Harris Church of England Academy

Inspection of Harris Church of England Academy Harris Drive, Overslade Lane, Rugby, Warwickshire CV22 6EA

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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 Requires improvement 17 and 18 May 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s values are: harmonious, aspirational, responsible, respectful, inspirational and sociable. Pupils refer to these values when talking about their school life and most try to put them into practice. Pupils feel safe at the school. They know they can rely on staff to help and support them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff and pupils who have been at the school over the last few years say that behaviour has improved a lot. Expectations of staff and pupils are much higher than they used to be. There is still a small number of pupils who do not behave consistently well. But staff are prompt to deal with poor behaviour. Bullying is rare. Leaders and staff deal with it well. They make sure that pupils understand the consequences of their actions. The school is calm and orderly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff also have higher expectations of pupils than they used to for academic achievement. Leaders have reviewed the curriculum and have plans for further improvement to ensure that pupils fulfil their potential.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school developed online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic and still provides it now for pupils who need it. Both pupils and parents appreciate this additional support.

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better?

Over the last three years, leaders have tackled the issues that caused pupils to underachieve. They have put in place new ambitious plans for learning. They have provided quality training to teachers. They have appointed well-qualified teachers to fill vacancies. Teaching is now well organised. Pupils make good progress. Their learning builds effectively from year to year.

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better?

In mathematics and English, the curriculum is well established. Pupils enjoy these subjects because they find learning activities interesting and challenging. They also enjoy the way of learning that leaders are implementing this year in science and history. In all these subjects, activities that often revisit key learning points help pupils remember what they have learned. Teachers check pupils’ progress during lessons and in formal tests throughout the year.

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better?

There is also an effective and well-organised curriculum in French. Pupils progress well in Years 7 and 8. More pupils than before are doing French at key stage 4. But, it is still a small number. Leaders are addressing this issue. They have ambitious plans to increase the take-up of languages with the introduction of Spanish and German from next September.

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better?

Pupils take a GCSE examination in an option subject at the end of Year 9. As a result of this policy, pupils do not study a broad enough range of subjects throughout Years 7 to 9. Leaders are planning to phase out early GCSE entries from next September and to extend the full key stage 3 to the end of Year 9. 17 and 18 May 2022

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Leaders have been successful in improving behaviour. Expectations are high. Lessons are rarely disrupted. But there is still a small minority of pupils who do not behave well around the school. Sometimes, leaders must suspend them for short periods of time. Leaders have plans to ensure that those suspensions are no longer necessary to maintain the orderly atmosphere of the school.

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Teachers support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well in lessons. Staff have precise information about pupils’ needs. This allows them to support pupils with SEND in all aspects of school life.

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Pupils have lots of opportunities to develop as well-rounded individuals at the school. The personal, social, health and economic programme prepares pupils well for their future life. They learn about relationships, the law, tolerance and democracy. Pupils receive advice about a wide range of career pathways. This includes vocational pathways and apprenticeships. The school offers many extra- curricular activities. These activities are popular with pupils.

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Leaders support staff well and are mindful of their workload. Governors and trustees support leaders and hold them to account. The multi-academy trust’s support has contributed considerably to the improvement of the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make sure that all members of staff receive up-to-date training and are aware of their safeguarding responsibility. Staff are confident about identifying and reporting concerns.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and governors follow safer recruitment guidelines. They have effective systems in place to deal with allegations about staff. Leaders work well with external agencies and families to protect pupils who may be at risk.

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Safeguarding

In lessons and presentations in assemblies, pupils learn about how to stay safe. The school makes sure that they know how to avoid risks when using the internet or social media.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Pupils in Year 9 are entered for a GCSE examination in a non-core subject of their choice. Consequently, pupils who, for example, have six hours a week of history in Year 9 to take a GCSE at the end of the year, are missing subjects such as art, music or drama. Leaders should implement their plans to broaden the range of 17 and 18 May 2022

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subjects that pupils study in Year 9. For this reason, the transitional arrangements have been applied.  Many pupils still consider that learning a language is either too difficult or not relevant. As a result, only a small number of pupils choose to study French to GCSE level. Leaders need to promote the study of languages while developing the modern languages department with the introduction of Spanish and German.  A small number of pupils find it difficult to comply with the school’s high expectations for behaviour. Many of the pupils concerned have had difficulties in readjusting to school rules when on-site education resumed after the national lockdowns. As a result, the number of suspensions has increased this year. Leaders need to implement strategies to improve the behaviour of these pupils.

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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. 17 and 18 May 2022

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School details

Website www.harris.covmat.org Date of previous inspection 3 November 2021, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher has been in post since June 2019  The school is part of the Diocese of Coventry Multi-Academy Trust  The school is a Church of England school, within the diocese of Coventry. Its most recent section 48 inspection took place in March 2016. The next inspection will be within eight years of the last section 48 inspection.  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 inspectors 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 leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 17 and 18 May 2022

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 Inspectors met with the headteacher, the acting headteacher, the deputy headteacher, the acting deputy headteacher, the assistant headteachers and the special educational needs coordinator. They also spoke with the chair and vice- chair of the academy governance committee, two trust directors, the multi- academy trust’s chief executive officer and the deputy chief executive officer.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, history, science and modern foreign languages. 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.  Inspectors checked safeguarding arrangements and school records. Inspectors discussed safeguarding policies and case studies with designated safeguarding leads. They talked to teachers and other staff about the safeguarding training

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they had received and how they put this training into practice. Inspectors looked at safety measures around the school site.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour at breaktimes and lunchtimes. They gathered information about behaviour and attendance. They held formal meetings with groups of pupils.  The inspectors considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, the online inspection questionnaire, including written responses. They also considered responses from staff and pupils to their online inspection questionnaires.

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Inspection team

Patrick Amieli, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Gwen Onyon Ofsted Inspector 17 and 18 May 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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