Eden Girls' School Coventry Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Ensure that pupils‟ progress in geography matches the very high levels of progress across other subjects, by:
  • settling the staffing in this area
  • ensuring that induction for the new staff in geography effectively enables them to reach the school‟s high standards of teaching
  • continuing to intervene when pupils‟ progress in geography is hampered by weaker teaching of the past.
• Ensure that the most able pupils‟ progress in Year 10 English matches their very high levels of progress across other subjects, by:
  • continuing to monitor the impact of masterclasses and staff training in this area
  • continuing to adapt interventions to make sure that these pupils‟ progress improves.
• Fully implement the analysis of information for groups of pupils, by:
  • utilising all of the information that the trust can offer, so that the school can compare itself with similar schools nationally
  • strengthening leaders‟ use of information on pupils‟ attendance, behaviour and academic performance so that, as the school grows, emerging patterns can be more swiftly identified and analysed.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

• Leaders have worked tirelessly to create a highly aspirational culture of academic performance, moral development and civic duty. The trust has given the school effective support to set up all of its management systems since the school opened. These systems, such as support for senior leaders, regular training, briefings and support with teaching and learning, mean that leaders have focused closely on pupils‟ progress and development.
• Staff are highly supportive of leaders and morale is high because staff see the positive impact of their work. As one member of staff commented: „I am proud to work for a school that goes above and beyond for the pupils. We are not doing a “job”. We are building the future; this is a responsibility we all take very seriously.‟ This comment is representative of many others that staff gave in Ofsted‟s online survey.
• Leaders provide extensive, effective training for staff. Staff value this training highly. For example, staff have had over 30 professional development opportunities this academic year alone, including: leadership development training, training in preventing radicalisation and extremism, and opportunities to network with subject specialists from other schools, to name but a few. As a result, teaching and the leadership of teaching are consistently improving. One member of staff commented: „The headteacher is particularly proactive in offering consistent opportunities for professional development. I have learned so much about effective teaching.‟ Another said: „The management is great. Pupils‟ learning is the key priority and staff development is very important.‟
• Leaders effectively use the trust‟s quality assurance staff to make sure that their analysis of pupils‟ progress is valid. In addition to this, they use a range of external, independent subject experts to check the validity of content of their assessments and grading of internal tests. As a result, the tests that teachers write are generally reflective of national standards in examinations and teachers‟ assessments are accurate. Inspectors‟ scrutiny of this system and a wide range of pupils‟ work found it to be valid and accurate.
• Leaders have developed a well-designed curriculum that focuses strongly on academic subjects. Almost all pupils follow a curriculum that leads to the English Baccalaureate. A small number follow an alternative course that includes vocational courses which make sure that they are well prepared for their next steps. Leaders track pupils‟ participation in extra-curricular activities to make sure that all pupils have equal access to these. There is an expectation that pupils participate in at least two different activities each year, accumulating 200 hours of extra experiences over a key stage. For those pupils who live a little further away from the school, the school puts on an extra bus. This means that all pupils have access to a wide range of cultural, sporting and creative activities in addition to their core curriculum.
• Fundamental British values are fully embedded into school life. Pupils are encouraged to have a strong voice, share their ideas and listen actively to other people‟s ideas. The school operates three „shura‟, consultative groups for pupils, for parents and staff. Pupils say that they feel listened to, and able to shape school life with their contributions. Pupils have a sound understanding of democracy and the rule of law. All pupils also undertake a „Tauheedul Baccalaureate‟. In this they raise money for charity, do voluntary work and community service. As a result, pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.
• Extra funding for disadvantaged pupils and those who arrive in Year 7 with weaker literacy and numeracy skills is well deployed. Leaders make sure that they carefully track these pupils‟ progress and offer up to five hours of additional teaching to help pupils catch up with their peers. Leaders also spend the extra funding provided for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities wisely, and so meet these pupils‟ needs well.
• The systems that leaders use to track all aspects of an individual pupil‟s performance and welfare are comprehensive. They allow leaders to intervene swiftly when a pupil‟s progress slows or attendance dips. Leaders have identified all of the individuals and some of the groups who are not meeting their aspirational targets. However, they recognise the need to develop these systems further so that patterns in groups‟ performance can be quickly identified and addressed as the number of pupils in the school grows.
• At the trust level, leaders compare pupils‟ progress and attendance against similar groups of pupils nationally. However, at the school level, leaders use comparators which do not allow them to compare themselves with similar schools. Even so, whether comparing against all other pupils, or similar pupils nationally, pupils‟ attendance and progress is very strong.

Governance of the school

• Governors offer high levels of support and challenge to leaders. Minutes of governors‟ meetings show that leaders provide detailed analysis of most aspects of the school‟s performance so that governors can make sure that their priorities for improvement are appropriate. Governors also regularly ask for further, more detailed information where they have concerns. Leaders respond to these requests swiftly and action plans reflect this.
• The headteacher is honest with governors as to where there are relative weaknesses or areas of concern in the school. She actively encourages them to hold her and other leaders to account on these issues.
• Governors are well placed to support the school‟s safeguarding culture because some of them have a wealth of professional experience in this area. They analyse the school‟s information in this area in detail.
• While governors know about the interventions and impact for low prior-attaining disadvantaged pupils, they are less secure on the interventions for middle- and higher-ability pupils, who make up over half of this group. They acknowledge that this is an area that they would like to develop.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• The vetting checks that leaders do on staff are complete, kept up to date and cross-checked by senior leaders. This makes sure that all the appropriate steps are taken to keep pupils safe.
• Records about safeguarding issues for pupils are detailed, well organised and allow leaders to keep track of how different agencies are involved.
• The well-trained staff are competent and confident to spot signs of pupils who are at risk and respond appropriately. The designated safeguarding leader gives regular updates and briefings to make sure that staff are well informed and up to date with the latest guidance.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

• The high quality of teaching is consistent across almost all subjects in the school. Teachers are supported in planning effective lessons by pupils‟ consistently positive behaviour. Lessons are highly focused; pupils are engaged and work hard to make the most progress they can.
• Pupils often work together in lessons to complete tasks. They rarely need support in how to work together because they have learned this behaviour over time. Teachers rarely need to repeat instructions because pupils listen carefully. This means that lessons move swiftly from task to task, and much ground is often covered in short periods of time.
• The school has grown in recent years and new staff have joined the school. Leaders give careful induction for new teachers, which ensures the consistency of high-quality teaching.
• Inspectors saw samples of work that showed swift and sustained progress over time in a variety of subjects. Inspectors also visited lessons in these subjects. For example, in French and Arabic, pupils showed enjoyment and commitment to learning the target language. They practised their pronunciation with gusto and delighted in sharing their finished work with one another.
• Teaching in mathematics is particularly strong. Pupils are ambitious, brave and confident mathematicians. In mathematics, because teachers have taught pupils to be highly resilient, pupils put huge effort into their work. They are happy to work with complex topics, persevere if they get things wrong and help one another and work actively to find solutions. They enjoy the challenges of mathematics and have a sound basic mathematical knowledge which means that they are ready for these challenges. One pupil told the inspector: „In mathematics, teachers make the impossible possible.‟
• Pupils take assessments regularly to track their progress. All grades are based on well-structured assessments and the results allow leaders to pinpoint which individuals are falling behind. These assessments lead to a range of interventions to make sure that pupils stay on track for their aspirational targets. Interventions are effective in helping pupils to catch up quickly.
• The school employs a number of teaching assistants who often contribute strongly to teaching. They make sure that teachers are fully aware of pupils‟ needs and give feedback to teachers about their effectiveness with individual pupils and their particular needs.
• Teaching in geography is improving. New teachers are getting to know the pupils and, as a result, pupils‟ progress is improving. However, pupils‟ attainment in geography does not yet match the high standards seen in other subjects.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

Personal development and welfare

• The school‟s work to promote pupils‟ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• All staff in the school actively model professional and caring behaviour. Staff model confidence, a love of learning and loyalty to the school. As a result, pupils emulate this. Staff and pupils are happy, confident to challenge one another and proud of their school.
• Pupils are almost all very self-confident because this is an aspect of their development that staff deliberately focus upon. In lessons, teachers make sure that pupils speak loudly and clearly to the rest of the class. This happens across subjects. Pupils are increasingly articulate as they spend time in the school because there are so many opportunities for well-focused discussion across the curriculum.
• Across the school, teachers expect pupils to have a „can-do‟ attitude. Pupils learn with determination and grapple with difficult concepts happily. They show excellent attitudes to their studies, which contributes to their progress.
• The curriculum contributes strongly to pupils‟ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils have regular, structured and often profound opportunities to explore their faith and beliefs and those of others. Leaders provide spirituality days and thoughts of the week. Pupils explore the relationship between faith and their role as exemplary citizens. The Tauheedul Baccalaureate contributes strongly to pupils‟ moral and social development as they receive character achievements for their community service.
• Pupils say, and the school records show, that bullying is almost unheard of at Eden Girls. Pupils are confident that if it happened it would be dealt with effectively by staff.
• Pupils are well prepared to keep themselves safe from a range of risks. For example, leaders provide advice on health and well-being, especially during periods of fasting, and all pupils have had „Prevent‟ training so that they can recognise and protect themselves from radicalisation and extremism. Pupils have access to a range of health clubs after school, and leaders provide mentoring to support pupils who have low self-esteem and personal issues. Inspection evidence shows that leaders consider pupils‟ individual and collective needs carefully, and respond in a dynamic way to make sure that they are met consistently.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.
• In lessons, pupils behave maturely and respectfully towards one another and staff. They do whatever is asked of them in lessons with gusto and focus. Pupils and staff agree that behaviour is virtually impeccable. Evidence from the inspection supports this.
• Around the school, pupils behave very well. They understand and meet leaders‟ high expectations. They move around the school quietly and line up at the end of social times to enter lessons ready to be focused on learning. For example, inspectors observed pupils taking part in a particularly exciting presentation about kitchen fires by the fire brigade at lunchtime. Moments later, pupils quietly filed into lessons ready to learn.
• Leaders have the expectation that pupils will gain four accolades for positive behaviour for every one negative. They track pupils‟ behaviour carefully to identify where pupils do not meet this target. As a result, good behaviour is consistently celebrated and pupils are motivated to behave well. There have been no permanent exclusions since the school opened, and one fixed-term exclusion, well below the national average for all pupils, girls and the ethnic groups represented in the school. Leaders do not use internal isolation as a sanction.
• Pupils‟ attendance is well above the national average, and above the national average for girls and the ethnic groups represented in the school. While persistent absence has recently risen, the percentage of pupils who are persistently absent is still well below the national average. Leaders have identified the reasons for the rise in persistent absence as being due to a small number of pupils‟ specific medical needs. They are supporting these pupils to improve their attendance when possible.

Outcomes for pupils Outstanding

• No pupils have yet completed GCSE courses. This means that there is no published information for this school. In response, and so that they can be confident that pupils are making outstanding progress, leaders have invested much time in carefully tracking pupils‟ progress. To validate their tracking, they have utilised experts within the trust and independent experts. These layers of internal and independent moderation and quality assurance lead to robust progress information. Leaders place equal emphasis on all year groups to make sure that as pupils move through the school they are well prepared for high levels of success.
• Across year groups, and almost all subjects, pupils make extremely strong progress from their starting points. The school‟s accurate and robust tracking shows that overall, pupils in all year groups are on track to attain and make progress in excess of their peers nationally with similar starting points. While disadvantaged pupils‟ progress is not as strong as that of other pupils in the school, it is still stronger than pupils with similar starting points nationally. It is improving towards that of other pupils in the school.
• The most able pupils, including most able disadvantaged pupils in most subjects, are challenged and supported to reach very high levels of attainment. This is especially the case in mathematics and science.
• In mathematics and science, high-quality teaching has led to many pupils having mathematical and scientific understanding beyond that expected for their age. Teachers are able to teach additional, highly complex ideas to develop pupils‟ deeper understanding of the topics on the curriculum. This means that many pupils‟ progress in these subjects is exceptional.
• In French and Arabic, pupils make swift progress from when they begin to study the languages in Year 7. Their diligent practice leads to them quickly being able to use the vocabulary that they have learned in conversations and writing. They quickly grasp different tenses and language structures so that they can confidently use the target language.
• In English, pupils‟ work shows that careful planning leads to a rapid development of analytical skills and sophisticated writing. Pupils across year groups swiftly develop the ability to understand a range of concepts and can apply them to the analysis of writing. For example, pupils in Year 9 analyse the context of 18th-century texts, and gender and political analyses follow. While pupils of different abilities have different levels of sophistication in their writing about these aspects, all can use a range of appropriate analytical vocabulary and understand the concepts in detail.
• Pupils‟ reading skills develop well. Leaders have invested in specialised reading materials alongside a range of other books to make sure that all pupils have access to quality books that meet their needs. Pupils log all of the reading that they do and these logs show that pupils read widely and frequently. Pupils who struggle with reading benefit from a range of interventions such as regular paired reading so that they can quickly improve.
• Leaders take time to make careful plans for meeting the individual needs of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. All aspects of these pupils‟ needs are taken into account, including their social and emotional development, and these pupils‟ attendance is very strong, well above the national average. As a result, they make rapid progress from their starting points.
• Pupils are well prepared for their next steps. They experience a range of support to help them consider their future pathways in assemblies, careers fairs, and visits to careers events. Leaders have provided information for parents and pupils have met a range of professionals from a variety of fields of work to help them consider their next steps. Leaders plan work experience for pupils in Year 11.
• In Year 10 English, pupils with high prior attainment are not making as strong progress as other groups in Year 10. Leaders have set aspirational targets for these pupils and have designed a range of interventions to meet the targets. However, these pupils‟ progress has not yet accelerated. In response to this, leaders organised an effective masterclass for pupils with a subject expert, and specific professional development for teachers. Inspectors‟ lesson observations show that teachers are now better placed to support the most able pupils in English to reach the high target grades that leaders have set for them.
• There has been some staffing turbulence in geography and leaders have appointed temporary staff. A consequence of these changes is that pupils‟ progress in geography, while in line with other pupils nationally with similar starting points, is weaker than their progress in other subjects. Leaders have appointed new staff to this department and inspectors saw evidence that this has recently had a positive impact on pupils‟ progress.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 140958 Coventry 10032554 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 Academy free school 11 to 16 Girls 377 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Afzal Ismail Linda Thompson 02476 220937 www.edengirlscoventry.com info@edengirlscoventry.tetrust.org Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school complies with Department for Education guidance on what academies should publish.
• The school opened in 2014, and is sponsored by the Tauheedul Education Trust and has a local governing body. The school has an Islamic ethos, and welcomes girls of all faiths and none.
• The school is smaller than average, and presently has pupils in Year 7 to Year 10. A sixth form will open in 2018. There is no published performance information for the school because no pupils have completed key stage 4.
• The school uses no alternative providers or off-site provision.

Information about this inspection

• During this inspection, inspectors visited parts of lessons in a broad range of subjects. They also observed tutorial sessions and a wide range of extra-curricular activities that were taking place during „activities week‟. Some of these observations were done with senior leaders.
• Behaviour was evaluated through observations before and after school, in lessons and social time, analysis of behaviour records and conversations with pupils.
• Inspectors extensively scrutinised pupils‟ work over time. They looked at work from each subject, across year groups and prior attainment groups.
• The views of pupils were taken into consideration through formal pupil discussions with inspectors, and informal conversations throughout the inspection.
• Inspectors evaluated a wide range of documentation including attendance information, safeguarding records, medical records and risk assessment. They scrutinised the school‟s tracking system and progress information in detail, checked examination scripts, moderation reports and external quality assurance information.
• The views of parents were considered through 45 responses to Parent View, Ofsted‟s online questionnaire. In addition, 19 staff gave their views through the inspection questionnaire. No pupils responded to the inspection questionnaire.

Inspection team

Dan Owen, lead inspector Louise Mallett David Buckle Her Majesty‟s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector