Chestnut Grove Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school The quality of leadership is exceptional. The headteacher and his team are unwavering and unstinting in their drive to improve the school.

The strongest impact of their work has been in embedding the right culture for learning. Leaders at all levels, including governors, know their school very well. They address quickly any areas that fall short of their high expectations.

They have effective systems and procedures in place to monitor, track and evaluate the school's effectiveness. Pupils achieve well across the curriculum because of strong teaching and the outstanding support and care they receive. The provision of pastoral care is excel...lent and includes a strong focus on mental health and well-being.

Pupils' behaviour is outstanding. They are courteous, friendly and regulate their own behaviour. Pupils have high expectations of each other's behaviour.

Leaders have designed a strong curriculum that offers a wide range of academic and vocational courses. The curriculum promotes pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development very effectively. As a result, pupils value their education and rarely miss any time from school.

Leaders' arrangements for supporting disadvantaged pupils are effective, and their progress is good. There is still further room for improvement in their overall achievement, however. Governors bring a breadth of educational and professional expertise to their roles.

They challenge and support senior leaders very effectively. The quality of provision and outcomes in the sixth form are outstanding. Teaching and assessment are consistently strong.

Students study a curriculum that supports their specific needs, interests and future plans very well. Pupils receive high-quality careers guidance, enabling a high proportion of pupils to access further and higher education, and apprenticeships. In a minority of lessons, pupils spend too much time completing tasks that do not make them think and reflect deeply.

Some teachers do not use questioning skilfully to assess and deepen pupils' knowledge and understanding. There is some inconsistency in the quality of teaching, especially in key stage 3.

Information about this school

The school is an average-sized 11 to 19 school serving a culturally diverse community.

It converted to an academy in February 2012. The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is above the national average. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is higher than that found nationally.

The majority of students are from a Black and minority ethnic heritage, and many speak English as an additional language. A significant minority of pupils are White British. The school does not use any off-site provision to educate its pupils.

In January 2018, the school became part of the Wandle Learning Trust, a small multi-academy trust comprising Chestnut Grove Academy and Chesterton Primary School. The school is also a hub for the Wandle teaching school alliance. The current headteacher has been in post since September 2014.