Hampstead School

Inspection of a good school: Hampstead School Westbere Road, Hampstead, London NW2 3RT

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Inspection dates: 19 and 20 October 2021

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school’s overall judgement of good as a result of this initial (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a full inspection were carried out now. The next inspection will therefore be a full (section 5) inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is an inclusive school where leaders expect all pupils to ‘think big, work hard and be kind’. Pupils enjoy being at school and are clearly cared for by staff. They are happy and safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most lessons are calm and purposeful. However, pupils’ behaviour in some lessons does not always support learning. In the playground and corridors, a few pupils are overly boisterous and are not always respectful to each other or to visitors. Bullying is taken seriously by staff and followed up. However, some pupils see unkind comments as just ‘banter’. Leaders have rightly identified that this needs work. As part of this, leaders have trained a small number of Year 9 pupils to provide help and support if bullying does take place.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils study a broad curriculum that includes the full range of subjects. In the sixth form, there are a range of vocational and academic qualifications that students can choose from. There are lots of different extra-curricular activities that pupils can take part in outside of lessons.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Since the last inspection, a new headteacher has been appointed. He has worked with governors to make some key appointments to the senior leadership team. These new staff bring valuable knowledge and experience to the school, and are making a positive difference.

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

Pupils study a broad curriculum that is at least as ambitious as the national curriculum. Subject leaders have planned their curriculum so that knowledge builds logically over time. Teachers are knowledgeable about their subjects. They use timely checks to identify 19 and 20 October 2021

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what pupils know and remember from the curriculum. In most lessons, new content is presented clearly. The majority of pupils can remember what they have just learned in previous lessons. However, some pupils struggle to retain what they have learned over time. For example, in science, Year 9 pupils found it difficult to say what they had previously learned about plants.

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In recent years, some students have not completed their qualifications in the sixth form. The new headteacher has been quick to identify this as an area of concern. As a result, leaders have increased the range of qualifications offered, and have made sure that students are enrolled on the appropriate courses. It is too early at this stage to evaluate the impact of these changes.

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Leaders provide teachers with clear information so that they can support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) effectively. There are individual programmes to support specific pupils with SEND and pupils who speak English as an additional language. These programmes are delivered by experienced teachers, and focus on developing pupils’ reading and communication skills. Pupils who attend these classes miss some of their normal lessons.

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Leaders recognise the importance of reading. If pupils cannot yet read well, there are effective programmes of support in place to help them to become confident readers. For example, teaching assistants regularly read with pupils who need extra help. Leaders provide additional phonics teaching if pupils require it.

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All pupils study a comprehensive personal, social, health, citizenship and economic education (PSHCE) curriculum. Pupils value their PSHCE lessons and can talk confidently about important issues such as consent, careers and mental health. Alongside this, leaders organise assemblies and provide a range of extra-curricular activities. For example, pupils can take part in sport, drama, debating and mathematics clubs.

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The school provides a range of advice and guidance around careers and pupils’ next steps. For example, pupils in Year 10 take part in work experience and there are careers interviews for pupils in Years 10 and 11. Students in the sixth form visit a range of higher education and further education providers. Teachers give Year 12 students helpful support on how to apply to university.

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Leaders set up appropriate routines and expectations to manage the behaviour of pupils. However, these routines are not yet fully understood or consistently applied by all teachers. This means that a small number of lessons are disrupted. This disruption can have an impact on the effective delivery of the curriculum. Some pupils’ behaviour outside of classrooms is not always as calm, positive and respectful as it could be. This low-level behaviour is not consistently being recorded by all staff. Leaders, therefore, do not have a complete picture of behaviour in their school.

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Staff said that they are proud to be members of the school, and feel well supported. Teachers value the professional development that they get. Leaders are mindful of staff workload and have taken steps to address it. For example, leaders reduced the number of assessment points that take place each year. 19 and 20 October 2021

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff have received the training they need on how to keep pupils safe. This is supplemented with regular safeguarding updates. All staff working in the school have the necessary checks in place. However, at the start of this inspection, not all documentation relating to safer recruitment was well organised and quick to access. This was rectified during the inspection.

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Safeguarding

There are clear procedures in place for staff to follow if they have any concerns about a pupil. Staff know how to record safeguarding concerns clearly.

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Safeguarding

Leaders responsible for safeguarding and pastoral care meet regularly to ensure that relevant information about specific pupils is shared effectively.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some pupils do not behave consistently well in classrooms or around the school. This means that sometimes lessons are disrupted. Leaders should ensure that the behaviour policies are clearly understood by all staff and that they are supported to apply these consistently and fairly. As part of this, leaders should ensure that all incidences of low- level disruption are recorded and followed up. This will allow leaders to evaluate the impact of their work to improve behaviour.  Not enough students completed their sixth form qualifications in previous years. This means that these students did not get the qualifications they needed. Leaders have taken appropriate steps to address this. They should now carefully monitor and review the impact of their actions so that more students complete their courses successfully.

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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 school to be good in February 2012. 19 and 20 October 2021

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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. 19 and 20 October 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10199963 Type of school Comprehensive

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1322

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form

Appropriate authority The governing body

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form

Date of previous inspection 13 September 2016, under section 8 of the Educational Act 2005

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Information about this school

 A new headteacher has been appointed since the previous inspection.  The school uses two registered alternative providers.

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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 met with senior leaders and members of the governing body. They also met with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: science, history, mathematics, English and drama. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, reviewed 19 and 20 October 2021

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curriculum plans, visited lessons, looked at pupils’ work and held discussions with teachers and pupils.  Inspectors held meetings with leaders responsible for safeguarding. They also spoke to groups of pupils to evaluate the school’s safeguarding arrangements. Inspectors reviewed records relating to safeguarding, including pre-employment checks on staff.  Inspectors visited a number of lessons to fully consider pupils’ behaviour, on day two. They also observed pupils’ behaviour outside of lesson time and visited the internal exclusion room.  Inspectors considered the views of staff and pupils by reviewing the responses to the staff and pupil surveys. They also reviewed the free-text responses to Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Jasper Green, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Alison Moore Ofsted Inspector 19 and 20 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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