Havant Academy

Havant Academy Wakefords Way, Havant, Hampshire, PO9 5JD

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Inadequate 4 This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The highly effective Principal and other leaders, including governors, have successfully brought about improvements in the quality of teaching and students’ achievements since the previous inspection. Consequently, the overall effectiveness of the school has improved significantly since the last inspection and is now good.  Students make good progress across the school in a wide range of subjects, including English and mathematics. This is because well-planned tasks and the good subject knowledge shown by teachers motivate students to work hard and complete work to a high quality.  Disabled students and those who have special educational needs make good progress because leaders identify their needs carefully and make sure students receive good support.  Standards by the end of Key Stage 4, although low on entry, are now higher for students. In 2014, the proportion of students that completed Year 11 and

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

gained five or more GCSE grades A* to C, including English and mathematics, was broadly in line with the national average. This demonstrates good achievement.  Marking of students’ work provides them with clear guidance and this helps them make good progress and understand what they need to improve.  The behaviour of students around the school and in lessons is good. Students attend well and say they enjoy their time in the school and feel safe.  Governors know the school well. They carefully check all aspects of the schools work and provide effective support and challenge to leaders.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teachers do not always give students work which is demanding enough to enable students to achieve as well as they could.  Teaching does not always challenge students to think deeply about what they are learning, and this means that not enough students make outstanding progress.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed students’ learning in 26 lessons, including six joint observations with members of the senior leadership team. Inspectors also observed students during assembly and their conduct around the school during break and lunchtime.  Inspectors held meetings with the Principal, members of the senior leadership team, other leaders, members of the governing body and the school’s improvement partner from The Kemnal Academies Trust.  In addition to speaking with students in lessons and informally around the building, inspectors spoke with two groups of students.  Fewer than ten parents responded to the online survey Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire. Inspectors considered the views of parents who responded to the schools own questionnaires and also responses to Ofsted’s staff questionnaire.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documents, including self-evaluation documentation, records of students’

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Information about this inspection

attainment and progress, and improvement plans. They analysed data relating to students’ achievements, looked at policies and checked safeguarding systems and procedures to promote students’ well-being.

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Inspection team

Chris King, Lead inspector Additional inspector

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Full report

In accordance with section 13 (4) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires special measures.

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Information about this school

 Havant Academy is a smaller-than-average-sized secondary school.  The proportion of disabled students and those with special educational needs is above average.  There is an above-average proportion of disadvantaged students supported by the pupil premium. The pupil premium is additional funding provided to schools for students entitled to free school meals and children who are looked-after.  The proportions of students who are from minority ethnic groups and of those who speak English as an additional language are below average.  The school meets the current government floor standard, which sets minimum expectations for students’ attainment and progress.  There are a small number of Key Stage 4 students who follow courses that are taught at Woodlands Education Centre. Students follow a variety of vocational programmes and a small number of GCSE courses.  The academy is part of The Kemnal Academies Trust.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further improve teaching by ensuring that all teachers:  use their strong subject knowledge to challenge all students to think deeply about what they are learning and to make links between new and prior learning  give students work which is always demanding enough to ensure that they can make rapid and sustained progress.

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The leadership and management are good

 Since the last inspection the Principal, supported by the other senior leaders, has worked successfully to drive forward the significant improvements required to raise achievement, improve teaching and raise students’ aspirations. As a result, a culture exists where teaching and good behaviour can flourish.  The school has taken effective action to monitor the quality of teaching and learning and to provide training that addresses individual teachers’ requirements along with whole-school needs. A strong culture of teachers working together within the school to share good practice is being developed. Teachers are positive about the training they have received and the progress the school continues to make.  The school’s evaluation of its performance is accurate. Improvement plans identify the right priorities for further improvement and the governing body monitors their effectiveness frequently.

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The leadership and management are good

 Middle leaders, many of whom are new to their posts, have worked closely with senior leaders and, as a result, they are now more rigorous in their monitoring. All are aware of the strengths and areas of development within their area.  Governors and senior staff have managed teachers’ performance effectively. Teachers’ pay awards are now linked to good student achievement.  The school continually reviews its curriculum so that it meets the needs of students within the school. Students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well. Students have the opportunity to debate topical issues through weekly current affairs discussions in tutor time, and have the opportunity to appreciate poetry, drama, art and music from different cultures. School trips and visits provide students with a good variety of experiences.  Students are well prepared for life in modern Britain, as well as for the next stage of their education and

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The leadership and management are good

for future employment. They use mathematical skills effectively and the school places much emphasis on developing students’ reading. Students understand right from wrong and learn about subjects such as diversity, and rights and responsibilities. Students are often given the opportunity to consider topical issues as part of their lessons.  Students say the advice they are given when choosing their subject preferences helps them make the right choices. Year 11 students receive independent careers advice which enables them to choose the best post-16 provision to support their career choice. Through effective academic and pastoral support, the school promotes equality of opportunity well for all students. The school has ensured that every student in the current Year 11 cohort has an appropriate destination for next academic year.  Additional funding is used effectively to support disadvantaged students with their learning. Students

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The leadership and management are good

receive additional support to improve their reading through the accelerated reader programme, and their mathematical skills through additional tuition.  The school carefully monitors the attendance and behaviour of students who are studying courses off site to ensure that they are making good progress and attend regularly. As a result, these students achieve well from their starting points.  Leaders fulfil their statutory duties in relation to safeguarding, and arrangements to keep students safe and policies are reviewed regularly and are effective.  The school’s engagement with parents has improved considerably since the last inspection. Regular communication and strategies, such as the use of parent forums and parent mail, have significantly increased the numbers positively engaging with the school, including of those who attend events such as parents’ evenings.  The Kemnal Academies Trust provides effective support for the school, supporting the school’s self-

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The leadership and management are good

evaluation through the moderation of its judgements and through training for staff, including the development of middle leaders.  Leadership and management are not yet outstanding because new middle leaders have not yet had time to make the quality of teaching high enough to drive outstanding progress for all students.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The governing body has a wide range of relevant skills and these are used effectively to monitor, challenge and support the work of senior leaders. Governors have a full understanding of the impact of pupil premium funding. They receive regular updates on the work of the school and supplement this information by visiting the school in order to look at teaching and students’ behaviour and to listen to what students have to say about it. Governors know what leaders have done to improve the quality of teaching. They carefully scrutinise recommendations for staff pay awards and only sanction pay rises when teachers have met their student achievement targets. Governors have undertaken appropriate training and are fully aware of the achievement of different groups of students compared to those in other schools nationally. They hold leaders firmly to account. Governors are actively involved in

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The leadership and management are good

developing the school’s strategic vision.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of students is good.  Students are polite, courteous and well mannered. Around the school they are well behaved and relate well to one another. This helps to ensure that the school is a calm and purposeful place. Students are proud of their school and enjoy telling visitors how much they now enjoy being in the school.  Students are keen to learn, follow the instructions of their teachers and take an active interest in the work they are given. They work hard in lessons, and this helps them to make good progress. There are a few occasions when some students do not engage fully and purposefully with their work. However, they do not interrupt the learning of others and such incidents are quickly addressed by teachers.  Students are punctual to school and to their lessons. Attendance is continually improving. Exclusions from school are falling.  Staff, parents and students who expressed their views were all positive about typical behaviour in the

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Behaviour

school. The vast majority noted significant improvements since the last inspection.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep students safe and secure is good.  Students have a good understanding of internet safety. The school promotes this well through assemblies which help students to understand how to stay safe.  Students are clear about what constitutes bullying. Records show that incidents, although they do occur, are rare and students confirm this. Students have confidence that the school deals with bullying effectively.  Parents and staff share the same, positive views about students’ safety.  Staff are appropriately trained and are vigilant in ensuring the safety of all students, including the most vulnerable.

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The quality of teaching is good

 There are very positive relationships between staff and students. This promotes a positive atmosphere in classrooms and promotes mutual respect. As a result, students want to do well and are prepared to work hard.  The marking of students’ work is effective because it gives students consistently clear guidance on how to improve their work or what they need to learn next. They are given the opportunity to discuss and consider these comments, and students routinely respond to the teachers’ suggestions. The good use of self-assessment helps students to reflect on what they have learnt, identify errors and come up with the steps which they will take to reach the next level of learning.  Teachers’ subject knowledge is good. They plan work carefully and use questions effectively to check students’ understanding, which promotes good learning. However, at times opportunities are missed to ask further questions to encourage students to think more deeply about the subject and their responses.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching assistants work well alongside teachers and provide good support to disadvantaged students, those who are disabled and those who have special educational needs. This is helping students to make consistently good progress.  The quality of teaching is good. It is not outstanding because teachers have not consistently ensured that work is demanding enough in some subjects. This means that students do not always make as much progress as they could.  Both literacy and numeracy are well planned for in the curriculum. Teachers ensure that all students read each day, and students benefit from opportunities in a range of subjects to reinforce their mathematical and literacy skills.  All aspects of English are taught well and students are encouraged to read often. Those who require help receive the support they need to learn to read fluently. Teachers encourage students to speak correctly and to use subject-specific vocabulary where appropriate. This has a positive impact on students’ writing,

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The quality of teaching is good

and their written work is of a good standard in content, style and presentation.

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is good

 Students join the school with well-below-average levels of attainment. They make good progress from their starting points, and sometimes do even better than this, to reach standards that are now broadly average in a wide range of GCSE subjects. This includes students from different backgrounds, as well as those who speak English as an additional language. In 2014, the proportion of students attaining five or more A* to C grades in their GCSE examinations, including English and mathematics, was broadly in line with the national average. These standards are due to rise to above national averages in 2015.  Since the last inspection, the school has taken decisive and effective action to improve students’ achievement. This is evident from the performance of students during the previous academic year. Students’ work from the current academic year clearly indicates that this rate of good progress continues.

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is good

 From their different starting points, students are now making good progress in English and in mathematics. In 2014, half the students in Year 11 made better than expected progress in English. Current students’ work shows that their rates of progress are continuing to improve in both English and mathematics.  In English in 2014, disadvantaged students made more progress than other students nationally and were broadly in line with their peers in the school. In mathematics, these students made slightly less progress than their peers and than other students nationally. In 2014, disadvantaged students achieved on average two thirds of a grade less in mathematics compared to their peers and just over a grade less compared to other students nationally. In English, these students achieved an average of half a grade less compared to their peers and less than a third of a grade compared to other students nationally.

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is good

These gaps are reducing rapidly and are narrowing still further for current students.  Disabled students and those with special educational needs make good progress in relation to their starting points. They benefit from individual programmes which ensure that they receive the specialised support they need as well as extra help in class.  Leaders are taking effective action to ensure equal opportunities for all students, foster good relations and tackle discrimination. Disabled students and those with special educational needs learn well in lessons because the support given helps them to complete tasks as well as they can. As a consequence of this support, they make as good progress as other students in the school.  No students were entered early for GCSE examinations in 2014.  The achievement of the small number of students who attend alternative provision is carefully monitored by the school. These students make good progress from their starting points.

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is good

 A lower-than-average number of students join the school with high levels of attainment in English and mathematics. Those that do usually make progress, in line with their peers.  Those students receiving additional catch up funding because of their low-level literacy and numeracy skills on entry to the school benefit from effective additional support. This enables them quickly to gain the skills they require to succeed in a range of subjects.

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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 failing

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Grade Judgement Description

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 136156 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 462643

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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 Secondary School category Academy sponsor-led Age range of pupils 11–16 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 379 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Barry Harwood Principal Helen Cassady Date of previous school inspection 3-4 July 2013 Telephone number 02392 473031 Fax number 02392 470384 Email address enquires@havantacademy.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 and 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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