Christ's Church of England Comprehensive Secondary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve outcomes by:
  • diminishing the differences between the progress of disadvantaged pupils, including the most able, and other pupils nationally, particularly in mathematics
  • raising attainment at the highest grades in the sixth form and further developing curriculum provision to meet students’ changing needs
  • reducing persistent absence, particularly for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher leads by example. She has ensured that a culture of ambition, high aspiration and a passion for inclusion is evident throughout the school. Working together with all staff, leaders have created a school where support and care for pupils carries as much weight as their academic success.
• Leaders have a thorough understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. The actions they are taking to move the school forward are the right ones.
• Middle leaders are increasingly effective in their roles. They report positively about the training and support that they receive. Consequently, middle leaders are having a positive impact on improving outcomes in their subject areas.
• Senior leaders place a strong emphasis on ensuring the well-being of staff. They listen to staff and act on their feedback. Consequently, staff responses to the Ofsted questionnaire are very positive, particularly about how leaders challenge them yet at the same time achieve this within a culture of mutual trust and support.
• The process for managing teachers’ performance is rigorous. Staff are held to account for the impact they have on pupils’ progress. Teachers new to the profession feel fully supported in settling into teaching and in developing their teaching skills.
• Parents speak very highly of the school. The number of parents who responded to Parent View, Ofsted’s questionnaire, was above that typically seen. Responses were very positive, particularly for parents reporting that their child was happy and safe at the school. Almost all additional comments from parents were positive.
• The curriculum is broad, balanced and offers a range of opportunities for pupils to learn new skills outside of the classroom. The range of support for the most able is particularly impressive and this also has a positive impact on their high attainment. Pupils benefit from a range of extra-curricular activities. Pupils say this is a strength of the school. The school has achieved the ‘Sport England Gold Sportsmark’.
• Leaders have established a successful sixth form since its opening in September 2014. Effective leadership has ensured that the quality of teaching, shown by the 2016 provisional results, has secured good progress for students. However, leaders know that more students need to attain the highest grades by the end of their A-level studies.
• Pupils benefit from a wide range of spiritual, moral, social and cultural education. Their learning in citizenship means that pupils can talk fluently about democracy, the law and a range of topical issues including homelessness, conflict and political issues. Visits and extra-curricular learning ensure that pupils benefit from excellent cultural and social experiences. Pupils of all ages are fully prepared for life in modern Britain.
• Leadership of special educational needs is good. Most of the pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities have education, health and care plans. There is well-targeted individual support offering an effective balance of in-class and specialist support. This ensures that the progress of pupils is good and typically matches that of other pupils nationally.
• Leaders track the progress of different groups of pupils carefully. Consequently, they have identified that differences in rates of progress from different starting points for disadvantaged pupils and other pupils nationally are diminishing, but not fast enough, particularly in mathematics. Attainment differences have closed rapidly, particularly in the proportions of disadvantaged pupils attaining an A* to C grade in both English and mathematics. Year 7 catch-up funding is securing good progress for pupils who need further support with literacy and numeracy.

Governance of the school

• Governors offer a good mix of challenge and support to school leaders. They have an effective range of skills and understanding, which they use to deepen their knowledge of the school’s work. Governors routinely visit the school, speak to staff and pupils and then share their findings with each other. Therefore, governors have a good view of what life is like at the school. They have a clear understanding of the groups of pupils that achieve highly and those whose progress could be more rapid. They pay particular attention to the progress of disadvantaged pupils, challenging leaders about the impact of pupil premium funding on outcomes for this group of pupils.
• Governors strongly promote the inclusive nature of the school ethos. They monitor the effectiveness of safeguarding through applying successfully the training they have received. This is clear in their reviewing checks on recruitment and auditing of safeguarding using the local safeguarding children board’s materials.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leadership in safeguarding is at the heart of the school’s work. The school’s focus of ‘Recognise, Respond, Refer’ is visible throughout the school. Training for staff, including those who lead safeguarding, is thorough and it covers a range of issues including female genital mutilation, domestic violence and child sexual exploitation. The impact of this is heightened staff vigilance and a response to any identified worry or concern. Consequently, any support for pupils is quickly implemented. This includes leaders working with a range of external agencies to provide support for pupils and their families. All recruitment checks fully meet statutory requirements.
• Pupils talk fluently about the actions that they need to take to stay safe, including when online and using new technologies. Effective age-appropriate education ensures that students in the sixth form know about how to look after their sexual and mental health.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teachers have high expectations of their pupils. They typically expect pupils to work hard and to achieve their best. Consequently, pupils are positive about and enjoy learning. Pupils in Years 7 and 8 are particularly enthusiastic about their citizenship lessons. They enjoy learning about the topical issues that are having an impact on their lives.
• Teachers have secure subject knowledge which they use to good effect. They ask probing questions, they explain concepts well and they use the vocabulary of their subject to deepen pupils’ knowledge and understanding. This was evident in a Year 12 government and politics lesson where pupils were debating using technical subject vocabulary about the recent reasons why the courts had decided that the decision about Article 50 had to go through Parliament.
• The relationships between teachers and pupils are strong. This gives pupils the confidence to ask, as well as answer, questions. Pupils work together productively and listen to each other when the lesson requires them to share ideas and to learn from each other.
• There is, however, some inconsistency in the implementation of the school’s feedback policy. In some subjects, pupils are not aware of what they need to do to improve their progress.
• Not all teachers make best use of the information they have about pupils’ starting points to ensure that they challenge all groups of pupils effectively. This includes the most able students in the sixth form, resulting in the number of students attaining the highest A-level grades not being as high as predicted.
• Numeracy skills are not as well developed as literacy skills right across the curriculum. This means that pupils are not as confident in using the skills they learn in mathematics across different subject areas.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• The level of care and support for all pupils is of the highest standard. Staff know the challenging circumstances that often face their pupils. Pupils report that staff listen to their concerns fully and carefully. The range of actions taken by staff for pupils, including their work with external agencies, means that pupils and their families benefit greatly from early help and support.
• Responses from parents, pupils and staff to Ofsted’s questionnaires consistently agree that pupils are safe when at school. Pupils also learn effectively about how to stay safe outside of school, particularly when they are online as well as when using mobile technology.
• Pupils know well how to identify and deal effectively with risks to themselves and others. This includes managing their own emotional well-being and preventing themselves from being at a risk from a variety of types of exploitation. Students in the sixth form are fully aware of areas including preventing radicalisation, trafficking and sexting. Pupils are therefore confident and self-assured.
• Bullying is rare. Yet when it occurs pupils, parents and staff report that it is dealt with effectively.
• Careers advice and guidance is of high quality. Pupils’ aspirations and future career pathways, including for the most able pupils, are linked to visits and activities that mean pupils are fully informed about their next steps. School leaders support vulnerable pupils particularly well. Consequently, in the last two years no pupils were classified as not in education, employment and training. The school has attained the ‘Investor in careers’ Stage 2 award and is working towards Stage 3.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils behave well, inside and outside of lessons. They are polite and courteous. Pupils do not loiter in corridors and are typically punctual to their lessons. All areas of the school, including when pupils are dismissed after school, are well supervised.
• Pupils of all ages interact well with each other. This supports the inclusive and safe environment that has been created by the school.
• Leaders ensure that the small numbers of pupils in alternative provision are well supported. Leaders do not wait on issues being reported to them by providers, but ensure that staff visit providers regularly to talk to pupils and check on their well-being and progress.
• Pupils and staff report that behaviour has improved, particularly since the introduction of the new ‘behaviour for learning’ policy last year. Exclusions have decreased sharply and are in line with the national average. The number of referrals to the school’s isolation room has also fallen steadily over the last two years.
• Attendance in the sixth form is high. In other year groups, attendance has been improving and is now in line with the national average. However, persistent absence is reducing more slowly, particularly for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Attainment overall is high, for example in the proportion of pupils achieving A* to C grades in English and mathematics and the English Baccalaureate.
• Pupils’ attainment at the highest grades is strong in a variety of subjects including modern foreign languages, physical education, art, additional science and mathematics.
• Recently published provisional information for 2016 shows that pupils’ overall progress is very good. Progress rates for different groups of pupils, including those who were of low, middle and high ability were also positive and show that pupils made good gains in their learning from their different starting points.
• The most able pupils make good progress over time, particularly by the end of key stage 4. Their extra-curricular opportunities and targeted support helps them attain high grades in most subjects.
• In English, disadvantaged pupils, including the most able, make more rapid progress compared to others nationally. At key stage 3, differences between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils are typically small across a range of subjects including mathematics, English and science. Disadvantaged students in the sixth form make very good progress overall.
• Progress in science and design technology subjects is rapidly improving across all year groups.
• The school’s assessment information shows that pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities also made strong progress by the end of key stage 4. The tailored support for pupils who have education, health and care plans also makes a difference in helping pupils with their career steps, including accessing work-related courses where appropriate. Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make typically good progress across key stage 3 including in mathematics, English and science.
• Pupils read widely and for pleasure. They read fluently. The most able readers are able to talk about genres, authors and their understanding of texts. When meeting new words, pupils use inferences from the text to help them determine what the words are likely to mean. The lower-ability readers can use their knowledge of letters and the sounds they make to make sense of the trickier words they are reading.
• Pupils’ progress in mathematics is improving. However, it is still the case that pupils achieve less well in mathematics relative to their other subjects. This is more evident at key stage 4 than it is at key stage 3. The school’s assessment information for 2016 also shows that attainment in geography was below expectations.
• In mathematics in particular, differences between the progress of disadvantaged pupils and others nationally are diminishing but not as quickly as in other subjects. This is particularly so for lower and middle groups. School leaders have put in place further resources to improve outcomes, including additional leadership capacity. Consequently, differences are reducing well in Years 7 and 8.

16 to 19 study programmes Good

• The sixth form opened in a dedicated sixth form block in September 2014. Students speak very highly of the resources they benefit from, including personal study facilities.
• Leadership of the sixth form is strong. Leaders have high expectations and are very effective in monitoring students’ progress. Leaders have quickly analysed the 2016 provisional outcomes and taken action, for example putting in place more support for the most able students. These actions are continuing to secure improvement.
• As the sixth form is relatively new, leaders have supported teachers in developing their knowledge of A-level courses to ensure that they teach and assess with the rigour needed for students to achieve highly. Teachers are therefore becoming increasingly confident in their subject delivery. Consequently, this is improving learning through more accurate assessment and feedback.
• Students made good progress overall by the end of Year 13 from their different starting points. Disadvantaged students also make good progress. Progress was higher in A-level chemistry, government and politics and mathematics. Student attainment was in line with expectations but fewer of the most able students secured the highest possible grades.
• Current assessment information provided by leaders also demonstrates good progress over time. There is clear improvement in specific targeted subjects. Observations of teaching and feedback from students tested out the accuracy of leaders’ information.
• Students in the sixth form are clear that they are happy with the advice and guidance they receive about careers, their well-being and how to stay safe. A high proportion of students progressed to universities including the Russell Group of universities. It was very clear from talking to Year 11 pupils that many of them intend to stay on into the sixth form. Sixth form students are effective role models. Their behaviour is exemplary. Their attendance is high.
• For the last two years, retention in the sixth form from Year 12 into Year 13 has been lower than the national average. Due to the small size of the sixth form in its initial years, the school was only able to offer a limited number of courses. Consequently, not all courses adequately met students’ needs. This is changing as the sixth form grows and leaders are rightly planning to widen the type of courses on offer, including the introduction of a vocational pathway.

School details

Unique reference number 102929 Local authority Richmond upon Thames Inspection number 10025711 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 Number of pupils on the school roll Of which, number on roll in 16 to 19 study programmes Maintained 11 to 19 Mixed Mixed 801 93 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Alison Greenwood Helen Dixon 020 8940 6982 http://www.christs.richmond.sch.uk/ info@christs.richmond.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 12–13 December 2013

Information about this school

• The school is smaller than the average secondary school. Just over half of the pupils are from White British backgrounds.
• The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is above the national average.
• The school has more boys than girls.
• The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is broadly in line with the national average.
• In September 2014, since the last inspection, the school has opened a new sixth form.
• In line with the local authority offer, the school has specialist dyslexia support for a small number of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan is above the national average.
• The school is a Church of England faith school within the Diocese of Southwark. A section 48 inspection of the school’s religious provision took place in February 2016.
• A small number of pupils attend alternative provision at West Thames College, Richmond on Thames College and Malden Oaks pupil referral unit. Most pupils attend alternative provision on a part-time basis.
• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school currently meets the government floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

Information about this inspection

• The inspection team visited a wide range of lessons across a range of subjects and year groups. Several of these were joint observations undertaken with school leaders. Inspectors also looked at the work in books of pupils from different groups in different subject areas.
• Meetings were held with senior and middle leaders to evaluate the impact of their work. Meetings were also held with members of the governing body, newly qualified teachers, the school improvement partner and different groups of pupils, including students in the sixth form. The lead inspector had telephone conversations with the local authority representative and the secondary adviser for the Diocese of Southwark.
• Inspectors took into account the views of 209 parents who had responded to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire. They also considered 179 responses to the pupils’ questionnaire as well as 63 responses to the staff inspection survey.
• Inspectors scrutinised a variety of documentation provided by the school, including: assessment information for 2016 provisional outcomes and pupils currently at the school; self-evaluation; improvement plans; minutes of meetings; attendance and behaviour information; case studies; the single central record of recruitment checks and other information relating to the safeguarding of pupils.

Inspection team

Sam Hainey, lead inspector Claire Majumdar Kanwaljit Singh Sue Bzikot

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector