Hollingworth Academy

Inspection of Hollingworth Academy Cornfield Street, Milnrow, Rochdale, Lancashire OL16 3DR

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Overall effectiveness Good

Ofsted has not previously inspected Hollingworth Academy under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 as, until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection. This means there has been a longer gap than usual between inspections.

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Overall effectiveness Good

Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last inspection of the predecessor school. 6–7 December 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations for pupils’ behaviour and achievement. They have established a culture of respect, responsibility and resilience. Pupils strive to demonstrate these qualities through their positive behaviour and attitudes. Most pupils conduct themselves well in lessons and around the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at this school have strong relationships with each other and with their teachers. This helps pupils to feel happy and safe. Pupils are proud to attend this school. They value the support that they get from their teachers. Pupils are confident that they can talk to staff about any problems or concerns that they face. Bullying is rare. When it does happen, staff take effective action to resolve incidents quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and teachers expect pupils to achieve highly. Pupils try to live up to those expectations by working hard in lessons. Leaders have ensured that pupils with vocational interests are well supported with access to specialist facilities in hair and beauty, construction and hospitality. Most pupils learn well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders enhance the curriculum that pupils receive, for example through memorable moments which include a wide range of trips and visiting guest speakers. Pupils value these experiences which bring their learning to life. Pupils enjoy the opportunities available to them to represent their school in sports teams and other areas such as drama.

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better?

Leaders have developed a broad and balanced curriculum which is ambitious for most pupils. They have identified the knowledge that they want pupils to learn. Leaders have carefully organised the curriculum from Years 7 to 11. Teachers ensure that pupils regularly revisit important knowledge and skills. This helps pupils to build on their earlier learning securely.

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better?

In key stage 4, pupils choose freely from a wide range of academic and vocational subjects. Leaders’ work to improve the curriculum has resulted in a rise in the number of pupils choosing to study a modern foreign language. This has led to an increase in the proportion of pupils studying the English Baccalaureate suite of subjects.

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better?

Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They use their expertise to help most pupils to learn well in lessons. Added to this, teachers ensure that pupils develop the subject-specific vocabulary that they need to deepen their learning.

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better?

In a small number of subjects, some teachers do not design learning that matches the ambition of the curriculum. While many pupils benefit from a range of suitable activities and resources, for some pupils, including some pupils with special 6–7 December 2022

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educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), this is not the case. Sometimes, teachers do not choose appropriate activities to help some pupils to learn the breadth of knowledge in the curriculum. Consequently, some pupils do not achieve as well as they should.

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Teachers use assessment strategies effectively to check what pupils know, and what they need to develop further. Pupils told inspectors that they value the support that they receive from teachers, which helps them to improve their understanding.

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Leaders prioritise reading. For example, they ensure that there is time in the school week for pupils to read for pleasure. Leaders have a sharp focus on supporting pupils who are in the early stages of learning to read. Leaders’ work in identifying and supporting these pupils helps them to catch up quickly with their peers.

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Leaders quickly identify the needs of pupils with SEND. Most staff make appropriate adaptations to the delivery of the curriculum for pupils with SEND. That said, sometimes a few staff do not have high enough expectations of what these pupils can achieve. On occasion, pupils with SEND do not learn as well as their peers.

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Pupils can learn in lessons without disruption. Leaders have established clear routines and expectations, which help pupils to behave well. Leaders have introduced a new behaviour system which allows them to respond to any uncommon incidents of pupils’ poor behaviour more rapidly.

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Leaders have developed an appropriate and effective personal, social, health, cultural and economic education curriculum. This prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain. Pupils learn about the importance of positive relationships, and physical and mental health. Pupils receive high-quality careers advice throughout their time at school. This prepares them well for their next steps.

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Local governors and trustees provide school leaders with support and effective challenge. Staff at all levels are happy and proud to work at the school. Most staff said that they feel supported with their workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a strong culture of safeguarding in school. Staff and governors receive regular training in safeguarding. They know how to report concerns about a pupil’s welfare.

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Safeguarding

Leaders work tenaciously with the local authority and other external agencies to make sure that pupils get the timely support that they need. Leaders have secure knowledge of the potential risks to pupils in the local and wider community. They use this knowledge well to provide guidance to pupils, and their parents and carers, about keeping themselves safe. 6–7 December 2022

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Pupils learn about personal safety, including online safety and the importance of consent. They know who they can speak to if they are feeling worried.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, some teachers do not choose activities that support pupils to learn the knowledge in the curriculum. This hinders how well some pupils, including some pupils with SEND, learn. Leaders should ensure that teachers are well equipped to choose activities that match the ambition of the curriculum so that all pupils can learn as well as they should.

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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. 6–7 December 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10226364 Type of school Secondary Comprehensive

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School details

Number of pupils on the school roll 1338

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Hollingworth Academy converted to become an academy school in September 2013. When its predecessor school, Hollingworth Business and Enterprise College, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be outstanding overall.  The school is part of Hollingworth Learning Trust.  Leaders use four 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 Years 8 to 13 with information about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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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 that 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. 6–7 December 2022

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 Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, other senior leaders, subject leaders and staff. An inspector spoke with members of the local governing body, the chief executive officer and trustees of the multi-academy trust.  An inspector also spoke with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors spoke to pupils about their experiences 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 leaders’ self-evaluation documents, improvement plans, minutes of governing body and trust board meetings, 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 evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in English, science, mathematics, history, design

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and technology, and modern foreign languages. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers and some pupils about their learning, and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free- text responses. Inspectors also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for pupils and staff.

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Inspection team

Charlotte Oles, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Annabel Bolt Ofsted Inspector 6–7 December 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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