Netherhall Learning Campus High School

Inspection of Netherhall Learning Campus High School Netherhall Avenue, Rawthorpe, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire HD5 9PG

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Sixth-form provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 17 and 18 May 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a respectful culture at this school. Pupils and staff get on well. Pupils have positive attitudes and speak highly of the school. The school believes in ‘success for all’. Pupils show pride in their work. Pupils are happy and enjoy their lessons.

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What is it like to attend this school?

However, the curriculum in Years 7 and 8 does not meet the needs of pupils on arrival from primary school well enough. It does not prepare them sufficiently for the demands of the curriculum in Year 9 and beyond. It does not allow pupils the chance to build a secure base of knowledge in a continuous way.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported in ‘The Hub’ by experienced and knowledgeable staff. Those pupils with additional needs or an education, health and care plan benefit from carefully planned interventions. Teachers across the school have detailed information that enables them to support pupils with SEND well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are well supported by staff and feel safe. Most pupils behave well. Behaviour systems are consistent and fairly applied. Any poor behaviour is challenged by staff immediately. Safeguarding systems are effective. Pupils know that repeated poor behaviour against one person is bullying. Bullying does happen , on very rare occasions, in the school. It is dealt with by staff immediately.

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better?

Pupils in Years 7 and 8 experience a disjointed start to school. The curriculum does not help pupils to know more and remember more. The organisation of the curriculum means that pupils experience gaps in their learning. Pupils are not prepared for their next steps in learning because they have not had the opportunity to build a substantive body of knowledge in a logical way.

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better?

The school follows the national curriculum, and leaders’ desire for pupils to succeed is strong. However, the quality of education across the school is inconsistent. These deficiencies have not been identified by school leaders, including those responsible for school governance. In some subjects, assessment features too heavily in lessons, getting in the way of learning. In a few curriculum areas, pupils do not have a secure understanding of the subject and cannot remember what they have learned over time. They are not able to apply their knowledge to perform more complex tasks. There is an overdependence on the completion of GCSE-type questions.

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better?

A significant proportion of pupils enter the school unable to read well. In Years 7 and 8, some pupils still cannot read well enough to access the curriculum in subjects such as science and history. Leaders have put plans in place in English to teach phonics to pupils who are at the earlier stages of reading. However, not all staff are trained in how to support early reading. Leaders are aware of this. They have plans to train all teaching staff in early reading. 17 and 18 May 2022

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Leaders have made a conscious decision to promote the development of spoken language across the curriculum. All lessons have an oracy element. For example, in relationships and sex education, pupils use their oracy skills to clearly express their understanding of sexual harassment, abuse or violence. Pupils describe the meaning of ‘consent’ with clarity and sensitivity.

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The majority of pupils are able to demonstrate their understanding of healthy relationships, staying safe, crime and radicalisation. Some pupils are less secure when discussing other faiths and cultures. This means that some pupils do not engage with views, beliefs and opinions that are different to their own. Leaders are aware of the need to address this as a priority. They have detailed plans to strengthen aspects of the personal development curriculum.

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The school closely monitors pupils’ behaviour using a points system. The majority of pupils do not have any negative behaviour points. Through careful tracking, leaders have identified which pupils need behaviour support. For each pupil identified, there is a plan of supportive interventions. As a result of these systems, the behaviour around school is good, with only occasional instances of poor behaviour. Suspensions are only used as a last resort, and infrequently. Permanent exclusions are not used at all.

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Attendance is closely monitored by leaders. Pupils attend school regularly. Pupils’ attendance is closely monitored on an individual basis. Leaders reward regular attendance by tying it to the school behaviour system. Pupils value the effective reward system highly.

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Leaders have sought registered alternative provision for a minority of pupils who struggle to access the mainstream curriculum. The school uses two local colleges to provide a curriculum offer that is not available in school. Staff closely monitor pupils’ progress and well-being when in alternative provision. These placements are used appropriately and are chosen in the best interests of pupils.

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Leaders have ensured pupils experience an effective careers information, education, advice and guidance offer. Close partnership working with a range of agencies ensures pupils have exposure to workplace opportunities. The school uses the Gatsby Benchmarks effectively. Pupils not in education, employment or training are carefully monitored and numbers are very low post-16 and post-19. The school meets the requirements of the Baker Clause. All pupils have access to guidance about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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Pupils attending The Creative & Media Studio School sixth form experience a broad and diverse curriculum. Pupils speak highly of the support they receive. They are supported in a structured manner, from a variety of starting points, by experienced staff. Most staff have worked in industry. Staff demonstrate clear aspirations for pupils. They ensure pupils understand what a career path looks like. Pupils are taught to apply the skills they have learned in the workplace. 17 and 18 May 2022

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Staff feel supported with their workload. They recognise that leaders’ school improvement work may create more work for staff but will benefit their workload in the longer term. Staff appreciate leaders’ support for their well-being.

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Those responsible for governance are working with a national leader of governance to improve their practice. They are responding to a governance action plan well. Governors have more work to do to challenge leaders about the quality of education that pupils receive across key stages and subject to subject.

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Governors are supporting leaders to ensure that the school has the resources to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. Leaders have established ‘The Hub’ provision. This is well led by the special educational needs coordinator. Pupils attending the provision are well supported. Staff have high expectations for them. Leaders’ ambition for pupils with SEND is high.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Minor administrative errors to the school’s single central record were corrected during the inspection.

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Safeguarding

There is a strong culture of safeguarding across the school. Safeguarding is well led by staff who have a very clear understanding of the challenges faced by the local community. Staff believe ‘it could happen here’, which helps to keep them vigilant. They advocate for pupils at all times, particularly the most vulnerable pupils. Partnerships with multi-agency support teams are strong. Early intervention and proactive care systems are effective. Staff training is strategically planned and thorough.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The organisation of the curriculum at key stage 3 means that pupils do not get the opportunity to learn, practise and remember in different subjects. As a result, the curriculum does not help pupils to know more and remember more. Leaders need to organise the curriculum at key stage 3 to ensure pupils have the opportunity to build knowledge in a continuous way that supports them in their next stage of learning.  In some subjects, the sequence of the curriculum is continually interrupted by testing. Testing is often based on expected end outcomes, so does not check on what pupils have learned and remembered. Leaders should ensure that the content in all subjects of the curriculum is well sequenced and that testing matches the intended curriculum.  A significant proportion of pupils arrive at school unable to read with fluency and accuracy. Most staff have not had sufficient training on how to teach early

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reading. This means that these pupils are not catching up as quickly as they should. Leaders need to ensure that their plans to strengthen the teaching of reading to pupils are implemented.  Some pupils do not have a good understanding of different faiths, cultures and beliefs. Leaders should quickly implement the plans they have developed to improve this area of the curriculum to ensure pupils are well prepared to play an active and positive part in life in modern Britain.

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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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sixth form

Appropriate authority The governing body

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sixth form

Date of previous inspection 1 November 2016, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Netherhall Learning Campus High School is part of the Netherhall Learning Campus.  The governing body for Netherhall Learning Campus High School is the same as for Netherhall Learning Campus.  The school has a sixth-form provision called The Creative & Media Studio School.  The school uses Brian Jackson College and Kirklees College to provide alternative provision placements.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The 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 principal, members of the senior leadership team, middle leaders, teachers, pastoral staff and some non-teaching staff.  The lead inspector met with members of the school’s local governing body.  An inspector met with representatives of the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, science, history, business studies and religious education. 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. The provision to support early readers was also considered.  The lead inspector met with senior leaders to discuss curriculum development.  To evaluate safeguarding, the lead inspector scrutinised the school’s records of checks carried out on adults who work at the school.  An inspector met with the school’s designated safeguarding lead. She reviewed

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the school’s safeguarding records, relevant policies and other safeguarding documentation. The inspector also reviewed the processes leaders use to identify and help pupils who need support.  Inspectors visited lessons across the school, as well as activities at the start and end of the day. They observed breaktime and lunchtime arrangements, as well as lesson changeovers.  An inspector held telephone conversations with representatives from two alternative provisions used by the school.  Inspectors spoke to pupils formally and informally, including pupils with SEND and additional needs.  Inspectors reviewed a range of school documents, including the school’s self- evaluation and improvement plans.  Inspectors took into account the responses to Ofsted’s surveys for staff and pupils, and the online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

David Mills, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Tim Jenner Her Majesty’s 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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