The Arnewood School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve support for disadvantaged pupils in key stage 3 and key stage 4 so that:
  • they develop stronger literacy skills, knowledge and understanding to help them access the curriculum more successfully
  • they make rapid progress to attain at least in line with other pupils nationally in all areas of the curriculum.
• Ensure that teachers in every subject provide guidance to pupils with the same precision and rigour as they do in English and mathematics, so that pupils make strong progress across the curriculum.
• Continue to ensure that all pupils understand the link between attendance and academic achievement.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Leaders and governors have worked hard to ensure that pupils receive a good education at The Arnewood School. Leaders have ensured that the culture of learning has remained strong so that pupils engage well with their subjects and are motivated to achieve well.
• Leaders and staff have a strong moral purpose. They have high expectations for their pupils and work hard to ensure that the curriculum meets the needs of every single pupil.
• The curriculum is broad, balanced and creative. Leaders and staff have ensured that pupils have strong, personalised careers guidance.
• The professional development of staff is strong. The school’s training programme responds flexibly to emerging priorities and is personalised to meet the needs of teachers and teaching assistants. In addition, leaders have commissioned effective support from the local authority to improve in areas identified through their monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning.
• Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is strong. Leaders ensure that the formal curriculum is complemented by a rich programme of extra-curricular learning, including in music, art, drama and sport. As a result, pupils develop into well-informed citizens who are appreciative of the cultural and sporting opportunities of 21st century Britain.
• Middle leaders are facilitated effectively by senior leaders to improve teaching, learning and assessment in their respective subject areas. Middle leaders focus well on both whole-school and subject-specific priorities.
• Support for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is effective. Leaders provide effective support to pupils to ensure that they can access the curriculum equitably and effectively. Pupils’ academic and emotional well-being is well supported through personalised support and the curriculum.
• Leaders are highly reflective. For example, leaders have adapted the whole-school assessment system to enable staff to use information about pupils more regularly and more accurately. Consequently, many teachers use this information to plan challenging lessons to meet the needs of pupils. However, it is too early to judge the impact of this.
• Although disadvantaged pupils make good progress in some areas of the curriculum, it is inconsistent. Leaders do not ensure that disadvantaged pupils make rapid progress in all areas of the curriculum so that they attain at least in line with other pupils nationally. Leaders do not ensure that disadvantaged pupils’ literacy skills are developed effectively throughout the curriculum to enable them to make the rapid progress of which they are capable.
• The leadership of a few subjects is not as robust as others, such as English or mathematics. For example, a minority of subject leads do not ensure that teachers provide consistently effective support and guidance to pupils to help them make rapid progress. Consequently, pupils do not make as much progress in these subjects as they do in other areas of the curriculum.
• Although leaders have established many incentives to ensure disadvantaged pupils attend school regularly, the figure is still below the national average for secondary schools.

Governance of the school

• Governance of the school is effective. Governors are very committed to the development of the school. Through regular visits and meetings with staff and pupils, they gather pertinent information. Consequently, governors provide genuine challenge and support.
• Governors’ work follows the school’s improvement priorities effectively. They ask relevant questions about the attendance of disadvantaged pupils, the curriculum and the quality of teaching and learning.
• Although governors scrutinise the funding for disadvantaged pupils, they do not ask demanding questions about their progress and attainment.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders are tenacious in the ways in which they strive to keep pupils both physically and emotionally safe. They are vigilant and alert to the needs of pupils. All referrals are assessed and recorded appropriately and diligently followed up.
• The designated teacher for children who are looked after is highly effective in providing both pastoral and academic support. As a result, pupils make good progress and enjoy school.
• All staff have been trained in safeguarding and this is regularly reviewed.
• The single central record of checks on staff and adults meets statutory requirements and is regularly reviewed by the safeguarding governor. Staff files are well maintained.
• Through the curriculum, pupils learn about how to keep safe. For example, pupils understand how to keep safe when online and why it is important to do so.
• Leaders have been instrumental in the creation of Hampshire Safe, a safeguarding partnership between neighbouring schools and colleges. Consequently, leaders and staff address the dangers facing pupils beyond school highly effectively.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Relationships between staff and pupils are very strong. Consequently, the school has a harmonious learning environment in which pupils are enthusiastic about learning.
• The quality of teaching in English and mathematics is a strength of the school. Teachers demonstrate strong subject knowledge and a genuine passion for their subjects. Teachers in mathematics embed challenging concepts in their lessons with highly effective support for problem-solving. English teachers develop pupils’ reading skills very well, for example through enabling pupils to consider the effect of writers’ use of language.
• Teachers use assessment very effectively in some subjects, such as mathematics and English. Teachers assess pupils’ starting points well and use this information to structure challenging lessons that extend pupils’ knowledge, skills and understanding. Consequently, teachers resolve pupils’ misconceptions swiftly and effectively.
• Teachers use questioning very well to develop pupils’ independent thinking. For example, in a religious studies lesson, an inspector observed pupils responding sensitively and thoughtfully to a teacher’s questions about the ethics regarding contraception.
• Teachers adapt and shape the curriculum well to support pupils’ needs. Many lessons are very effectively designed because teachers have identified where pupils are and what they need to do to improve. In science, teachers regularly enable pupils to reflect on their own strengths and weaknesses in specific topic areas. Teachers enable pupils to reflect on their misconceptions and address how they might improve. Consequently, pupils develop strong independent learning skills in science and are currently making better progress.
• Many pupils have developed a love of reading. The library is very well resourced with a knowledgeable librarian. The library is a hub of activity, particularly with key stage 3 pupils who visit at least once a week. Inspectors listened to pupils reading fluently and with strong expression.
• Teachers develop pupils’ creative responses to music, art and drama very well. Pupils are highly engaged in these subjects and develop their own innovative and creative concepts. For example, in art, inspectors observed Year 11 pupils considering their creative choices with sophistication.
• Teachers support pupils’ literacy skills well in some subjects, such as art and science. Pupils develop strong subject-specific vocabulary in these subjects.
• Pupils who require a more personalised curriculum and teaching and learning achieve well. Teachers and teaching staff enable pupils to develop their literacy and mathematical skills well through cross-curricular, topic-based learning. For example, inspectors observed pupils develop mathematical skills through calculating costs and measurements for the making of two different types of soup, alongside writing about the plan to raise money for charity through selling the soup.
• Many teachers sequence learning well to ensure that pupils’ understanding is cumulative and enriched. For example, pupils in a Year 10 music lesson successfully applied their theoretical understanding of structure in musical composition to their own creation.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities receive strong support to enable them to access the curriculum.
• Teachers do not provide effective support to disadvantaged pupils consistently well across the curriculum. Teachers do not identify the barriers to learning for these pupils consistently well in all subjects. Teachers do not address the weak literacy skills of some disadvantaged pupils consistently in all subject areas so that they can make rapid progress.
• Teachers in a few subjects do not provide effective guidance so that pupils can address their misconceptions and extend their understanding, knowledge and skills.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils are self-confident and self-aware. They are proud of their school and many enjoy the extra-curricular opportunities it offers. Pupils’ work in their books and in class demonstrates a pride in their learning
• Pupils have many opportunities to develop their understanding of the world around them through the many subjects they study. For example, pupils in history study the terrible consequences of Nazism.
• Pupils are kind, welcoming and respectful of the needs of others. Inspectors observed many pupils selflessly helping others to understand how to answer questions in a range of lessons.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils behave very well in class and around the school. Pupils arrive punctually to lessons, well equipped and eager to learn. They help each other with their learning and are respectful of the views of others.
• Pupils can define bullying accurately. Pupils are confident that if bullying occurs, staff resolve it promptly and appropriately.
• Although leaders have established a range of incentives and pursued legal routes, the attendance of disadvantaged pupils is consistently below the national average.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Current pupils achieve well in English. Through clearly sequenced teaching and learning, pupils develop strong understanding of how writers use language to convey meaning. Pupils articulate their understanding well. In 2018, pupils attained above the national average in English language.
• Current pupils achieve well in mathematics. Pupils develop their problem-solving skills very well and are able to apply them to a range of mathematical concepts. Pupils also develop their understanding of mathematical reasoning very well. Consequently, pupils consistently make better progress than other pupils nationally and attain very well.
• Continuing improvements in the quality of teaching have resulted in the majority of pupils currently making good progress in a range of subjects, such as science, art, drama, music, product design, health and social care and history.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities make good progress in many areas of the curriculum. This is because teachers have high expectations regardless of pupils’ learning difficulties or disabilities.
• Disadvantaged pupils do not make strong progress or attain well in a range of subjects across the curriculum. Although leaders and governors scrutinise the use of the pupil premium funding, it is not having sufficient impact on improving disadvantaged pupils’ achievements.
• Leaders have identified an explicit link between the low attendance of some disadvantaged pupils and their low levels of progress and attainment in many subjects.

16 to 19 study programmes Outstanding

• Students’ outcomes at A level have been consistently above the national average. The school’s information about students’ current progress demonstrates that this excellent progress is being sustained.
• Students who join the sixth form without the requisite grades in English and mathematics benefit from specialist teaching and many are successful in improving their grades.
• The quality of teaching is excellent. There is little variation between subjects in the quality of teaching and students’ responses. Students have articulate and thoughtful discussions with teachers, which accelerate their learning. Students’ attitudes towards their studies are consistently strong, resulting in very strong progress.
• Students develop independent learning skills very well. They take responsibility for their learning.
• Students are very well prepared for their next steps in education, employment or training. The curriculum offers a rich range of experiences, including the opportunity to participate in high-quality work experience, mentoring younger pupils and teaching literacy and mathematics to younger pupils.
• Closely tailored careers guidance is very strong. Students are very aware of the range of opportunities open to them. The number of students gaining places in employment, education or training is above the national average.
• Student behaviour is excellent. Students’ engagement and commitment to their studies is evident in their excellent attendance.
• Leaders are reflective and meticulous in responding to emerging priorities. They intervene quickly when students are underperforming, and they provide effective solutions. They know what works well and embed this in the curriculum and approaches to teaching and learning.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 136652 Hampshire 10032928 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 Academy sponsor-led Age range of pupils 11 to 18 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 Mixed Mixed 1084 184 Appropriate authority The board of trustees Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Elizabeth Cook Nigel Pressnell 01425 625 400 www.arnewood.hants.sch.uk enquiries@arnewood.hants.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 22 23 January 2013

Information about this school

• The school is larger than the average secondary school. As part of The Arnewood multi-academy trust, it joined the Gryphon Multi-Academy Trust in 2015. The school has a local governing body alongside a board of trustees.
• The proportion of pupils supported by pupil premium funding is in line with the national average.
• Most pupils are white British.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is below the national average. The proportion of pupils with education, health and care plans is below the national average.
• The school uses alternative provision for a very small number of pupils.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed a range of lessons, many jointly with senior leaders. Inspectors also made short visits to lessons and looked at pupils’ books.
• Inspectors spoke with a range of pupils from various year groups. Discussions with school staff, including senior leaders, middle leaders and four governors, were held.
• Inspectors scrutinised a range of school documents, including the school’s self-evaluation, information on pupils’ outcomes and records relating to monitoring of teaching, learning and assessment, and behaviour and safeguarding of pupils.
• Inspectors took account of four responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View, alongside four free-text responses.

Inspection team

Susan Aykin, lead inspector Peter Fry Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Maxine McDonald-Taylor Ofsted Inspector Jenny Maraspin Ofsted Inspector