Featherstone High School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school The headteacher, other leaders and the governing body ensure outstanding achievement and teaching across the main school.

From starting points that are well below average, students make rapid progress and reach standards that are well above average. Governors give the school powerful support to maintain high standards and students' safety. Accurate, detailed and widespread use of information about students' progress enables teachers and teaching assistants to plan learning to support this rapid progress.

As a result, teaching is outstanding. Teachers give students helpful feedback to enable them to improve their work, but do not a...lways allow them time to do so. All students are very enthusiastic learners.

They are highly motivated, proud of their achievements and extremely keen to succeed. They enjoy coming to school and actively participate in the wide range of learning opportunities available. Students say that they feel safe at school, and are right to do so.

They understand how to keep themselves safe in different situations. They are very proud of their school and value the extensive support provided by staff. Behaviour in lessons and around the school site is exemplary.

All students demonstrate the utmost respect and courtesy towards each other and adults. The sixth form is good. It is a large and inclusive community, where students are ambitious, motivated to work hard and achieve highly in most, but not all, subjects.

Information about this school

The school is a larger than the average-sized secondary school. Most students live locally. The school day is staggered for different year groups, to support a range of extended-day learning and extra-curricular activities before and after the start of the day.

Featherstone High School converted to become an academy school on 1 December 2011. When its predecessor school of the same name was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be outstanding. Almost all students are of minority ethnic heritage, of which Indian, Black African and Pakistani are the largest groups.

The proportion of students who speak English as an additional language is much higher than average. The proportion of students known to be eligible for the pupil premium (additional funding for students in care and those known to be eligible for free school meals) is nearly double the national average. This group represents over half of the school population.

The proportion of disabled students and those with special educational needs is above the national average and represents one in five students in the school. A small number of Key Stage 4 students attend off-site alternative provision at the Ealing Alternative Academy and West Thames College. The school holds Leading Edge, Capita Partner and was awarded London Gold club status in the 2013-2014 academic year.

School leaders regularly support other schools at local and national conferences and through regular senior secondments to local schools. The sixth form was established in 2009, when new accommodation was opened for it. The school meets the current government floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for students' attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 11.