Royds Hall, A Share Academy

Inspection of Royds Hall, A Share Academy Luck Lane, Paddock, Huddersfield HD3 4HA

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 13 and 14 March 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Across Luck Lane and Royds Hall, there is warmth, ambition, and a palpable feeling of community in this all-through school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have a strong commitment to helping children and pupils do as well as they can. Pupils have a voice in what happens at school, such as the ‘ambassadors’ at Luck Lane and the school council at Royds Hall. Pupils understand the recent decision to ban mobile phones in school. Older pupils told inspectors how proud they are of their uniform.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Reception children at Luck Lane enjoy their ‘balance-ability’ sessions. Primary pupils enjoyed the ‘break the rules’ day in aid of charity. Secondary pupils are looking forward to the upcoming ‘culture day’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The very large majority of pupils behave well. Pupils who spoke to inspectors said that they feel safe in school, and know which staff member they would go to if worried. To a very high degree, staff and pupils agree that bullying is not tolerated and that it is handled well when it does occur. A very small number of pupils and parents are less convinced that the school handles bullying effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a school where all staff want the best for children and pupils. The very large majority of pupils are on board with this level of ambition.

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better?

Across the early years, primary and secondary phases, the curriculum is ambitious and well delivered by teachers and teaching assistants. Leaders have made sure that the subject content of the curriculum in each subject area has been carefully matched to the national curriculum. It is organised in such a way as to help pupils remember what they have learned, and in a sensible order. This means that their knowledge builds up over time. This process begins in the early years. Leaders have made sure that children get off to a good start, where they are given the necessary opportunities and experiences to be ready to start key stage 1.

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better?

It is a strength of the curriculum that pupils learn a rich body of subject knowledge. In places, there is relatively less opportunity for pupils to learn some of the necessary subject skills to go alongside the facts and ideas they are learning in each subject. For example, applying the skills of thinking and working like a scientist or a historian. Leaders are already working on strengthening this aspect of their curriculum.

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better?

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported throughout the school and achieve well. The resourced provision staff are experienced and skilled, and provide a range of respite, support and interventions for those pupils who need them. 13 and 14 March 2023

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The teaching of reading is a strength. Children in the early years begin to learn phonics from the beginning. Teachers and teaching assistants use assessment accurately to identify where children may be starting to fall behind, and quick action is taken to keep them on track. In key stage 1, a range of intervention programmes are quickly put in place to ensure that pupils keep up with their reading skills. This continues into the secondary phase for older pupils who struggle with their reading. Throughout the school, leaders make sure that teachers stick to the agreed approach and use books which are well matched to children’s and pupils’ phonics ability.

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Children’s behaviour in the early years is of a high standard. This is also the case for pupils in the primary phase. In the secondary phase, the large majority of pupils consistently behave well. A small number of pupils cause some disruption at times, but this is well handled by staff when it occurs. Leaders have worked effectively, and continue to do so, to improve the conduct of some pupils with particular behavioural challenges. In addition, leaders are working effectively to reduce the number of suspensions. For example, the number of ‘repeat’ suspensions is falling sharply as a result of the school’s work. Pupils attend well, as do disadvantaged pupils, due to leaders’ and staff’s tireless efforts.

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The personal development curriculum is detailed and, largely, thorough. Pupils receive appropriately broad careers information, education, advice and guidance. Leaders are currently undertaking a review of the curriculum for teaching pupils about other faiths and religions. This is sensible, as some pupils’ understanding of this area is quite shallow. Pupils are able to access the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme and ‘Speakers Trust’. In the early years, children begin to learn about the world around them, for example through the use of role play.

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The governance of the school is strong. The chief executive officer and trustees of the multi-academy trust have a secure grip on the priorities facing the school. These priorities are agreed and understood by the governing body. There are clear lines of accountability through which school leaders are challenged and supported. Staff are supportive of improvements made since the school converted to an academy, and are proud to work at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The trust has ensured that a large number of staff are specifically trained in managing safeguarding cases. In addition, the designated safeguarding leads (DSLs) from both the primary and secondary phases link with the DSLs in the other trust schools so that good practice and learning can be shared. The DSLs receive supervision from senior safeguarding leads, so that any emerging themes and serious matters are picked up quickly and appropriate steps taken. 13 and 14 March 2023

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The school’s single central record is overseen by the trust’s central human resources team. The required checks are carried out.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In places, the curriculum is not as thorough as it needs to be in developing pupils’ skills in using subject methods. For instance, in using the methods of thinking and working like a historian or scientist, as well as learning the facts and ideas of history and science. Leaders should continue with their curriculum planning to further strengthen the coverage of subject methods and disciplinary knowledge, so that it is as consistently broad and deep as the curriculum’s substantive subject knowledge.  A small minority of pupils in the secondary phase in particular cause some disruption to learning at times. Leaders should continue to work to improve the behaviour of this small minority of pupils so that such instances are further reduced.  Some pupils’ understanding of world faiths and religions is limited. Leaders should ensure that their review of this aspect of the personal development curriculum is

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

completed in a timely fashion, and the relevant actions taken as a result.

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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. 13 and 14 March 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10255567 Type of school All-through

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School details

Number of pupils on the school roll 1240

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school is part of SHARE multi-academy trust. The school converted to become an academy school in November 2018. When its predecessor school, Royds Hall Community School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be inadequate overall.  The school has a primary phase with an early years provision, Luck Lane, and a secondary phase, Royds Hall.  The school uses three registered providers of alternative provision, Employability Solutions, Brambles School and Ethos - Engage Academy.  A resource provision for 15 pupils with SEND is based in the school. The main area of SEND is complex communication and interaction needs.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 7 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships. 13 and 14 March 2023

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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 the headteacher and senior staff from both phases of the school. They met the chief executive officer and trustees of the MAT, and members of the governing body, including the chair of governors.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics, science and history. 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.  Inspectors also spoke to the leader of English, visited lessons and looked at pupils’ work.  To inspect safeguarding, inspectors reviewed the school’s records of checks carried out on staff who work at the school, met with leaders with particular

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Information about this inspection

responsibility for safeguarding, and reviewed sample case files. Inspectors spoke with staff about their understanding of safeguarding matters, and talked with pupils.

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Inspection team

Steve Shaw, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Eleanor Belfield His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Helen Lane His Majesty's Inspector 13 and 14 March 2023

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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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