Hawes Side Academy

Hawes Side Academy Pedders Lane, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY4 3HZ

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 Teaching is not good enough between Year 1 and Year 6 to enable pupils to achieve consistently well.  Teachers sometimes accept work that is not of a good enough quality.  The learning that takes place during independent activities is not always checked well enough.  Assessment data are not always sufficiently well used to make sure that activities are planned that help pupils to learn whatever their ability.  Teachers’ marking does not always provide good guidance to pupils on how to improve their work.  Pupils are not consistently given time to respond to teachers’ comments.  School leaders’ actions to improve teaching have not been fully successful in making sure that all teaching is good or better.  There is an overly positive view of the level of progress made by pupils.  School leaders do not focus clearly on how well teaching in lessons helps pupils to make good progress when checking on the quality of

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The school has the following strengths

 Pupils are courteous, friendly and polite. They feel safe in school, enjoy learning and get on well with each other and the adults around them.  Unconfirmed data from recent national assessments show attainment at the end of Year 6 is likely to be above the national average in reading and mathematics for those attaining the higher Level 6.  Children get off to a good start in the Reception class and make good progress.  There is some good and outstanding teaching across the school.  The ambitious leadership have introduced some successful strategies to drive up pupils’ progress. For example, a good range of small- group and one-to-one activities provide good support for those pupils with specific learning needs.  The international curriculum offers pupils a wide range of interesting learning experiences and the school contributes well to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 25 lessons, one of which was a joint observation with the deputy headteacher. They also looked at short sessions led by teaching assistants and listened to pupils reading.  Meetings were held with groups of pupils, members of the governing body, the school improvement professional and school staff.  The inspectors took account of 58 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and one letter from a parent. They also considered 24 staff questionnaires.  A range of documents were looked at, including the school’s analysis of how well it is doing, the school development plan, information about pupils’ progress, checks on the quality of teaching, minutes of governing body meetings and records relating to attendance and safeguarding. The inspectors also examined work in pupils’ books.

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Inspection team

Louise Murphy, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Doreen Davenport Additional Inspector Stephen Rigby Additional Inspector Anthony Kingston Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Hawes Side is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium is well above average. (The pupil premium is additional funding provided for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, children from services families and those children that are looked after by the local authority.)  Most pupils are from a White British heritage and speak English as their first language.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is well below average.  The proportion of pupils who are supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is slightly above average.  Hawes Side converted to become an academy school on 1 August 2012. When its predecessor school, of the same name, was last inspected by Ofsted it was judged to be good.  As this is a new school it is not possible to comment on the government’s current floor standard,

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Information about this school

which is the minimum expected for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching, especially between Year 1 and Year 6, so that progress is at least consistently good, by making sure that:  marking always shows pupils how to improve their work and they have the time to respond to teachers’ guidance and correct and edit their work  teachers use assessment data to plan activities that are not too easy or too hard for pupils  independent activities are well planned and pupils’ learning during these tasks is carefully checked  teachers always have high expectations of what pupils can achieve and the quality and quantity of work they produce.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the impact of school leaders by making sure that they:  have a clear view of the difference between expected progress and good progress  frequently check that agreed actions are driving progress forward quickly enough  check more carefully on the impact of teaching in lessons and on work in pupils’ books.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The school’s system for checking pupils’ progress and the 2013 unvalidated national assessment results for Year 6 pupils show that progress made by pupils is not consistently good enough between Year 1 and Year 6. Work seen in pupils’ books suggests that the quality and quantity of work that pupils are expected to produce are not always sufficiently high.  Information provided by the school shows that most pupils make the progress expected of them in reading, writing and mathematics.  Attainment in Year 2 and Year 6 is broadly average in reading, writing and mathematics. Results of the most recent national assessments show that a greater proportion of pupils attained standards at the higher level 6 in reading and mathematics at the end of Year 6 than those who did so nationally in previous years.  Pupils start the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills and knowledge below those typically expected. They get off to a strong start in the Reception class. This is because of the

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

consistently good teaching and well-planned learning activities that capture children’s interest and imagination. Having made good progress they are set to enter Year 1 at expected levels.  Younger pupils are taught to confidently use their matching letters and sounds skills to read new words. They are encouraged to read at home and reading records show that they do. Older pupils who read to inspectors did so clearly, competently and with great expression, clearly enjoying their books and the regular opportunities to read provided by their teachers.  Those pupils with special educational needs make good progress. This is because of the focused small-group sessions and individual teaching that they receive from well-trained teaching assistants.  The gaps between the attainment of pupils eligible for free school meals in English and mathematics and that of their non-eligible classmates are negligible. Moreover, a higher

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

proportion of eligible pupils made expected progress in reading and mathematics than did their non-eligible peers. This confirms the school’s commitment to equality of opportunity.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Although good and outstanding teaching was observed during the inspection, this is not consistent and does not yet result in good pupil progress across the school. In lessons in Year 1 to Year 6 the activities planned by teachers too often engage the whole class in very similar tasks, which are too easy for some pupils or too difficult for others, and this slows the pace of progress.  Teachers’ marking is not consistently effective in accelerating the rate of pupils’ progress. Whilst some marking provides a good level of guidance to pupils, giving praise where it is due and pointers on how to improve work, this good practice is not consistently followed. There are times when teachers compliment work that is of a poor quality. What is more, teachers’ comments are not regularly followed up because pupils are not given time to correct and edit their work.  Activities in lessons do not always engage pupils in their learning. The best lessons are well

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

planned and pupils are challenged, share ideas and reflect on learning. Moreover, teachers use good questioning skills to check pupils’ understanding as the lesson proceeds. All of these qualities were seen during an outstanding Year 5 lesson in which pupils worked together to explore the characters from their class reader. Pupils confidently expressed their opinions and were highly motivated by the opportunity to film their role play. The same level of engagement is not seen in lessons where independent or group activities are not well planned and the work that pupils complete without the support of an adult is not carefully checked.  Teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage is good. For example, children in the Reception class were immersed in learning as they reflected on the visit they had made to the beach the day before the inspection. Pupils were making and selling ice creams, explaining how they had

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

found treasure on the beach and practising their writing and number skills with great enthusiasm and a determination to complete their tasks.  The school collects data on how well pupils are doing, which are shared with class teachers. The information is used very well to identify pupils, such as those eligible for pupil premium funding, who would benefit from small-group or individual sessions with teaching assistants; in these sessions pupils make good progress.  Teachers successfully establish good working relationships with their pupils. As a result, pupils’ behaviour is managed well, often with the skilled use of praise and encouragement.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ attitudes to learning are good. Those who spoke to inspectors said that they like their teachers because ‘they help us when we are stuck’. Moreover, they get on well with each other; one pupil said, ‘We realise that colour doesn’t matter and neither does religion. It is personality and what is in heads and hearts.’  Pupils are polite and courteous. During the inspection they behaved well at all times, showing respect for each other and the adults around them. School records confirm that this is typical behaviour. Occasionally, when work is not at the correct level, a few pupils become distracted from their learning.  Pupils have a good understanding of the different forms that bullying can take, including cyber- bullying. They are confident that bullying is very rare and adults help to resolve any issues quickly and effectively.  Pupils feel safe in school and most parents agree that their children are well looked after.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

Effective partnerships with parents and external agencies make certain that pupils who give any cause for concern are identified early and that appropriate support is provided.  Hawes Side provides a range of opportunities to help pupils develop their sense of responsibility. For example, they enthusiastically take on roles such as green councillors who make sure that everyone is environmentally aware. There are also greeters who welcome visitors into the classroom and explain what is going on in a very friendly and informative way.  Pupils are extremely proud of their fundraising efforts. Year 6 pupils run a daily tuck shop, sorting out a range of healthy snacks on an attractive trolley, taking charge of the money and then sending profits made to their link school in Ghana.  The school works hard to promote attendance, and average attendance rates show that most pupils attend regularly.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 The bar that leaders set to show good pupil progress is too low; this leads to an inflated view of the school’s overall effectiveness and targets for improvement which are not high enough.  Checking on test results and other information helps leaders identify how well pupils are doing, enables them to provide effective support for those who are falling behind and ensures that most pupils make expected progress. This information is not used well enough, however, to set pupils challenging targets to ensure that the majority make good progress.  Arrangements for the performance management of teachers’ work are secure and well established. Teachers’ professional development is given appropriate emphasis. Staff are encouraged to attend training and link with staff in other schools to address school priorities and their own developmental needs. There are systems in place to reward teachers where performance is good or better and to deal with underperformance.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 Leaders regularly check on teaching and this is beginning to secure improvements. However, observations of teaching often focus too much on how teachers teach rather than on how well pupils learn and the quality of the work that they are producing. As a result, leaders have a too positive view of the quality of teaching and learning and this impedes the rate of improvement.  Some actions taken by leaders and managers have successfully been introduced. For example, new methods of teaching reading that make pupils more enthusiastic readers have contributed towards improving attainment in reading this year. However, all actions are not so successful because they have not been in place long enough to make an impact. For example, sometimes when pupils are encouraged to find things out for themselves they do not produce work of good enough quality and quantity and this slows progress.  The curriculum is enriched by a range of after-school activities and trips. The international

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The leadership and management require improvement

curriculum is a strength of the school. It encourages the pupils to link with schools across the world and share their experiences. Good attention is given to personal development and this effectively promotes spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  The governance of the school:  The supportive governing body has strong links with the school. Governors are kept informed by the headteacher regarding the progress of pupils and the quality of teaching. As yet, they do not use national data well enough to challenge the school regarding the lower proportion of pupils making better than expected progress in comparison to national levels. However, governors are keen to undertake training to help them challenge and support the school even more effectively. They have sufficient involvement in consideration of the quality of teachers’ work and their pay and know that pupil premium funding is spent to good effect. All statutory

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The leadership and management require improvement

duties are fulfilled including financial and safeguarding requirements.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 138538 Local authority Blackpool Inspection number 412934

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Academy converter School category Non-maintained Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 618 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Sarah Blair Principal Michael Shepherd Date of previous school inspection Not applicable Telephone number 01253 761403 Fax number 01253 838868 Email address michael.shepherd@hawes-side.co.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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School details

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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