St Hild's Church of England Voluntary Aided School

Inspection of St Hild’s Church of England Voluntary Aided School King Oswy Drive, West View, Hartlepool TS24 9PB

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

The quality of education Inadequate Behaviour and attitudes Inadequate Personal development Good Leadership and management Inadequate Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement 25–26 September 2019

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many pupils feel happy and safe at St Hild’s Church of England School. But a significant minority of pupils do not. Some pupils believe more should be done to help them if they feel unsafe. A significant number of pupils do not come to school often enough. Most pupils told us that bullying is not common. But some pupils were not confident that staff are quick to sort bullying out so that it stops.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils do not achieve as they should. They fall behind other pupils in the country who have similar starting points. Those pupils who are disadvantaged fall behind even further. Staff support and encourage pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). But it is not clear if staff have identified the learning needs of all pupils with SEND.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is an orderly place to learn. Staff and pupils get on well together. The Christian character of the school has a strong influence on pupils’ development. Pupils have positive attitudes in lessons. If poor behaviour happens, teachers deal with it so that other pupils can get on with their learning. Pupils told us they enjoy being prefects. Older pupils enjoy being members of the junior leadership team.

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better?

The quality of education is inadequate. Pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, do not achieve as they should. In English, mathematics and science, many pupils do not remember the important knowledge they need.

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better?

Planning to make sure pupils know and remember more is in the very early stages across subjects. For example, in English, teachers have only recently begun to think about choosing the most suitable books for pupils to study. Pupils sometimes repeat work from their primary schools. Leaders are aware that pupils are not remembering important bits of knowledge. Leaders are now changing the way learning is planned so that pupils use the knowledge they have already learned to help them understand their future work.

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better?

In mathematics, learning plans follow on from each other in a sensible way. But, gaps in pupils’ learning and understanding holds them back in their future work. This is also the case in science. Pupils do not link the work they have already covered in science to the work they are currently doing. However, in art learning is planned so pupils build up knowledge so that they remember it. They are given the time they need to practise their skills and use their knowledge. Pupils make very strong progress in this subject.

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better?

Leaders know they need to develop assessment across all subjects, in order to help teachers identify gaps in what pupils know and what they remember.

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better?

Pupils with SEND receive strong pastoral support. But, they do not always get the 25–26 September 2019

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support they need in the classroom to challenge them in their learning. Some enjoy learning in the bridge, which provides a safe and very supportive area.

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In general, pupils enjoy their lessons. They behave and work well with each other. The school provides pupils with a wide range of after-school activities. Personal development lessons help pupils learn to respect each other. They learn about staying healthy and safe. The school provides pupils with strong guidance, so they enjoy their time at school and are considerate of others. Pupils try to follow this guidance every day.

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School leaders know they need to improve the quality of education. They have already acted to make some of the improvements required. But, there are several basic actions which leaders have not made sure are in place. The arrangements for safeguarding pupils are not secure enough. Leaders need to make sure this area of the school’s work improves. The leadership of the school has changed over the last two years. Leadership is strengthening in several areas. Governors are committed to further improving the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

School leaders do not ensure that all of those pupils who are vulnerable are safe. Not all staff have taken on board the culture of safeguarding which protects pupils from wider risks outside of the school. The information the school records about actions staff take to keep pupils safe are not thorough enough. In some cases, the actions the school has taken have not supported pupils enough. In other cases, leaders cannot provide the detail of their actions. The register which records the checks on all adults in school is thorough and compliant with all the legal requirements. These checks make sure that the adults employed by the school are suitable to work with children.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders need to urgently act to develop a culture of safeguarding so that all pupils feel safe and are kept safe. Leaders should ensure that essential information is recorded so that the school’s actions can be tracked and referred to when considering the needs of pupils. Leaders should also ensure that all staff and governor training is up to date. They should use the latest government publications to provide the necessary guidance staff and governors will need.  Although bullying in the school is not common, it is important that leaders recognise the concerns of those pupils who do not believe it is always dealt with swiftly and satisfactorily. School records show that these pupils are correct in their views about the way the school deals with bullying concerns. Leaders should ensure that all staff are aware of the need to act promptly and effectively to 25–26 September 2019

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resolve pupils’ concerns over allegations of bullying and record the actions of the school appropriately.  Although there are areas of emerging strength in leadership, there is still considerable work to be done so that leadership across the school is strong. This will be necessary to make the important improvements to the school in a timely manner. Leaders should ensure that all relevant staff are provided with the professional development they require to improve the quality of the curriculum and its delivery.  The school has a significant number of disadvantaged pupils who have not achieved as they should over time. Leaders should improve the quality of education so that pupils, including those who are disadvantaged and those with SEND, make better progress in line with others nationally who have similar starting points.  The way in which assessment is used in the school lacks consistency. Assessment

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in some subjects does not effectively identify key concepts and components and whether pupils know and remember them. Leaders need to ensure that assessment across all subjects reveals gaps in essential learning.  A significant number of pupils do not attend school as they should. Leaders and governors should ensure that the focus on improving attendance remains a priority. They should improve the attendance of all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged. In addition, leaders should ensure that the attendance of those pupils who are regularly absent from school improves.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you’re not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

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. 25–26 September 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10110582 Type of school Secondary comprehensive

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Mr Darren Hankey

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School details

Date of previous inspection 20–21 June 2017

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection the school has undergone significant changes in leadership at all levels.  The school was previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 on 20–21 June 2017. A further progress monitoring inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005 was carried out on 20 July 2018.  The school makes use of alternative provision at High Tunstall School and through CECA.  The school has a Christian character and promotes pupils’ development through a Christian vision and principles.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

In accordance with section 44(1) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the 25–26 September 2019

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capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school.

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 Discussions were held with the headteacher, senior leaders and curriculum leaders for English, mathematics, science, art, technology and performing arts.  The lead inspector also met with representatives from the diocese and the local authority.  The lead inspector met with members of the governing body.  The subjects which were considered as part of the inspection through the deep dive methodology were English, mathematics, science and art. As part of the deep dive methodology, inspectors visited lessons, talked to the curriculum leader for each subject, held discussions with the teachers and pupils from the lessons visited, and scrutinised pupils’ work.  To inspect safeguarding in the school, inspectors scrutinised the school’s single central register relating to the safe recruitment of those adults who work with pupils, along with records relating to safeguarding. Inspectors also held discussions with staff and pupils as well as with the designated safeguarding

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Inspection team

Barry Found, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Catherine Garton Ofsted Inspector 25–26 September 2019

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regulates and inspects to 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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