Bishop Challoner Boys' School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Governors should sharpen the challenge they give to school leaders.
• Leaders should develop the improvements in the following areas and ensure that they are adopted fully:
  • the current and proposed changes to the curriculum
  • the external and internal support for pupils who struggle to manage their behaviour.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Since his appointment in September 2017, the new headteacher has brought about rapid, positive change in the school. He sets high expectations and leads by example. Senior leaders are ambitious for all their pupils. Pupils are now making good progress across all subjects.
• There is a comprehensive programme of training for staff in leadership and teaching. Middle leaders appreciate the opportunity to develop their skills through external training courses. Teachers who are new to the profession find the training helpful and informative. The impact of this training for teachers is evident in the quality of pupils’ learning.
• Most leaders have an accurate view of the quality of teaching. Senior leaders hold teachers to account for their pupils’ progress. Information provided by the school shows that pupils are achieving better outcomes than in previous years. Pupils’ work in lessons supports this assertion.
• Leaders have established a programme of lessons and development days where pupils have opportunities to discuss and develop their spiritual, moral, social and cultural skills. These opportunities prepare pupils for life in modern Britain effectively.
• In 2016 and 2017, the curriculum was not broad and balanced. This had a negative impact on pupils’ outcomes in public examinations. The new headteacher promptly introduced curriculum changes so that the curriculum now meets the pupils’ needs in all year groups. Although not fully embedded, the impact of the new curriculum is already visible in the outcomes for current Years 11 and 10. There is a wide range of extra-curricular activities on offer. For example, there is a range of sporting activities and visits to universities.
• Leaders use pupil premium funding effectively to support disadvantaged pupils. The difference between pupils who are disadvantaged and other pupils is reducing at a rapid pace.
• The Year 7 literacy and numeracy catch-up funding is used well. Pupils in Year 8 who started school behind their peers in literacy and numeracy are catching up. Staff give pupils guidance in their choice of books.
• Leaders carried out a review of how special educational needs (SEN) funding is used. This review resulted in changes to the way they use resources. Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities now receive effective support, and this is evident in their progress in lessons.
• The school planning documents the headteacher inherited are not sufficiently sharp. The new headteacher has a clear idea of the issues and maintains a short, sharp version of developments needed on the wall in his room. This clear focus on current issues enables the senior team to act swiftly and address the necessary changes.

Governance of the school

• Governors are committed to bringing about improvement. They work closely with school leaders to support them in their roles.
• There is a safeguarding governor who carries out regular, appropriate checks on school procedures to ensure that pupils are safe. Governors visit the school and speak to pupils about their safety. There is a culture of vigilance around safeguarding in the school, and governors lead on this.
• Governors discuss reports on progress and behaviour in their meetings and check the school logs on incidents of bullying and other issues.
• The minutes of governing body meetings show limited challenge to school leaders. For example, in the past, they did not challenge the school on the curriculum offer. The curriculum offer did not meet pupils’ needs and affected pupils’ outcomes in 2016 and 2017 examinations. The headteacher says that the governors now challenge very effectively when pupils’ outcomes are affected.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders ensure that all the appropriate checks on staff take place before they start work in the school. All staff receive training in safeguarding procedures. This includes a comprehensive induction programme for new staff on safeguarding. Staff are confident in managing safeguarding concerns and supporting pupils. Pupils say that they feel safe.
• Leaders invite parents to feed back their opinions about their children’s safety during parents’ events in school. Parental feedback from a recent Year 7 event shows that most parents believe that their children are safe in school and would recommend the school to others.
• Staff receive training on the ‘Prevent’ duty and are vigilant when looking for signs of radicalisation. They support pupils in avoiding local dangers, such as gangs. Pupils say that there are many adults in school to whom they can turn for help, should the need arise.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teachers have good subject knowledge. They use their knowledge to plan effective lessons which interest and enthuse their pupils.
• Teachers establish a good climate for learning. Pupils show respect for teachers and their peers. Inspectors saw a small amount of low-level disruption by pupils in lessons. Most pupils make good progress in their learning because of the positive ethos established in the school.
• In previous years, middle- and higher-ability pupils did not make rapid progress. Through careful tracking and effective questioning, teachers now ensure that there is a high level of challenge for these pupils in lessons. Teachers use a range of techniques to support learning and they have strong subject knowledge. These techniques enable most pupils to make good and often better progress.
• Teachers encourage pupils to read widely, and all pupils carry a reading book with them. There is a reading group for the most able readers in each year group. Teachers encourage pupils to read at home and then, subsequently, to discuss the content of the book and challenge each other in their understanding of the text. Pupils value this opportunity and say that it helps their learning.
• Middle leaders are strong teachers and they share their skills with less experienced teachers. The quality of teaching across the school is improving because of this coaching. This is particularly strong in modern foreign languages and humanities. In these subjects, teachers give pupils effective guidance about how to improve their work. Pupils’ presentation in their books is neat and they are proud of their work.
• The school’s marking is clear. However, the quality of guidance given to pupils in key stage 3 varies. Where the feedback is weak, pupils do not improve their work. A few teachers do not give pupils time to reflect on their work. However, most pupils in key stage 4 improve their work following effective guidance and reflection time from their teachers.
• The quality of the homework set for pupils is variable. Often, teachers ask pupils to finish off classwork. Parents are concerned about homework and about the information given to them about their children’s progress. Leaders have recently introduced a commercial package to monitor homework and share information about homework with parents. Leaders have not evaluated the impact of this package yet.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils are proud of their school. They are confident and self-assured learners. Teachers encourage pupils to develop their own ideas and to listen respectfully to the views of others.
• There is very little bullying in the school. Pupils say that when it does happen, teachers deal with bullying effectively. There is a wide range of support for vulnerable pupils, and pupils say that they feel supported.
• There is a comprehensive programme of assemblies and lessons where pupils have opportunities to explore life skills and reflect on the world around them. Pupils are well informed about how to keep safe and show empathy for others who are less fortunate than themselves. Pupils know where to go for help with welfare issues.
• Although this is a Catholic school, many of the pupils are from different religious groups. Pupils are involved in interfaith work. During religious education lessons, pupils, through discussion with their peers, develop their understanding of other faiths.
• Teachers encourage pupils to develop healthy lifestyles. There are many opportunities for pupils to be involved in sport. There is a range of extra-curricular opportunities where pupils keep fit through outdoor pursuits.
• There is a new programme in place for careers advice and guidance. This programme starts in Year 7 and builds on the skills that pupils developed in primary school. Pupils in Year 10 have work experience opportunities. In Year 11, there is considerable support for pupils in making appropriate choices in progressing to post-16 education and/or employment. Local business people and employers play a large part in supporting pupils in their choices. Pupils say that these opportunities are one of the best aspects of the school’s support. In previous years, the percentage of pupils progressing to further education was below that of other pupils nationally because of a lack of clear guidance.
• All key events in school start with a prayer. In assemblies, pupils listen to stories from the Gospel, and teachers encourage them to reflect on their values and beliefs. Pupils come from a diverse range of backgrounds, and they learn from each other about different cultures. In this and other ways, they develop tolerance and respect towards each other.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.
• Pupils’ attendance overall is above the national average. However, despite rigorous action by the school, the level of absence, including persistent absence, of White British boys is higher than that of other pupils in the school. The level of exclusions for this group of pupils has also been high in previous years. Leaders are developing a more effective use of the internal exclusion room to improve behaviour. Pupils now receive increased external and internal support to help them manage their own behaviour effectively. Pupils say that the additional support is helping them to improve their behaviour. A small group of pupils are not making best use of these opportunities.
• Pupils’ behaviour in lessons is good across all year groups. Disruption in lessons by pupils is rare. Pupils are pleasant and enjoy sharing their opinions on their school with visitors. However, on occasions, pupils’ behaviour in social times and between lessons is not as sensible as it should be. For example, when pupils move around the school and in corridors, a small group of pupils need reminders from staff about expectations of behaviour. Teachers were less positive about pupils’ behaviour in the Ofsted online survey for staff. Leaders are working with teachers to develop strategies to support them in managing the behaviour of this small group of pupils. There is an inclusion team who provide additional support and counselling for these pupils. Most parents who responded to the school survey for Year 7 parents said that behaviour is now good. Only 13 parents responded to the Ofsted online questionnaire. Many of those parents also said that behaviour was good.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• School information shows that current pupils in key stage 4 are making good progress. Leaders now carefully track pupils’ progress in addition to attainment. They put effective support in place when pupils fall behind. The new key stage 4 curriculum now meets pupils’ needs. The school’s information shows that pupils’ progress has improved notably from all their starting points. Pupils with lower starting points are making the strongest progress.
• Teachers work with staff in other schools to check that their assessments of pupils’ attainment are accurate. Information provided by the school on English and mathematics outcomes for pupils in Years 7, 8, and 9 shows that a higher percentage of pupils are on track to achieve good outcomes in those subjects. Pupils did not achieve good outcomes in some subjects in 2017.
• Leaders made rapid changes to tracking pupils. They are checking outcomes regularly. Information on all pupils in English and mathematics shows that they are achieving higher grades. Pupils’ work over time, their understanding and the quality of work in their books show that they are making good progress.
• In most lessons, pupils of all abilities work on challenging materials that support them to make good progress. Pupils say that they enjoy their work, and 92% of Year 7 parents say that they are pleased with their sons’ progress.
• Teachers adapt work to meet the needs of groups of pupils. Teaching assistants receive training to support pupils in lessons. Pupils who speak English as an additional language receive support in developing their writing skills. Disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities make good progress from their starting points. Inspectors observed this improved progress in a range of lessons.
• There is a strong culture of reading for pleasure. Pupils in key stage 3 can join reading groups on a Wednesday morning. In the groups, teachers encourage them to read widely. Pupils in the reading groups are enthusiastic about their reading and are keen to share their views about which books they enjoy.
• In 2016 and 2017 GCSE examinations, pupils’ progress across all subjects was below national averages. However, attainment was close to national averages. Disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities also made progress below that of pupils with the same starting points. This was because the curriculum did not meet pupils’ needs. Pupils in Year 11 entered examinations in fewer GCSE subjects and in a narrower range of subjects than pupils in other schools.
• The new headteacher changed the curriculum in September 2017 to enable more key stage 4 pupils to study a wider range of subjects, including vocational subjects. Previously, pupils who were struggling with the course content reduced the number of subjects where they took GCSE examinations. This approach limited pupils’ progress and their career choices, and impacted negatively on their outcomes overall. This reduced curriculum limited the progress the pupils were able to make in the Progress 8 measure in 2016 and 2017. Year 10 and 11 pupils now follow a wider curriculum with more opportunities to study modern foreign languages, humanities and vocational subjects. Teachers give pupils helpful guidance in their subject choices.
• Attainment in English and mathematics in 2017 GCSE examinations was broadly average. Pupils’ progress in English and mathematics in 2017 was below, but close to, national averages. Leaders analysed these results and have implemented a range of changes, which are improving current pupils’ outcomes. Teachers challenge all pupils to improve their learning and achieve to the best of their ability.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 133289 Tower Hamlets 10037693 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 Number of pupils on the school roll Voluntary aided 11 to 16 Boys 571 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Tony Mackersie Richard Fitzgerald 0207 791 9500 www.bishop-learningvillage.towerhamlets.sch.uk Email address dwhelan@bishop.towerhamlets.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 1–2 April 2014

Information about this school

• The school does not meet requirements on the publication of information about Year 7 literacy and numeracy catch-up funding. This information was on the school website by the end of the first day of the inspection.
• Teaching resources, including staff, are shared with the girls’ school. The boys’ school shares the same school site as the girls’ school.
• The school does not currently use any alternative provision.
• Bishop Challoner Boys’ School is smaller than the average-sized secondary school.
• The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is high.
• A high proportion of pupils are from minority ethnic groups.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors visited a range of lessons to evaluate the quality of teaching over time and listened to pupils read.
• Inspectors met with groups of pupils and spoke to pupils around the school.
• Inspectors reviewed pupils’ books and scrutinised a range of documents which related to safeguarding, behaviour, attendance and progress.
• Inspectors met with senior leaders, middle leaders and teachers who are new to the profession.
• The lead inspector met with governors and representatives from the local authority.
• Inspectors evaluated the 13 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire for parents. There were only two responses to the pupils’ survey. There were 79 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for staff.
• The school provided responses from Year 7 parents to the school’s questionnaire.

Inspection team

Dame Joan McVittie, lead inspector Anthony Wilson Bruce Goddard

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector