Hemsworth Arts and Community Academy

Hemsworth Arts and Community Academy Wakefield Road, Hemsworth, Pontefract, West Yorkshire WF9 4AB

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders have not ensured that teaching is consistently strong enough to secure good outcomes for pupils across different year groups and in a range of subjects.  The curriculum does not ensure that all pupils in key stage 4 follow courses appropriate to their needs and aptitudes. This has contributed to some pupils losing interest in learning in some lessons in some subjects.  The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is variable, particularly in key stage 3. Some teachers do not provide pupils with work which challenges them to make good progress.  Attendance is below average and is not improving rapidly for all groups of pupils.  Overall, pupils do not make good progress from their starting points. Achievement is improving in some subjects, but not quickly enough in all subjects for different groups of pupils.  The school's behaviour policy is not used consistently well by all teachers. Some teachers

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

do not have high enough expectations of pupils and, as a result, pupils do not act in accordance with behavioural norms.  A significant minority of pupils do not comply with the school's high expectations of behaviour, both in the classroom and when moving around school. Consequently, fixed- term exclusions are well above average.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leadership of the sixth form is good. Sixth form teaching is good and students are supported well.  Senior and middle leaders have ensured that some improvements have taken place since the previous inspection. Teachers are now held more robustly to account.  Teaching assistants support pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities well.  The school's work to promote pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is good. There is a well-planned, effective programme, which gives pupils the opportunity to reflect on a wide range of issues.  Pupils receive effective and impartial guidance about post-16 options. As a result, the vast majority move on to appropriate further education, employment or training.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management by ensuring that leaders: – address the remaining inconsistencies in teaching – implement planned changes to the curriculum to engage all pupils' interests and aptitudes.  Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment so that all pupils make at least good progress by ensuring that: – pupils, regardless of their academic ability, are provided with work which challenges them to make rapid and sustained progress – all teachers have high expectations of pupils' behaviour and the standard of work pupils' produce.  Improve pupils' behaviour and attendance by: – insisting that the school's behaviour policy is followed consistently – reducing the proportion of pupils who disrupt the learning of others – taking effective action to reduce overall absence and the number of pupils who are persistently absent from school, including disadvantaged pupils.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 Leaders' endeavours have not secured sufficient improvement to ensure that pupils achieve as well as they could. In 2016, Year 11 pupils' progress was below average. The progress of current pupils is accelerating, but is still not consistently good.  Leaders have recognised that the curriculum does not meet the needs of the pupils, particularly in key stage 4. Some pupils are not following the most appropriate courses to cater for their interests and aptitudes. This is most apparent in modern foreign languages, where there are a considerable number of less well-motivated pupils. Leaders, including governors, have conducted a full review of the curriculum. Plans are in place for the new curriculum to start in September 2017.  The principal and her leadership team have focused on the areas for improvement identified at the time of the previous inspection. However, improvements made to the quality of teaching and pupils' progress have not been rapid enough. Leaders have now

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

developed robust plans for further improvement.  The progress of disadvantaged pupils in 2016, by the end of Year 11, showed a deficit between standards achieved by this group and other pupils nationally. Leaders' information about pupil progress, confirmed by a detailed scrutiny of pupils' workbooks across all year groups, shows that disadvantaged pupils are making better progress currently. In Years 7 and 8, there is no discernible difference between the progress of the disadvantaged and their non-disadvantaged peers with the same starting points. This is because of the increasingly effective use of pupil premium funding since the previous inspection.  Senior leaders have given middle leaders greater responsibility and they are rising to the challenge increasingly well. Middle leaders identify clearly the improvements that have been made already in their areas of responsibility. They show no complacency

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

and are very aware that there is still much work to do.  Wakefield City Academies Trust has provided effective support to English, mathematics and science subject leaders. Trust staff have also worked with pupils directly. For example, a specialist in mathematics has worked with groups of Year 11 pupils to improve their grades. These intervention groups have been effective. Leaders and teachers have responded well to this support. Consequently, the quality of teaching and the progress made by pupils have improved in English, mathematics and science.  The Year 7 catch-up funding is used effectively to drive up standards for those pupils who are not yet ready for the demands of secondary school English and mathematics. Pupils speak highly of the support they receive in these areas.  Leaders have used funding for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities effectively. Both the identification and the support of these pupils are robust

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

and ensure that they make appropriate progress.  There are now effective systems in place to check the quality of teaching and learning. The performance management of teachers has been strengthened recently. There is now a more rigorous system in place, with appropriately challenging targets. However, the changes implemented have not had sufficient time to have real impact. There is a thorough system in place, involving governors, to ensure that those teachers who move through the pay thresholds do so on merit.  Spiritual, moral, social and cultural education was highlighted as a strength in the previous inspection and continues to be so. There is a well-planned programme delivered in curriculum time and form periods. This is supplemented by three days in the year where the normal timetable is suspended to allow pupils to focus on particular issues. The emphasis is on giving pupils the time to reflect on a wide range of issues,

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

from global matters to those which directly affect their everyday lives. During the inspection, for example, key stage 3 pupils in form time watched a video, made by pupils of the academy, about the impact of mobile phones on modern life.  Leaders provide an extensive range of extra-curricular activities to enhance the curriculum. Both pupils and governors see this as a strength of the school.

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Governance of the school

 The organisation of governance has improved considerably since the previous inspection, but the impact of these changes is not yet fully apparent. Governors now have effective systems in place, including frequent visits to school, to check on progress and to ensure that the school is improving. Middle leaders, for example, have found their contact with governors useful. As a consequence, governors now know the school well. They have a better understanding of the overall effectiveness of the school and where further improvements are necessary.  Governors have developed the skills and expertise to support their work. They know how to analyse pupils' assessment information. They use this skill not only to evaluate examination performance but also to ensure that current pupils are making better progress.  The systems that governors have introduced and the skills they have developed are not sufficiently embedded to secure good outcomes for all groups of pupils. Nevertheless,

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Governance of the school

an analysis of governors' minutes and conversations with governors show that they are now providing real challenge and support to leaders. Governors are not afraid to challenge leaders about their judgements. They question leaders about examination results and the progress of current pupils rigorously.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff and governors are very clear about their responsibilities to keep pupils safe.  There is a clear ethos about the school that sets the safety of pupils as a high priority. Staff are vigilant. Leaders deal with identified concerns promptly. Record-keeping shows that referrals are followed up in a robust manner. Leaders work closely with external agencies in the community to ensure that appropriate action is taken to keep the most vulnerable pupils safe.  The site is large and not easy to manage. However, there is extensive staff presence at key times and security cameras are in operation. Leaders think carefully about security, and plans are in place, for example, to improve matters further by the installation of electronic gates.  Pupils have a clear understanding of how to keep safe and assess the risks which might affect them. School leaders, for example, have effectively alerted all year groups to the

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Safeguarding

dangers involved when working online. As a result, pupils can explain clearly what they do to keep themselves safe online.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 Teaching is not consistently strong. It does not ensure that pupils make good progress across all year groups. Despite recent improvements, there is still too much variability between and within subjects.  Teachers do not set work which challenges pupils of all abilities consistently well. Some fail to use the school's behaviour policy effectively. As a result, low-level disruption really slows the pace of learning.  Teaching in modern foreign languages in key stage 4 has not engaged all pupils well. Teachers have not been successful in meeting the different needs of the pupils. As a result, pupils are not making good progress. In key stage 3, there are signs that teachers are setting appropriately challenging work and preparing pupils better for the challenges of GCSE examinations in the future.  Teaching has clearly improved in mathematics since the previous inspection. More consistency across the department and an emphasis on setting challenging work which

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

matches the needs of pupils have brought about better progress in both key stage 3 and key stage 4. However, leaders are aware that there is still work to do to develop teaching, particularly so that lower-ability pupils make good progress.  There have been improvements too in the teaching of English and science. A detailed scrutiny of pupils' workbooks showed that higher teacher expectations have led to pupils making better progress. In turn, these expectations have increased pupils' pride in their work. However, leaders in these subjects are clear that there is still inconsistency within their departments.  Leaders have focused intensively on improving pupils' reading and writing skills. These strategies are starting to have some success. The most able read with fluency and expression. Lower-ability readers use a range of techniques to tackle words they find more difficult. Pupils understand how the school is developing their reading with

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

timetabled literacy lessons, competitions and lessons where everybody reads in class.  Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities receive effective support. Teaching assistants benefit from the training they receive and make a good contribution to pupils' learning. They support pupils with a range of needs and have the knowledge and skills to respond to pupils' questions well. They intervene promptly when pupils struggle to understand their work.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school's work to promote pupils' personal development and welfare is good. Pupils are increasingly aware of how to be a successful learner, because teachers provide pupils with clear targets and encourage them to reflect on their learning and make improvements.  Most pupils wear their uniform smartly and show a pride in their work, which is now well presented in their books.  Pupils benefit from very effective careers information, advice and guidance, which starts in Year 7 and goes right through their school career. As a result, there are very few pupils at the end of Year 11 who do not go into appropriate education, employment or training. Year 11 pupils were quick to stress to inspectors that they receive information on all the possible post-16 pathways. They also said how useful their individual interviews had been in helping them make the right choices.  Pupils receive a wide range of information about keeping themselves safe through

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Personal development and welfare

assemblies, lessons and ‘drop-down days’. They have a good understanding of online safety. The taught programme is flexible. Leaders respond quickly to any risks which arise in the community, such as those associated with off-road motorcycles and young, inexperienced car drivers.  Pupils report that they feel safe and know who to go to if they have any problems. The school responds well to any bullying which occurs. Records show how issues are resolved. Pupils have confidence in the staff to deal with any issues that are raised.  Pupils benefit from the opportunities to reflect on issues and develop their personal views, especially in personal, social and health education lessons and form time. The regular reflection time in form periods is just one example of this.  Pupils who attend off-site provision are well looked after. Leaders have put in place clear procedures to check pupils' attendance, behaviour and safety.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement. Attendance remains below the national average. Leaders review strategies to improve attendance regularly. Well-developed systems are in place to check attendance and reduce absence. However, improvements are not always sustained.  Some pupils have not developed sufficiently positive attitudes to learning. When teaching lacks challenge and expectation, the poor attitudes of some pupils remain unchallenged. As a result, low-level disruption in lessons often prevents pupils from making the progress they should. Pupils say that behaviour in class varies, depending on the teacher.  Pupils can be boisterous at the changeover of lessons. The high staff presence ensures that the school remains orderly and that pupils move purposely to lessons. The situation is similar at breaks and lunchtime. Inspectors did hear some bad language from a minority of pupils during the inspection.

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Behaviour

 Only 63% of the staff who completed Ofsted's online questionnaire said that pupils' behaviour is good. Pupils who spoke to inspectors said that behaviour has improved, but is still variable in lessons. These views are reflected in the number of pupils who are excluded from the school. This number is well above the national average.  In many classes, pupils' behaviour is more positive because the teaching ensures that they are interested and challenged by their work. Furthermore, teachers use the behaviour sanctions promptly and do not allow even the slightest disruption or lack of focus to escalate. In these classes, pupils are able to focus more effectively.  Leaders use alternative provision appropriately to cater for the needs of individual pupils.

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 In 2016, the Year 11 pupils did not attain their target grades in many subjects, including English and languages. Pupils made better progress in mathematics and humanities. Progress in these subjects is now in line with the national average.  Leaders' information about current pupils' progress shows that progress overall is improving across the school. Inspectors confirmed this analysis through a scrutiny of the work in pupils' books. However, there remains too much variation across different subjects, year groups and groups of pupils. The progress made by the most able pupils requires improvement.  Progress in languages remains weak in key stage 4, but is stronger in key stage 3. Progress in mathematics continues to improve across both key stages. Leaders realise that the progress of lower-ability pupils is not good enough and remains a key focus. Better teaching in English is leading to more rapid progress in both key stages, but

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

pupils are still not making consistently good progress.  In 2016, the progress of disadvantaged pupils, including the most able disadvantaged, was below the national average overall and specifically in English, science and the humanities. However, disadvantaged pupils in school are now making better progress. The positive impact of the pupil premium funding is seen most clearly in the progress of disadvantaged pupils in Years 7 and 8.  Leaders use the catch-up funding effectively to improve the basic skills of pupils who join the school in Year 7 with below-average abilities in reading, writing and mathematics. These pupils make good progress in Year 7 in English and mathematics.  The vast majority of Year 11 pupils take up appropriate further education and training because of effective careers advice, information and guidance. A small number of pupils attend alternative provision so that their specific needs can be addressed. School

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

staff monitor their progress well.  Overall, pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress from their individual starting points.

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16 to 19 study programmes Good

 Through effective leadership in the sixth form, students have increasingly high aspirations, know where they are aiming and feel extremely well supported on their journey to get there.  A recent change of leadership has brought new initiatives to build on the strengths noted in the previous inspection.  Leaders monitor the quality of teaching and learning regularly. Their self-evaluation is accurate and they have taken decisive action to remedy identified weaknesses.  Teaching in the sixth form is good. Teachers know their students well and plan lessons to challenge and support learning. Teachers and students have excellent relationships, which leads to a good atmosphere for learning.  Students on vocational courses make good progress consistently. However, overall progress for those pupils on academic courses has decreased over the last three years, largely due to the performance of students in a minority of courses. In 2016, for

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16 to 19 study programmes Good

example, progress was below national figures in sociology, law, applied business, psychology and photography. Leaders have taken decisive action to tackle these weaknesses, and their actions have had a positive impact. Internal progress data and scrutiny of students' folders show that progress is now more rapid in the weaker areas. Overall progress of students on academic courses is now good.  Leaders have ensured that a strong programme of careers information and guidance prepares students well for their next steps into education, employment or training. Students are aware of a number of routes, including university, employment and apprenticeships. Through this effective support, the number of students not in employment, education or training is low. Furthermore, the number of students gaining places at the most competitive universities is increasing.  The provision for those students who enter the sixth form without a grade C in English

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16 to 19 study programmes Good

and mathematics is good. Consequently, progress in mathematics is in line with the national average and better than the national average in English.  Students' behaviour in the sixth form is exemplary. They are effective ambassadors for their sixth form and volunteer their time to support the learning of younger pupils. Most sixth-form students undertake work experience, and many do voluntary work in the community.  Students enjoy their learning and this is reflected in the good attendance rates in the sixth form.

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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

Gender of pupils in 16 to 19 study programmes Mixed

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School details

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,351

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School details

Of which, number on roll in 16 to 19 study programmes Appropriate authority The trust board

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School details

Email address pamela.massett@hemsworthacademy.org

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School details

Date of previous inspection 12–13 May 2015

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Information about this school

 The school complies with Department for Education guidance on what academies should publish.  The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.  The school is larger than the average-sized secondary school.  A number of pupils attend alternative provision. The providers are Wakefield College, UCAN Centre, Reverse the Cycle, Riding for the Disabled and Alternative Curriculum Provision and Skills.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium is higher than the national average.  The proportion of pupils who receive support for special educational needs and/or disabilities is lower than the national average.  The proportion of pupils who have a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan is lower than the national average.  The school meets the government's current floor standards, which are the minimum

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Information about this school

expectations for attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 11.  The school is part of the Wakefield City Academies Trust.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed lessons across a range of subjects. Six lessons were observed jointly with senior leaders.  Throughout the two days of the inspection, inspectors spoke with pupils, both informally and formally, about their learning and safety.  Inspectors listened to pupils reading. Inspectors reviewed pupils' work in lessons and scrutinised samples of work in pupils' books.  The lead inspector held meetings with three governors and eight representatives of the Wakefield City Academies Trust. He also had a telephone conversation with the new chief executive officer of the trust.  Inspectors also held meetings with senior and middle leaders and other staff.  Inspectors reviewed leaders’ evaluation of the performance of the school, the school improvement plan and minutes of governing body meetings. A range of documentation in relation to child protection, safeguarding, behaviour and attendance was also

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Information about this inspection

considered.  Inspectors analysed 10 responses to Ofsted's online questionnaire for parents (Parent View) and 34 responses to Ofsted's staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

David Pridding, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Gordon Watts 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

In the report, 'disadvantaged pupils' refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. www.gov.uk/pupil-premium-information-for-schools-and- alternative-provision-settings .

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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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection 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.gov.uk/ofsted

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