Fareham Academy

Inspection of a good school: Fareham Academy St Anne’s Grove, Fareham, Hampshire, PO14 1JJ

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Inspection dates: 20 and 21 October 2021

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Outcome

Fareham Academy continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Fareham Academy is a welcoming school where pupils feel happy and safe. This is because of the excellent relationships between staff and pupils. Pupils know that they can rely on staff to help them resolve any problems they have. For example, pupils told inspectors that bullying is not commonplace, but if they were to experience it they would know who to go to for help.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The care provided by the pastoral team is a strength of the school. Student support services is the ‘go-to place’ for pupils who need help. Pupils make sensible use of this space. For example, they may visit to discuss a worry they have about their schoolwork or something more serious. Pupils know that they will be listened to.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour at the school is positive because of the high expectations staff have for pupils. Instances of poor behaviour are tackled quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s values are resilience, aspiration and kindness. Pupils demonstrate these values. One pupil who spoke to the lead inspector said: ‘It is all about unlocking your potential here’. Another said: ‘When you come to Fareham Academy, you know what is expected of you and the goals you need to achieve.’

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Since the headteacher took up his post in September 2019, school leaders have focused on developing the curriculum. As a result, the school now has an ambitious and engaging curriculum. Subject leaders have thought carefully about what they want pupils to know by the end of Year 11. Leaders have sequenced learning from Year 7 onwards so that pupils’ knowledge and skills gradually improve over time. Subject leaders are making further refinements in a very small number of subjects to help pupils make even more progress. 20 and 21 October 2021

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Pupils study a wide range of subjects. Despite this, leaders know that not enough pupils study the English Baccalaureate. Leaders have made it a priority to remedy this. Consequently, leaders have made changes to the modern foreign languages which pupils study.

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The school has a high proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders place great emphasis on the provision for pupils with SEND. Staff are trained well to identify and support these pupils, both in the classroom and through interventions. Pupils are carefully assessed when they join the school. This helps leaders to identify pupils’ individual needs and to organise the right support. Assessments include a check on pupils’ reading. Consequently, pupils who struggle with reading receive targeted support to help them catch up. The specially resourced provision for pupils with hearing impairments (specially resourced provision) also supports pupils very well.

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An extensive personal development programme means that pupils learn about topics such as the right to protest, harmful social media, hate crime, anti-bullying and anti-racism. Pupils learn about healthy relationships and fundamental British values. They also learn about different careers and hear from external visitors about the options available to them. Assemblies and ‘RAK days’, where the timetable is focused on one of the school’s three values, are carefully planned. These events link closely with topics that are being taught within the curriculum.

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Staff have high expectations for pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at social times. The clear behaviour system means that pupils know what is expected of them. This leads to positive behaviour around the school. The school’s ‘SPACE’ centre provides effective support for pupils who are struggling with learning or behaviour.

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The headteacher works closely with his senior leadership team. They have high aspirations for staff and pupils alike. These high aspirations are shared by a committed governing body. Governors understand their roles and responsibilities. This helps them to provide effective challenge and support to leaders.

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Staff say that leaders support them well with their workload. They say they are proud to work at this school and receive professional development that helps them to constantly improve their work.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding is taken seriously by staff at the school. Regular training for staff means that they are well equipped to identify pupils who could be at risk. They know what things to look out for. Leaders have put in place very clear systems and processes that help staff to report concerns. A large team of designated safeguarding leads (DSLs) works together well to ensure that pupils get timely help and support.

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Safeguarding

Checks carried out on all staff working at the school are very thorough. These thorough checks extend to visitors to the school, including contractors. 20 and 21 October 2021

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a very small number of subjects, refinements are needed to the sequencing of what is taught to ensure that the curriculum is securely and consistently embedded. Leaders need to ensure that these refinements lead to pupils knowing and remembering more in these subjects.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the predecessor school, The Neville Lovett Community School and Continuing Education Centre, to be good in May 2012.

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How can I feed back my views?

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. 20 and 21 October 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10203114 Type of school Secondary

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School details

Website http://www.fareham-academy.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 23 February 2016, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Fareham Academy is a single-academy trust.  Since the last inspection, a new headteacher has been appointed. He took up his post in September 2019.  A chair of the trustees took up his post in May 2020.  The school has a specially resourced provision for six pupils with hearing impairments.  The school uses one alternative provider.

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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 carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics and physical education. They discussed the curriculum with leaders, staff and pupils, visited lessons and looked at pupils’ work. 20 and 21 October 2021

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 Inspectors met with subject leaders for humanities, science and art and design to discuss the curriculum in these subjects.  Inspectors met with senior leaders, staff, pupils and those with responsibility for governance, including the chair of the trustees. The lead inspector held a telephone conversation with the school’s independent school improvement adviser.  Inspectors held a telephone conversation with the headteacher of the alternative provider used by the school.  Inspectors scrutinised records relating to behaviour, bullying and racist incidents.  Inspectors met with the special educational needs coordinator to discuss the provision for pupils with SEND and the specially resourced provision. Inspectors visited the specially resourced provision.  Inspectors considered the responses to the confidential staff survey. They took account of the responses to the Ofsted Parent View questionnaire and comments made by

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those who responded.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors viewed the school’s website and policies, met with two DSLs and spoke with pupils and staff. They scrutinised school records of the safeguarding checks carried out on adults working at the school and spoke with governors. They scrutinised child protection records.

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Inspection team

Shaun Jarvis, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Andrew Foster Ofsted Inspector 20 and 21 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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