Headlands School

Inspection of Headlands School Sewerby Road, Bridlington, East Yorkshire YO16 6UR

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Inspection dates: 13 and 14 October 2021

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Sixth-form provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires Improvement 13 and 14 October 2021

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending Headlands School. There is a calm, welcoming atmosphere. Pupils that inspectors spoke with feel cared for. Leaders have developed effective personal, social and health education (PSHE) programmes. For example, a recent visit by the ‘Prison! Me! No way!’ programme helped pupils to understand issues around crime. Assemblies help pupils to understand and respect diversity.

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What is it like to attend this school?

In lessons, pupils give teachers their ‘purposeful attention’. Leaders’ plan the curriculum so that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), can access lessons. Social times are well organised and orderly across the school site. Pupils and teachers enjoy conversations with each other. Pupils told inspectors that they felt safe, and that bullying was very rare. Pupils know that adults in the school will help them if they are worried.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have made changes to the curriculum to help pupils catch up after COVID- 19. Leaders’ expectations of what pupils can achieve remain high. Pupils told inspectors that teachers helped them to make decisions about the next steps they would take in education or training. Leaders ensure that pupils in all years receive independent advice and guidance about careers. Leaders listen to pupils’ suggestions. For example, by offering after-school clubs such as kick boxing when pupils asked for this.

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better?

A consistent approach to planning the curriculum across subjects means that pupils experience well-sequenced lessons. For example, in design and technology, pupils progress from learning about how to make simple wooden structures in Year 7 to learning about how to use mortise and tenon joints in Year 9. Leaders ensure that teachers understand the important knowledge that pupils need to learn. Assessment strategies such as ‘Make it stick’ at the start of every lesson are well embedded. Pupils can recall important information as a result. In a small number of sixth form subjects, pupils are less able to recall some important information. This is because assessment systems are not as consistent across sixth form as the rest of the school.

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better?

Leaders have checked gaps in pupils’ knowledge caused by COVID-19 restrictions. They have used this information to create a ‘personalised pathway’ in mathematics, English and science. Pupils on this pathway are helped to catch up quickly. In Years 10 and 11, and in sixth form, leaders ensure that the courses pupils study help them to take the next steps in further education, employment or training. A medical and healthcare academy in sixth form is encouraging pupils to consider medicine as a future career. Leaders help vulnerable pupils to access the curriculum and plan for their futures in ‘Headlands ARC’. As a result of these plans, leaders are raising the aspirations of pupils. Leaders want to encourage more pupils to take up English 13 and 14 October 2021

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Baccalaureate subjects. A clear focus on curriculum planning in some of these subjects is helping to achieve this aim.

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Pupils with SEND experience the same ambitious curriculum as their peers. Teachers are given detailed information about pupils with education, health and care plans (EHC plans). They use this information to plan lessons so that all pupils can access the curriculum. Pupils who have fallen behind in reading take part in special reading lessons. These lessons help to develop pupils’ language comprehension skills and confidence in reading.

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Many parents who completed Ofsted’s Parent View survey complimented the school for the way it helped their children during the pandemic. Several parents wrote that they believed the school to be ‘fantastic’. Leaders talk to parents about their children attending Headlands ARC. However, leaders’ records did not always clearly record these conversations. In Ofsted’s Parent View survey, a small number of parents told inspectors that they felt school leaders did not communicate well enough with them.

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Pupils that inspectors spoke with said they were confident that teachers would deal with bullying on the rare occasions when it happened. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe online. In sixth form, pupils take care of the social spaces provided by the school. In eating areas across the school, litter is cleared away by pupils at lunch and break times. The complex school site is well managed by leaders so that pupils are appropriately supervised.

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Leaders ensure that extra-curricular activities are available to all pupils. For example, equipment and materials are provided for some pupils who attend cooking club. The PSHE curriculum develops pupils’ sense of respect for difference and diversity. Leaders’ support for mental health is embedded across the school. A school counsellor is available for both staff and pupils. Pupil mental health ambassadors are being trained.

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Governors have a good understanding of the school’s strengths. Links with the local community are a strength of the governing body. Governors had good oversight of leaders’ work during the pandemic. This helped to ensure that pupils received appropriate support for both academic and welfare needs. Leaders take workload concerns seriously. Teachers told inspectors that leaders act when they raise concerns. Some commented on the school community being like a family.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and governors have a clear understanding of the safeguarding risks associated with the local area. Regular safeguarding bulletins and training ensure that all staff are aware of the risks. Staff have a clear understanding of how to raise concerns about pupils’ welfare. 13 and 14 October 2021

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Record-keeping shows that leaders act quickly to protect children and work closely with external agencies. During COVID-19 restrictions, leaders made regular checks on the welfare of vulnerable pupils.

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Posters around the school site inform pupils of the local safeguarding risks. Pupils told inspectors that they were confident that adults in the school would help them.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some parents say that leaders do not communicate clearly with them. Record- keeping about contact with parents sometimes lacks clarity and detail. This means that a small number of parents do not always feel involved in decisions that leaders take about their child. Leaders should ensure that communication with parents is a priority and that they keep clear records of communication.  Assessment of what students know and can remember in the sixth form is not as well embedded in all subjects as it is for other year groups. This means that in some sixth form subjects, pupils do not always remember key component knowledge. Leaders should ensure that consistency of assessment is embedded across all subjects in the sixth form.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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. 13 and 14 October 2021

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School details

Local authority East Riding of Yorkshire

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School details

Inspection number 10200660 Type of school Secondary

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1048

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sixth form

Appropriate authority The governing body

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sixth form

Date of previous inspection 3 and 4 February 2021, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 There has been significant change in school leadership since the last inspection. Two new deputy headteachers have joined the school. There is a new head of sixth form and a new head of mathematical literacy. A new assistant headteacher for behaviour has taken up post, and a new position of associate assistant headteacher for cultural capital and communication has been created.  Since the last inspection, there have been changes in subject leadership in modern foreign languages, art, geography, and in the business studies faculty. A lead practitioner for pupils with SEND has been appointed.  The school does not use any alternative provision but does have an on-site provision called Headlands ARC. This is used to support some of the most vulnerable pupils to access the curriculum. 13 and 14 October 2021

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Information about this inspection

The inspector(s) carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation.  Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, two deputy headteachers and assistant headteachers with responsibility for the curriculum, sixth form and behaviour. Inspectors also spoke with leaders responsible for reading across the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, sport, modern foreign languages and science. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also looked at curriculum plans and spoke to leaders for design and technology, art and geography. Inspectors also spoke to leaders responsible for

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Information about this inspection

the PSHE curriculum.  Inspectors met with the special educational needs coordinator and scrutinised records for pupils with EHC plans.  Inspectors spoke with the designated safeguarding lead and scrutinised the single central record. Inspectors also spoke with pupils and adults about safeguarding risks and looked at records relating to safeguarding, including records relating sexual harassment and violence.  Inspectors met with governors, including the chair of governors, and spoke with representatives from the local authority and external partners that have provided support to the school.  Inspectors spoke with pupils, including single sex groups of pupils, and observed social times. Inspectors also observed pupils’ arrival and exit from school.  Inspectors took account of the views of parents and staff through surveys, including Ofsted’s Parent View.

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Inspection team

Matthew Vellensworth, lead inspector Her Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Julian Appleyard Ofsted Inspector 13 and 14 October 2021

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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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