 7819 4700 www.lambeth-academy.org admin@lambeth-academy.org Date of previous inspection 13–14 February 2013

Information about this school

• The school complies with Department for Education guidance on what academies should publish.
• The school is an average-sized secondary school.
• The proportion of pupils at the school who are disadvantaged is above average. The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is above average.
• The majority of pupils are of minority ethnic heritage. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is well above average.
• The school does not use alternative provision for pupils.
• In 2016, the school met the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress by the end of Year 11.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors visited classrooms to observe learning across all year groups, and in a wide range of subjects. Inspectors were frequently accompanied by a member of the school’s senior leadership team to carry out joint observations.
• Inspectors listened to pupils reading. Inspectors reviewed pupils’ work in lessons and scrutinised samples of work in pupils’ books.
• Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons, as they moved around the school site and at leisure times. They talked to pupils informally and also formally in meetings to gather their views.
• Meetings were held with the school’s senior leaders and with other members of staff. Meetings were also held with representatives of the governing body and the trust.
• A wide range of documents and records were examined, including the school’s own self-evaluation, safeguarding records and information about behaviour and attendance. Documents included information about the progress of pupils.
• Inspectors took into account 41 responses to Parent View, 43 responses to the staff survey and one response to the pupil survey.

Inspection team

Carolyn Dickinson, lead inspector Niall Gallagher Diane Khanna Charles Spring Rice Susan Maguire Jeff Cole Pat Slonecki

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector