The Grange Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an inadequate school Leaders and governors have not established acceptable standards of behaviour. A significant group of pupils do not attend or behave as well as they should and the improvements made by school leaders have not had sufficient impact. Consequently, pupils' personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate.

Too many lessons are disrupted by poor behaviour. Adults do not deal consistently well with the significant minority of pupils who do not have positive attitudes to learning. As a result, learning is often interrupted.

Staff do not consistently apply the school's behaviour policy. As a result, behaviour across the school is ...not improving quickly enough. Some pupils and parents do not have confidence that staff will deal with their concerns about bullying.

Leaders have not ensured good teaching, learning and assessment. Not enough importance has been put on the impact of teaching on increasing pupils' achievement. Teachers do not use assessment consistently well to plan suitable activities that meet all pupils' needs.

Too often, pupils are set work that is too easy or too hard. Teachers do not use questioning well enough so that pupils deepen their knowledge and understanding. Teachers do not provide sufficient opportunities for pupils to develop skills that they can use across a range of subjects.

Middle leadership is underdeveloped. Subject leaders do not have a grasp of the standards in the areas they lead, or how to steer improvement. The school has the following strengths The sixth form provides a good standard of education.

Teaching is strong, and outcomes are improving. The new headteacher, the trust and governors have demonstrated that they know what needs to be done to improve the school. Suitable improvements are being made to teaching and pupil outcomes.

Stronger teaching is improving pupils' progress across year groups and subjects. Pupils' attitudes towards reading are improving and standards in reading are rising.

Information about this school

The Bushey Academy is slightly larger than the average-sized secondary school, with a small sixth form.

The school is part of the Meller Academy Trust. The school has its own board of governors who report to the board of trustees. The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is above average.

The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is broadly average. Most pupils are of White British heritage. The percentage of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is broadly average.

In 2017 the school met the government's current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations set for pupils' attainment and progress by the end of Year 11. The school does not meet the Department for Education's definition of a coasting school based on key stage 4 academic performance results in a relevant three-year period. The school uses the following alternative education providers: the Chessbrook Education Support Centre in Watford, The Prince's Trust and the Building One Zone.

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