Hob Moor Oaks Academy

Inspection of a good school: Hob Moor Oaks Academy Green Lane, Acomb, York, North Yorkshire YO24 4PS

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Outcome

Hob Moor Oaks Academy continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

School leaders ensure that pupils at Hob Moor Oaks Academy achieve well. Staff are well trained and have high expectations for what pupils can achieve. Pupils follow an ambitious curriculum that is adapted to meet their individual needs. Reading is highly prioritised and an important part of school life. Pupils enjoy books and reading.

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What is it like to attend this school?

All pupils have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils’ needs are well met by caring and supportive staff who ensure that pupils benefit from high-quality provision. Pupils access a range of dedicated specialist classrooms with specialist resources. These include a sensory room and therapy pool. The school building is shared with a mainstream primary academy. Pupils from both schools mix between lessons at breaktimes and at lunchtime. School leaders have created an environment where inclusion is promoted and SEND is celebrated.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. There is a high number of staff available to support pupils around school. Pupils who spoke to inspectors feel safe. They are happy to attend school regularly and often. Bullying is not an issue, but if it were, pupils say that staff would support them.

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

The school is well led by caring leaders. They are effectively supported by members of the local governing body and the multi-academy trust. Leaders are ambitious for all pupils. They ensure that staff have high expectations for pupils. Leaders have a detailed overview of the school curriculum. The school’s pre-formal, semi-formal and formal curriculum pathways are well-structured. Each is developed to support pupils’ individual education, health and care (EHC) plan targets. Pupils are taught well. Teachers ensure that pupils are taught a range of knowledge and skills. Occasionally, there are times when staff miss opportunities to embed learning and revisit new knowledge across the school day. 6 and 7 October 2022

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School leaders have prioritised the teaching of phonics. It forms part of a high-quality reading curriculum that enables pupils to read widely and often. All teaching and support staff have received phonics training. The teaching of phonics is led by passionate and effective leaders. They ensure that the teaching of phonics begins in early years and develops pupils’ reading ability as they progress through school. Reading and story time forms part of pupils’ daily routine. This helps pupils to enjoy reading.

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Early years is well led. Children’s welfare is well supported and managed. Early years leaders’ curriculum plans are clearly thought out. They effectively meet the needs of younger children’s SEND. Curriculum plans precisely detail how the early years provision supports an effective start to school. It is an ambitious curriculum that supports children towards their next steps. Across the school, teachers adapt the curriculum to meet the needs of all ages of pupils with SEND. However, in some subject areas, the activities and resources that are used to support lessons can distract learning.

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Pupils’ personal development is high quality. It is an important part of school life and leaders have ensured that it is supported by an effective personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) curriculum. The curriculum allows pupils the opportunity to experience a wide range of learning opportunities to support their personal development. These include sporting, cultural and community activities. Pupils’ mental and physical health is effectively supported by trained staff. All pupils access their physical education entitlement and receive swimming lessons that can lead to distance badges and participation in a swimming gala.

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Governance of the school is effective. Governors have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and areas to develop. They understand their role is to support and challenge leaders to improve the school further. Governors encourage leaders to use external support to ensure that the school’s provision meets the needs of all pupils. This outward-facing practice is effective in ensuring that the curriculum meets pupils’ specific SEND, and in developing staff expertise.

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Staff value the support provided by leaders. They appreciate professional development provided by leaders to improve their practice. Early career teachers are developed during their induction phase effectively. The school follows a teacher development programme for which a member of the school leadership team is a mentor. Staff are supported to manage pupils’ behaviour. Around the school and during lessons, pupils’ behaviour is strong. If pupils need support to manage their behaviour, staff know what to do. Staff feel supported with their workload. Assessment is used wisely and effectively. Staff speak highly of the school. They say it is an honour to work at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have developed robust systems to ensure a strong culture of safeguarding. Procedures to check adults prior to their employment are secure. Staff training is regular, including weekly safeguarding briefings. Safeguarding records are comprehensive and demonstrate tenacity in supporting vulnerable pupils. Staff understand the risks that 6 and 7 October 2022

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pupils with SEND face in the community. They are trained to identify and report safeguarding matters promptly using the ‘recognise, respond, report and record’ system.

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Pupils are safe and well supervised by caring staff at all times. Pupils who spoke to inspectors say that they feel safe and well supported by adults in school.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some lessons, learning activities and resources distract pupils from their learning. This means that learning can be interrupted as pupils struggle to focus on developing knowledge. Leaders should further enhance curriculum plans with activities that support the development of subject knowledge and do not distract learning.  On some occasions, staff miss opportunities to embed learning and revisit new knowledge. This means additional learning opportunities are missed in and out of lessons. Leaders should further develop curriculum plans to identify opportunities to embed learning throughout the school day.

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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 an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Hob Moor Oaks School, to be good in December 2013.

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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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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school. 6 and 7 October 2022

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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. 6 and 7 October 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10241349 Type of school Special

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School details

School category Academy special converter

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School details

Website https://hobmoor.ebor.academy/home-oaks/

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Hob Moor Oaks Academy is a special school for pupils aged between three and 11 years. All pupils have an EHC plan.  The school makes provision for pupils with visual impairment, profound and multiple learning difficulties, specific learning difficulties, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties, autism spectrum disorder and social, emotional and mental health.  Hob Moor Oaks Academy is located in the same building as Hob Moor Community Primary Academy.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with the headteacher, members of the senior leadership team, subject leaders, teachers and support staff.  The lead inspector met with members of the school’s governing body and chief executive officer of the multi-academy trust.  The lead inspector spoke to a member of the board of trustees by telephone. 6 and 7 October 2022

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and PSHE. 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 for teaching English was also closely scrutinised.  The lead inspector met with the school’s designated safeguarding lead. The inspector reviewed 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. In addition, the inspector scrutinised the school’s records of checks carried out on adults who work at the school.  Inspectors visited lessons across the school, as well as activities at lunchtimes.  The lead inspector observed pupils reading to a familiar adult.  Inspectors spoke to pupils formally and informally, including pupils who receive support

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to improve their reading.  Inspectors reviewed a range of school documents, including the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plans.  The inspection team spoke to staff about their workload and pupils’ behaviour in the school.  The responses to Ofsted’s surveys for pupils, staff and parents were also considered.

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Inspection team

David Mills, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Michelle Farr Ofsted Inspector 6 and 7 October 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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