Seahaven Academy

Inspection of Seahaven Academy Haven Way, Newhaven BN9 9TD

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Inspection dates: 10 and 11 November 2021

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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 Good 10 and 11 November 2021

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from an academic and challenging curriculum and strong pastoral care to help them achieve positive outcomes. The curriculum is designed to provide all pupils with skills and experiences that prepare them well for life in modern Britain.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils like school. They are happy to be part of an ambitious and determined community. They value the broad extra-curricular offer. Visits to Tide Mills and Glyndebourne Opera have helped them better value their local community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides a calm and welcoming learning environment. Pupils appreciate it when their tutors read to them. They eagerly discuss social and moral issues arising from these stories. Year 11 pupils relish their weekly poetry workshops.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe and they are safe. They respect themselves and other people. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are fully integrated. The school is committed to raising aspirations and bringing out ‘the best in everyone’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour in class and around school is good. Bullying is rare and, when it does happen, it is dealt with quickly. Pupils’ career aspirations are well supported. Links with post-16 providers are very strong. This ensures that nearly all pupils continue their education when they leave school.

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better?

Leaders and governors have high expectations. The curriculum is well planned and sequenced. Focused professional development ensures teachers’ subject knowledge is strong. Teachers have a wide range of effective teaching approaches. Trust leaders provide extensive support to develop the curriculum and facilitate ongoing training for staff.

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better?

The curriculum is aspirational and echoes the national curriculum. It is personalised to take account of the COVID-19 pandemic. Statutory requirements are fully met. Option choices are suitably considered. The opportunity to study towards the English Baccalaureate is well supported. The school has seen a dramatic increase in the number of pupils taking a language.

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better?

The curriculum is designed to support all pupils. This includes disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND. These pupils are well known to staff and additional funding has been well targeted. Higher attaining pupils are also identified. Their aspirations are encouraged through well-focused careers education.

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better?

Literacy is very well supported across the school. Reading is actively promoted through English lessons and tutorial time. Books are carefully chosen to promote diversity, inclusivity and pupils’ personal development. The morning poetry workshops have proved particularly popular with Year 11 pupils. 10 and 11 November 2021

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The personal, social and health education (PSHE) programme offered considerable support for pupils’ welfare and well-being during local and national restrictions. The programme is highly responsive and quickly adapted where appropriate. However, in key stage 4, it is not easy to identify what should be taught and where. PSHE is usefully mapped across English but less evident across other subjects.

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Teachers make use of a range of assessment. This is used well to support planning and modify the curriculum. Teachers have a good idea of how their pupils are achieving. However, pupils tell us that they are not always sure of how to use assessment information to develop their understanding more fully.

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Relationships between teachers and pupils are supportive. Routines are well known and behaviour expectations are followed. Pupils say that low-level disruption is unusual, and none was seen in lessons during this inspection. Pupils also report that bullying is rare and quickly dealt with when it does occur.

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The school is addressing pupils’ attendance to recover lost ground since restricted opening. Exclusions are reducing and there were no permanent exclusions last year. The school is constantly seeking alternatives to exclusion. This includes a responsive curriculum and the effective use of personalised alternative provision.

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Pupils are actively encouraged to understand their rights, responsibilities and personal freedoms. They understand sexual exploitation and how to keep themselves safe. Pupils are confident about their future. They have benefited from a well-organised careers programme.

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Staff are very positive about the leadership and management of the school. They say their workload is well supported through sharing resources and working cooperatively. Staff feel their professional needs are addressed very well. They are proud to work at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The welfare and safety of all pupils are a high priority. Staff receive regular safeguarding training and frequent updates. Staff know how to identify risks and what to do if they have any concerns.

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Safeguarding

The single central record is efficiently maintained. The ‘Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy’ is detailed, informative and meets all requirements. Safeguarding leaders know their roles and responsibilities. Staff appointments follow safer recruitment procedures.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are taught how to keep safe. This includes learning about online risks, peer- on-peer abuse and knife crime. Pupils are also aware of the damaging effects of inappropriate sexual language and attitudes. 10 and 11 November 2021

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The key stage 4 PSHE curriculum lacks clarity in terms of planning and sequencing, so it is unclear how the content builds cumulatively to support pupils’ knowledge. Leaders should ensure that the PSHE curriculum is organised sequentially and develops pupils’ knowledge during assemblies, tutorials, subject teaching and drop-down days.  Pupils say that they are not always clear exactly how they can use assessment information to embed their knowledge and develop their understanding further. Senior leaders should ensure that the successful assessment practice already in place is used more effectively to help pupils embed and deepen their knowledge.

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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. 10 and 11 November 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10200359 Type of school Secondary

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School details

Date of previous inspection 9 and 10 November 2016

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Information about this school

 Seahaven Academy is a small secondary school serving the town of Newhaven. The school converted to be an academy in 2014. It is part of the United Learning trust.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives pupil premium funding is above average. The proportion of pupils with SEND and the proportion with an education, health and care plan is well above the national average.  The school makes use of alternative provision for a small number of pupils at five registered providers.  The school meets the requirements of the Baker Clause, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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Information about this inspection

The inspector(s) carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. 10 and 11 November 2021

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 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.  During this inspection, inspectors carried out deep dives in English, mathematics geography, art and PSHE. This involved meeting with leaders of subjects, visiting lessons, looking at pupils’ work and talking to pupils and staff.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and other staff. They reviewed documentation and actions taken to safeguard pupils and promote their welfare, health and safety.  Inspectors looked at curriculum documents, school policies and the single central record. The lead inspector met with the chair of governors and a representative of the trust.  Inspectors considered 141 responses to the Ofsted online questionnaire, Parent View, and a further 89 written responses from parents. Inspectors also considered

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the survey responses from 75 members of staff and 60 pupils.

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Inspection team

Paul Metcalf, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Alan Johnson Ofsted Inspector 10 and 11 November 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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