Hayle Academy

Inspection of a good school: Hayle Academy 3 High Lanes, Hayle, Cornwall TR27 4DN

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Outcome

Hayle Academy continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Hayle Academy is a calm and welcoming place. Pupils say that they feel safe. Pupils know staff care about them. They enjoy coming to school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations of pupils. They work hard to include all pupils in lessons and in the wider life of the school, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The success of every individual is at the heart of decisions that teachers make. Pupils with SEND have adults who help them to work as hard as they can.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well at school. Most have developed a good sense of what is right and wrong. Low-level disruption is rare. Leaders often seek pupils’ views and use these to help them improve the school further.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say that most forms of bullying are rare. When it does happen, adults deal with it quickly. However, a small number of pupils are still using homophobic language, despite a huge effort from the school. With the support of school leaders, some pupils have formed a group to help, and say that this problem is now decreasing.

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

Pupils at Hayle Academy learn a wide range of subjects from Year 7 to Year 9. This gives them a strong base from which to make their choices for GCSE. Leaders are ambitious for all pupils. For example, the number of pupils choosing English Baccalaureate subjects in the last few years has increased.

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

Pupils with SEND follow the same curriculum as others. They also have an extra option during Year 10 and Year 11 to support with life skills. This aids their learning and helps prepare them for their next stage. 17 and 18 March 2022

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Teachers check pupils’ understanding regularly to see how well they are doing. They use these assessments to help pupils with questions they found difficult and to plan the next steps in learning.

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The curriculum is well developed. Pupils learn the right knowledge in the right order. In lessons, most pupils concentrate well because there is no disruption to their learning. Most of the time, teachers plan learning that helps pupils to build on what they already know. A small proportion of pupils do not concentrate well in lessons so they do not learn as much as they could or retain their learning over time.

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Pupils are provided with opportunities to learn about themselves as a person, healthy living, and sex and relationships. They learn about life in modern Britain and what it means to be a citizen. Pupils say they enjoy these lessons and that they have a positive effect on them. Pupils learn about careers and receive personal guidance. 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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Pupils have access to a wide range of activities. More pupils are now taking part in activities such as sports clubs. The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award offers pupils many opportunities to develop leadership and teamwork skills.

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Leaders know their pupils well and listen to their views. They use this feedback to improve what the school does. Leaders invite parents into school regularly. This helps support school and family relationships, particularly in relation to attendance. The most vulnerable pupils are able to attend a separate support base in school. This makes sure they are safe and are still receiving education, but in a way that works better for them.

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A very small minority of pupils attend alternative provision. Leaders ensure these pupils are safe and receiving an effective education. They have a positive relationship with these organisations and others they work with.

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Leaders work in partnership with school staff. Staff describe the school as a happy place to work and leaders treat them with respect. Leaders take care to think about what they ask their staff to do in order for their job to be manageable.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have strong systems and processes to identify those pupils who need help or who are at risk of harm. They help these pupils effectively and work in positive ways with other agencies. Leaders have clear oversight to ensure pupils are kept safe.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make the necessary checks on the suitability of staff to ensure they are safe to work with pupils. Clear safeguarding procedures mean that pupils and staff know who to talk to if they have any concerns. Leaders provide regular training for staff. They ensure that the curriculum supports pupils in how to keep themselves safe. 17 and 18 March 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 A minority of pupils are not retaining important knowledge over time. This means that they are not able to build on prior learning effectively or prepare for what comes next. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum is implemented as planned so all pupils build on prior knowledge effectively.

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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 first section 8 inspection since we judged Hayle Community School to be good on 16 April 2015.

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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. 17 and 18 March 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10227700 Type of school Secondary comprehensive

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school is part of Truro and Penwith Academy Trust. Hayle Academy converted to become an academy school in November 2017. When its predecessor school, Hayle Community School, was last inspected by Ofsted it was judged to be good overall.  The school uses three 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 leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, the designated safeguarding lead, who is also the special educational needs coordinator, and heads of subject.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: mathematics, geography and design technology. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. 17 and 18 March 2022

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 The lead inspector scrutinised the single central record. He met with the designated safeguarding lead to review processes and procedures within safeguarding and to examine case studies.  Inspectors considered the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses. They also looked at the responses to the pupil and staff surveys.

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Inspection team

Matthew Collins, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Mark Burgess Ofsted Inspector 17 and 18 March 2022

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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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