Haven High Academy

Inspection of Haven High Academy Marian Road, Boston, Lincolnshire PE21 9HB

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 2 and 3 November 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils show each other, and staff, respect. They know how they are expected to behave. They enjoy receiving PRIDE (progress, resilience, integrity, disciplined and excellence) points for having positive attitudes and demonstrating the school’s values. Most pupils like coming to school. However, some pupils are absent too often.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many pupils enjoy learning. They are keen to get involved during lessons, and take pride in their work. However, the curriculum is not taught consistently well in all subjects and year groups. Some lessons are disrupted by the poor conduct of a few pupils. These pupils get distracted when they struggle with the work and do not get the help they need.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils feel safe in school. However, a small minority of pupils are reluctant to tell staff when they experience inappropriate comments or bullying. These pupils are not confident that staff will deal with these incidents effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn about important British values through the famous role models who represent each school house. The ‘Allies’ club allows pupils to celebrate their differences. Pupils benefit from numerous enrichment opportunities, including the Combined Cadet Force, the debate club, free music lessons and many sporting activities.

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better?

The school is emerging from a period of significant turbulence. Many staff, including some senior leaders, are relatively new to the school. Some staff who have taken on new leadership roles are still getting used to their responsibilities. Senior school and trust leaders have a clear vision as to how the school needs to improve. They are putting plans in place to bring about the changes necessary, with the support of trustees.

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better?

Leaders have changed the curriculum to raise pupils’ aspirations. Pupils enjoy learning an increased variety of academic and practical subjects. They have more time to learn important subject knowledge in key stage 3 than was previously the case. Subject leaders have made sure that the key stage 3 curriculum identifies exactly what pupils need to learn and when. This is not yet as secure in some subjects at key stage 4.

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better?

Teachers are subject specialists. However, they do not always make appropriate choices when deciding how to teach pupils new content. Teachers do not use questioning carefully enough to check pupils’ knowledge. Some pupils struggle to recall important information. Activities aimed at helping pupils remember key facts are not focused well enough on what they do and do not know. Not all teachers adapt their teaching carefully enough when pupils do not understand. Support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is inconsistent. 2 and 3 November 2022

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Pupils do not always know what they need to do to get better at a subject. Teachers sometimes move on to new content before pupils have secured their learning.

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Some pupils struggle with their reading, writing or speaking. Well-trained staff provide these pupils with close support. These pupils gain in confidence until they can read well and communicate effectively. Pupils understand the importance of reading often. They enjoy reading with their teachers during form time. The books chosen help to support pupils’ personal development.

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Pupils’ attitudes to learning are variable. Some pupils work with high levels of effort and motivation. A minority do not take such pride in their work, and produce written work of a poor quality. Leaders’ focus on rewarding pupils’ positive behaviour and attitudes is beginning to make a difference.

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Pupils benefit from a well-planned personal development programme. They learn about relationships and sex education at an appropriate level. They understand diversity and respect differences in others. There are plenty of opportunities for pupils to take on leadership roles, such as being a mental health champion. High- quality careers advice and guidance prepare pupils well for their next steps.

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Staff morale is high. They benefit from sharing weekly ‘nuggets’ of best practice. New staff appreciate the support they have had since joining the school. Staff are excited about the school’s potential to improve.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Pupils feel safe in school. They know how to keep themselves safe from potential harm. During the ‘keep safe day’, pupils learn about staying safe online, domestic abuse and the consequences of using illegal substances.

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Safeguarding

Staff benefit from regular safeguarding training. They know when to pass on concerns about a pupil.

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Safeguarding

Leaders work effectively with external agencies to provide support for pupils and their families when needed.

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Safeguarding

Some safeguarding records lack precision. The trust is taking action to improve the quality of record-keeping and strengthen the safeguarding team even further.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 A significant number of leaders, including senior leaders, pastoral leaders and subject leaders, are relatively new to their positions. Some do not have a precise 2 and 3 November 2022

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enough understanding of what needs to get better in their areas of responsibility and how to bring about the improvements necessary. The trust and senior leaders need to provide leaders, at all levels, with the right support so that they have the knowledge and expertise they need to carry out their roles effectively.  There are minor weaknesses in safeguarding arrangements. Leaders’ records relating to their actions to keep pupils safe and records relating to pupils taken off roll are not always updated in a timely fashion. Leaders should ensure that all records relating to safeguarding are updated promptly. They should make sure that the actions they have taken to keep pupils safe are recorded thoroughly.  The implementation of the planned curriculum is not consistent across all subjects and in all year groups. Some teachers do not reliably choose the most effective approaches to deliver the curriculum. They do not check pupils’ learning closely

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enough and correct any errors. Some pupils disengage from learning during lessons. They do not learn as well as they could. They do not know what they need to do to improve. Leaders need to ensure that staff improve their subject knowledge, expertise and practice. They need to make sure that the curriculum in each subject is implemented consistently so that all pupils achieve well.  A small minority of pupils do not reliably tell staff about incidents of bullying or when their peers use derogatory language towards others. These pupils are not confident that all staff will respond appropriately. Leaders need to ensure that there is a strong culture of respect and vigilance, where pupils feel confident to report their concerns knowing that leaders will take swift and effective action.  Some pupils are absent from school too often. These pupils miss out on learning essential knowledge. They do not benefit as much as they could from the school’s

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extensive enrichment opportunities. Leaders need to work closely with parents and carers, and external agencies, to encourage these pupils to attend frequently.

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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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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. 2 and 3 November 2022

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School details

Number of pupils on the school roll 1459

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School details

Date of previous inspection 8 December 2021, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 There have been significant changes to the school’s leadership since the previous inspection. The headteacher joined the school in September 2022. Several new senior leaders have been appointed since that time. A number of curriculum and pastoral leaders are also relatively new to their positions.  The number of pupils on the school’s roll has increased by over 400 since the school’s previous inspection.  The school is located on two sites. Pupils in Years 8 to 11 attend the site where the school is registered. Pupils in Year 7 attend a separate site, located at Tollfield Road, Boston PE21 9PN.  The school uses four registered alternative providers and one unregistered alternative provider.  The school meets the requirements of the Baker Clause. This means that pupils in Years 8 to 11 receive information about the full range of education and training options available to them, including information about approved technical

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Information about this school

education qualifications and apprenticeships. 2 and 3 November 2022

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded 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 met with the headteacher, senior school leaders, trust leaders and other school leaders, including the coordinator of the provision for pupils with SEND.  The lead inspector met with the chair of the board of trustees. She also met with senior trust leaders, including the chief executive officer and the chief education officer.  Inspectors did deep dives in five subjects: English, mathematics, geography, design and technology, and modern foreign languages. For each deep dive, inspectors met with curriculum leaders to discuss the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons and considered pupils’ work. They spoke with teachers and pupils. They heard pupils read. On the second day of the inspection, inspectors

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Information about this inspection

examined the curriculum in a wider range of subjects, including history, science and art.  Inspectors met with groups of pupils from a range of different year groups, including pupils with SEND. They spoke with pupils informally and observed the behaviour of pupils during social times.  An inspector spoke on the telephone with a representative of one of the alternative providers used by the school.  Inspectors evaluated the effectiveness of safeguarding arrangements by reviewing the school’s record of pre-employment checks, holding discussions with the designated safeguarding lead, staff and pupils and reviewing documentation relating to safeguarding.  Inspectors took note of the responses to the online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documentation, including the school’s self- evaluation and leaders’ plans for school improvement. They considered information about pupils’ attendance, behaviour and suspensions, and the wider

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Inspection team

Rachel Tordoff, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Aoife Galletly His Majesty’s Inspector 2 and 3 November 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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