Leigh Academy Halley

Inspection of The Halley Academy Corelli Road, London SE3 8EP

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Overall effectiveness Good

Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

Sixth-form provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 21 and 22 June 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils aim high at this increasingly popular and successful school. Leaders have worked effectively to embed a culture in which all pupils are nurtured and supported in their aspirations. Pupils receive a wide and rich offer of learning experiences, both in and out of lessons.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have planned and put in place an ambitious curriculum. This enables all pupils to succeed and build up detailed knowledge. Teachers are knowledgeable about their subjects and sequence learning well. They help pupils to confidently recall and apply essential ideas in a subject.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Students in the sixth form benefit from particularly high-quality curriculum provision as well as strong pastoral care. They gain qualifications that enable them to pursue their goals for the future.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are safe in school. They like how leaders have organised the school into ‘small schools’. They said that this approach means that they receive individual support for both their learning and well-being. Pupils also appreciate the wider opportunities on offer, especially the extensive range of after-school clubs and the strong careers provision.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is calm and orderly. Pupils behave well. Those who need extra pastoral support are identified and supported quickly. On the rare occasions on which bullying occurs, it is dealt with effectively.

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better?

Across the curriculum, pupils learn more and remember more over time. Subject leaders’ curriculum thinking is well developed. They plan learning so that pupils’ understanding develops and extends in a logical manner. Decisions about what subject content to teach are made carefully.

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better?

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) benefit from learning the same ambitious curriculum. Teachers understand and meet their needs, either through additional support in class or through personalised support in small groups. This is also the case for pupils with SEND who attend the additionally resourced provision.

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better?

The curriculum is organised so that pupils study a broad range of subjects. Over two thirds of pupils now take a language and a humanities subject for GCSE, and many continue these subjects in the sixth form. This is already leading to pupils choosing more ambitious paths when they leave the school.

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better?

Reading is given strong priority. All pupils are guided to choose books that will develop their reading fluency. Leaders ensure that pupils who need help to read 21 and 22 June 2022

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fluently and accurately receive it. This includes pupils who need phonics practice, or who are at the early stages of speaking English as an additional language.

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Teachers have strong subject expertise. Typically, they are skilled in using assessment approaches to unpick what pupils know securely and what they need to go over again. However, this is not consistently the case across different subjects in Years 7 to 11. Leaders are working to address this promptly.

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Pupils attend well and arrive punctually. Leaders have embedded a clear system of rewards and sanctions that is well understood by pupils. Disruption to learning is rare. Pupils learn how to respect and celebrate difference. Leaders continually seek out ways to improve behaviour further. For instance, they are currently working on ways to ensure that all pupils know the importance of reporting language that makes them feel uncomfortable.

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All pupils, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, are provided with rich, ambitious experiences to promote their personal development. These experiences, together with the curriculum, have been set up with the aim of deepening pupils’ understanding of themselves and their world. Pupils take part in many trips and visits, which are complemented by themed project work. Through these projects, pupils are encouraged to bring together and apply knowledge learned in different curriculum subjects.

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The careers education programme provides plentiful information on options open to pupils in the future. All pupils go on to further education or employment, with a high proportion of sixth-form students successfully taking up university places of their choice.

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In the increasingly popular sixth form, students access a wide range of subjects within the International Baccalaureate qualification. They achieve exceptionally well, and are fully prepared for their next steps after school. This is because leaders plan each aspect of students’ learning and development thoroughly. Alongside their academic studies, students’ character development is carefully supported. Students are keen to contribute to wider society, for example by getting involved in community volunteer work or helping out at local primary schools.

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Leaders provide teachers and staff with purposeful professional development and training. Parents spoke positively about the way the school has improved. Many reported that their children’s experience at the school had surpassed their expectations. During the pandemic, families appreciated the emotional and practical support that leaders and staff provided.

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Leaders continue to pursue their vision of excellence for all. They consult closely with staff, who typically report that leaders consider their well-being. The leadership team is supported and challenged by a highly ambitious and knowledgeable set of governors and trust members. 21 and 22 June 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding systems are robust. Leaders know their pupils thoroughly. Staff are vigilant. They consider the learning, attendance and behaviour of the pupils in their care rigorously. All staff are aware of the issues that might pose a risk to pupils, and know how to recognise and report them.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn how to stay safe. They trust staff to help them if they need it. Leaders work closely with families and wider agencies to ensure the safety of pupils. They make referrals to ensure that pupils receive the support they need, for example through counselling. Leaders carry out all the necessary employment checks when they appoint new staff.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In Years 7 to 11, some inconsistencies remain in how assessment is used to support the delivery of the curriculum. This means that, at times, pupils’ misconceptions are not addressed with consistent rigour and accuracy. Leaders should provide further training for staff in order to ensure that approaches to checking pupils’ learning are used consistently and purposefully in all subjects and year groups.  In a few instances, pupils do not report concerns about language in school that makes them feel uncomfortable. Leaders are looking at why this is the case and are already taking suitable steps to secure improvements. Leaders need to continue this work to ensure that all pupils feel ready to report any potential concerns.

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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 . 21 and 22 June 2022

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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. 21 and 22 June 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10227605 Type of school Secondary comprehensive

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sixth form

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The Halley Academy opened as a new school within Leigh Academies Trust in 2018. The principal was appointed at the same time, and there have also been other substantial staff changes.  The school has a specially resourced provision for 16 pupils with autism spectrum disorder. This is known as the Infinity Hub.  One registered alternative provision is used for a small number of pupils.  Careers guidance 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.  The Halley Academy is an International Baccalaureate World School which is registered for the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme and the International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme. 21 and 22 June 2022

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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.  Inspectors spoke to senior staff with responsibility for curriculum, behaviour and attendance, personal development, inclusion, safeguarding and the sixth form. They also spoke with governors and staff from the trust.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: science, English, physical education 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. Other subjects were considered as part of this inspection.  To inspect personal development, behaviour and attitudes, and safeguarding, inspectors spoke to groups of pupils and teachers across the school, considered

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Information about this inspection

pupils’, parents’ and staff’s responses to Ofsted’s surveys, and spoke to leaders. Records of pre-employment checks and safeguarding documentation were also reviewed.  Inspectors spoke to members of the governing body and senior staff from the trust, including the chief executive officer.

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Inspection team

Alice Clay, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Brian Oppenheim Her Majesty’s Inspector 21 and 22 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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