Monkwearmouth Academy Ofsted Report

Full report

In accordance with section 44(1) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school.

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management by:
  • ensuring that leaders and governors create a powerful, strategic vision for school improvement that will drive change and rapidly improve outcomes for pupils
  • training governors so that they are able to challenge leaders effectively over the quality of education in the school and hold them to account
  • ensuring that there is enough leadership capacity to bring about rapid improvements in pupils’ progress across the whole range of subjects
  • ensuring that all teachers are held to account for the progress made by pupils
  • ensuring that additional funding for disadvantaged pupils, those who need to catch up and those with SEND, is precisely targeted and improves pupils’ outcomes
  • ensuring that weaknesses in teaching, learning and assessment are challenged effectively and that staff are well supported to improve through high-quality professional development
  • ensuring that teachers’ assessments of pupils’ learning and progress are accurate and reliable
  • taking urgent action to tackle weaknesses in the curriculum, especially in English, and ensure that curriculum plans in every subject are coherent, demanding, and designed to meet the needs of different groups of pupils
  • ensuring that teachers in every subject have a good knowledge of the new GCSE specifications and are fully equipped to enable pupils to reach the highest standards of which they are capable, including the most able pupils
  • improving the planning for pupils with SEND so that teachers and support staff know precisely how to help pupils learn so that they make good progress
  • ensuring that pupils develop a secure understanding of fundamental British values.
• Improve the quality and consistency of teaching, learning and assessment by ensuring that all teachers:
  • have consistently high expectations of all pupils, regardless of their ability
  • use assessment information to plan learning activities that are closely matched to pupils’ starting points and that challenge, interest and motivate pupils so that they make good progress
  • use questioning effectively to check pupils’ understanding and challenge them to think more deeply about their learning.
• Improve the quality of personal development, behaviour and welfare by ensuring that:
  • pupils are interested in learning and do not engage in low-level disruption
  • pupils develop positive attitudes to learning
  • pupils use the systems in place to report any bullying and that staff ensure that incidents are always dealt with quickly
  • all staff are vigilant and proactive in monitoring and addressing any incidents of poor behaviour around the school
  • the proportion of disadvantaged pupils who are persistently absent from school is reduced. An external review of governance is recommended in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management can be improved. An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium is recommended in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

• Leaders have not addressed the areas for improvement identified at the previous inspection. Since then, there has been a significant decline in the progress made by all groups of pupils, particularly the most able and those who are disadvantaged.
• Leaders have given too much time and too many resources to projects that did not improve the quality of education in the school.
• Leaders, including governors, do not have a clear vision for the school. They do not have the capacity to bring about improvement. Development plans have had little effect.
• Over time, senior leaders have not challenged middle leaders effectively. Neither middle leaders nor teachers have been held to account sufficiently for pupils’ progress and the quality of teaching.
• Leaders did not act to prevent the serious decline in the standards in English. Pupils were not prepared for the higher demands of the new GCSE courses in either 2017 or 2018.
• Leaders have failed to improve poor standards in mathematics and have overseen a sharp decline in science standards since the last inspection.
• The curriculum provides appropriate pathways for both academic and vocational study at key stage 4. However, critical changes to the curriculum were not made in good time. Leaders did not ensure that teachers were properly prepared to teach the new specifications that were first examined in the summers of 2017 or 2018.
• Senior leaders know the quality of teaching is highly variable. They now conduct regular checks and identify the training needs of staff, all of whom attend regular professional development sessions. Some staff use this training well and it is leading to improvements in teaching. Others are not drawing on these development opportunities to change and improve their practice.
• Pupils’ knowledge and understanding of fundamental British values is weak. Leaders are addressing this through the new personal development curriculum.
• Additional funding for pupils who are disadvantaged is not used effectively. The underachievement of disadvantaged pupils is entrenched. Plans to help them achieve well are largely unconvincing. Leaders use Year 7 catch-up funding and pupil premium funding to improve standards in literacy more effectively and in these areas, there are improvements.
• The school’s provision for pupils with SEND is poor. The new special educational needs coordinator has clearly identified pupils with SEND and ensured that the SEND register is now correct. Teachers’ understanding of how to support pupils with SEND so that they make good progress is weak.
• In some subjects, middle leadership is starting to improve. For instance, the new head of mathematics has introduced a challenging curriculum and is working with staff to raise their expectations of what pupils can and should achieve. The head of science, in post for only a few months, is working quickly to try to fill the gaps in pupils’ knowledge, skills and understanding.
• It is recommended that the school does not appoint newly qualified teachers.

Governance of the school

• Governors have acted too slowly to prevent the decline in the quality of education since the last inspection.
• Governing body minutes show that governors frequently ask challenging questions, but accept leaders’ explanations too easily. As a result, they have struggled to hold leaders to account and did not see, soon enough, the serious failings in crucial areas of the school’s leadership.
• The governing body does not monitor the use of the additional funding received by the school, such as funding to support disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND. They are not able to say if funds are used to good effect.
• Governors are dedicated and committed to the school. They want the very best for their pupils and recognise the school does not have the leadership capacity it needs to improve the quality of education.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders have established a positive safeguarding culture. Staff understand the important role they play in keeping pupils safe. Leaders provide regular training and safeguarding updates to staff and governors.
• Checks are in place to ensure that all staff who work with pupils are suitably qualified and meet legal requirements.
• Leaders have a good understanding of the risks faced by pupils in the local community. For instance, they are aware of the risks from drug and alcohol abuse. They work well with external agencies to ensure that pupils have a secure understanding of how to protect themselves and keep themselves safe outside of school.
• Leaders are proactive in raising pupils’ awareness of the need to look after their mental health as well as their physical health.
• Pupils whose circumstances make them vulnerable are cared for sensitively and supported by staff and other agencies as appropriate.
• Leaders are tenacious in ensuring that pupils receive the protection they need.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

• The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is extremely variable, both within the same subject, and across different subjects. As a result, pupils’ experiences of learning, together with their outcomes, vary greatly.
• Learning activities do not build on what pupils already know, understand and can do. Inaccurate and inconsistent assessment practice contributes significantly to this weakness and, consequently, pupils do not make good progress.
• Teachers expect far too little of pupils. Too many tasks do not provide enough challenge and limit pupils’ learning. This has a detrimental effect on pupils’ attitudes to learning over time.
• Teachers’ questioning does not enable pupils to explain their thinking. Questioning is not used to provide additional challenge or identify misconceptions. Teachers are too easily satisfied by weak, superficial answers from pupils.
• In mathematics, too much teaching lacks depth and challenge. Teachers often fail to assess if learning is taking place. They do not identify misconceptions from pupils’ work nor adjust activities as needed. Pupils complete undemanding work quickly and then seek other ways to fill the time, often in unrelated chatter. As a result, pupils do not make the progress they should, and their understanding of mathematical concepts and techniques is poor.
• In English, Year 11 pupils are held back by their weak vocabulary and there are no strategies in place to remedy this. Pupils’ skills in analysing texts and exploring their effect on the reader have been identified as an area for improvement, but no actions to improve this have been taken. This is preventing pupils from making the progress they should.
• As a result of poor teaching over time, pupils are not well prepared for their GCSE examinations at the end of key stage 4. Too many underachieve. They are not well prepared for their next steps in education, employment or training.
• The support provided to pupils with SEND is variable. Too often, teachers do not plan lessons that take account of pupils’ needs nor use the most appropriate strategies to help them learn.
• Some teaching is more effective. Teachers use questioning well to check pupils’ understanding. Teachers’ good subject knowledge is used to capture pupils’ interest and enthusiasm and develops their curiosity.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement.
• Pupils are punctual to lessons. Most pupils are polite and respectful. However, too many pupils lack confidence as learners and do not demonstrate consistently positive attitudes towards their learning. This is because teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve are too low.
• Weak teaching over time, in too many subject areas, has failed to ignite pupils’ curiosity as learners, provide challenge and develop a love of learning. As a result, pupils are often passive. They show little interest in, or enthusiasm for, their work.
• School records show that there are few reported incidents of bullying. Some incidents arise from poor choices in the use of social media outside school and subsequent friendship difficulties. A school survey shows that pupils have a wide range of different opinions regarding both the extent of bullying in school and how well it is dealt with. Most pupils who made their views known to inspectors said that staff deal effectively with incidents of bullying. Pupils have been taught about different forms of bullying and know the harm bullying can do.
• Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe when using the internet and mobile technologies. They also understand the dangers of drugs and alcohol abuse. As a result, pupils are increasingly confident about how to keep themselves safe outside school. Pupils told inspectors that they feel safe in school.
• The new personal development curriculum helps pupils to develop age-appropriate understanding of healthy relationships and how to look after both their mental and physical health.
• Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is well developed. Visits to local historical sites, enrichment and residential opportunities develop pupils’ understanding of their cultural heritage.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.
• Most pupils conduct themselves well; however, leaders are rightly concerned that low-level disruption has a detrimental effect on pupils’ learning. Teachers do not always recognise or deal with disruption swiftly. Inspectors saw pupils become increasingly unsettled when the work they were doing was too easy and when they had too little to do.
• In a small minority of lessons, the behaviour of pupils was so poor that learning was prevented. Pupils did not follow instructions and showed little respect for others who wanted to learn.
• Behaviour around the school is generally well ordered. However, there are known ‘hot-spots’ of poor behaviour, which leaders have not tackled. This is despite a high staff presence at break and lunchtimes.
• Overall, pupils’ attendance is in line with the national average. The proportion of pupils who are regularly absent is below the national average. However, the proportion of disadvantaged pupils who are regularly absent is too high and is rising. Leaders are working closely with families to improve the attendance of disadvantaged pupils.
• The rate of fixed-term and permanent exclusions is below average.
• A very small number of pupils attend alternative providers. The school is vigilant in monitoring pupils’ attendance and checking their safety and progress.

Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

• Outcomes for pupils are inadequate because, over time, pupils underachieve considerably.
• The progress made by Year 11 pupils overall in GCSE English, mathematics, science and humanities in 2018 was significantly below the national average. The proportion of pupils who achieved a strong pass (grade 5 or above) in these subjects was below the national average.
• The progress made by the most able pupils, pupils with low prior attainment and disadvantaged pupils was in the lowest 10% of the country in 2018. The progress made by pupils with SEND is lower than any other group of pupils in the school.
• Pupils’ work in mathematics shows that progress remains slow in most classes. Pupils’ misconceptions are rarely identified or addressed by teachers. There are too few opportunities for pupils to consolidate their learning or apply their skills to solving problems. However, Year 11 pupils told inspectors that they have had fewer staff changes this year. This has helped them to learn more effectively.
• In pupils’ science work books, improved progress in the past few months is evident, which is encouraging. The head of science knows there is much to do to help pupils to catch up.
• English work showed that Year 11 pupils make better progress over time than other year groups. The progress seen from Years 8 to 10 varied significantly from one class to another. However, progress is particularly poor throughout Year 7, where there is very little challenge and development from pupils’ starting points.
• A range of pupils’ work was examined from across the wider curriculum. Stronger progress was seen in history, geography and languages than in other subjects. However, in all books, it was clear that pupils’ learning is hindered because work is too easy and does not provide enough challenge.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 140461 Sunderland 10059067 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 converter 11 to 16 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 864 Appropriate authority Board of trustees Chair Executive Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address John Cogdon Steve Wilkinson 01919 172 300 www.monkwearmouth.sunderland.sch.uk contactus@mwacademy.co.uk Date of previous inspection 4–5 October 2016

Information about this school

• The school is an average-sized secondary school.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is average.
• The proportion of pupils with SEND is below average. The proportion of pupils who have an education, health and care plan is well below average.
• A very small number of pupils attend alternative education provision. Providers include the Beacon of Light School and Resources North East, both of whom are located in Sunderland.
• Most pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is below average.
• The number of pupils on roll has risen since the last inspection.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors held meetings with the executive headteacher, senior leaders, middle leaders and teaching staff.
• The lead inspector held a meeting with the chair of Wearmouth Learning Trust and members of the governing body and the board of directors.
• Inspectors observed learning across a wide range of subjects and age groups and scrutinised samples of pupils’ work. Many of these observations and activities were carried out jointly with senior leaders.
• Inspectors scrutinised a wide range of evidence, including the school’s self-evaluation, school improvement plans, analyses of pupils’ performance, attendance and behaviour records, and safeguarding files. Inspectors also scrutinised the minutes of governing body and trust meetings as well as external reviews of the school’s work. They took account of the school’s own staff and pupil surveys.
• Meetings were held with four groups of pupils from key stages 3 and 4. Inspectors spoke with pupils informally in lessons, at breaktime and at lunchtime.
• One inspector listened to some Year 7 pupils read.
• Inspectors analysed the 183 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, including 95 free-text comments. There were no responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil questionnaires.

Inspection team

Janice Gorlach, lead inspector Colin Scott Julie McGrane Joanne Suddes

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector