Buile Hill Academy

Inspection of Buile Hill Academy Eccles Old Road, Salford, Greater Manchester M6 8RD

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 8 and 9 June 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils enjoy coming to school. They have positive relationships with each other and their teachers. Pupils take part in a range of extra-curricular activities including clubs, visits and trips. Many pupils enjoy musical instrument lessons in which they learn to play guitar, drums and woodwind instruments. Pupils welcome the newly introduced LGBTQ+ group. They value the sports leaders programme which develops pupils’ leadership skills.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe in school. They know there is someone to talk to if they have any concerns. They told inspectors that staff deal with any incidents of bullying quickly and effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The pupils and staff who spoke with inspectors said that pupils’ behaviour is improving. In lessons, many pupils concentrate on their work and listen carefully. However, a small minority of pupils do not behave as well as they should in some lessons and around the school during breaktimes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and teachers have raised their expectations of what pupils can achieve. However, some pupils do not achieve as well as they should in some subjects. This is partly because of weaknesses in the design and delivery of the curriculum.

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better?

There has been a significant amount of turbulence of late in leadership and teaching staff. New senior leaders are starting to provide much-needed stability. Senior leaders are uncompromising in their efforts to improve the quality of education for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Their actions have secured recent improvements in many aspects of the school, for example pupils’ behaviour. Leaders are aware of what further work is required to move the school further forward.

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better?

In the past, subject curriculums were not designed well. Pupils did not achieve well as a result. Leaders are working to develop ambitious subject curriculums. In some subjects leaders have carefully identified the knowledge that they want pupils to learn and the order in which topics are taught. This is helping pupils to know and remember more. Other subjects are at an earlier stage of development. In these subjects, leaders have not thought carefully about what pupils need to know and should learn. In these subjects, pupils do not achieve as well as they should.

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better?

Most teachers have secure subject knowledge. Some teachers use this knowledge well to revisit prior learning and to deepen pupils’ understanding. However, some teachers’ checks on what pupils know are not effective. These teachers move pupils on to new learning before they are ready. This means that some pupils find it hard to apply their previous knowledge to new learning. They do not develop their subject knowledge as well as they should. 8 and 9 June 2022

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Leaders ensure that pupils who are at the early stages of learning to read receive appropriate support from well-trained staff. This enables these pupils to catch up. Pupils have an opportunity to develop their vocabulary across the curriculum. Leaders are developing their approach to promoting reading for pleasure.

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Leaders identify the needs of pupils with SEND quickly and effectively. Leaders share information about pupils with SEND with teachers. Some teachers use this information better than others. Some meet the needs of pupils with SEND well. However, this is not the case everywhere. As a result, some pupils with SEND do not learn as well as they should.

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Pupils are taught about healthy relationships and consent. They also learn about respecting differences between people. This prepares pupils well for their futures in modern Britain. However, leaders have not ensured that all aspects of the personal development curriculum are complete and effective.

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Leaders ensure that pupils receive helpful careers advice and guidance. Leaders organise visits to local universities and arrange for employers to visit school. This helps pupils to make informed decisions about their next steps in education, employment and training.

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Leaders’ new behaviour policy has raised expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Pupils who talked to inspectors said that behaviour has improved this year. However, some teachers do not apply the behaviour policy well enough. This means that some lessons are disrupted. This hampers pupils’ learning.

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Most staff are proud to work at the school. They believe that leaders are considerate of their workload and well-being. Leaders have redesigned the school timetable to reduce teachers’ workload.

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Trustees and trust leaders are well informed about the strengths and weaknesses of the school. They work in partnership to challenge and support leaders effectively. Trust leaders and trustees are committed to helping the school improve further.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have effective and clear systems in place to keep pupils safe. Staff receive regular updates and bulletins on safeguarding issues. They know how to spot the signs that a pupil may be at risk of harm. They also know what to do if they have a concern about a pupil.

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Safeguarding

Leaders work well with a range of external agencies. Leaders are tenacious in their work to ensure the right support is provided for pupils. Leaders ensure that pupils who are in alternative provision have been appropriately placed and are kept safe.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn how to protect themselves from risks, including when working online. 8 and 9 June 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some aspects of the personal development curriculum are underdeveloped and some subject curriculums are at an early stage of development. In these subjects, leaders have not finalised the key knowledge that pupils need to know. This means that teachers do not have the information that they need to help them to deliver the curriculum. Subject leaders should finalise their curriculum thinking and ensure that teachers are clear about the knowledge pupils should learn, so that pupils learn and remember more over time.  Some teachers do not deliver subject curriculums effectively. This means that some pupils, including pupils with SEND, are not able to deepen their knowledge. Leaders should make sure that teachers receive appropriate training and support to deliver the subject curriculums well.  Some teachers do not use assessment strategies effectively to check what pupils know and remember. This means that some pupils move on to new learning

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

before they are ready, and they find it hard to apply prior learning to new content. Leaders should ensure that teachers check that pupils have learned the intended curriculum as well as they should.  Some staff do not apply the school’s behaviour policy. As a result, a small minority of pupils disrupt learning and misbehave during social times. This hinders pupils’ learning. Leaders should ensure that staff are supported so that learning is not disrupted and behaviour at social times meets leaders’ expectations.

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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. 8 and 9 June 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10216074 Type of school Secondary

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School details

Date of previous inspection 4 and 5 December 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the last inspection, the number of pupils on roll has increased. In addition, there have been a significant number of changes in leadership and staffing. A new headteacher and two new deputy headteachers were appointed in 2021.  Leaders use four registered and two unregistered alternative providers for a small number of pupils.  The school meets the requirements of the Baker Clause, which requires schools to provide pupils in Year 8 to 13 with information about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.  The school is part of Consilium Academies, a multi-academy trust.

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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. 8 and 9 June 2022

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 Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, other senior leaders, subject leaders and staff. Inspectors met with the chief executive officer of the multi-academy trust, trustees, and a representative of the local authority. An inspector spoke with representatives of alternative providers.  Inspectors spoke to pupils about their experience of school and their views on behaviour and bullying. Inspectors also observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and at breaktimes.  Inspectors reviewed a wide range of evidence, including the school’s self- evaluation document, improvement plans and records of pupils’ behaviour and attendance.  Inspectors checked the school’s safeguarding policies and procedures and the school’s single central record. Inspectors met with leaders, staff and pupils to check how effective safeguarding is in the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in English, mathematics, art and design,

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geography and science. 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 spoke to leaders about the curriculum, looked at curriculum plans and visited lessons in some other subjects.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View and the responses to the pupil and staff surveys.

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Inspection team

Dean Logan, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Lynne Selkirk Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 June 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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