Harrow Way Community School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Harrow Way Community School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending school. Staff have high expectations for all. The school encourages pupils to, 'Be ready, be respectful and be their best'.

They live up to this by behaving well and working hard in their lessons. Relationships between staff and pupils are positive. Pupils respond well to the encouragement given to them by their teachers.

Pupils feel safe and know that they have someone to talk to at school if they are worried. Trained members of staff help if needed. Pupils know that they can seek support via the school's website if they wish.

Pupils say that b...ullying is not tolerated. They know that problems occur between friends, but know that staff will deal promptly with bullying when reported. Pupils are well cared for.

Pastoral support is a strength of the school. Leaders have worked effectively with parents and carers to ensure that attendance rates are high following the pandemic.

Pupils enjoy a wide range of opportunities to develop confidence and character.

A wide range of extra-curricular clubs enrich the curriculum. Debating society, eco-club and litter-picking are all popular clubs. Some prefects develop their own clubs, such as a storytelling club.

Pupils are proud that the badges for sustainability prefects will be made of wood.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders have constructed a curriculum that is broad and ambitious. The subjects that make up the English Baccalaureate are at the heart of the curriculum.

Leaders have strengthened the teaching of modern foreign languages to encourage more pupils to opt for these subjects in Year 10. The number of pupils succeeding in these subjects is increasing.

Subject leaders have created plans that identify the knowledge and skills that pupils need to learn in order to be successful.

In a small number of subjects, this is not yet fully in place. Teachers have strong subject knowledge and use this when planning well-constructed lessons. In some subjects, such as English and art, assessment is very effective.

Pupils apply skills, knowledge and techniques to showcase their best work in portfolios. Other subjects, such as history and physical education, have not yet developed their assessment systems and processes entirely. Leaders provide teachers with detailed information about pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Teachers use this information to make the necessary adaptations to the curriculum so that pupils with SEND achieve well.

There is an effective programme of support for pupils who are still finding reading challenging. A trained member of staff teaches pupils in bespoke reading groups.

This helps them catch up quickly. Pupils take part in a whole-school tutor reading programme. Reading a diverse selection of books helps to ensure that all pupils widen their knowledge of vocabulary and literary techniques.

Leaders have developed a coherent programme of professional development for staff. The nine 'Harrow Way teaching principles' underpin the training. This means that there is a consistent and collaborative approach across different departments in the school.

Behaviour in lessons is very positive. Pupils listen to the teacher and support each other with learning. Pupils' conduct around school is good.

They are sensible and polite. Differences are respected. At sports day, pupils cheered each other enthusiastically and celebrated participation as much as winning.

Pupils enjoy taking on positions of responsibility. The members of the pupil leadership team act as informal mentors for aspiring leaders.

The wider personal development of pupils is a strength.

Careers education enables pupils to make informed choices about their future in education, training or work. The personal, social and health education (PSHE) programme teaches pupils, among other things, about keeping healthy and safe. Pupils are prepared for life in modern Britain.

Assemblies, trips and visits, and tutor time all contribute to high-quality delivery of the PSHE programme. Pupils feel that they have an active voice in school. They especially value the societies that advocate for minority groups.

Governors provide effective support and challenge to leaders at the school. Parents are positive about the school. Staff feel proud to work here and value the support that leaders give them.

They appreciate the opportunities for career development. Leadership development is a strength of the school. Leaders balance staff well-being with a focus on improving standards for pupils.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders, including governors, are diligent in how they protect pupils from risk of harm. All staff are trained and receive regular updates on the school's policies and procedures to safeguard children.

School procedures are robust. Experienced leaders oversee safeguarding and pastoral care. They know when to offer support to families or to refer them to external agencies for more specialist support.

Recruitment processes are effectively managed.Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe in PSHE lessons. The programme is detailed and coherent.

Specialist teachers deliver PSHE lessons. Pupils are taught age-appropriate information about healthy relationships, consent and sexual harassment.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Curriculum thinking in some subjects is not as well developed as it is in others, particularly where there are new subject leaders.

This means that the curriculum is not yet achieving the intended aims, as stated by leaders. Subject leaders should continue to refine their curriculum thinking so that pupils achieve the very best outcomes in all subjects. ? In a small number of subjects, assessment systems are not yet fully developed, for example in physical education and history.

This means that staff do not use explicit and precise methods for assessing what pupils know and can do as a result of their teaching. Leaders should ensure that assessment systems are developed and embedded, and used to inform future teaching.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection a section 5 inspection immediately.

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in July 2013.