Humphrey Perkins School

Inspection of Humphrey Perkins School Cotes Road, Barrow-upon-Soar, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE12 8JU

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Inadequate 10–11 March 2020

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What is it like to attend this school?

New leaders have ensured that pupils at Humphrey Perkins are able to learn well. Relationships between pupils and staff are strong. Staff help pupils to be safe. Pupils know that someone will help them out should they have any worries.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and teachers agree that behaviour has improved. Most pupils have positive attitudes. Staff deal with incidents of poor behaviour well to make sure that pupils can learn. Pupils told us that bullying is rare. When it does arise, staff deal with it effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils. They have worked tirelessly to improve what pupils learn. A new curriculum pinpoints the knowledge and skills that pupils need to be successful learners.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. They become caring and active citizens. The school’s adopted ‘4Rs’ of reliance, reciprocity, reflectiveness and resourcefulness support this. Younger pupils eagerly take part in activities to fill their ‘4R’-based passports. Extra-curricular opportunities nurture pupils’ talents. Pupils play musical instruments and take part in school productions or public speaking.

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better?

Leaders have a clear vision for the school. They work diligently to improve all areas of the school’s performance. Leaders want every pupil to aim high. The new curriculum has a sharp focus on building pupils’ knowledge so that they can achieve their ambitions. Leaders and teachers have looked carefully at the most sensible way and order in which to teach subject content. Some subject plans have been in place longer than others. In some subjects, such as English and science, the curriculum is embedded and pupils achieve well. Other subjects, including history and languages, are at an earlier stage of development. In these subjects, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge and do not achieve as well as they could.

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better?

Leaders have introduced effective ways to help pupils remember what they have been taught. Teachers return to key knowledge and skills over time. Pupils start all lessons by recalling earlier learning. For example, in history, pupils could recall key information about Russia and the persecution of the Jews. Teachers use questioning to check on pupils’ learning and deepen their understanding. Pupils remember more knowledge than they have in the past. Examination results have improved in most subjects.

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better?

The new curriculum is ambitious for pupils. Leaders have adapted the curriculum well in some subjects to build up pupils’ learning in meaningful steps. This is not yet the case in all subjects. Leaders have high expectations of what pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) can achieve. These pupils achieve well in some subjects. However, some teaching assistants do not support these pupils 10–11 March 2020

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well enough to help them keep up with their peers. Leaders and teachers place a high importance on developing pupils’ literacy skills. Pupils who need support with reading catch up quickly.

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Leaders have worked hard to improve pupils’ behaviour. Pupils understand the consequences if they misbehave. Staff provide effective support to pupils who need extra help to improve their behaviour. The atmosphere in lessons is calm. Pupils’ attendance is improving. Leaders take effective action to make sure that pupils with low attendance come to school more regularly.

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There are many opportunities for pupils to develop the skills to be successful in life. For example, there is a well-planned personal development programme. Pupils receive good-quality advice on careers and further education. Many pupils take on leadership roles within the school. For instance, depending on their interests, they can become well-being ambassadors or digital leaders. Other pupils choose to hone their skills through the school’s newspaper.

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The trust has been fundamental in improving the school. Staff praise leaders and the trust for the improvements that they have made. They feel valued and know that leaders are considerate of their workload. Staff are proud to work in this school. The school is gaining the confidence of its community. Many parents and carers recognise the difference that new leaders have made.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a strong culture of safeguarding in the school. The trust and school leaders make sure that school systems help to keep pupils safe while in school. Leaders check thoroughly the suitability of staff to work with pupils. Staff attend regular safeguarding training. They know what they must do if they have any concerns that a pupil may be at risk of harm. Leaders respond promptly to any concerns reported. They communicate well with other agencies to get the help and support that pupils need. Leaders and teachers use the curriculum well to teach pupils how to keep themselves safe.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school’s curriculum is not yet coherently planned and sequenced in some subjects. However, it is clear from the actions that leaders have already taken to plan the curriculum and train staff in how to deliver it that they are in the process of bringing this about. For this reason, the transition arrangement has been applied in this case. In the past, leaders have not planned the curriculum well enough. Teachers have not delivered lessons in a logical order to build up the knowledge and skills that pupils need. This has led to some pupils not learning important knowledge in some subjects. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum 10–11 March 2020

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in all subjects is well sequenced. Teachers must deliver the curriculum plans consistently well so that pupils gain the knowledge that they need to be well prepared for the next stage of education. Those pupils with gaps in their knowledge need further support to catch up and keep up.  The curriculum plans, in some subjects, are not adapted as well as they need to be to meet the needs of some pupils with SEND. As a result, these pupils do not achieve well enough in those subjects. Leaders should ensure that they adapt all subject plans to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. They should ensure that teaching assistants have the necessary skills to help pupils reach the ambitious curriculum aims.

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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.

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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. 10–11 March 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10110023 Type of school Secondary

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School details

Principal Jennifer Piper-Gale (Executive principal)

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School details

Date of previous inspection 11–12 September 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school joined the Lionheart Academies Trust in October 2018.  The executive principal and the associate principal joined the school in September 2018. There have also been several new appointments to senior and middle leadership. The executive principal is also the deputy chief executive officer of the trust.  The school uses the Loughborough Inclusion Partnership to provide an alternative education for a small number of pupils.

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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 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 inspection

 We held meetings with the executive principal, the associate principal, senior leaders and other staff. We met with four members of the local governing body, 10–11 March 2020

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including the chair. We spoke with representatives of the trust, including the chief executive officer.  To check on the quality of education, we looked in detail at English, mathematics, languages and history. We also looked at pupils’ learning in other subjects. We visited lessons with leaders. We met with teachers, subject leaders and pupils, and looked at samples of pupils’ work. We listened to pupils reading and observed breaktimes.  We looked at a range of other documentation, including that relating to safeguarding, behaviour and attendance. We also looked at leaders’ evaluation of the school’s performance and planning documentation. We reviewed and considered the information on the school’s website.  We considered parents’ views using responses to Ofsted Parent View and the school’s own surveys.

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Inspection team

Vondra Mays, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Jacqueline Newsome Ofsted Inspector 10–11 March 2020

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