The Academy of St Nicholas Ofsted Report

Full report

In accordance with section 13(4) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires special measures.

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of learning for all pupils, particularly in English and science, by:
  • setting tasks which are suitably challenging so that all pupils, especially those who are disadvantaged, make rapid progress
  • ensuring that teachers use probing questioning which requires pupils to think deeply and provide thoughtful responses
  • encouraging teachers to be creative in their planning so that more lessons are fast-paced, exciting and interesting
  • providing pupils with well-planned teaching and systematic support for the development of their literacy skills, including speaking, discussion and debate.
• Consolidate recent improvements to the quality of leadership and management by:
  • making sure that when teaching is observed the focus is on what pupils are learning rather than what the teacher is doing
  • ensuring that the subject leaders implement and check on agreed procedures to
  • raise standards of literacy across the school further reducing the number of pupils who are persistently absent by working closely with their families to raise their awareness of the importance of full attendance
  • building on the strategies already in place to enhance the communication with parents so that they feel more involved and able to contribute to school improvement.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

• Actions of past leaders and managers did not result in rapid improvement for pupils over the last two years. Outcomes for pupils have been inadequate and the gap between the achievement of disadvantaged pupils and others nationally has not diminished. A long legacy of poor teaching and underachievement was not tackled swiftly.
• The current headteacher took up the post in March 2016. She has brought strong leadership into the school and has high ambitions which are shared by staff and governors and the academy trust. The headteacher is very well supported by an executive headteacher who oversees the work of the two schools in the academy trust.
• The school’s leadership team has been reorganised. Two assistant headteachers provide strong support in realising the school’s vision for improvement. Much has been done to strengthen the leadership of teaching. New subject leaders in mathematics, English and science are having a positive impact on pupils’ progress. Subject leaders are setting much higher expectations than previously for pupils’ progress, ensuring that there is more challenge for the most able pupils and using external moderators to verify the accuracy of assessments. The current leadership team has an accurate view of the strengths and weaknesses which still need to be addressed in teaching.
• The academy trust has employed 11 experienced teachers, who work as subject directors in both schools. Some of these leaders provide additional coaching for staff and regularly evaluate the impact of the many actions the school is taking to improve its work. In the past, too much attention has been focused on the action plans and too little on what is actually being achieved. In checking on the quality of teaching, the focus has sometimes been on what the teacher is doing, rather than on what the pupils are actually learning.
• Leaders have improved the quality of teaching and learning by setting up a professional partners scheme to support new and less-experienced teachers. Leaders have created more opportunities for sharing of good practice among staff in the two academies. Judgements made on the quality of teaching are more rigorous because they often include speaking to pupils about their learning, tracking the progress of groups and looking at the work in pupils’ books.
• Pastoral leaders have improved overall attendance and reduced the number of pupils who are persistently absent. They have established rigorous systems for following up any absence. There is still work to be done to ensure that attendance is at least in line with the national average for secondary schools. Some year groups have already achieved this, but not all.
• Leaders are raising the aspirations of pupils and their families by introducing a ‘scholar’s programme’ from Year 9. In the sixth form the school offers a bursary to the highest-performing students at the end of Year 13 to support them in the first year of university or college. The sixth-form leader has introduced an ‘Oxbridge programme’ for the first time. A new trust director for careers is developing better strategies to ensure that pupils have a wider choice of future options. The proportion of pupils going on to further education, training or employment has increased.
• A new trust SENCo has reorganised provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Teaching assistants have been provided with effective support and training. As a result, these pupils are now making the progress expected of them and achieving well.
• Funding to support the learning of disadvantaged pupils has not been used effectively in the past. The school is now working on this as a priority. There is already some improvement in the progress and attainment of disadvantaged pupils of all abilities. A particular emphasis on the most able disadvantaged pupils is accelerating their progress rapidly this term.
• The Year 7 catch-up funding, provided to support pupils entering secondary school with lower than expected starting points, is being used well. The school has a ’small learning community’ group led by an experienced primary specialist so that pupils receive strong support to improve their reading and numeracy skills.
• Leaders have reorganised the curriculum to improve outcomes. Key stage 4 work now begins in Year 9 and increased time has been allocated to English and mathematics to improve basic skills. Pupils can follow EBacc qualifications if they wish. There is extra guidance for the most able pupils and a more appropriate range of vocational courses for less academic pupils. Changes to the curriculum are designed to reduce the number of pupils attending alternative provision.
• Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and their awareness of British values are promoted in most subjects and in tutor time and assemblies. For example, during the inspection pupils in all years were discussing the outcome of the presidential election in the United States and considering what it means to live in a democracy. Pupils give generously of their time in supporting different charities.
• The school is starting to work more effectively with parents by improving the quality of reports that parents receive and identifying ways in which they can support their children’s education. Responses to Parent View, as well as discussions with parents in school, showed that while some parents are pleased with the quality of education provided, some have concerns about progress and teaching.

Governance of the school

• Governors have acted decisively in recent months to improve the leadership of the school and to hold leaders much more rigorously to account. They have established a challenge board to which leaders report each half term, with the focus on what precise impact their actions have had.
• The sponsorship of the academy has reduced from five sponsors to two. This has provided much tighter control. The trustees have recognised that actions taken previously were not effective and so governance has been reorganised to provide more challenge to school leaders.
• Over time governors have not monitored the effectiveness of the way that pupil premium funding has been spent in order to close the gap in the achievement of these pupils. This has now become a key priority.
• The academy received a financial notice to improve last year. The new finance director has taken prompt and effective action so that the conditions required have been met. The academy is now on a secure financial footing.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Staff are well trained to recognise any safeguarding concerns and what steps to take in a variety of possible situations. The school has good links with other agencies in order to support pupils. Case studies show that the school has very effective systems to support vulnerable pupils. Systems for ensuring the safeguarding of pupils attending alternative provision are strong. A culture of safeguarding pervades the whole school.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• Although teaching and learning have improved in the last six months, there is not enough consistency in the quality of teaching for it to be judged as good, particularly in English and science. While some lessons move at a fast pace and provide pupils with interesting tasks, this is not the case across all subjects and within departments.
• Pupils’ weak literacy skills hinder their progress and ability to express themselves accurately and precisely. There are not always enough opportunities for pupils to practise extended writing in many subjects and some teachers accept simple one-word answers. Subject leaders are not always ensuring that promoting pupils’ literacy skills across all subjects is a key priority in their departments.
• Teachers’ questioning is not always sufficiently probing to ensure that pupils think deeply and provide thoughtful responses which take their learning and understanding further.
• Inconsistent behaviour for learning is evident when pupils become bored or distracted. The behaviour of a minority affects learning in some classes.
• Strengths are evident in a growing number of subjects, including mathematics. In subjects such as mathematics, design technology, art, music and information technology, teachers model and demonstrate well what pupils are learning so that progress is good.
• Pupils with special educational needs and/or disability are well supported. Extra training has been provided for teaching assistants so that they are well able to support the learning of pupils with different needs.
• A new school policy for marking and feedback to pupils is highly effective in making sure that pupils know how to improve their work. Pupils are required to correct errors and address misunderstandings. This new system is clearly contributing to pupils’ improved learning.

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 of all ages say that they are free from bullying and that, if it occurs, staff deal with it promptly. Pupils feel well informed about different kinds of bullying and say that name-calling has decreased. Racist or homophobic language is rare. Younger pupils are confident that they have no concerns about the behaviour of older ones.
• Pupils praise the efforts of the school to make them aware of hazards such as use of social media, gangs and drug abuse. They know whom to talk to if they have any concerns.
• Pupils are developing self-confidence to enable them to express their views clearly and politely. School leaders are increasing the ways in which pupils are consulted so that their views are taken into account on a wider range of topics.
• Positive rewards for attendance and effort are playing an important part in raising pupils’ aspirations and determination to succeed at school and beyond.
• Most pupils get on well together with other pupils and staff.
• Pupils have a sense of social responsibility and the school encourages them to take an interest in current affairs and charity work. For example, pupils in tutor time were discussing the results of the presidential election in the United States and selling, and wearing, poppies for Remembrance Day.
• A wider range of activities is available for pupils to participate in, such as playing the guitar, numerous sporting activities, dance club, fitness and support for homework and revision.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.
• Pupils’ behaviour around the school has improved considerably so that the school provides a calm, orderly environment where pupils feel safe and free from harm. Behaviour at breaks and lunchtimes is generally good. Pupils are sociable and friendly.
• The behaviour for learning of a minority of pupils requires improvement because some pupils are easily distracted when teaching is less effective. School leaders have worked with teachers to establish clear expectations about high standards of behaviour. Pupils spoke enthusiastically about the overall improvement in behaviour but there are still a few instances of poor behaviour slowing the pace of learning.
• Pupils’ attendance has improved but remains below national figures for secondary schools. The number of pupils who are persistently absent has decreased but is still too high.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• Outcomes for pupils in Year 11 have been inadequate up to, and including, provisional results in 2016. The gap in the achievement of disadvantaged pupils only slightly narrowed overall. The most able pupils did not achieve as well as they should have done. This is indicative of the poor progress made by pupils during previous years in the school. The school has not met the Government floor standards for three years. Progress in English has been slower than progress in mathematics.
• Initiatives to improve teaching and learning and increase pupils’ progress came too late to have an impact on pupils’ outcomes in the last academic year, not only in Year 11 but also in key stage 3.
• In the current academic year, externally validated tracking data, the work in pupils’ books and their test results show that pupils in Year 11 are making steady progress that is no longer inadequate.
• Progress tracking for the current Year 7 shows that pupils have made a good start to their secondary education and that most pupils are making the progress expected of them and that some are exceeding expectations.
• Pupils’ learning in lessons and the work in their books shows that in all other year groups pupils are making faster progress this term. This is particularly the case in mathematics, design technology, art, music and information technology. Strong progress is less evident in English and science, where new leaders have only been in place since September.
• Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are making much better progress this year. They are making the progress expected of them from their different starting points.
• The school’s work to support the learning and progress of disadvantaged pupils has not been effective in the past. The gap in their achievement and others nationally is just starting to narrow so that lower- and middle-attaining pupils and the most able are making faster progress than in the previous two years.
• The most able pupils across the school are identified early and a new coordinator is checking their progress and achievement to ensure that these pupils achieve their potential.
• The small learning community groups in Years 7 and 8 are achieving much better outcomes than previously because of the emphasis on improving their basic skills. Pupils have made particularly good progress in increasing their reading ages. Pupils and their parents say that these small groups help to build pupils’ confidence in their own abilities so that they can achieve well.
• Pupils’ skills in reading and writing and basic numeracy are not as well developed as they need to be and the very great majority of pupils start school with levels of skill significantly below national expectations. There is a whole-school drive to improve overall standards of literacy. Improvements are evident in the increase in pupils’ reading ages.
• School leaders are building pupils’ self-confidence and raising aspirations for what they can achieve. Pupils are encouraged to be organised, prompt, bring the correct equipment and so take greater responsibility for their learning and attitudes. This, along with an increasingly personalised careers programme, is preparing pupils effectively for the next stage in their education or employment. The number of pupils leaving school not in education, training or employment has reduced significantly in the last year and is now below the national figure.

16 to 19 study programmes Requires improvement

• Outcomes for students are too variable. There was a strong increase in the progress of students following academic courses in the most recent unvalidated results for Year 13 students but a decrease in the progress made by those following vocational courses.
• Outcomes for the current Year 13 students are also likely to be mixed, because some did not receive sufficient guidance in the past about which courses are the most appropriate for them to study. The school has several strategies to support the progress of these students to accelerate their learning and increase their chances of success.
• The proportion of students completing their advanced-level courses was below average in the previous two years.
• School leaders have not effectively tracked the progress of disadvantaged students in the recent past.
• Outcomes for students resitting GCSE English and mathematics are improving, particularly for those students with the lowest starting points. The school has ensured that more curriculum time is devoted to English and mathematics and that these sessions are taught by skilled, senior teachers. Weak literacy skills have affected student outcomes in the sixth form, just as they have in the main school.
• As a consequence of better guidance and support, more students in Year 12 are expected to achieve better outcomes by the time they leave school. This is because the advice they have received is tailored to their needs and the school has removed subjects which were not leading to successful outcomes for students. The school’s assessment data shows that students in Year 12 and Year 13 are making more rapid progress than previous year groups.
• Teaching has improved in the sixth form because staff have had specific training for the new examination specifications and have benefited from training provided by the local authority and the multi-academy trust.
• All students have appropriate opportunities for relevant work experience to prepare them for the next stages of their careers.
• Weekly enrichment sessions provide students with advice and guidance on making applications to colleges, universities and employment, and writing personal statements. External speakers provide expert advice on issues such as safety, using social media safely and drink-driving and the law.
• Members of the sixth form make a good contribution to the rest of the school by mentoring younger pupils. Students feel that teaching is better than previously, that they enjoy learning in a friendly and positive environment and that the school goes ‘way beyond ticking boxes’ to keep them safe.
• Leadership in the sixth form is effective. Leaders have improved attendance and punctuality, reshaped the curriculum to ensure that students of all abilities and starting points are catered for effectively. They have removed subjects where students were unsuccessful. Careers education has been improved. Aspirations have been raised by the introduction of a bursary for the 10 highest-attaining students in Year 13 to support them in their first year of university or college.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 136119 Liverpool 10019775 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Secondary 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 718 133 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Keith Sexton Linda Foley 0151 230 2570 www.esla.org.uk l.foley@esla.org.uk Date of previous inspection 30 September – 1 October 2014

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school complies with DfE guidance on what academies should publish.
• This is a smaller than average-sized secondary school with a sixth form.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils eligible for pupil premium funding is high.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is above average.
• The majority of pupils are of White British heritage and there are more boys than girls in the school.
• A few pupils are educated off-site in alternative provision at the Alder Hey Centre, YPOP (Young Persons Opportunity Project), Employability Solutions and Prudentia.
• The school did not meet the government’s current floor standards in 2015, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.
• Since the previous inspection the number of sponsors for the academy has reduced from five to two. The academy is sponsored by the Archdiocese and Diocese of Liverpool, who have formed a multi-academy trust consisting of two similar schools.
• There have been very considerable changes in staffing since the previous inspection and a new headteacher was appointed in March 2016. An executive headteacher is in school for half of each week.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed learning in a wide range of subjects and across all key stages.
• Inspectors looked at a range of work in pupils’ books in many subjects across the school, either in lessons or as a separate activity.
• Meetings were held with the headteacher, other senior leaders, curriculum leaders, other members of staff and groups of pupils in each year group. The lead inspector met governors, including the chair and vice-chair of the governing body and representatives of the multi-academy trust and the local authority.
• Inspectors looked at a range of documentation, including the school’s self-evaluation and action plans, information about pupils’ attainment and progress, records relating to pupils’ behaviour and attendance, the school’s safeguarding and other policies and records on checking on the quality of teaching and learning.
• They observed pupils’ behaviour at the start and end of the school day, at breaks and lunchtimes, visited tutor times and attended one assembly. They talked to many pupils informally at these times and in lessons. Inspectors also considered the 56 responses to the pupil online questionnaire.
• Inspectors gained the views of parents from the 33 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, and from meeting parents visiting the school.
• The views of staff were gained from the 61 responses to the online staff questionnaire and from discussions with individual teachers.

Inspection team

Judith Straw, lead inspector David Hampson Mary Myatt Stephen Ruddy Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector