Hadleigh High School

Hadleigh High School High Lands Road, Hadleigh, Ipswich IP7 5HU

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Overall effectiveness Good

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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This is a good school

 Leaders have established a sustained culture of improvement across the academy. Achievement overall rose significantly in the most recently published examination results, and the current progress of pupils is stronger still.  Governors are knowledgeable about the work of the academy, and provide an effective balance of challenge and support. They hold leaders to account effectively and perform their statutory duties well.  The skills of middle leaders have improved in almost all curriculum areas, and in other areas of responsibility too. They are increasingly effective in making the academy’s vision for its academic success into a reality.  Teachers are dedicated and skilled, and their professional development has raised the quality of teaching in many subjects, with a subsequent impact on achievement.  Pupils feel happy and safe in this academy. They know that the academy staff will respond quickly to any worries or concerns, and feel well prepared

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This is a good school

for their lives outside of the academy.  Pupils participate well in their learning; they are keen to please their teachers, and their positive approach to their education is a key strength of this academy.  The spiritual, moral, social and cultural provision for pupils is wide-ranging, and provides many opportunities for personal development and reflection, both within the curriculum and through the broad range of extra-curricular activities, which are valued by both pupils and their parents.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The improvements seen in achievement, the quality of teaching and leadership and management in most subjects in the curriculum have not been as rapid in mathematics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further accelerate the progress of all pupils in mathematics, so that attainment in 2016 is at least in line with the national average, by: ensuring that teachers adapt activities as necessary during lessons, in order to maximise the progress made by all groups of pupils improving further the impact of leadership and management in mathematics, so that the quality of teaching in all classes is consistent with the best practice in this subject ensuring that the level of challenge in smaller classes is as high as it is in larger teaching groups making sure that teachers give clearer guidance to pupils about how to improve their work, and build in opportunities for pupils to act upon this advice.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The headteacher and her senior leaders have established a culture of improvement across the academy. Their vision has the support of staff and pupils and is endorsed by the vast majority of parents. The impact of this culture can be seen in rising achievement in many subjects over a sustained period of time, and in the willing participation of pupils both in and beyond the formal curriculum.  Senior leaders have identified the academy’s areas of strength, along with those that require improvement, with great accuracy. They have increased their capacity to address the weaker areas through more detailed oversight, enhanced professional development, and more rigorous monitoring of the quality of teaching. These changes have brought about a common approach to assessment, and a renewed focus on classroom practice, which has raised the quality of teaching across the curriculum.  Middle leaders are outward-looking, and have developed their leadership skills through visits to other

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

schools in order to see and adopt the best practice in their areas of responsibility. They are driving further improvement, particularly in terms of current progress, by ensuring the rigorous application of academy policy on assessment, and by ensuring that improvements to the quality of teaching are applied throughout their curriculum areas.  The curriculum has the necessary breadth and balance to both increase the enjoyment of learning for pupils, and prepare them well for the next stage in their education. Academy leaders review the design of the curriculum on a regular basis, seeking the opinions of pupils and parents. The curriculum is well matched to the needs of pupils, and helps them enjoy their learning. Both pupils and their parents feel that the curriculum is enhanced by the wide range of extra-curricular activities and visits on offer, including a variety of sporting activities, drama and musical performances and cultural visits to other

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

countries.  The provision for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils is a strength of the academy. Leaders audit the contributions of different curriculum areas, and routinely check the quality of this work across the academy. A rich variety of displays celebrate success in pupils’ work for charities, for the local community and in helping each other. For example, current work with the local community on the Hadleigh Great War Centenary project involves a number of subject areas, with Year 9 pupils taking a lead role.  Pupils have a wide range of opportunities to explore British values, and are well prepared for life in modern Britain. British law, democracy and human rights are integral topics within the curriculum, and further development takes place through extra-curricular activities as well as within the academy day. For example, inspectors saw a Year 11 registration group debating the definition of immigration, and its moral

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

and economic implications for British society today. As a result, pupils are highly tolerant and respectful of both adults and their peers, and can talk articulately about their developing roles and responsibilities within the wider community.  The academy’s safeguarding provision meets statutory requirements. The academy collaborates well with parents, carers and external agencies in order to keep pupils safe, and follows concerns through to a conclusion. Staff are trained appropriately and regularly, and know how to raise safeguarding concerns.  The provision for pupils supported by the pupil premium is having a positive impact on their achievement. Expenditure funds small-group teaching by teachers and teaching assistants, extra classes in literacy and numeracy, and individual support for pupils. The impact of this provision can be seen in the rising levels of achievement for disadvantaged pupils, whose progress matches and often exceeds that of other pupils.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 Leadership and management in mathematics has had less impact than in other curriculum areas. Improvements in the quality of teaching, and evidence of more rapid progress, can be seen in some classes, but are less evident in smaller teaching groups. The advances made do not match the pace of change seen in other subjects. Senior leaders have increased their capacity to address this weakness, and new staff have been appointed, but the impact of these changes is not consistent across this subject.  The governance of the school  Governors are effective, and share senior leaders’ accurate evaluation of the academy’s performance. They confirm the accuracy of the information they receive with frequent visits to the academy, through regular discussions with staff, pupils and parents and through the commissioning of external advice and support.  Governors scrutinise the arrangements for the management of teachers’ performance in detail. They

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

ensure that objectives for leaders and teachers directly reflect key areas of the academy’s improvement plan. Salary progression is closely linked to the progress that pupils make.  Governors perform their statutory duties well. Link governors effectively review key aspects of the academy’s work, such as safeguarding and the work of individual subject areas. Their reports ensure that the governing body is well informed about the safety, behaviour and academic progress of pupils, and the quality of teaching in the academy.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Leaders have made improving the quality of teaching, learning and assessment a priority, and have developed creative approaches to modelling and sharing good practice. Consequently, good teaching over time has led to good progress across all year groups in almost all subjects. Teachers are dedicated and enthusiastic, and pupils respond positively.  Teachers have high expectations of pupils’ work and behaviour. They expect pupils to participate well in learning activities, and this is consistently the case across the curriculum. For example, pupils in a Year 7 physical education lesson adapted enthusiastically to a range of tasks designed to link specific activities to individual muscles.  Teachers in many subjects adapt their plans well to meet the needs of individual learners. Where necessary, teachers give pupils supporting materials to help them access the activities; for example, the teacher used such resources in a Year 10 biology lesson to ensure that all pupils made good progress

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

from their starting points, and their understanding of the applications of genetic engineering was deepened significantly.  Exemplary planning is founded on strong subject knowledge in most subjects. For example, in a Year 8 English lesson, pupils were given detailed action points based on the teacher’s assessment of recent homework, and then guided to specific areas of development based on the explanation of quotations that met their individual needs.  Teaching assistants are well deployed and give effective support and challenge to pupils, drawing upon their subject knowledge. They ask questions that make pupils think for themselves and arrive at their own answers, and this is making progress more rapid for this group of pupils.  Literacy is developed well across the curriculum. Displays in every classroom are reinforced with a literacy focus for each half term, and Key Stage 3 pupils are rewarded according to the amount of reading they

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

undertake outside of lessons. Form tutors play an effective role in a coordinated approach to developing literacy: for example, in one Year 7 class, the tutor led pupils through a game designed to help them interpret the meaning of unfamiliar words by their context.  Similarly, communication skills are developed well in a range of subjects. Oral contributions from pupils are common across the curriculum, and are not limited to the most articulate or most-able pupils. In one Year 9 lesson, for example, a group of less-able pupils demonstrated great confidence as they volunteered answers orally in French.  Teaching is well matched to the needs of learners in most subjects. In a Year 8 geography lesson on rainforests, for example, pupils chose from a range of activities which were closely linked to their target grades and recent assessments. They made good progress because of the continuity with their previous

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

learning.  The strongly positive relationships between teachers and pupils is a consistent feature across subjects and year groups, and progress is more rapid as a result. Most pupils take great pride in their work, and are keen to work hard for their teachers.  Although many teachers clearly devote substantial time to the assessment of pupils’ work, the guidance given to them on how to improve it sometimes lacks precision. Where guidance is more effective, pupils are not always given the opportunity to act on the advice given.  In mathematics, not all teachers adapt activities as necessary during lessons, in order to maximise the progress made by all groups of pupils. Pupils sometimes finish work and have to wait for further challenge, and this limits their progress. This slower progress is most apparent in smaller teaching groups.  The use of numeracy is less well developed across the curriculum. Although good examples of pupils

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

using charts and graphs were seen in geography lessons, these skills are not sufficiently developed across other subjects.

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Personal development and welfare

 The academy’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Pupils are proud of their academy and value their teachers. They speak highly of the opportunities that are provided for them, both within lessons and in extra-curricular activities.  Attendance improved significantly in 2014, and substantially improved again in 2015. It is above the national average and is consistently high for all groups. The percentage of pupils who are persistently absent fell in 2014 and again in 2015, and is now lower than the national average. Pupils say that they enjoy coming to the academy, and improvements to the quality of teaching have increased the eagerness of pupils to participate in learning. Punctuality to academy and to individual lessons is good.  Pupils feel safe in the academy, and inspection evidence confirms the views of most parents that their children are well looked after. The academy monitors the personal development, behaviour and welfare of

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Personal development and welfare

those in alternative provision on a regular basis, increasing the frequency of monitoring visits where the needs of individual pupils demand greater support.  Pupils understand how to stay safe when they are not in the academy. They know how to avoid potentially harmful situations, and to report online issues that pose a threat to their safety. They described assemblies and lessons that helped them learn how to calculate the risks associated with gang culture, substance misuse and other threats to personal safety.  The academy’s provision for pupils’ personal development and welfare is not yet outstanding because pupils are not self-sufficient in their participation in academy life. They rely heavily on teacher direction to set their expectations of themselves and are content to wait for direction rather than voluntarily seeking to extend their knowledge, skills and understanding.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Disruption to learning is rare, and should it happen, it is effectively dealt with by staff. Consequently, pupils are able to focus well on the activities planned by their teachers.  Behaviour in informal situations is also good. Pupils enter the dining room in an orderly manner, wait patiently to be served, and enjoy positive relationships with staff on duty. They are considerate to each other on the corridors, and pupils of all ages mix well; they are polite and helpful to visitors.  Bullying is rare and is dealt with well by academy leaders when it does occur. Homophobic or other discriminatory behaviour is even more infrequent, and pupils have confidence in the effectiveness of the response from staff.  Pupils look after the academy site well. They look after the academy’s facilities, and there was no evidence seen of graffiti during the inspection, and little litter.

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Behaviour

 Exclusions were higher than average in the last two years, due to the repeat exclusions of a small group of pupils. Academy staff have introduced a ‘Choices’ programme run in partnership with parents, agencies and key academy staff, which, along with modifications to the curriculum and the use of alternative provision, has resulted in a marked fall in the number of exclusions.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 The overall achievement of pupils strengthened significantly in 2014 and in 2015. The significant attainment gap between the academy and the national average was eliminated, and the average point score achieved by pupils in their best eight qualifications rose to a level that was significantly above average. This was in contrast to the trend in other academies nationally. The current progress in the academy shows further improvement in almost all subjects.  The progress of disadvantaged pupils is now rapid. The proportions making expected progress in 2015 in both English and mathematics improved substantially, and exceeded the proportions of other pupils nationally who made expected progress in these subjects. This improvement is being sustained for pupils who currently attend the academy: their progress in a wide range of subjects matches or exceeds that of their peers.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs progress as well as their peers. Their

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Outcomes for pupils are good

progress is broadly in line with that of other pupils with the same starting points, and can be more rapid in particular subjects and year groups, such as in mathematics in Year 8.  Achievement in individual subjects also improved in 2014: progress in science, modern foreign languages and the humanities subjects was significantly higher than progress in these subjects nationally, and progress is similarly rapid for current pupils.  Progress in English also improved substantially in 2014, and, although issues relating to coursework moderation limited further progress in 2015, current progress is very rapid for all groups of pupils.  The outcomes for pupils have been significantly improved as a result of the more rapid progress seen in many subjects. All pupils who left the academy in 2014 and 2015 found sustained opportunities for training, education or employment.  The progress and attainment of the most-able pupils was in line with the most-able nationally in 2014.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

The current achievement of this group is generally stronger than it was last year, and particularly in science and English, due to improvements in the quality of teaching and the closer monitoring of progress by middle and senior leaders.  Pupils in alternative provision are making expected progress from their individual starting points in English, mathematics and science. Those who attend such provision also make good progress in a range of vocational qualifications, including dance, and sport and business.  The current rapid progress seen across the academy in a wide range of subjects is not seen consistently in mathematics. Initial information on achievement in the summer of 2015 shows that the proportion of pupils making expected and more than expected progress in mathematics continues to improve, and is now just below the national average. However, this improvement is from a starting point that was

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Outcomes for pupils are good

significantly below expectations in 2014; the rate of progress currently seen in some smaller classes, and in their work over time, is not sufficiently rapid and does not match that found in other and larger classes in this subject.

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School details

Unique reference number 136918 Local authority Suffolk Inspection number 10000738

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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School details

Type of school Secondary comprehensive School category Academy converter Age range of pupils 11–16 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 767 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Sandy Davies Headteacher/Principal/Teacher in charge Caroline Gibson Telephone number 01473 823496 Website www.hadleighhigh.net Email address office@hadleighhigh.net Date of previous inspection 21–22 May 2012

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Information about this school

 This academy is smaller than the average-sized secondary school.  The proportion of pupils who are disabled or who have special educational needs is above average.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium is below average. This is additional government funding for pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those in local authority care.  The large majority of pupils are White British. The number of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is below average, as is the proportion who speak English as an additional language.  A very small number of pupils attend alternative provision on a part-time basis at Easton & Otley College.  The academy meets the current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for the attainment and progress of pupils.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors made short visits and more extended observations of pupils’ learning in 37 lessons, including five joint observations with senior staff.  Inspectors met with governors, staff and pupils from different year groups.  Members of the inspection team observed the pupils at work in class, and at informal times, such as on arrival at school and during break- and lunchtime.  The inspection team considered 86 parent responses to Parent View, the online survey for parents provided by Ofsted, together with 45 free text responses from parents.  Inspectors scrutinised documentation including leaders’ evaluation of the academy’s performance, the school improvement plan, information relating to the quality of teaching, data on pupils’ attainment and progress, academy policies and procedures, and the academy’s arrangements for safeguarding.  Inspectors analysed 45 questionnaires completed by members of staff.

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Information about this inspection

 Members of the inspection team attended an assembly and observed the work of several tutor groups.

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Inspection team

Anthony Sharpe, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Ian Middleton Her Majesty’s Inspector Ceri Evans Ofsted Inspector Alison Garner Ofsted Inspector Vanessa Love Ofsted Inspector guidance 'Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . 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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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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Inspection team

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, further education and skills, 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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

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