The Windsor Boys' School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Leaders should ensure that pupils’ progress and attainment continue to improve by:

• eliminating any remaining inconsistencies in the quality of teaching
• providing more opportunities for pupils to improve their work in line with the school’s policy
• sharpening their plans for improvement by evaluating the impact of their actions more sharply.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Leaders have been effective in raising standards in recent years. The headteacher has a clear vision and high expectations for the school. Leaders understand what constitutes strong learning and they know how to improve learning further. Leaders who visited lessons and looked at samples of work with inspectors demonstrated that they have an accurate view of the quality of teaching. 

• The trust supports the school well and has helped leaders to implement new systems and processes. Leaders monitor learning more closely than in the past, taking any actions necessary to improve pupils’ progress. Parents and carers recognise the high-quality support provided by leaders. For example, one parent said, ‘The headteacher offers excellent leadership to his staff – and is a visible and passionate advocate for the school, among pupils and their parents alike.’
• Subject leaders understand their role, making effective use of assessment information to track pupils’ progress and to identify groups of pupils who need further support. However, leaders are not always precise enough in evaluating the impact of their actions to inform their plans for improvement.
• Leaders identify and provide well-received training opportunities that support school priorities and meet the individual needs of staff. Newly qualified teachers value the effective challenge, support and training they receive, especially the advice provided by their teacher mentors. Feedback from the Ofsted staff questionnaire was very positive about the support leaders provide, and staff morale is high.

• The school provides pupils with a broad and balanced curriculum for which leaders have a clear rationale. Leaders ensure that pupils experience a full range of subjects in Year 9 so that they can make informed choices for key stage 4. Consequently, pupils’ overall progress and attainment are at least in line with national averages.
• Fundamental British values are promoted effectively, for example through assemblies, English and the personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education programme. PSHE education enables pupils to gain a strong understanding of national and local issues.
• Leaders ensure that pupil premium funding is used to good effect. They have implemented an effective range of support and interventions. As a result, gaps between the outcomes of disadvantaged pupils and their peers nationally are reducing rapidly. However, leaders are not always in a position to judge which interventions have the most impact on pupils’ progress.
• The range of extra-curricular activities offered to pupils is exceptional. This was summed up very well by one parent who said, ‘A recent history trip to Beijing was exceptional, changing my son’s outlook on the wider world.’
• Leaders also make good use of funding provided to support pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities. These pupils make very strong progress and attain above the national average for pupils with similar starting points. The special educational needs coordinator makes accurate assessments of the help needed and staff support these pupils well in lessons.

Governance of the school

• Governors have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They receive detailed information from leaders about all areas of the school’s work. They use this information to challenge leaders effectively to ensure that standards continue to improve.
• Governors are proud of the broad range of opportunities available to pupils. They ensure that vulnerable pupils participate in the wider opportunities the school provides. They work closely with leaders to develop pupils’ academic and social skills. This was summed up well by one parent who wrote, ‘a school which develops the student in all aspects, not just academically’.
• Governors fulfil their responsibilities for safeguarding effectively and undertake relevant training, including that relating to staff recruitment. The governor responsible for safeguarding ensures that leaders undertake the relevant checks and act appropriately to keep pupils safe.

Safeguarding

• The school’s arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Required checks on the suitability of staff and volunteers are carried out to a high standard. Staff benefit from regular training on all aspects of safeguarding, including the ‘Prevent’ duty, female genital mutilation and child sexual exploitation. Staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities and are vigilant and rigorous in following up any concerns. Pupils know what to do and whom to approach should they have any concerns around their safety. 

• Pupils are taught well about aspects of safeguarding, for example e-safety and the dangers of radicalisation. Leaders follow up diligently with the appropriate external agencies any child protection concerns they have about pupils. 

• Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school and the vast majority state that their children are happy and safe.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teachers have strong subject knowledge, which they use to plan work that is well matched to pupils’ needs. As a result, pupils are challenged in their learning.
• Teachers provide pupils with structured activities that help to support pupils in their learning. Where teaching is strong, teachers ask insightful and probing questions that help to deepen pupils’ knowledge and understanding. For example, in history, Year 9 pupils developed a deep understanding of the Duke of Wellington’s tactics at the Battle of Waterloo through the teacher’s precise questioning.
• Relationships between teachers and pupils are strong and positive. This leads to pupils feeling safe, confident to ask questions to check their understanding and willing to take risks in their learning. This helps to extend pupils’ knowledge further.
• Teaching in mathematics is particularly strong. There is a consistent approach across key stages. Pupils are confident, use subject-specific terms fluently and are able to use mathematical reasoning to solve problems.
• The majority of teachers provide helpful feedback to pupils in line with the school’s policy. When pupils are given time, they respond well to the feedback and they are able to improve their work further.
• Pupils’ literacy skills are developed well. They read confidently. Weaker readers are able to use their phonics knowledge accurately to read new words. Pupils benefit from opportunities to develop their numeracy skills in other subject areas, for example in science.
• Pupils have very positive attitudes towards their learning. They work well both independently and in groups. For example, in geography, pupils worked together to investigate global climatic change. Such topics provide opportunities to develop pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education.
• Typically, disadvantaged pupils and those who have SEN and/or disabilities are known to their teachers, who support them effectively and enable them to make strong progress.
• Most parents who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, felt they received valuable information about their children’s progress. They felt their children were making at least good progress. Most parents agreed that their children received appropriate homework for their age and the vast majority of parents would recommend the school to another parent.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare

Personal development and welfare Good

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils are confident and articulate because of the strong support they receive from their teachers. Pupils have positive attitudes towards learning. Pupils feel confident in expressing their ideas and listen to each other respectfully.
• Pupils value the PSHE education they receive. They understand what it means to follow a healthy lifestyle and are fully aware of the wider risks in society, for example learning about the dangers of gangs and radicalisation and about being safe online. They are taught to respect people who have different cultural backgrounds or religious beliefs to their own. They understand why all forms of discrimination are wrong. As a result, pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.
• Pupils say that bullying is rare, including homophobic and racist bullying. On the few occasions that bullying does occur, staff deal with it swiftly and effectively. The number of bullying incidents in the school is low over time.
• The broad and extensive range of extra-curricular activities provides pupils with opportunities to develop a wider set of personal skills. As one parent said, ‘Fantastic support from staff. Support for students is beyond expectations and is always there if and when required.’

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils have positive attitudes to their learning because their teachers maintain high expectations of them at all times. Pupils take pride in their uniform and move sensibly around the school site. They are courteous to each other and were welcoming and polite to the inspectors, opening doors to allow them through.
• Leaders have introduced new behaviour systems which have resulted in improvements in pupils’ behaviour and a reduction in the number of fixed-term exclusions. During the inspection, inspectors saw very little off-task behaviour in lessons. Pupils behave well during breaktime, lunchtime and at lesson changeover times.
• Absence rates are similar to those of other schools nationally, including those of pupils who are frequently absent. Leaders have introduced new measures to improve pupils’ attendance further but it is too soon to judge the effectiveness of these approaches.
• Pupils attending the alternative provision do so regularly. Leaders check their attendance rates routinely to ensure that they make the same good progress as their peers.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• In 2017, pupils’ progress overall in their GCSE examinations was in line with that of other pupils nationally. In mathematics, the progress made by pupils was significantly above the national average. Pupils’ attainment overall was above national averages by a third of a grade. Current pupils are making strong progress in the majority of subjects, especially mathematics.
• In 2017, the proportion of Year 11 pupils who gained a standard pass and a strong pass in GCSE English and mathematics was above that of other pupils nationally.
• Additional funding for disadvantaged pupils is used effectively to improve pupils’ outcomes. In 2017, disadvantaged pupils’ progress was above that of other disadvantaged pupils nationally. Any differences between disadvantaged pupils’ outcomes and those of all other pupils nationally are diminishing rapidly.
• Work seen in current pupils’ books shows that they are making good progress across the majority of subjects. Pupils are rising to the challenge of the ambitious targets that the school sets for them. In all year groups, the differences between disadvantaged pupils’ progress and that made by other pupils have narrowed. Teachers know who the disadvantaged pupils are and they use a range of effective approaches to ensure that these pupils make strong progress.
• The most able pupils are usually provided with challenging work. However, on occasion, the most able pupils are not guided well enough by teachers to tackle more sophisticated and complex work.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities are supported well by adaptions to learning in the classroom. As a result, these pupils now achieve better than in previous years. Teachers have high expectations of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities and ensure that they are making strong progress from their starting points.
• A small number of pupils attend alternative provision at East Berkshire College. They are making good progress to achieve their targets. The school monitors their progress closely.
• Careers education, guidance and support ensure that pupils are informed well to make appropriate choices for the next stage of their learning. As a result, pupils choose appropriate courses post-16 and they continue in their learning.

16 to 19 study programmes Outstanding

• Outcomes for students in the sixth form are well above the national average for students studying A-level courses. For students studying vocational courses, their progress is in line with the national average. Students’ progress in a large number of subjects is above the national average.
• Teaching in the sixth form is a significant strength of the school, leading to well-planned lessons that support students to make very strong progress. Teachers are astute in guiding students well to enable them to answer A-level questions very effectively.
• Teachers build strong relationships with students. As a result, students experience a highly positive learning environment. Students are highly positive about the guidance and support they receive from teachers.
• The head of sixth form, ably supported by the deputy headteacher, monitors carefully the impact of support for students on their learning and well-being. Consequently, students learn exceptionally well. As one carer commented: ‘Having joined the sixth form at Windsor Boys’, the change for the better in our grandson is amazing. He has become interested in his school work and is encouraged to work hard, enjoy the subjects.’
• Teachers are highly effective in asking incisive and challenging questions that help to consolidate and deepen students’ knowledge and understanding of their work. For example, in business and law, students demonstrated their ability to analyse ideas in depth.
• Students are prepared extremely well for their next steps, both with their applications to university and for entering into modern apprenticeships. Careers information and guidance are significant strengths. As a result, a large number of students continue their courses between Year 12 and Year 13. The school has seen an increase in the number of students applying successfully to university and modern apprenticeships.
• Students understand how to keep themselves safe. Their attendance has improved and is similar to that of the rest of the school. Students understand the importance of good attendance and punctuality as key employment skills.
• Students who did not achieve English or mathematics at GCSE when they were in Year 11 make better progress than other students nationally. The proportion of students gaining standard pass grades in these subjects has increased.
• Students take an active role in supporting and often leading the extensive range of extra-curricular activities. This enables students to develop their own leadership skills further. One parent wrote: ‘My son is a musician and has had so many fabulous opportunities to perform, compose, conduct and travel on music tours, and his exam results have been fabulous too.’

School details

Unique reference number 141844 Local authority Windsor and Maidenhead Inspection number 10040893 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 Academy converter 13 to 18 Boys Mixed 835 220 Appropriate authority Board of trustees Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Katie Honey Gavin Henderson 01753 716 060 www.twbs.co.uk mail@twbs.co.uk Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• This is a smaller-than-average-sized secondary school with a sixth form.
• Just over two thirds of pupils are of White British heritage, with a wide range of minority ethnic groups making up the remainder. Over a quarter of pupils speak English as an additional language.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is above the national average.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is below the national average.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.
• Some pupils attend off-site provision at East Berkshire College.
• The school has received support from the Windsor Learning Partnership Trust.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed learning in 41 lessons, including a number of short visits to tutor rooms. Several lessons were visited jointly with senior leaders. During visits to classes, inspectors looked at pupils’ work in books. 

• Inspectors also examined a selection of pupils’ work from key stages 3, 4 and 5. 

• Meetings were held with the headteacher and staff, including newly qualified teachers, with senior and middle leaders and with pastoral leaders. Inspectors also met governors, including the chair of the governing body, and a meeting was held with the chief executive officer from the Windsor Learning Partnership Trust.
• Inspectors took account of 70 responses to Ofsted’s staff questionnaire.
• Inspectors took account of 271 responses from parents to Ofsted’s questionnaire, Parent View, as well as written comments submitted by 76 parents. 

• Pupils’ views were gathered from meetings with groups from Years 9 to 13 and the sixth form, and from responses to Ofsted’s pupil questionnaire. Informal conversations with pupils took place around the school site. 

• Inspectors scrutinised a wide range of school documentation. This included leaders’ evaluations of the school’s performance, the self-evaluation, the school improvement plan, information about standards and pupils’ progress, the school’s website, records of behaviour and attendance, external reviews, governors’ minutes and a range of policies and information, including those relating to safeguarding. 


Inspection team

Christopher Lee, lead inspector Sharon Cromie Susan Willman Alan Powell

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector