The John Warner School
Headteacher’s Report to
Governing Body
Date: Thursday 28 March 2013
Report to Governing Body
Date 28 March 2013
Introduction
The school is extremely busy at the moment with the preparations for GCSEs, Btecs and A levels.
The students have become increasingly focused as the year has gone on and the indications are that
they are rapidly improving. Staff have been focused on the need to improve not only the C-D
borderline students, but also to ensure that the students who are capable intellectually of getting
higher grades do so.
We have had highly successful parents’ evening with attendance rates in the high nineties. We are
also in the middle of students choosing their GCSEs and their Btecs and A level courses for next year.
The Year 9 students have had the widest possible choice and we have seen some new options in the
shape of computer science added this year.
Students in the upper sixth have also received a record number of offers for university places. We are
particularly gratified that our students are achieving offers from the Russell Group Universities.
Students are of course very cautious these days in applying for university courses but I am delighted
to say that our students are being very sensible under the careful guidance of Mrs Lewis and other
members of the guidance team. Those seeking employment have similarly received offers and are
being supported by a comprehensive programme.
The school has as its main focus for now and the foreseeable future, raising standards of literacy and
numeracy at all levels to ensure that the maximum number of students hit their targets. Also,
measures have been put in place in the lower school in particular to ensure that those students whose
reading ages are below where they should be are helped and supported. This work is complex and
requires a great deal of cooperation between various staff under the direction of Mr Allman and Mr
Cant.
We were all delighted by the Year 8 Rugby Team who won the County Championships for
‘emerging’ schools on 8 March 2013. Congratulations go to the players and to Mr Eley and Mr Cove.
We have now completed the admissions cycle for next September and the school has had the largest
number of applications in its history. A detailed report has been prepared by our Admissions Officer
Mrs Jennie Rich which will be tabled at the main governors’ meeting. I would like to thank Jennie for
all of her hard work in making this the most efficient round of admission we have ever had. This is a
high pressure area where accuracy and speed is essential to mitigate the pressure that parents of Year
6 students are under. It is anticipated we will have a record number of appeals which are scheduled
for June.
The Department for Education and Ofsted have begun a process to review and focus the role of
Governors in two key areas:


Determining, in cooperation with the School Leadership Team, the strategic vision and ethos of
the school
Holding the school to account particularly in the new focus areas for Ofsted.
We have prepared a special report using the simplified Ofsted headings as required by the Chief
Inspector in the letter I circulated to all governors.
These will form the focus of our reports and will allow governors to see clearly how the school is
progressing. All of the reports to the curriculum committee have focused on this and a report will be
presented to governors at the meeting which has information which is specifically tailored to both
answer the questions and give governors an opportunity to reflect on the data in a form which we are
just making it explicit.
Page 2 of 28
Report to Governing Body
Date 28 March 2013
Standards and Curriculum Update by Mr Jeremy Scott, Deputy Headteacher
Review of Home Learning
In June 2011 the Homework Policy of The John Warner School was substantially revised and
republished as the Home Learning Policy. These significant changes came as a result of a full review
and consultation process led by Mr Jonathan Watson, Assistant Headteacher. The full Home Learning
Policy, which has now gone through a full academic year, is appended to this report and a full review
of the policy will be presented at the meeting by Mr Watson, Assistant Headteacher. A copy of this is
attached to this report as Appendix A.
Whole School Improvement Plan 2013
A full review has been conducted of the Whole School Improvement Plan 2012 which will presented
by Mr Jeremy Scott at the meeting. The new Whole School Improvement Plan for 2013 has been
completed following the consultation period in-line with the school’s self-evaluation cycle, a full copy
of which will be sent in advance of the meeting.
Self-Evaluation and Ofsted Preparation
Governors were presented with the main sections of the new school SEF (Self-evaluation Form)
during the course of the last academic year. The SEF is currently being updated to reflect the current
position of the school and Governors will be presented with significant changes at the meeting. The
changes made to the Achievement Section largely mirror the information that the school received
through the publication of RAISEonline in November 2012. A summary of RAISEonline has been
appended to this report as Appendix B. If governors have any questions we can answer them at the
meeting as it is a complex area and does require some caution when interpreting.
The school last Ofsted inspection was in January 2011 and as such we are updating our procedural
plan for the action that needs to be taken in the event of an inspection phone call. The notice is now
less than 2 days and therefore the school must have a clear plan of action in place and communicated
to all relevant people. The action plan will be presented to Governors at the meeting.
Curriculum Offer
The school is currently undertaking a full review of the curriculum offer at key stage 4 to take into
consideration the needs and demands of our students and changes to the national picture in terms of
accountability and measuring success. A full up-date of any changes to the curriculum offer was
presented at the meeting.
Effective Lesson Observations
Below is a report written by Mr Jonathan Watson following a training session run by the Specialist
Schools and Academies Trust (SSAT) in December 2012.
SSAT: Effective lesson observation using the new OFSTED framework
Outstanding lessons:
There is not one way to deliver a lesson and lessons should never be judged according to a check list.
What should be judged is the extent of learning and the level of achievement relative to the pupil
starting points. Teachers are reminded that taking risks will always generate more favourable
outcomes than educational provision which is too ‘safe’ and thus limits learning. Teachers should do
what they normally do. Lessons are judged based on the amount of new learning. Observers must be
aware of their starting points.
Good teachers plan lessons but outstanding teachers are intuitive. Outstanding teachers watch students
and ensure high levels of learning based on their progress and performance. In contrast good teachers
often require every student to do the same thing with the same resources
Page 3 of 28
Report to Governing Body
Date 28 March 2013
Marking:
The quality of teaching will be judged based on its impact on learning over time and not just in
specific lessons. As a result marking is very important and significant weight will be placed on a
scrutiny of book in lessons observed. Exercise books should tell a story, they should identify areas for
development which the pupils then respond to before being provided with further targets. Peer and
self-assessment are crucial here because they allow students to gain a deeper understanding of
assessment objectives. A good test of the quality of comments would be to ask: ‘If I just gave you
those words, would you know how to progress?’ Books should contain NEXT comments which the
students respond to.
Maths and English across the curriculum:
Every teacher is a teacher of maths and English. Thus teachers should teach parts of these curriculums
as they are required for their curriculums. It is important that teachers are aware of what is covered in
Maths and English lessons so that teachers can refer to the skills that students have already developed
when it is appropriate to do so. This would allow students to further consolidate their English and
Maths skills at all times.
Curriculum mapping:
Quality curriculum mapping is important because it promotes cohesion. An example was provided
where a science teacher required students to make posters but the students were not required to use
their media skills that they had developed in the lesson before.
Closing the gap and vulnerable groups:
OFSTED will consider the impact of the pupil premium, focussing on where the money has been
spent and the impact that it has had on learning. In doing so schools must evaluate progress in relation
to starting points; reading ages is a good example of this. There will be a focus on vulnerable students
within classrooms. Outstanding teachers are aware of the vulnerable groups and how they are
progressing.
SMSC:
The quality of display is important here; it should contain local, national and international dimensions
and should be motivational. Another good indicator in this area is educational provision which
requires students to evaluate lessons based on their impact.
The use of data:
How schools track the progress of students and the quality of educational provision using data is
crucial. Schools should use data to identify where interventions are required and then use data to
evaluate these interventions before planning the next interventions.
Continuing professional development:
Data should be robustly used to evaluate the quality of learning so as to plan interventions to improve
the quality of educational provision. Schools should identify the training that staff need to improve
and evaluate its success based on pupil outcomes. Thus performance management is crucial,
especially for those staff that have gone through threshold and who are paid considerable amounts.
Parent View:
Parent View is very important. It is recognised that parents will often only use this when they have
negative rather than positive comments. As a result schools should consider how they are gaining and
acting upon parent feedback at all times. Schools are advised to use their websites effectively to excel
in this area. In particular school websites should indicate how the pupil premium is spent. Schools are
advised to have a folder of positive items.
Page 4 of 28
Report to Governing Body
Date 28 March 2013
Governing Body:
It is recognised that the Governing Body have an important role in holding SLT to account. They
should challenge the decisions that SLT make based on how students are learning and achieving. If
governors cannot do this then the school must put support in place.
School inspections:
Schools are provided with one afternoons notice for an inspection. Lesson plans are not required by
each teacher but teachers are advised to provide them. This is because it will allow the inspector to
understand the context of the 25 minutes of which they are in the classroom. However, it must be
remembered that observers can only judge what they see; the amount of learning in that time.
In some cases SLT will observe in conjunction with an OFSTED inspector. The member of SLT will
then be observed providing feedback.
Behaviour and safety:
The judgement concerning behaviour and safety relates to whether the teacher is able to get on with
the teaching and the children on with their learning. However compliant children are not what is
required. Children should be motivated and not scared. They should participate because they want to
and not because of any sanctions. Intrinsic motivation is better than extrinsic motivation. The internal
exclusion unit will be judged on its contribution to learning and whether the same students do not
appear in their time after time.
School leadership and self-evaluation:
School leadership should be ambitious. All leaders at all levels should be ambitious. The school
should carry out high quality self-evaluation, based on data, and should act based on this; considering
impact at all times. Leaders and teachers should know their specific impacts and what they can do to
make further impact. Quality self-evaluation: Action/Impact/Action. At all times it is important to
remember that a description of what the school does is not important. What is important is impact
relevant to starting points.
Lesson observations:
There is no point to lesson observations if they do not lead to whole school improvement – they
shouldn’t just improve one teacher. Lesson planning and observation forms should support teachers in
becoming outstanding. Feedback should concentrate on learning rather than provision and thus it is
necessary to suggest provision and not tell. When providing feedback if it is ‘1’ or a ‘2’ then say that
first, if it is a ‘3’ or a ‘4’ then say that last. Teachers should know who is good at what so they can use
the school community to make further progress.
English, Music and Drama Faculty Review Sept-Oct 2012
Introduction
The English, Music and Drama Faculty comprises of an Assistant Headteacher who is the Head of the
Faculty, a Head of English and Subject Leaders for Drama and Music. In all there are 11 members of
the faculty. For the purposes of the review, the music department was not observed. The two key
members of the department are respectively an NQT and an RQT and are currently subject to their
own mentoring and personal development programmes. The review therefore was focused on English
and Drama. The faculty has gone through a period of strong performance over the last six years and
results at both Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5 have been strong and amongst the school’s best. This has
been a result of strong leadership, recruitment and staff development, and continuity in terms of staff
retention. Consequently the faculty is generally considered a model of good practice and members of
the faculty have featured strongly in whole school staff learning and teaching communities and groups
and several staff have undergone Masters’ work. The strong performance of the faculty has been
reflected in lessons since the last Ofsted inspection being observed and graded as consistently
outstanding or good with outstanding features. The faculty suffered a dip in its KS4 English language
results in the most recent national examination cycle. This was against the faculty’s performance
Page 5 of 28
Report to Governing Body
Date 28 March 2013
predictions and it has been suggested this dip may have been in line with the national picture of raised
grade boundaries. Either way, it provided a reason to review the faculty as the first in the new
academic year to challenge the perceptions of the faculty and to provide areas for further
development.
Process
The Faculty Review process followed the now established framework, with the student online
questionnaires taking place in the same week as the learning walk and therefore providing immediate
qualification of the observations made at the beginning of the faculty review. An additional feature of
the learning walk programme was a supplementary learning walk focused on the Social, Moral,
Spiritual and Cultural outcomes in lessons led by the SMSC coordinator and a member of the faculty.

1st October 2012 Learning Walk, Student Questionnaire

8th October 2012 Feedback of learning walk and initial hypotheses. Student Questionnaires
returned for analysis

15th October 2012 Start of Lesson observation cycle, involving observation, post-observation
meeting and written feedback

22nd October 2012 Conclusion of lesson observation and feedback. Data-driven discussions
with randomly chosen student groups

5th November 2012 Report completed and delivered to SLT and Head of Faculty for review
and comments

12th November 2012 Learning Lunch to be led by faculty on a topic arising from the findings
of the faculty review.
Learning Walks
During the visits to the English faculty the review able to visit 10 Key Stage 3 lessons including
Drama and 8 Key Stage 4 lessons. The visits were carried out by Jonathan Huddleston and Jonathan
Watson supported by Ian Cant. The learning walk was further supplemented by an SMSC learning
walk carried out by Ceri Warwick and James Fitzgerald.
There were many positive aspects witnessed during the visit to the faculty:




Student attitudes to learning were without exception outstanding. In every single lesson
observed, every single student was on task and contributing positively whether to their own
work or to the lesson. These attitudes extended to strong and very positive relationships
between students and teachers, who were particularly adept at transmitting their passion for
their subject and their high expectations.
Students were well-versed in key terminology and understand the elements of an effective
response to English literature. Even in the least able group observed students seemed fully at
grips with the concept of AFOREST. In examination and controlled assessment activities
students had clearly developed a strong sense of the various grade boundaries and
requirements in order to improve their work.
There were some outstanding examples of active learning, either in pair or group work or in
class discussion. In many cases outstanding use of open questioning encouraged high levels of
participation. In one particularly strong example students were analysing sonnets and
exploring the emotions created by Shakespeare using a high level of discourse. In one
particular drama lesson Year 7 students were skilfully-led towards a fairly-detailed
exploration of a painting and the various dynamics going on within.
Throughout the faculty, praise and humour were models of best practice. The wonderful
environment created was reflected in the universal positivity to the subject expressed by every
Page 6 of 28
Report to Governing Body
Date 28 March 2013

student asked. This also led students to some very impressive outcomes, not least a boy in the
year 9 lower band who was persuaded through subtle use of praise to read out his work, that
was of an exceptionally impressive standard, with considerable pride. The reaction of his
contemporaries was equally impressive.
There were numerous examples of opportunities for pupil development of SMSC in KS3
English. The atmosphere of all visited lessons showed a clear feeling of mutual respect
between the teachers and the pupils and with the subjects they were engaged in. All KS3
lessons start with a silent reading task. The pupils chose their own books and they had the
opportunity for reflection. Pupils clearly developed in an open and safe learning environment.
The cross-curricular links explored in the lesson on ‘Stone Cold’ allowed pupils the
opportunity to develop their understanding of right and wrong and allowed them to practise
moral decision making.
From the observations of the lessons there were a few areas for development within the learning and
teaching that were discussed at the faculty feedback meeting.




Where marking had been carried out, it was generally formative and assisted learners in
moving themselves forward. This was particularly noticeable in Key Stage 4 books. However,
it was noticeable that the standard and quantity of marking was considerably more variable in
Key Stage 3 books. While it was clear that the priorities of the faculty at the start of the year
were in Years 10 and above, it was important not to forget students needed to make a good
start at all levels.
Learning environments varied quite dramatically across the faculty. Although this was
understandable given the quality of décor in some classrooms it was worth considering the
different experiences students were having in different rooms around the school. The corridor
environment however was a real strength and encouraged students to genuinely think and
reflect as they move through the faculty.
The experiences of classes in their drama lessons appeared to vary quite noticeably across the
faculty. In some lessons students were being challenged and pushed to explore their
boundaries and understanding and produced good outcomes that showed an understanding
both of dramatic techniques and content. In other lessons it appeared students were working
through one activity after another without any apparent liaison between one and the next. This
may be a training need as use of drama in teaching may not be something all colleagues have
previously experienced.
Whereas in several lessons active learning was pre-eminent, such as in the analysis of sonnets
or in the feedback around superheroes, there were other occasions where learning seemed a
little more teacher-focused. This was more typical of less-able classes where perhaps
opportunities were missed to model and allow independent work in favour of control and
structure. Although it was understandable why this would happen at the same time
relationships and attitudes were so strong that it was felt that control could be lessened in
some instances. This was also symptomatic of some aspects of questioning when a student
would deliver a decent response that was accepted at face value and not followed up by the
teacher.
As a result of the learning walk, the most significant area for development was considered by both the
reviewers and the faculty to be the opportunities for active learning and participation in the faculty
and all observers were asked to make specific reference to this in their observations alongside their
other comments.
Student questionnaires
Student questionnaires were completed by classes across all ability levels and all years from Year 7 to
Year 11.
There was a 45% response rate from students and this was evenly distributed across all groups apart
from those in the Year 9 W band who did not complete the survey.
Page 7 of 28
Report to Governing Body
Date 28 March 2013
The results showed a remarkable correlation across all year groups, even allowing for an expected
over positivity from Year 7 students still new to their lessons and a potential over-negativity from
Year 11 students in the midst of their examination preparation.
The overall impression was that students feel incredibly positive about the teaching of their English
lessons. Students were happy to state how much they enjoyed their learning and agreed or strongly
agreed with the majority of statements they were asked. However, in three specific areas, there was a
significant difference in approval ratings for the English lessons.
The results in order of percentage of students agreeing or strongly agreeing were as follows:
I understand the explanations given in class
I am making good progress on the course
Lessons are usually well-organised
I get support when I need it
Overall, I feel positive about the lessons
The resources help me to improve
The pace of lessons suits me
I am clear about what I need to do to improve
The home learning set helps me to improve
I am clear about my current levels of attainment
Year
7
91
91
83
88
88
84
83
83
73
70
Year
8
87
89
85
82
80
79
85
69
74
60
Year
9
95
97
95
90
81
82
77
69
60
55
Year
10
83
84
84
88
88
82
77
70
64
56
Year
11
85
79
80
78
72
80
78
73
49
67
Overall
88.2
88
85.4
83
81.8
81.4
80
72.8
64
61.6
Although these statistics are far from being a major cause for concern, they do significantly indicate
the areas in which students felt they were less satisfied with their English and drama lessons. In the
light of the observations made in the learning walk, they tend to corroborate two of the key issues.
Firstly, it is clear that students are very satisfied with the teaching of their lessons but in terms of the
learning, students feel they are less in control of their progress. This might suggest there are fewer
opportunities for active learning or for assessment for learning in English and drama lessons and
consequently students do not feel ownership. Secondly, the area for development relating to the
marking of work may also be reflected in the feelings about home learning and clarity over current
performance and how to improve. If students are not receiving targeted guidance on performance and
areas for development themselves then this may indicate why they feel less inclined to agree.
Lesson Observations
All members of the English and drama departments were observed during the week. There were in
total 8 lessons observed, fed back and written up. The numerical judgements for the faculty are
detailed below:
Criterion
Average Judgement for the English Faculty
Learning
1.5
Achievement
1.61
Attitudes, Relationships and Behaviour
1.39
Overall
1.56
Subject knowledge
1.28
Planning
1.61
How the teacher creates interest, encourages and
1.22
engages
Challenge
1.44
Assessment
1.67
Management of Behaviour and Time
1.44
Use of Teaching Assistants
N/A
Home Learning
1.6 (only observed in 5 lessons)
Equal Opportunities
1.1
Page 8 of 28
Report to Governing Body
Date 28 March 2013
The average lesson in the faculty was therefore outstanding or outstanding with good features. In
total, of the nine lessons observed, two were deemed to be outstanding, four were deemed to be good
with outstanding features and three were deemed to be good. The observations therefore reflected the
findings of the learning walks through the faculty.
The two outstanding lessons both demonstrated a variety of groupings (pair, group and class) and
students were thus empowered to take ownership and leadership of their learning. Intelligent and
sensitive high-level questioning ensured there was real depth to the learning and students were
encouraged to express their opinions. Both lessons also demonstrated extremely effective processes
for giving feedback, such as a challenging discussion and debate task, and effective whole-class
response systems like mini-whiteboards. In both cases students were clearly leaders of the learning
process and the teaching was astute in that it guided the learning rather than dictated it.
In the lessons deemed to be good with outstanding features the same elements of good practice were
also observed, but did not quite achieve them to the same degree. These lessons were typified by
strong planning and clear learning objectives and teachers used groupings and questioning to
encourage students to be active in their learning. Learning did not quite reach outstanding for reasons
related to these factors however. For example, issues over time potentially restricted the depth and
breadth in one case, in another students did not quite respond as effectively as was desired, possibly a
result of a need for greater planning of high-level questioning, and in the other two the teacher was
too much in control of the learning in the early stages of the lesson, which had the effect of restricting
the extent to which students could demonstrate independent learning.
In the lessons deemed to be good, there were still some outstanding elements of practice. In one of the
lessons the teaching was outstanding in terms of the resources used and the efforts to provide
challenge and stretch and the class completed a significant amount of work. However, the class found
it more challenging to work effectively collaboratively without the support of the teacher.
Consequently the teaching was more controlling of the learning and students could not therefore
develop independence and confidence in their abilities. This final point was relevant to the second
lesson also. In the third lesson, the teacher provided a series of engaging tasks, but the learning was
undermined by periods where not all students were able to actively engage in the learning process. It
was also observed that in this lesson questioning appeared to accept responses at face value and the
teacher did not exploit opportunities to go deeper and to explore responses. Students therefore were
not able to develop ownership of their learning and found it challenging to explain how well they
were doing.
This summary should though highlight that there was nothing less than good in any lesson and the
observers were highly impressed by the outstanding professionalism of the faculty staff and the
commitment to provide exciting and challenging learning opportunities to all students. The
observations thus corroborate the initial judgements of the faculty as and the opinions of the students
as outstanding. Where there remains the potential for further improvement in some lessons is in the
use of questioning and fully engaging all learners in the learning process, and in ensuring learners are
empowered to make consistent improvement by being in full knowledge and control of how they are
performing and how they can help themselves to succeed.
Data-driven discussions
These discussions were led by students in Years 8 to 10 and focused on the same performance
indicators as completed for the online questionnaires. There was no teacher-input into the discussions
and the views expressed were solely those of the students. The responses of the randomly-selected
students are displayed below;
Page 9 of 28
Report to Governing Body
Date 28 March 2013
Year 7
Lessons are well
structured and the
starters
and
opportunities for
extension work
greatly
aid
learning.
Where
classes
have more than
one
teacher
lessons are less
organised
Year 8
Organisation
results from the
abundant
availability
of
extension tasks.
Classes
with
shared teachers or
those with more
supply cover lack
this
rigid
organisation
Year 9
Lessons
are
extremely
well
structured
and
appropriately split
into
various
sections
There
are
excellent starters
which both engage
students and make
it obvious what is
to be learnt
I understand
teacher
explanations
Key concepts are
explained
in
numerous ways
with
engaging
examples
Teacher
explanations are
very
thorough
with
numerous
examples that are
presented in an
engaging way
I am clear about
my current level
of attainment
Clarity evolves
from
regular
assessment levels.
Some students are
not told their
current
levels
despite
there
being a great
desire to know
them.
Students
believe
this
would make them
clearer about their
current strengths
Teacher
explanations are
excellent because
of the high level
of detail and some
effective use of
PowerPoint.
Furthermore
teachers are very
willing to provide
individual support
when there is a
lack
of
understanding
The lack of clarity
amongst
many
students
results
from the fact that
current working at
grades/levels are
not
shared
frequently enough.
Many
students
want to know their
current working at
levels but are not
told. This problem
is compounded by
home
learning
tasks that are not
marked
I am clear what I
need to do to
Students feel that
they are partially
Lessons are well
organised
Year 10
High levels of
organisation result
from
clear
routines
and
interesting
and
engaging
resources. In a
minority of cases
teachers are less
organised, in these
lessons
the
resources are out
of
date
and
students are sent
to complete the
photocopying
Teacher
explanations are
very clear and
teachers go into
extra detail if
requested
to.
Teachers have an
excellent subject
knowledge which
is well used. In a
minority of cases
some explanations
are too brief or
too detailed.
Students are not
Many students are
clear as to how
not clear about
performance
in
their
current
class tasks links
levels
of
to their overall
attainment
and
level
of
resent having to
attainment.
rely on Go 4
They would like
schools.
These
mechanisms to be
students feel that
put in place so
lessons
should
that they are
make
students
aware of their
aware of this.
current rates of
Students
are
progress
aware
of
assessment levels
but would like to
be more aware of
how they are
progressing lesson
to lesson
Students
are Where there is a Student
clarity
provided
with lack of clarity it is follows individual
Page 10 of 28
Report to Governing Body
Date 28 March 2013
improve
aware of their
targets but they
feel they need
further
explanation as to
how to meet them
targets but they
lack explanations
and they are not
referred back to
because the targets
lack
further
explanation and
examples
support
that
teachers provide
Students are often
praised in lessons
and told that they
are doing well but
the reasons for
this are often not
expanded upon.
I am making
good progress
Students feel they
are making good
progress because
of the continual
praise.
However
they
lack substantial
feedback
to
support
this
‘feeling’
Students
‘feel’
that they are
making
good
progress but they
are not aware of
the
explicit
reasons why
Students feel that
they are making
good progress due
to
the
praise
provided in class
(e.g. following the
reading out of
work)
Students are set
targets in a variety
of ways
Some
students
would like further
explanation as to
the meaning of
these targets
Homework helps
me improve
Many
tasks
effectively
prepare students
for future lessons.
However it is not
clear how many
tasks link to
current learning.
Some
research
tasks are very
useful
It is not clear how
many tasks will
allow
the
extension of their
current learning
Many
teachers
require them to
complete
classwork which
they see as a
punishment
Some
home
learning tasks are
useful because it
consolidates
previous learning
and
introduces
new
learning.
Many tasks are not
relevant because it
is not explained
how it furthers
previous learning
or
provides
preparation
for
new learning
I receive support
if I need it
Staff
always
respond
to
individual
questions
fully
and are happy to
meet
with
students on a one
to one basis
The teacher is High levels of
always willing to support
as
provide one to demonstrated by
one support
the willingness of
staff to provide
individual
and
group assistance
for as long as
necessary
Research
home
learning tasks are
useful
because
they
prepare
students for future
lessons.
Home learning is
very useful in
preparing for the
completion
of
coursework
Some
home
learning tasks are
less useful as it is
not clear how it
relates to current
learning that is
being undertaken
in lessons
Students receive
lots of help all the
time and feel that
all their individual
questions are fully
answered. Often
individual
questions are put
to the rest of the
class.
Considerable
amount
of
coursework
support
Page 11 of 28
Report to Governing Body
Date 28 March 2013
The pace of the
lesson suits me
Students like the
fast pace.
Students feel that
a minority of staff
rely too much on
teacher talk
The fast pace
creates
the
necessary level of
challenge which
increases
engagement and
interest. Teachers
are always willing
to support those
who cannot keep
up
The resources
are helpful
Dictionaries and Games,
tasks,
displays greatly worksheets,
aid learning
PowerPoints,
videos, textbooks
are part of a
whole array of
resources which
are very useful
The fast pace is
very appropriate
as too fast is much
better than too
slow. This is
especially
considering that
students
are
welcome to stay
behind if they
couldn’t keep up.
Some
students
require a faster
pace still.
The text books,
worksheets,
videos
and
PowerPoints are
helpful. On some
occasions there is
too much teacher
talk.
Teachers
continually
circulate
classrooms
to
provide support
Students benefit
from the fact pace
as it far more
beneficial than a
pace which is too
slow.
On
occasions
a
minority
of
students feel left
behind
The resources are
imaginative and
innovative,
especially
the
opportunities for
peer marking
Some
students
feel restrained by
the
teacher
dependency
on
PowerPoint and
prefer
lessons
when the teacher
uses their own
subject knowledge
to
lead
discussions and
questioning
sessions
These data-driven discussions explored the findings of the student survey and further corroborate the
findings of the learning walks and observations.
Page 12 of 28
Report to Governing Body
Date 28 March 2013
Conclusion
The English and drama faculty consistently delivers good and outstanding teaching and learning.
The faculty is equipped with a resourceful and robust staff who provide engaging and challenging
learning opportunities and are highly reflective and open to taking risks in the pursuit of outstanding
teaching and learning.
The faculty provides good activities and resources to challenge students. These activities are delivered
at an appropriate pace and students are extremely well-supported in developing their knowledge and
understanding.
A sizeable minority of students are not clear on their current level of attainment and what they need to
do to improve and it might be useful for the faculty to explore their approaches towards assessment,
both formative and summative, in order to address this concern. It may be of use to carry out a book
scrutiny in the immediate future to assess the scope to which marking and home learning are
effectively supporting this process.
Although it is clear that students are regularly being provided with opportunities to be active learners
in their lessons and outside the classroom, this is not endemic to all lessons in the faculty and there
appears to be a potential training need in developing effective questioning that facilitates deeper
learning and develops learner confidence and ultimately resourcefulness and independence.
It is the recommendation of the review that the faculty chooses one of the final two points as the basis
of its learning lunch.
Jonathan Huddleston, Assistant Headteacher; Learning and Teaching, 31 October 2012
Feedback on the Faculty Review Process
The Learning and Teaching Ethos of The John Warner School
Students are the lifeblood of any school and the source of the most relevant, actual and insightful
quantitative and qualitative data available. Our priority is to put student experience at the heart of
learning and teaching across the school through a commitment to listening and responding to their
views alongside those of their teachers as part of our 5T approach to learning – We talk about new
ideas in teaching and learning, we think how this learning might be applied to our practice, we trial
our new ideas through action research, we reflect on our experience and tweak our initiatives and
ultimately we transform learning experiences.
The Faculty Review Initiative
We have established an extremely powerful, rigorous and holistic tool for school improvement rooted
in the daily experience of our most important customers. Our Faculty Review model compares and
contrasts teacher and senior leader perceptions with student experience and formulates robust and
perspicacious action plans for faculty improvement. It also brings together in a coherent model the
wide range of independent student and teacher learning initiatives we have successfully developed.
The Process
The review is a six-week process run across a half-term and every Faculty undergoes the review in a
four-term cycle. Ahead of the process the Head of Faculty meets with the lead reviewer to discuss
priorities, concerns, strengths and areas for the Faculty’s development. In week one, these views are
qualified and quantified through an online student questionnaire and four faculty learning walks. We
have engaged an external partner, Adroit-e research, to survey our entire cohort about their
experiences in the Faculty and to present the data for analysis against the perceptions gleaned from
the walks.
Page 13 of 28
Report to Governing Body
Date 28 March 2013
This preliminary information is written up in an academic paper for discussion about perceived
strengths, areas for development and questions to be answered in a week two faculty meeting. At all
stages it is important to listen to teachers’ views to ensure all information is triangulated.
Once the key areas have been identified there follows a series of formal lesson observations where
teachers are encouraged to take pedagogically sound risks to address the issues raised in the walks and
questionnaires. Observations crucially strike an appreciative tone and oral conversations are held both
before observation and before formal write-up to allow for ownership of the process.
Alongside formal observations, weeks three and four see the students come to the fore. Data-driven
discussions based on findings are led by students for students to answer questions raised from the data
and a comprehensive work scrutiny analyses practice in assessment. Books are selected according to
the initial survey findings and student perceptions of their progress.
Following the observations and student discussions and work scrutiny a second faculty meeting takes
place where the findings of the review are again shared with the faculty. This is an open forum for
questions, clarification and discussion.
The report is then compiled in the following week and delivered to the Head of Faculty and key staff
for them to produce an action plan for future development that forms the basis of the next review.
The final stage in the process is a learning lunch for all teachers in the school to attend and discuss the
learning made by the Faculty as a result of the process. The lead reviewer additionally writes a letter
emailed to all students and parents outlining what they have told us and how the Faculty intends to
respond to them, once more placing students at the heart of everything we do.
Extensive, rigorous and credible, the Faculty Review is both innovative and inclusive, and everybody,
senior leader, teacher or student, has a vital role in its success.
The Success of the Initiative
Five faculties have now been through the process, and in view of our commitment to being selfreflective, each review has been enhanced and enriched by the one before. The results in only a short
space of time have been phenomenal; based on their starting points, every faculty reviewed has made
progress in the quality of their lessons.





In Modern Foreign Languages the numbers of outstanding lessons before and after review
have increased from 50% to 62%. All lessons in the faculty are now good or outstanding.
In Mathematics numbers of good or outstanding lessons have increased from 50% to 60%
In Professional Studies unsatisfactory teaching has been eradicated. Good lessons have risen
from 77% to 86% and outstanding lessons from 19% to 43%
In English outstanding lessons have risen from 56% to 67%. Good or better lessons have risen
from 89% to 95%
In Science numbers of outstanding lessons have risen from 18% to 32%. Good or outstanding
lessons are now at 79%
Overall, since the inception of the Faculty Review process in April 2012, 50% of all lessons are
outstanding and 89% are good or outstanding, an increase from 40% and 84% in the period between
our last Ofsted inspection of January 2011 and April 2012.
Learning lunches, of which there have been four in total thus far, have had an average attendance of
25 staff across all eight faculties. They have covered key topics such as engaging starters, delivering
explanations, questioning and effective assessment for learning and the next lunch will be looking at
high-quality formative marking.
Page 14 of 28
Report to Governing Body
Date 28 March 2013
Our work has been recognised by The Prince’s Teaching Institute Leadership Programme and we
have been awarded the PTI Mark 2013 for the project. Our project is being used as an exemplar for
the next phase of the Leadership Programme.
Next Steps
This efficient and vigorous process is set to be the mainstay of our academy’s continuous pursuit for
excellence in the quality of learning we deliver. The process has grown to the extent that there is now
an experienced team of three senior staff leading the various aspects of the review. We look forward
to the summer term when the review comes full circle and returns to our Modern Languages Faculty.
Mr Jonathan Huddleston, Assistant Headteacher
Learning at The John Warner School
The school is proposing to follow a programme called Building Learning Power (BLP) over the
course of the next year to focus students’ and teachers’ collective attention on what constitutes
genuine and rich learning.
Building learning power is about helping young people to become better learners, both
in school and out.
It is about creating a culture in classrooms - and in the school more widely - that
systematically cultivates habits and attitudes that enable young people to face difficulty and
uncertainty calmly, confidently and creatively.
Students who are more confident of their own learning ability learn faster and learn better. They
concentrate more, think harder and find learning more enjoyable. They do better in their tests and
external examinations. And they are easier and more satisfying to teach.
Building Learning Power prepares youngsters better for an uncertain future. Today’s schools need to
be educating not just for exam results but for lifelong learning. To thrive in the 21st century, it is not
enough to leave school with a clutch of examination certificates. Pupils/students need to have learnt
how to be tenacious and resourceful, imaginative and logical, self-disciplined and self-aware,
collaborative and inquisitive.
Three core beliefs
Building learning power is based on three fundamental beliefs:
1. BLP believes that the core purpose of education is to prepare young people for life after
school; helping them to build up the mental, emotional, social and strategic resources to enjoy
challenge and cope well with uncertainty and complexity
2. BLP believes that this purpose for education is valuable for all young people and involves
helping them to discover the things that they would really love to be great at, and
strengthening their will and skill to pursue them.
3. This confidence, capability and passion can be developed since real-world intelligence is
something that people can be helped to build up.
These three core beliefs are particularly relevant in societies that are full of change, complexity, risk,
opportunity and individual opportunity for making your own way in life.
This challenge is nowhere near being met yet. We need to go beyond the wish lists of ‘wider skills’ or
‘key competencies’. What is needed has to be seen as a gradual, sometimes challenging but hugely
worthwhile process of culture change by schools and habit change by teachers.
Page 15 of 28
Report to Governing Body
Date 28 March 2013
Three roots
Root 1 Research into the nature of learning
In the last ten years or so a number of disciplines have come together under the banner of ‘the
learning sciences’. Geneticists, psychologists, developmental psychologists, neuroscientists,
sociocultural researchers and academic philosophers are shaping a new image of the malleability of
young minds, and BLP tries to make as much use of these ideas as possible.
Root 2 Practitioner research and experience
BLP is grounded in the reality of schools and classrooms, and what busy teachers find possible,
practical and interesting to try out. Teachers are encouraged to see themselves as research partners in
the BLP community of enquiry, and where possible to write up their experiments and small action
research projects.
Root 3 Commitment to a vision of education
BLP is rooted on a vision of education that grows out of the real demands, risks and opportunities of
the 21st century; is appealing and accessible to all young people, not just the academically ‘able’ or
inclined; which values, in reality as well as in rhetoric, more kinds of outcomes than literacy,
numeracy and examination grades.
Curriculum Updates by Jeremy Scott, Deputy Headteacher
GCSEs and EBCs
The Secretary of State has confirmed he is abandoning plans to introduce English Baccalaureate
Certificates (EBCs) and will instead reform existing GCSE qualifications.
Mr Gove (on 7 February) admitted that his EBC plans were "an error" and confirmed that they are to
be shelved. He maintained that there was a “consensus that the system needs to change”, but admitted:
“One of the proposals I put forward was a bridge too far.” Instead, the education secretary set out his
plans to reform existing GCSE qualifications for first teaching in 2015.
Mr Gove had planned to introduce EBCs in core subjects in 2015 with first exams in 2017. Courses in
other EBacc subjects – history, geography and languages – were to follow. The idea was that pupils of
all abilities would sit the same exam with one exam board delivering each subject.
However, the reforms proved widely unpopular, drawing criticism from teaching unions, exams
watchdog Ofqual, a range of creative and cultural organisations, and most recently, the Education
Select Committee.
Mr Gove told Parliament: “My idea that we end the competition between exam boards to offer GCSEs
in core academic qualifications and have just one – wholly new – exam in each subject was just one
reform too many at this time. “The exam regulator Ofqual was clear that there were significant risks
in trying to both strengthen qualifications and end competition in a large part of the exams market.
“So I have decided not to make the best the enemy of the good. And I will not proceed with plans to
have a single exam board offering a new exam in each academic subject – instead we will concentrate
on reforming existing GCSEs along the lines we put forward in September, because there is a
consensus that the exams and qualification system we inherited was broken.”
In a letter to exams watchdog Ofqual, Mr Gove said: “We will publish for consultation, by May this
year, requirements for subject content in the new qualifications in English language, English
literature, mathematics, science, history and geography in time to allow awarding organisations to
prepare specifications.”
For more information on the proposed GCSE reforms, visit
www.education.gov.uk/schools/teachingandlearning/qualifications/gcses
Page 16 of 28
Report to Governing Body
Date 28 March 2013
League table reform
A consultation has been launched over planned changes to school league tables and accountability
measures. Currently, the main measure for schools is the proportion of students attaining five A* to C
grades including English and Mathematics, but Mr Gove admitted that this can encourage too much of
a focus on pupils around the borderline, to the detriment of others. He also believes that having a
headline measure only focusing on five subjects "weakens" incentives for schools to offer a ”broad
curriculum”.
Instead, proposals published in a consultation document outline a new “average point score” progress
measure which includes eight selected subjects. The consultation document explains: “(This) should
have one slot reserved for each of English and mathematics; and three slots reserved for other EBacc
subjects: sciences, computer science, geography, history and languages. “The remaining three slots
could be taken up by further qualifications from the range of EBacc subjects, or any other high value
arts, academic, or vocational qualifications (as set out on the Department’s list of vocational
qualifications approved for inclusion in performance tables).” It adds that this “key progress measure”
will be calculated using a value-added method, using end of key stage 2 results in English and maths
as a baseline. It continues: “If a pupil takes more than three further qualifications, then their highest
three scores will count in the measure. The average of all pupils’ scores in these eight qualifications
will be published in the tables. “The point score approach rewards schools for the achievements of all
pupils. The measure will not create incentives to focus on pupils near a particular borderline, thus
supporting teachers’ aims to help all their pupils achieve their best.”
Alongside this, the league tables will feature a threshold measure showing the percentage of pupils
achieving a "pass" at English and Mathematics. It is thought "pass" will still refer to A* to C grades.
The consultation document states: "GCSE grades A* to G are all pass grades, however grade C and
above are often referred to as being passes, both colloquially and in international comparisons. We
use pass in inverted commas to mean an outcome consistent with performance standards in high
performing educational jurisdictions."
The plan is for both the new progress measure and threshold measure to become part of a new-look
floor standard for schools.
New national curriculum
The Department for Education has published the draft programmes of study for all national
curriculum subjects in key stages 1 to 3 and for citizenship, computing and PE in key stage 4.
A consultation has opened over the slimmed down programmes of study, which are much shorter for
all subjects except in English, Mathematics and science.
Mr Gove confirmed that all existing subjects would be retained – including citizenship at key stage 4,
which had been under threat – and said that the teaching of modern foreign languages would be
introduced into the key stage 2 curriculum.
A final version of the national curriculum is due to be published in the autumn for first teaching in
schools from September 2014.
The consultation document states: “The new national curriculum has detailed programmes of study
for primary English, mathematics and science. These specify the core knowledge which provides the
foundations for all further learning and are therefore intended to be a detailed guide to teachers to
support them in bringing about a step-change in performance in these vital subjects. “In other subjects
and key stages we are aiming to give teachers more space and flexibility to design their lessons by
focusing only on the essential knowledge to be taught in each subject.” In mathematics, the draft
curriculum outlines a greater emphasis on arithmetic and the “efficient written methods of long
multiplication and division” as well as “more demanding content in fractions, decimals and
percentages”. In science, there is a stronger focus on the “importance of scientific knowledge and
language and a greater emphasis on the core scientific concepts underpinning pupils’ understanding”.
For English, the proposed English programmes of study will "embody higher standards of literacy".
Page 17 of 28
Report to Governing Body
Date 28 March 2013
The consultation states: "Pupils will be expected to develop a stronger command of the written and
spoken word. Through the strengthening of the teaching of phonics we will help more pupils to read
fluently."
The proposals also outline the replacement of existing ICT curriculum with a new computing
programme of study which will have "a much greater emphasis on computational thinking and
practical programming skills".
You can download the national curriculum consultation documents and draft programmes of study at
www.education.gov.uk/schools/teachingandlearning/curriculum.
Personnel Report Update
The Senior Leadership Team is in the process of undergoing training specifically designed to support
their work in personnel terms. Key staff are taking a refresher course on safer recruiting which is
obviously key to their work. In addition to this, the Company Secretary Dave Allman and the Clerk
to the Governing Body, Fran Cacciatore, together with myself are being trained on employment issues
by Stone King.
This seminar will cover recent developments in employment law with practical discussion as to how
they may impact on your organisation. It will also refer to matters which you should look out for, as
well as providing an opportunity for questions and discussion. The key topics covered will be the
wide ranging important developments which affect employers and which we should be aware of.
This event is an opportunity for all employers, including in particular bursars, HR managers, Trustees
of Charities, all those involved in personnel issues and other interested parties to be updated on
current employment law as well as issues which are on the horizon.
All delegates will receive a printed copy of the presentations plus any additional support literature.
Dave Allman and I recently met with Tamsin Wilkinson, Solicitor and Sarah Turner, Human
Resources Professional of Stone King and had an extensive meeting which allowed us to develop
good working relations with our immediate contacts. We reviewed all past significant issues in order
to provide an opportunity for catch up with colleagues of Stone King and to have a chance to learn
lessons from those previous cases. We then went on to discuss issues of concern to us at present. The
meeting was most successful and both Dave and I felt very supportive and confident in the
relationship. Fran Cacciatore, PA and Clerk to Governing Body also has access to Stone King,
together with Jeremy Scott, Deputy Headteacher and Sally Pringle, Bursar should they need to use
them. Fran will also be undergoing further training in respect of recruitment and other issues to keep
her up to date.
School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) Report
The 21st STRB report published in December makes some radical proposals about teachers’ pay.
A summary of the main recommendations are as follows:



Replacement of increments based on length of service with differentiated progression through
the main scale that rewards excellence and performance improvement.
Pay progression linked to annual appraisal for teachers (already established for more senior
teachers). Appraisal to be against a single set of teacher standards and individual objectives,
with a strong emphasis on professional development.
Abolition of mandatory pay points for classroom teachers, with retention of points for
reference only in the main scale, to guide career expectations for new teachers.
Page 18 of 28
Report to Governing Body
Date 28 March 2013






Retention of a broad national framework, including bands for London and fringe areas and an
upper pay scale for experienced teachers who make a wider contribution in the school.
Replacement of the detailed threshold test for progression to the upper pay scale with simple
criteria based on one set of teacher standards.
Local flexibility for schools to create posts paying salaries above the upper pay scale.
More discretion in the use of allowances for recruitment and retention and freedom to pay
fixed-term responsibility allowances of up to £2,500 a year for time-limited projects.
Reinforcement of the responsibility of heads to manage staff and resources and of the
responsibility of governing bodies to hold school leaders to account for managing and
rewarding the performance.
On the basis of the above, a much simplified School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions
Document.
This review forms part of an ongoing debate between the government and the teaching profession and
the local authorities on how teachers are to be remunerated and their terms of conditions.
Maternity Leave
The following staff are taking their maternity leave:
 Helen Hill, Head of Middle School, took maternity leave from the 14 January 2013
 Lauren Morbey, Joint Head of Sixth Form, took maternity leave from the 28 January 2013
 Samantha Cove, Mathematics Teacher took maternity leave from 28 February 2013
 Sarah Douglas, Psychology Teacher will take her maternity leave from June 2013
Appropriate measures have been taken to cover their classes. Each of the members of staff concerned
will be taking varied amounts of maternity leave but all will have ‘keep in touch days’ which are
required by law and which allow them to remain part of their faculty and to keep in touch with their
year groups. This is beneficial both to the school, the children and to the members of staff concerned.
Staff Promotion
Miss Charlotte Bone, BSc, has been promoted to Head of Humanities Faculty. Charlotte underwent
a very rigorous interview process including written tasks and panel interviews and did extremely well.
Charlotte has a clear sighted vision of the future of humanities and has a good working relationship
with all of her staff. She will be supported by Mr Jonathan Watson, the previous Head of Faculty
through a process of induction. I am sure governors will join with me in congratulating her on this
promotion.
Staff Promotion
Miss Claire Hammersley, BA will be leaving us to take up a promoted post at Broxbourne School
where she will be in charge of KS3 Food Technology. We are very pleased for her as this is a
significant promotion and wish her well in her new role.
Staff Joining Us
I am delighted to say that we have been able to appoint a number of key staff for next the next
academic year.
Miss Maeve Price, BA is a joint appointment to the Faculties of English and Humanities from
January 2013. Miss Price was educated at the National University of Ireland Galway where she
graduated in a 2:1 degree in History. Miss Price also has a post-graduate Diploma in Education and
has previously taught in Ireland and Australia.
Page 19 of 28
Report to Governing Body
Date 28 March 2013
Miss Gemma Major, BSc will join us in July to teach Chemistry, Biology and Geography. Gemma
graduated from the University of Plymouth with a 2:1 degree in Marine Biology and Oceanography.
She is presently completing her teacher training at the University of Plymouth. She will be based in
the Science Faculty.
Miss Fiona Rutherford, BA joins us in July to teach Italian, French, Mathematics and Primary
Liaison. Fiona was educated in Derbyshire and attended the University of Bristol where she obtained
a 2:1 degree in French and Italian. Miss Rutherford is presently completing her PGCE course in
modern languages at the University of Cambridge. She has wide experience including being a
voluntary teacher of English to Buddist monks in Nepal.
Mrs Mary Davies, BSc, MA joined us in February to cover a maternity leave. She will be teaching
English, Sociology and Media. She has a Certificate in Education from the University of Liverpool,
Institute of Education. She also has a BSc in Sociology from the University of Salford and has an
MA in Education from the Institute of Education, University of London.
Miss Bryony Lang, BSc, a former pupil of our school, joins us as an Aspirant Teacher and is
presently completing her degree at Brighton University where she is studying Sociology. Bryony will
train to teach Sociology and Humanities at the beginning of next year.
Mr Andrew Houghton, MA has been appointed to a post of responsibility within the Mathematics
Faculty. Andrew was educated at Birkdale High School in Southport and at Corpus Christi College,
University of Cambridge where he obtained a 2:1 degree in Mathematics. Andrew has taught in two
upper schools in Bedfordshire and was awarded his PGCE by the University of
Bedfordshire. Andrew will begin his work with us in September but will be visiting us for two days
in the summer term.
Governor Visit
Professor Bernard Barker, our newly appointed governor visited the school on a governor visit on 13
March 2013. A programme was developed in consultation with staff. This does not of course form
part of the assessment of staff in any sense, it is merely for information.
Safer Recruitment
To date the following members of the Senior Leadership Team have completed the course entitled
‘Recruiting Safely’ sponsored and validated by the Department of Education. This is an online course
and covers all aspects of recruiting and best practice. They are:







Dave Allman, Deputy Headteacher
Jeremy Scott, Deputy Headteacher
Sally Pringle, Bursar
Jonathan Huddleston, Assistant Headteacher
Jonathan Watson, Assistant Headteacher
Paul Clarke, Assistant Headteacher
Tara Haddock, Assistant Headteacher
The following staff have safer recruitment certificates which were supplied by the NCSL/DfE:





David Kennedy, Headteacher
Dave Allman, Deputy Headteacher
Sally Pringle, Bursar
Fran Cacciatore, PA to Headteacher and Clerk to Governing Body
Paul Clarke, Assistant Headteacher
Page 20 of 28
Report to Governing Body
Date 28 March 2013
The following additional members of staff are due to take the ‘Recruiting Safely’ course:






Jennie Rich, Officer Manager and Admissions Officer
Alison Sharman, Examinations Officer
Ian Cant, Assistant Headteacher
Angela Walker, Assistant Headteacher
Nigel Cook, Assistant Headteacher
Oliver Price, Assistant Headteacher
We will give further update at the meeting if the staff manage to complete by the 15th February.
Needlesstosay all interview panels at the school contain at least one or two people who have
completed this training. Fran Cacciatore also controls the administrative process prior to the
interview itself and ensures that all proper procedures are carried out.
We are currently going through the process of reaccrediting with new CRB checks staff whose CRBs
are now three years old.
National Professional Qualification for Senior and Middle Leadership
(NPQSL/NPQML)
I am delighted to inform you that the school has become involved in the National Professional
Qualification for Senior and Middle Leadership programme. This is one of three new national
qualifications offered by the National College for School Leadership. The National College has been
amalgamated with the Teaching Agency within the Department for Education and this is their first
new qualification. They are part of a modular curriculum which offers flexible development
opportunities to support leaders at every stage of their carer. The curriculum has five levels, with
each level offering a choice of modules that may be combined to pursue a nationally recognised
qualification or studied alone.
We have 17 teachers from The John Warner School who have shown an interest in obtaining this
qualification.
We are also inviting staff from our partner schools The Leventhorpe School and The E-act Burnham
Park Academy, together with some of our feeder primary schools with which we are in negotiation to
join the programme.
Admissions Report
The Admissions Officer, Mrs Rich will be sending a confidential report to all governors on the work
of the committee and on the secondary transfer for September 2013. This report deals in detail with a
highly complex area and we are guided at all times by the admissions code and our lawyer Mrs Kate
Grimley-Evans of Stone King. The appeals are scheduled for the first week in June. Mrs Rich’s
report is attached as Appendix C.
Page 21 of 28
Report to Governing Body
Date 28 March 2013
Finance and Premises Update by Bursar
Finance
I am pleased to report that the government have recently confirmed that the arrangements for a
regularity audit report will continue in 2012/13. Academies enjoy freedoms to manage resources so
they can focus on supporting students in achieving their aspirations. This is balanced with high
standards of accountability and transparency in the use of public funds. The annual external audit is a
key component in creating a strong assurance framework for academies. Specifically the audit will
remain as a limited assurance engagement reporting jointly to the Education Funding Agency and the
academy.
Governors may be aware that the Academies Finance and Assurance Steering Group is considering
whether any further information on the regularity audit may be helpful to support academies and their
auditors. This will be covered in the academies accounts direction 2012/13 due to be published in
May.
We anticipate receiving our final 2013/14 funding statement by the end of March. We have already
received provisional funding information for KS3 and KS4 and have agreed pupil numbers for KS3,
KS4 and post-16 back to our January census information.
The new Financial Management and Governance Self-assessment (FMGS) is part of the continuing
focus on reducing the administrative burden on academies. It is a much simpler and shorter
replacement for the Financial Management and Governance Evaluation (FMGE).
They have:
 Removed the requirement for every academy to submit an FMGE each year;
 Reduced the number of questions form over 150 in the FMGE to 21 in the FMGS;
 Focused on the essential requirements of robust financial management and governance as set
out in the new Academies Financial Handbook; and
 Created a more proportionate and tailored assurance framework that reflects the great
diversity in the academies sector.
They have designed the FMGS to:
 Help support new academies as they establish their financial management and governance
arrangements; and
 Provide appropriate assurance over the use of public funds until they and the academy
governors can place reliance on the work of the academy’s own registered auditor.
Insurance funding arrangements
Insurance funding for academies has been changed such that a standard payment based on the number
of pupils at the academy will be paid at a rate of £45 per student. This may cause particular
difficulties for the small academies. Academies should contact the EFA where this process particular
financial stress, particularly in the context of multi-year agreements.
An issue arises where insurance costs exceed OJEU procurement thresholds. The EFA/DfE continues
to urge academies to purchase their insurance through the recent purchasing Consortium framework
for this reason, although this is not mandatory. It may be that other sources of insurance are more
economic.
Audit committees and finance committees
The requirement in the new Academies Financial Handbook for the creation of audit committees
produced some confusion for academies where the governor resources are more limited. The EFA
later revised the guidance on the audit committee requirement as follows:
‘The wording in the academies financial handbook about audit committees has caused some
confusion. All Academy Trusts must establish either an audit committee or a committee which fulfils
Page 22 of 28
Report to Governing Body
Date 28 March 2013
the functions of an audit committee (ie it could be an addition to the terms of reference to an existing
committee, other than the finance committee, and have an overlapping or fully integrated
membership).’
This statement has been included to stress that any existing committee can also act as audit committee
and that this can include the finance committee. The government recognise that the statement is open
to interpretation and apologise for any confusion this may have caused. The wording will be changed
in the next edition of the Academies Financial Handbook.
Summer Schools
A bid has been submitted to the Department for Education for funding to run a two week summer
school programme. The summer school is an annex to the pupil premium and only for pupils joining
year 7 in September 2013. The aim is to improve transition between primary and secondary school
for all ‘Ever6’ free school meal pupils and children looked after who attract the pupil premium.
Eligible students will be identified through the department for Educations ‘Key to Success’ portal.
Based on our current year 7 students we anticipate the number will be between 30 – 35 and no more
than 37 which is our funding cap.
Real Time Information
From April 2013 employers and pension providers will report their payroll information to HM
Revenue and Customs in a new way.
They will send HMRC information about any payments and deductions they make to employees or
pension recipients each time they are made, as part of the payroll process. Payroll software will
simply collect the information and send it to HMRC online. This will replace the requirement to
complete an annual return of PAYE tax and National Insurance Contributions. This new way of
reporting payroll information will also support the operation of universal credit when the Department
for Work and Pensions introduce it in October 2013.
This additional requirement will be handled by our payroll provider Dataplan who we have been in
detailed discussion with to ensure a smooth transition.
Pupil Premium – High Ofsted Impact
The John Warner School converted to Academy Trust status on 1 April 2011. Its first full accounting
period was a 17 month period to 31 August 2012, and the following figures relate to that 17 month
period. We received a total of £70,179 in the above accounting period.
The Pupil Premium funding received by each school for any particular financial year is based on
number of students who took up their entitlement to a free school meal at that school on a named day.
It therefore is not sensitive enough to reflect changes to family financial status between two named
dates, nor does it reflect within year admissions, though the school itself would of course provide free
school meals for eligible children accordingly. A comprehensive statement is on the website.
How we spent the funding
We spent the funding in a variety of ways, targeting the specific needs of eligible pupils. These ways
include the provision of:


Enhanced identification and tracking systems for all vulnerable pupils, with particular focus
on pupils classified as FSM or CLA (£4,836)
1:1 and small group intervention programmes for pupils in years 7 to 11 to support those
pupils at risk of not achieving their potential in either English, mathematics, or both. These
include:
o Sessions with personalised learning tutors and other targeted support staff (£141,175)
Page 23 of 28
Report to Governing Body
Date 28 March 2013
o



Breakfast and twilight revision sessions with food and revision guides provided
(£1,699)
o Homework clubs targeting specific needs (£2,280)
ICT resources to enhance pupils reading, writing and communication skills Kindles (£712)
Bespoke counselling and therapy sessions for those with specific emotional needs, and related
staff CPD (£20,028)
Additional life-long learning and other personal, social and health education experiences, and
personal careers, enterprise and financial education (£25,939)
Impact of the funding in 2011-2012
On average, Year 11 Pupil Premium students achieved 8 A*-C passes. All students met or exceeded
their Capped Average Points Score target grades, and on average they exceeded their target grades in
English and in mathematics.
Plans for 2012-2013
In this academic year we expect to receive £85,200 for the Pupil Premium. The school will continue
to focus on monitoring and providing intervention based on the specific needs of all vulnerable groups
including those eligible for the Pupil Premium. We identify, though not exclusively, vulnerable pupils
as:














Those pupils about whom we have attendance rate concerns
Those pupils whose behaviour or academic performance placed them at risk of
underachievement
Those pupils who are at risk of underachievement as a consequence of monitored medical
conditions
Those pupils who, for a variety of reasons, are in receipt of Pastoral Support Plan
Those pupils who are admitted to the school mid-term.
Travellers
Children in need
Children for whom there is ‘Team around the family’ support in place
Young carers
Children who are looked after(CLA)
Children who have English as an Additional Language, or whose first language or home
language is not English
Children whose reading age is more than 18 months below their chronological age at the date
of their last reading test, and who therefore require additional support in order to access the
curriculum
Children on the special educational needs register (SEN), or as gifted or talented (G&T)
Children who are in receipt of free school meals (FSM)
We recognise that individual children may often be seen as fitting into more than one of these
particular vulnerable groups, and so take care to ensure that our many individualised programmes
address the needs of FSM and CLA children as a priority.
Catch Up Premium
The government have issued a new grant to improve literacy and numeracy for Year 7 pupils that did
not achieve at least level 4 in reading and/or mathematics at KS2 in 2012.
This funding is specifically aimed at this group of students and is to provide them with intensive
support, including individual tuition, small group teaching focusing on specific areas of weakness and
material and external services to support these activities.
Page 24 of 28
Report to Governing Body
Date 28 March 2013
We currently have 36 students in Year 7 and have introduced a number of strategies including the
purchase of specifically designed software for English and mathematics. Additional support with
reading has been put in place.
16-18 Bursary Fund
There are 25 students currently approved to receive either a discretionary or vulnerable group bursary.
This academic year we have funded field trips, transport for university visits and educational materials
including books to the value of £7,100.
Statutory accounts
Following Governors’ approval of the statutory accounts, I can confirm that they were lodged with
Companies House on the 8 December 2012 and with the Education Funding Agency on the 27
December 2012.
In addition to the statutory accounts the Education Funding Agency required a government style
annual accounts return to be submitted by the 31 January 2013. The auditors received our completed
return on 8 January 2013, signed off the audit and submitted to the Education Funding Agency on 29
January 2013. A copy of the letter of representation is attached to this report for Governors’
information. Unfortunately, there was no government funding made available to academies for this
additional audit.
Annual report
The Annual Report, as governors are aware, has been sent to Companies House and is displayed on
our website. It is important that governors know that the Department for Education have very clear
guidelines on what should be displayed on the website and that we are fully compliant with these rules
and this has been confirmed by Baker Tilly, the school’s accountants.
Budget
Budget
The accounts for 2012-13 have been re-profiled to include the additional grant funding received and
its associated expenditure. The budget reflects the current known staff position and recent
refurbishment costs.
Current salaries correspond to 81.81% of grant income with a predicted rise to 82.41% in 2014-15.
The increase in salaries takes into account incremental drift and an inflation factor. Automatic
enrolment to both the teachers and local government pension schemes at 01/05/2014 has been
included for all staff not currently participating.
Automatic enrolment will cause changes to the schools current local government scheme profile I
have augmented an increase to the employer rate to account for this prospective change. I would like
to thank Mr Oliver Price for ensuring the schools timetabling is very efficient with the curriculum
plan representing good value for money
KPI
Total Staff Costs
Salary Costs to
GAG Income (%)
Salary Costs to
Total Income (%)
Salary Costs as %
Total Expense
2012-13
5,000,988
2013-14
5,093,989
2014-15
5,312,164
2015-16
5,419,225
2016-17
5,478,884
81.81
80.11
82.41
82.22
80.81
75.77
74.69
76.85
76.74
75.50
76.13
77.33
77.62
77.64
77.50
Page 25 of 28
Report to Governing Body
Date 28 March 2013
FTE Teaching
Staff
FTE Support Staff
Total FTE
Total Pupil
Numbers
Pupil Teacher
Ratio
78.4
79.6
79.3
78.2
77.2
32.5
110.9
32.1
111.7
32.1
111.4
32.1
110.3
32.1
109.3
1,234
1,260
1,285
1,295
1,309
15.74
15.83
16.20
16.56
16.96
Responsible Officer’s Report
Ms Wendy Newby, the school’s Responsible Officer visited the school on Friday 8 March 2013 and
will present her report at the meeting. I would like to thank Ms Newby for the time she gives and her
support in what is an important role within the school. Her expertise is highly valued.
Contracts
Cleaning Contract
Evergreen The Cleaning Company Limited are working with us to improve the standard of clean
within the school. The main issue they have has been with the level of supervision provided on site.
Overall, the site is of a good standard however we have had issues in specific areas which are
currently being addressed by the company.
A new supervisor started on the school site on the 25 February and I am pleased to report that after
four days’ operation there is a noticeable difference in the standard of clean. The contract started in
September 2011 and will run for five years with an option to extend for a further two years.
Catering Contract
Over the last few months the Headteacher and I have been in discussion with Hertfordshire Catering
on ways to improve the service they provide for our students. We have asked them to review our
Sixth Form provision as we believe it is currently under-performing based on the number of Sixth
Formers on roll. We have requested they specifically look at the core offer and have agreed to
increase the range of food choice available to Sixth Formers and staff in the JWS Café, whilst still
keeping the healthy schools ethos.
With regards to the main school service, Hertfordshire Catering are in the process of introducing new
products and rotating menus more frequently. A detailed report was submitted to the Premises
Committee.
Premises
I am delighted to say that the Borough of Broxbourne has granted us renewal planning permission in
respect of the mobile classrooms. The permission is for a limited period expiring on the 31st
December 2015.
We have received our Display Energy Certificates (DEC) and Operational Ratings for the main
building, north block and science. In addition, due to a change in legislation, all buildings in excess
of 1000m2 now require a DEC certificate which is valid for 10 years. We have received certificates
in respect of the mathematics block and site/library centre. The current certificates show a one year
date only as we are still waiting for the government to release upgraded software. The new MFL and
Art Centre will not require to be certificated until next year.
Matthew Briscoe, Subject Leader for Physics has become the school’s Radiation Protection
Supervisor. Ionising radiation testing took place recently and I am pleased to confirm that
representative was pleased with the school’s documentation and storage facilities which complied
Page 26 of 28
Report to Governing Body
Date 28 March 2013
with all the legal requirements. The school will continue to buy into the radiation protection service
through the CLEAPPS membership scheme.
Governors will be interested to note that we have had a third survey of the premises by the local
authority on behalf of the Department for Education. This survey took place over a four day period
with surveyors measuring all external building areas and all external aspects of the school’s site
including car parking, hard and soft play areas and flower beds. We have been informed that this
information will be used as part of the capacity calculations of the school.
The PTA have funded the purchase of two external table tennis tables which have been installed at the
rear of the Mathematics Faculty Centre.
Health and safety
Mrs Sarah Hurwood, our Health and Safety Governor, undertook a site visit as part of her role on 26
November 2012. The visit focused primarily on the Design and Technology and Science Faculties, as
we had had two incidents in the recent months. Her report includes recommendations which will
facilitate a safer environment for the students. The next site visit has been scheduled for the last week
of the spring term. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mrs Hurwood for her contribution
and time she has given to this particular role.
As Governors are aware the school has experienced an ongoing problem over the winter months with
seagulls. Various strategies have been applied in the past with limited effect. With this in mind we
trialled the introduction of a Harrier Hawk to be flown at break and lunch times. Initially the hawk
was on site every day this has now been reduced to one break time per week and we are continuing to
monitor the seagull situation. In support of this we are flying a Harrier Kite from the top of the maths
block and site staff are litter picking all through break and lunch times. It is noticeable how the
amount of litter has reduced over this period.
We currently have three members of the teaching staff progressing through their PSV training to
enable them to drive the school minibus. They are: Miss Laraine Naughton, Miss Hayley WoodThompson and Mr Christopher Eley.
Site works
The Music block has now been completely refurbished. All flooring has been replaced, the building
has been painted internally and new furniture added. It was painted externally during the summer of
2012. A formal opening took place on 15 February 2013 by Charles Walker MP.
We have started the process of rejuvenating classrooms in the North block. Rooms 703 and 704 have
been painted, carpeted and furnished with new desks and chairs. The room layouts have been
changed to support teaching.
IT Support Staff
The IT support staff have been heavily involved in sourcing equipment to support students whose
reading and mathematics ages are below the norm. In support of this the school has therefore
purchased an additional 35 kindles, netbooks and Lexia software.
The IT support staff played an integral part, along with Mrs Jennie Rich, in designing our new school
website. Mr Adrian Morreale, ICT Technician, has written and introduced new room booking
systems for staff and redesigned the asset register to include PAT testing, lockers and computer
information.
Page 27 of 28
Report to Governing Body
Date 28 March 2013
As part of changes to the school library, the IT support staff have updated the library booking system
to allow students to borrow a range of resources such as kindles, cameras, netbooks and video
recording equipment.
The IT support staff are currently investigating alternative internet security programmes such as web
filtering software, which would provide greater flexibility for applying restrictions independently to
staff and students.
I commend this report to you.
David Kennedy
Headteacher
Page 28 of 28