Hall Park Academy

Inspection of Hall Park Academy Mansfield Road, Eastwood, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG16 3EA

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Inadequate Sixth-form provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 18–20 December 2019

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What is it like to attend this school?

Hall Park Academy does a good job for most pupils. Pupils know that their school has high standards. They do their best to uphold the school’s values. They enjoy striving to achieve ‘pledges’ for contributing to activities in school and the local community. They take pride in their work and achievements.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are plenty of opportunities for pupils to develop their skills and talents outside of the classroom. They can take part in a range of different trips and clubs, and many take up these options.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils who attend alternative provision are not able to enjoy the school’s many benefits. Some of these pupils have had a poor deal. Leaders have not ensured that all these pupils were in safe and suitable provision. In removing these pupils from the school’s roll, leaders have not always acted in pupils’ best interests.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour is good, and pupils can learn, for the most part, without interruption. There are good systems in place to help teachers deal with poor behaviour. Bullying, when it occurs, is dealt with well. Pupils feel safe in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils respond well to teachers’ expectations. They learn well in most subjects and enjoy their learning.

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better?

The school has let down some pupils who attend alternative provision. Leaders have removed some of these pupils from the school’s roll without good reason. They have not always communicated clearly with parents and carers when taking a pupil off roll. Leaders have not checked that their chosen provision for some pupils was suitable, or that these pupils had good levels of attendance and were safe. They did not act quickly enough when they became aware of concerns. Inspectors asked leaders to show how the movement of some pupils from the school roll on to the roll of the alternative provision were in the pupils’ best interests. Leaders did not have convincing explanations as to why pupils had been removed from the roll.

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better?

Some pupils who attend alternative provision are doing well. Leaders monitor these pupils’ progress and attendance well. This is not the case for all of them. Governors have not checked this aspect of the school’s work. They have not held leaders to account for their use of alternative provision.

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better?

Leaders have set out their intentions for what they want pupils to achieve during their time at the school. They have adapted the curriculum to meet local need. In most subjects, teaching enables pupils to achieve well.

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better?

The school currently offers a two-year key stage 3 curriculum. Leaders are reviewing whether this model allows all pupils to achieve as well as possible. Subject leaders have reviewed their curriculum plans and have set out what pupils should learn and 18–20 December 2019

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when. In most subjects, these new plans are working well. In history, mathematics and science, for example, the curriculum is well planned. Pupils build their knowledge and skills over time. Leaders have developed an ambitious curriculum in engineering. This prepares pupils well for local employment opportunities and helps them to develop skills for the workplace.

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In a few subjects, such as modern foreign languages, the curriculum is less well planned. There are gaps in pupils’ knowledge and skills which leave them ill- prepared for GCSE examinations. The English curriculum at key stage 4 lacks ambition. It does not ensure that pupils have access to a wide range of literature. By contrast, students who take A level English enjoy a rich and demanding curriculum.

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Pupils achieve well in most subjects, including in the sixth form. Leaders are ambitious for more pupils to study modern foreign languages and humanities subjects, and the proportions who are doing so are increasing. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities have full access to the curriculum. Staff support them to ensure that they learn as well as other pupils.

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Pupils are keen to do well. They attend and behave well and respond positively to teachers’ high expectations.

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There are many opportunities for pupils to learn about the wider world. Pupils learn about different values and beliefs, for example through visits to different places of worship. Teachers encourage pupils to develop a sense of awe for the natural world and curiosity for other cultures. Pupils learn to respect others’ beliefs. Pupils enjoyed learning about different political views in the recent mock election in the school.

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Pupils have lots of opportunities to learn about different careers and the world of work. Students in the sixth form feel well supported. There is a wide range of activities to raise their aspirations and make them aware of the options open to them. They enjoy being able to develop their leadership skills, for example through the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme.

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Staff morale is good. Staff have many opportunities to develop their teaching and leadership skills. Many attend training provided by the trust. Leaders use trust links well to improve the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have not been vigilant about all pupils in alternative provision, including those who have remained on the school’s roll. They have relied on providers to keep them informed about attendance and have not checked whether this information was accurate. They have not been alert to the risks for pupils who were not attending, or when the provision failed to meet pupils’ needs. They did not check that providers had put risk assessments in place for these pupils. 18–20 December 2019

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For pupils who attend Hall Park Academy, safeguarding is effective. Leaders and staff know these pupils well and liaise well with outside agencies when they need to.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders and governors have not monitored the arrangements for all pupils in alternative provision well enough. For some pupils, these arrangements have not been effective. Leaders and governors should ensure that, when pupils attend alternative provision, leaders continue to check their attendance, progress and well-being regularly. They should liaise with the local authority to ensure that any pupils who currently do not have a placement are adequately provided for.  Leaders have removed some pupils from the school’s roll without a clear rationale to do so. Such decisions have not been in pupils’ best interests and have not been communicated clearly to parents. Leaders and governors should review the arrangements for taking pupils off the school’s roll and ensure that they communicate such decisions clearly to parents and pupils.  The curriculum in modern foreign languages and English is not as well planned or

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

ambitious as in other subjects. Pupils do not achieve as well in modern foreign languages as they do in other subjects. They do not access a wide range of literature in English. Leaders should ensure that all subjects are planned so that pupils increase their knowledge and understanding consistently well.  The school’s curriculum is not yet sufficiently coherently planned and sequenced in a few subjects. However, it is clear from the actions that leaders have already taken to plan next year’s curriculum and train staff in how to deliver it that they are in the process of bringing this about. For this reason, the transition arrangements have been applied in this case.

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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 are the school and you are 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. 18–20 December 2019

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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. 18–20 December 2019

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School details

Local authority Nottinghamshire County Council

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School details

Inspection number 10133623 Type of school Secondary

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sixth form

Principal Stephanie Dyce (executive headteacher)

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sixth form

Date of previous inspection 14 June 2017

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, the school has appointed a new head of school.  The school uses four alternative providers. These are: Jubilee House Christian School, Stone Soup, Crisp and CP Riverside.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We deemed the inspection a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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Information about this inspection

In accordance with section 44(2) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement, because it is performing significantly less well than it might in all the circumstances reasonably be expected to perform. 18–20 December 2019

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 We held meetings with senior leaders, the chief executive officer, other leaders, members of staff and members of the governing body.  In order to judge the quality of education, we looked in detail at four subjects. We did deep dives in English, history, science and modern foreign languages. We met with curriculum leaders, teachers and groups of pupils. We visited lessons and looked at pupils’ work.  We considered a range of documents. These included those relating to school improvement, as well as safeguarding and the quality of education.  An inspector visited two of the school’s alternative providers.  We spoke to staff and pupils to find out how pupils are kept safe. We spoke to parents of pupils who attend alternative provision. There were no responses to Parent View.

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Inspection team

Deirdre Duignan, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Simon Hollingsworth Her Majesty’s Inspector 18–20 December 2019

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