pdf Section 3 inspection report - Ofsted

Institutional Inspections and Frameworks Division
4 th Floor
Alexandra House
33 Kingsway
London
WC2B 6SE
26 May 2005
Mr T Westrip
Acting Headteacher
Hainault Forest High School
Harbourer Road
Hainault
Ilford
Essex IG6 3TN
Dear Mr Westrip
Direct Tel 020 7421 6594
Direct Fax 020 7421 6855
www.ofsted.gov.uk
Implementation of Hainault Forest High School's Action Plan
Following the visit of David Jones HMI, Carmen Rodney HMI, Tina Herring HMI and
Terry Turner, Additional Inspector to your school on 11 and 12 May 2005, I write
on behalf of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector to confirm the inspection findings which
are recorded in the attached note.
The visit was the fourth monitoring inspection since the school became subject to
special measures. The focus of the inspection was to assess: the pupils' standards
of attainment and their progress; the quality of education provided; the leadership
and management of the school; the pupils' attitudes and behaviour; and the
progress that has been made in implementing the action plan.
The school has made reasonable progress since the last monitoring inspection and
limited progress overall since being subject to special measures.
The school may appoint newly qualified teachers.
I am copying this letter and the note of the inspection findings to the Secretary of
State, the chair of governors, the Interim Director of Children's Services for
Redbridge and DfES Specialist School Section. This letter will be posted on the
Ofsted website.
Yours sincerely
Andrew Reid
Head of Institutional Inspections and Frameworks Division

IMPLEMENTATION OF HAINAULT FOREST HIGH SCHOOL'S ACTION PLAN
Findings of the fourth monitoring inspection since the school became subject to
special measures
During the visit 39 lessons or parts of lessons, two registration sessions and
one assembly were inspected. Meetings were held with the headteacher, the chair
of governors, representatives of the LEA and nominated staff. Informal discussions
were held with other members of staff and with pupils and samples of work were
examined. A range of documents was scrutinised. Using this evidence, HMI made
the following observations to the headteacher, the chair of the governing body, a
representative from the LEA, and the headteacher designate.
The school has produced a revised action plan that presents a focused set of
actions and success indicators designed to achieve and measure progress in the
identified areas for improvement. The plan provides a clear basis for school
improvement, includes suitable milestones, has been shared appropriately with
staff and governors and provides a sound basis for future developments.
The 2004 test and examination data was reviewed in the previous note of
inspection findings; however, the recently validated results indicate some areas of
improvement. The results of the 2004 Key Stage 3 tests in English were in line
with schools nationally; however, those for mathematics and science were below
the average. The proportions of the pupils achieving the higher Level 6 were in
line with national figures in English and science but below the national average in
mathematics. At Key Stage 4, the proportion of pupils attaining five or more
grades A* to C at GCSE improved slightly to 41 per cent. The figures were above
those of schools where the pupils’ prior attainment was similar although below the
national average. However, the results of middle and lower achieving pupils were
revised to a lower level by the validation process. During this inspection standards
in lessons were below those expected for the age of the pupils in 21 lessons; they
were above expectations on five occasions.
Standards of literacy have not changed significantly since the previous inspection
and remain unsatisfactory overall. The use of informal and colloquial language
reduces the quality of the pupils’ oral and written answers and their creative
responses. Displays of work show a range of writing some of which includes the
use of complex sentences and powerful vocabulary. However, the pupils’ use of
punctuation is poor. The teachers regularly accept work which is clearly below the
pupils’ level of ability. The pupils lack experience in reviewing their own work; not
enough emphasis is placed on redrafting and editing skills. When required to write
the pupils do not make sufficient references to the relevant text to substantiate
their responses. During the inspection the quality of provision varied from good to

unsatisfactory. The appointment of a permanent and competent head of
department has begun to provide subject expertise and professional guidance in
the teaching of English.
Standards of achievement in mathematics at Key Stage 3 are improving,
particularly amongst the more able pupils. However, there are still too many
occasions when pupils are insufficiently challenged and the work is targeted
towards the median pupil in the group. The 2005 departmental targets for the
National Curriculum tests and GCSE are challenging and aim to build on recent
improvements. The number of students continuing with mathematics post-16 has
improved significantly this year. Teachers are now more systematic in their use of
assessment to inform learning and pupils often receive instant feedback on their
progress. The quality of provision in mathematics is sound overall.
Standards of attainment in science are improving and the quality of provision is
sound. A good example was seen in Year 11 of higher ability pupils being
challenged to explain their understanding of particle physics. Although resources
and displays are generally of a high standard, much greater use should be made of
information and communication technology (ICT), particularly in the sixth form.
The quality of teaching remains unsatisfactory overall; however, the proportion of
satisfactory teaching has increased. The teaching was at least satisfactory in
30 lessons, including 12 in which it was good or better. Although the proportion of
very good teaching had fallen slightly, excellent teaching was observed for the first
time. Teaching was unsatisfactory in seven lessons and poor in two. The quality
of teaching varied between the key stages. It was good in Key Stage 4,
unsatisfactory in Key Stage 3 and adequate at Key Stage 5. Good and better
lessons were seen in English, mathematics, science, modern foreign languages,
law, history, geography, art, drama and music. Unsatisfactory and poor lessons
were seen in English, mathematics, science, design technology, geography and art.
Very good teaching was observed in music, and excellent teaching in history.
Some teachers are introducing new initiatives and raising standards but in too
many lessons the school’s standard procedures for lessons were not consistently
followed. The experienced teachers who do not implement the agreed strategies
disadvantage other colleagues who try to implement the school system.
The common features of the most successful lessons were similar to those noted in
previous monitoring letters. Effective lessons began at the classroom door where
pupils were greeted and quickly directed into a formal activity. The teachers made
good use of open questions to engage the pupils, assess their understanding and
address misconceptions. The lessons were conducted at a brisk pace and the
pupils’ interest was engaged by the appropriate level of challenge, a stimulating
range of activities and good use of resources. Some of these lessons were

structured carefully to include opportunities for assessment by both the teachers
and the pupils. The teachers used praise effectively and it was appropriate to the
pupils work and effort. Relationships between the adults and the pupils were
positive, polite and relaxed so that even the most reluctant pupils were won over.
In the best lessons the pupils understood how the new learning related to previous
work, what was expected of them, and how their learning could be expected to
develop.
Unsatisfactory lessons continue to be heavily but not entirely dominated by
behavioural issues and some unsatisfactory behaviour is directly related to the slow
pace of teaching and inappropriate level of challenge. Too often a laborious start
to a lesson was followed by unchallenging and poorly planned work. The
unsatisfactory level of intellectual challenge enabled some able and average pupils
to be disruptive for most of the lesson; however, these pupils escaped detention
because they were able to complete the task in the last few minutes of the lesson.
The quality of lesson planning has improved and is sound. The identification of the
pupils with additional needs is a positive development. When included, lesson
objectives were usually appropriate; however, these are frequently omitted from
lesson plans and consequently not consistently shared with the pupils. The school’s
planning proforma does not require teachers to use assessment information to
address the pupils’ differing abilities.
The quality of the pupils’ learning has improved and was closely related to that of
the teaching. Occasionally, the pupils received good teaching but made only
satisfactory progress due to weaknesses in their previous learning. Learning was at
least satisfactory in 30 lessons and these included nine where the pupils’ progress
was good or better. Many of the pupils remain reluctant to participate in lessons or
to listen to the teachers’ instructions. Inappropriate responses are common and
some staff fail to challenge them. Too many pupils found difficulty in beginning
their work; some were easily distracted whilst others were unable to sustain their
efforts without direct supervision.
The curriculum is broad and balanced; pupils have been offered an appropriate mix
of academic and vocational courses to meet their learning needs. All Year 10 pupils
are required to choose at least one course that reflects the school’s specialist
business and enterprise status; there are satisfactory links with the local further
education college which provides additional vocational courses. The school does
not comply with statutory regulations to teach religious education to all pupils in
Key Stage 4 and in the sixth form. Improvements in provision and the change in
the leadership of the school present important opportunities to further extend the
range of vocational options. The use of assessment to inform teaching and

learning remains inconsistent; the need for a simple and robust system that will
allow the monitoring and evaluation of achievement is a priority.
Appropriate steps have been taken to provide more systematic support to pupils
with special educational needs. The teaching assistants are appropriately deployed
to ensure that the statemented pupils and those on school action plus receive their
full entitlement. However, there are insufficient specialist teachers within the
department to fully meet the needs of the school. The procedures for referral and
support have been updated and refined. Learning support assistants have been
reorganised to provide targeted support for most curriculum areas and for
individual pupils. Subject areas have not yet taken full responsibility for meeting
the individual learning needs of these pupils. The learning support unit now
operates separately from the exclusion unit and provides a more dedicated
programme of work on basic skills. The support available to the pupils at the initial
stage of learning English as an additional language is good; however, the level of
staffing is inadequate for those at the intermediate stage of learning English.
Provision for the sixth form is satisfactory but is impeded by the small size of many
teaching groups. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall. Sixth
form teachers now meet regularly to share good practice and focus on teaching
and learning. Directed study time has been introduced and the Gifted and Talented
co-ordinator is working with six Year 12 students who have taken part in taster
days at Oxford University.
The sixth form curriculum is being expanded in 2005-06 to include an extended
range of vocational courses. This is appropriate for the pupils and meets the needs
and aspirations of the local community. A number of courses currently being
offered have too few pupils to be economically viable and educationally stimulating.
The school is rightly pursuing the urgent development of a dedicated sixth form
study area with access to computer facilities. The quality of the pupils’ tutorial
experience is variable. The introduction of target minimum grades has helped the
pupils’ to understand what is achievable. The school’s academic monitoring sheets
indicate that most students in Year 13 will achieve their expected grades.
However, an analysis of pupil performance in Year 12 revealed that a significant
number underachieved. At 57 per cent, attendance rates in Year 13 are far too
low. The introduction of the education maintenance allowance, which benefits
approximately 50 per cent of Year 12 students, has helped to improve attendance
rates in Year 12 to 88 per cent.
The leadership of the interim headteacher has brought stability and improved
organisation to the schools. The spring term review of the school’s strengths and
weaknesses made a significant contribution to the revised action plan. The plan is
satisfactory, has clarified areas of delegated responsibility and provides an

appropriate basis for school improvement. The monitoring and evaluation of
teaching have improved. During this inspection senior managers conducted joint
lesson observations with HMI; lessons were graded with appropriate
professionalism but there was some misunderstanding of the relationship between
the quality of learning and the quality of teaching.
The roles of the leadership team are clearly delineated; half-termly departmental
reviews provide a useful focus for reviewing the school’s progress. Some middle
managers have an improved understanding of their responsibility and are growing
in confidence in their role; however, there is undue variation in the quality of
leadership and management in departments. Senior staff are more visible in the
public areas at the change of lessons; however, there are key areas of the school
that are inconsistently or ineffectively supervised. This is having a direct impact on
punctuality to lessons. The school needs to take a strategic approach to
addressing the persistent problems related to punctuality; similarly, the
identification of areas of potential disruption needs a more proactive approach. As
reported previously, the school does not comply with the statutory requirement to
conduct an act of collective worship. Tutor group periods consistently fail to
provide opportunities for the pupils to reflect on spiritual, moral, social or cultural
issues.
The governance of the school is satisfactory. The work of the governing body is
conducted through an appropriate committee structure. The governors have
appointed an experienced headteacher to lead the school from September 2005.
The pupils’ attitudes and behaviour were at least satisfactory in 34 lessons and
good in 13. In lessons where the teachers had high expectations, the pupils
behaved well, took responsibility for their work and worked productively. A
significant proportion of pupils did not actively engage in the work with interest and
concentration, except when lessons were well managed and the teaching increased
their curiosity and imagination. The pupils’ lack of positive response was directly
linked to the quality of teaching; when the school’s procedures were not applied
the pupils exploited the situation. The school’s attempts to tackle poor behaviour
in lessons are starting to have a positive effect. The isolation room and
individualised group work with disaffected Year 8 pupils have led to a significant
reduction in poor behaviour.
The overall rate of attendance, at 88 per cent, remains well below the national
average for secondary schools. Unauthorised absence remains high as does the
rate of truancy in the afternoon. An appropriate rewards system has been
introduced to improve attendance but punctuality is still unsatisfactory. The rate of
exclusion has decreased significantly; there has been 50 fixed term and one
permanent exclusion so far this year. HMI conducted a discussion with a group of

Year 11 pupils who welcomed the new behaviour management strategies and their
positive impact. However, they would wish to see: greater consistency in
disciplinary matters; a clean environment free from graffiti; improved toilet
facilities; greater parental involvement in the life of the school; more interactive
teaching; stability in staffing; and transparency in the application of the reward
system.
The curriculum advice provided by the LEA has been generally well received. The
authority has recently made available a transition grant to support the
reorganisation of management responsibilities. The LEA, working together with the
interim headteacher, staff and the governing body have achieved a great deal in
recent months to improve the quality of education.
Action taken to address the revised areas for improvement
1: improve teaching
The quality of the teaching has been evaluated above. The school provides an
increased range of opportunities for the professional development of staff. The
most recent initiative matches the weaker teachers with a critical friend; the
programme has been carefully organised as a supportive and personal development
activity which is not determined by senior managers.
Progress on this area for improvement is reasonable.
2: improve learning
The quality of learning remains unsatisfactory overall but has improved since the
previous inspection. The school has worked hard to implement and access a range
of additional initiatives to raise the pupils’ achievement and their awareness of the
requirements of public examinations. The profile of homework had increased in
some departments; however, the practice of setting homework is uneven. Most
unsatisfactory achievement is in Key Stage 3 where pupils have weaker literacy
skills. The use of assessment to inform learning will be a feature of the next
monitoring visit. A number of heads of department will be invited to join HMI in a
scrutiny of pupils’ work that will review the school’s marking and assessment
procedures.
Progress on this area for improvement is reasonable.

3: raise standards, including achievement, in the sixth form
Standards of achievement in the sixth form have been evaluated above. The pupils
made appropriate progress in almost all post-16 lessons.
Progress on this area for improvement is reasonable.
4: improve attitudes and behaviour
As outlined above, the attitudes and behaviour of the pupils have improved.
However, inconsistencies remain where standard procedures are not applied
rigorously and many pupils continue stubbornly to flaunt the code of conduct.
Progress on this area for improvement is reasonable.
5: improve leadership and management
The leadership and management of the school are satisfactory; however, further
work is required to ensure that aspects of the school’s provision continue to
improve. A permanent headteacher has been appointed from September 2005.
Progress on this area for improvement is good.
6: address the statutory and governing body issues
The religious education course in Key Stage 4 does not meet the requirements of
the locally agreed syllabus. The post 16 provision for religious education does not
meet statutory requirements. Special educational needs provision is satisfactory.
There are no outstanding health and safety issues.
Progress on this area for improvement is reasonable.