Little Ilford School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders set and maintain high standards of education and care for all pupils.

They consider how they can provide further opportunity, including through a rich curriculum offer. This school has a culture of aspiration for all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who are disadvantaged.

Pupils feel safe at the school.

Bullying is rare, but is dealt with effectively when it happens. Leaders have introduced a new behaviour system to reward excellence and effort and promote productive classroom environments. Pupils have positive attitudes to learning.

They engage well with their studies and develop se...cure knowledge across the curriculum.

Leaders and teachers have recently reviewed the curriculum to ensure that it is broad and ambitious for all pupils. The new curriculum ensures that each pupil learns a wide range of subjects in depth before they choose their GCSE options.

Teachers are knowledgeable and well trained. They consider how they can enrich learning further, for example, through providing pupils with trips and additional clubs.

Leaders and governors actively consider how to make things better for pupils.

They involve pupils closely in this work. Pupils are keen to make suggestions and know that they will be listened to. Parents and carers think highly of the school.

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

The school is a calm, purposeful place of learning. Pupils make strong progress through the curriculum. They are taught about the school values of courage, commitment and compassion.

These values are interwoven purposefully into aspects of pupils' learning. For example, in physical education, staff encourage pupils to put these values into practice when they take part in cross-country races. Staff reinforce the importance of showing a compassionate attitude to others' performance and encourage pupils to be committed to maintaining their best pace.

In Years 7 to 9, pupils learn a curriculum that has been well thought through. It provides breadth of learning and depth. Leaders have planned recent changes to the curriculum extremely carefully.

In all subjects, the content has been well considered to give pupils both a broad cultural context, as well as to achieve high standards. For example, in art, Year 9 pupils now study a wider range of artists and schools of artistic thought, building up their knowledge of different techniques and styles. Visits to galleries are planned to enrich pupils' learning further.

Leaders give careful thought to how the curriculum in each subject can best be taught and assessed. They support teachers to develop and strengthen their expertise. Teachers understand the needs of pupils well.

They set demanding work that focuses on helping pupils work towards the agreed curriculum goals. Lessons are carefully sequenced. However, at times, teachers do not check sufficiently well how securely pupils remember key ideas in a subject.

This affects how well pupils are able to draw on their previous learning when they move on to study new ideas. Leaders have rightly identified this as an area that needs strengthening.

Pupils with SEND are very well supported.

Their needs are identified and understood accurately. Pupils within the resourced provision learn an ambitious curriculum, gain qualifications, and are taught how to be independent.

Pupils who join the school with difficulties in reading are identified quickly.

Leaders have put in place a system of targeted support, catering for each pupil's individual needs.

Pupils learn a broad and well-taught programme of personal, social and economic education. This has been designed to support pupils to become active, considerate and reflective citizens in modern Britain.

Leaders have also put in place a strong careers programme that meets individual needs well. All pupils receive the guidance they need to make ambitious, well-informed choices about their future lives, including GCSE options and the transition to sixth form or college.

Pupils attend well.

They are generally happily engaged in school life. Any incidents of poor behaviour are dealt with quickly and effectively. Nevertheless, some pupils question the fairness with which the new behaviour system is applied.

Others know how to report concerns but said that they would, on occasion, not do so. Leaders are currently working on making sure that their new approaches to promoting high standards of behaviour are well understood by pupils and parents.

Leaders and governors work closely with families.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders thought carefully about how to support their community. The changes they have put in place are well judged. Staff are supported and held to account.

Governors know the school thoroughly. They provide expert challenge and support.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The safeguarding team works closely with the pastoral and behaviour teams to identify and meet pupils' needs promptly and effectively. Pupils have access to a range of support on site to meet their pastoral needs. For example, counselling is available for pupils who might need it.

Where necessary, leaders make referrals and work with wider agencies to support pupils' welfare. Records of safeguarding concerns are rigorous.

Leaders and staff are well trained in safeguarding.

Staff know how to report concerns and do so swiftly.

Pupils feel safe. They know how to make staff aware of any worries they have.

Leaders have provided different ways for them to do this to promote a culture of openness.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Sometimes, teaching does not build in sufficient emphasis to ensuring that pupils remember securely what they have been taught. This affects how well pupils are able to recall previous learning and use it to understand new subject content.

Leaders need to ensure that teachers check understanding, so that pupils learn and remember more across the curriculum. ? While leaders' new behaviour policy is working well, sometimes the new approaches are not fully understood by some pupils and parents. Leaders need to continue their work to embed this system with all stakeholders and ensure that all are confident that approaches are applied with fairness.

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