The Green Church of England Secondary School

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1 The Green Church of England Secondary School Statutory Inspection of Anglican Schools Inspection Report School address Busch Corner London Road Isleworth London TW7 5BB Headteacher Mrs Pam Butterfield Type of School Secondary Status Voluntary Aided Unique Reference Number Diocese London Local Authority Hounslow Date of last inspection 18th and 24th January 2007 Inspection date 13th-14th October 2011 National Society Inspector Catherine Large (NS 482) The Education Act 2005 (Section 48) requires the governing body or foundation governors of Church of England Schools to appoint a person to undertake the inspection of denominational education and collective worship in schools with a religious character. The inspection process follows a similar pattern to the new Ofsted inspection format.

2 School context The Green School is an Voluntary Aided Church of England School for girls. There are 970 students on roll, including sixth form students who are part of a consortium. It is a heavily oversubscribed school with significant numbers of students travelling from out of the borough. The school has a wide ethnic mix with over 50% of students having English as an additional language. Over 70% of students come from Christian backgrounds and a significant minority from other faiths. The school has science specialist status. The distinctiveness and effectiveness of the Green School as a Church of England school are outstanding. Students flourish at the school both academically and in their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Over recent years, the Christian ethos of the school has been strengthened significantly in its outward expression. Students, irrespective of faith and background, feel valued as individuals, recognising and respecting the inclusive community to which they belong. Established strengths The strong commitment of the leadership and management team, including the governing body, to the Christian ethos which underpins and drives policy and practice The very strong sense of community in the school and the respect students show for each other, for worship and for matters of faith The outstanding quality of teaching and learning in religious education The close and effective relationships between the school and local clergy Focus for development Take opportunities to engage more with local and global faith communities Increase variety of display around the school and in the chapel to promote spiritual awareness. Introduce a greater range of worship songs. The school, through its distinctive Christian character, is outstanding at meeting the needs of all learners The overwhelming view of students is that the school knows and values them as individuals. They feel part of a very close community, frequently referring to the effectiveness of the school s Respect policy. Students from non- Christian backgrounds and from the wide range of ethnic groups, affirm the inclusivity of the school. Students express views such as, Being here helps build up your faith. It is evident in discussion and in lesson observation that the school ethos creates an excellent learning environment. Relationships at all levels are very good. Students listen to each other with respect. Behaviour is excellent and there are clear guidelines and expectations. When things go wrong, students know they have a chance to make a fresh start. Students feel they have many opportunities for their voice to be heard. For example, members of the School Council can cite significant examples of changes they have made. Students have excellent opportunities to contribute to the life of the school, such as through being worship and sports monitors, learning partners and peer mentors. Students take an active part in fundraising for charities. Students research a range of good causes, make presentations in school and the chosen one competes for funds in a Youth Philanthropic project. External reports show an overwhelming level of support for the community spirit, respect for learning and moral principles of the school from the staff, students and parents. Further opportunities exist for students spiritual development through attending retreats, personal worship and lunchtime Holy Communion services in the chapel and membership of the Christian Union. Provision is made for Muslim students at Ramadan. Over recent years, the school has identified how areas of the curriculum contribute to the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of students. Students cannot always identify where these opportunities exist in lessons and in appropriate displays in subject areas.

3 The impact of collective worship on the school community is outstanding. Worship is valued by the students and is integral to the life of the school. The programme for daily collective worship is very well balanced. Students benefit from a variety of worship experiences which include form, year and two year groupings each week, regular house worship led by students, half termly worship led by local clergy and whole school worship at festival times and significant school events. The programme is very effective. The sixth form also has a clear daily programme of worship. Form worship has improved since the last inspection and worship monitors now organise what happens in form time, with the support of resources provided by the school s co-ordinator of worship. They seek feedback from students on a regular basis and these surveys form part of the school s monitoring process, feeding though to the senior leadership team. Themes are also suggested by worship monitors. Their role is very significant and a positive development. There is always opportunity for prayer and/or reflection and many students say they find this helpful. Some express the desire for more modern worship songs to reflect the range and style of their own Christian background. The school recognises the need to further develop the part singing plays in worship. In addition to the lunchtime services, the school is phasing in year group Holy Communion services led by the clergy and in a way that is totally inclusive. This is in response to requests from the worship monitors and an indication of the school s commitment to worship. The clergy, staff and students all spoke of the impact this is having on the life of the school. There are very good links with the clergy who meet regularly with key staff to plan programmes and who are very committed to the school. Students experience a range of Anglican traditions and practice. Opportunities exist for them to worship in a local church at Christmas and the end of the school year. Since the last inspection, the chapel has been completely refurbished. It now represents a sacred space in the school. Always open, it is used by individuals, by groups for Holy Communion and meetings of worship monitors. It now makes a very strong contribution to the worshipping and general spiritual life of the school. The effectiveness of the religious education is outstanding. Religious education is highly regarded by students and is one of the best achieving subjects in the school. Students of all abilities make very good progress. From Year 7, they learn to evaluate their own work in relation to levels of achievement in the subject and this sets high expectations. By the end of Year 9, standards are well above average. The students start their GCSE course in this year and are responding well to the challenges of the subject. For example, they can explain and evaluate some of the arguments for the existence of God. High standards are maintained and examination results by the end of Year 11 are well above national averages. Standards are closer to national averages in the smaller groups taking Advanced Level courses. Currently, students are working well to achieve their predicted grades. In all year groups, teaching is at least good and usually outstanding. There is a strong team of highly committed specialist teachers. Lessons are very well planned, and students of all abilities make very good progress. Teachers questioning skills are used effectively so that students develop their understanding and analytical skills. A thorough grasp of examination requirements enables teachers to support students in achieving their potential. Relationships are excellent and students enjoy lessons because they say, RE makes me think about what I believe and I like listening to other people give their views. Group discussion and feedback is a strong feature of lessons. Students listen well to each other and are confident to express their own beliefs. They become aware of a range of Christian views on belief and practice. Teachers monitor the progress of students and work with them to set targets. Increasingly, students know what they need to do to improve. The curriculum is appropriate for the school. Students are aware of the key beliefs and practices of other world faiths and they enjoy reflecting on ultimate questions. Their knowledge and understanding of Christianity is well above average. There is a new subject leader who is building on the established and very effective leadership and management of the department, supported by the senior leadership team. Teachers use resources, especially technology, very well. They are contributing to the whole school creativity project with innovative new approaches to the curriculum. There have been some opportunities for students to visit places of worship but the department recognises the need to build up stronger links with local faith communities.

4 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the school as a church school is outstanding Since the last inspection, the school has made significant progress in all the areas identified for improvement. Commitment to its Christian identity is very strong and explicit at all levels of leadership and management. The Respect policy of the school has done much to lay the foundations for the expression of faith in school. Policy and practice are set in the context of the Respect agenda and Christian values. Newly appointed governors comment on how these principles are applied. The outward expressions of the school s Christian identity and the importance of faith in the school s life are clear and communicated to the parents and community. Students and staff are valued and their views sought through surveys. Links with the community are strong. For example, students visit primary schools to support children in their learning, there are links between the school and the local elderly residents and some very effective projects have been undertaken between the art department and the local community to produce display panels for the chapel. In recent months there have been significant changes in the membership of the governing body. The new members express strong support for the Christian ethos of the school and though clear about their overall responsibilities, would welcome further insights into ways they can strengthen their role in contributing to the Christian identity of the school. There are well established and rigorous procedures in the school for the monitoring of teaching and learning and for ensuring the wellbeing of all students. Staff and students are given good opportunities to contribute to the life of this church school. Links with local clergy are very good. There is a team that supports the school and, as individuals, are building up strong bonds with the staff. They make a major contribution to the spiritual life of the school and are strengthening links between the school and their congregations. Links with members of local faith communities and with the global church are currently underdeveloped. SIAS report October 2011 The Green School Isleworth TW7 5BB

5 Judgement Recording Form (NSJRF) Name of School: The Green Church of England Secondary School Busch Corner, London Road, Isleworth, London, TW7 5BB Date of inspection: 13th-14th October 2011 Type of Church school: Voluntary Aided Phase of education: Secondary Number of pupils: 905 URN Number: NS Inspector s Number: 482 Rating 1-4 How distinctive and effective is the school as a Church school? 1 How well does the school, through its distinctive Christian character, meet the needs of all learners? 1 What is the impact of collective worship on the school community? 1 How effective is the religious education? 1 How effective are the leadership and management of the school, as a church school? 1 The school meets the statutory requirement for collective acts of worship The school meets the statutory requirement for religious education * Yes Yes * Voluntary Aided Schools