The National CofE Academy

Inspection of The National CofE Academy Annesley Road, Hucknall, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG15 7DB

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Sixth-form provision Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 18 and 19 April 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations of all pupils. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Most pupils rise to meet these high expectations. Pupils’ behaviour is calm and orderly. Pupils are respectful to each other and to staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils respect the school’s Christian character. Their actions demonstrate the school values of achievement, respect, charity, humility, wisdom and service. Pupils learn about the virtue of wisdom and how this relates to the school’s values. Pupils say that bullying is rare and that they trust staff to take swift actions to address any bullying issues. Pupils say that they feel happy and safe at the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy a range of sporting clubs as well as band, STEM and history clubs. Staff organise a host of trips to support pupils’ learning. This includes visits to London as part of religious education and a skiing trip to Alp d’Huez in the French Alps.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most parents feel that the school supports their child’s education.

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better?

The school’s curriculum is broad and ambitious for all pupils, including for those with SEND. Leaders ensure that pupils can build on what they learned before. In all subjects, leaders have set out what pupils should learn and when.

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better?

Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They use a consistent approach to teaching, which helps most pupils to know and remember more. Teachers help pupils to develop their analysis and explanation of the subjects they study. Teachers explain concepts well. In most lessons, teachers identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge and help pupils to fill those gaps. Leaders recognise that, in some lessons, teachers need to check more precisely if all pupils are knowing and remembering more. In some lessons, teachers do not check if pupils have learned the most important knowledge. This prevents some pupils from making progress.

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better?

Teachers support most pupils with SEND to learn the curriculum. Teachers use information to adapt the curriculum in most cases. There are occasions where this is not done consistently or precisely. On occasion, teachers do not match activities precisely to the existing levels of knowledge of pupils with SEND.

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better?

Leaders recognise that reading and literacy are important for achievement. They have built a love of reading in the school. Leaders have a strong strategy in place to support pupils at the earlier stages of reading. Reading interventions work well. Pupils at the early stages of reading learn to read accurately, and therefore access the full curriculum.

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better?

Most pupils behave well. A small number of pupils struggle to engage with the school’s expectations. For such pupils, staff in the ‘Epiphany Centre’ support pupils 18 and 19 April 2023

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to modify their behaviour so they can reintegrate back into the main school. Some pupils complete their education off site. Leaders have ensured the curriculum remains ambitious for pupils educated off site and educated in the ‘Epiphany Centre’.

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The sixth form is well led and managed. Study programmes are ambitious and help pupils to achieve well. Students gain the knowledge and skills they need to succeed later in life. Students speak highly of the education and support they receive.

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Christian values are a consistent thread in the school’s personal development curriculum. Leaders ensure that pupils learn about ‘life in all its fullness’. Pupils learn about relationships, health and well-being and the diversity of modern Britain.

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Pupils benefit from a thoughtfully designed careers education programme. Staff guide pupils to make choices that will help them achieve their future goals.

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Leaders accurately evaluate the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. Staff appreciate the time given to them to develop their teaching practice. Staff feel valued by leaders at the school. Their workload and well-being are well considered.

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Those responsible for governance know the school well. Governors and trustees provide both support and challenge to school leaders.

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Leaders communicate with parents what the school does to better the pupils’ education. However, the impact of communication with parents is not as strong as it could be. Sometimes, parents do not always know the good work that is being done in the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The culture of safeguarding at the school is strong. Safeguarding leads are very knowledgeable about best practice. Leaders have strong reporting systems in place that enable staff to identify, help and manage pupils who may need early help, and who are at risk of harm.

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Safeguarding

Arrangements are in place to quickly share information with the necessary stakeholders, including external services. This helps protect those who are most at risk. Staff are well trained on all safeguarding issues, including issues that are pertinent to the local area.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn about how to stay safe through lessons, form time and assemblies. 18 and 19 April 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some teachers do not consistently check pupils have secured the knowledge they need for future learning. On occasion, some pupils are left with gaps in their knowledge. Leaders should ensure that teachers consistently check that all pupils have secured important knowledge before learning moves on.  On occasion, a small number of pupils with SEND are not supported as well as they could be. As a result, these pupils do not learn as well as they should. Leaders should ensure that all pupils with SEND are consistently well supported so they can all achieve their potential.  Leaders have not ensured that communication with parents and carers is always as effective as it could be. As a result, parents do not always know the good work the school is doing. Leaders should ensure communication with parents and carers is more effective.

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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. 18 and 19 April 2023

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School details

Local authority Nottinghamshire County Council

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,215

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sixth form

Dates of previous inspection 28 February and 5 March 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This school is part of the Minster Trust for Education.  The school uses four registered providers and one unregistered provider to educate some pupils.  The school’s sixth form is part of a partnership with two other schools. This is called the Hucknall Sixth Form Centre.  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.  As the school is designated as having a religious character, it is inspected under section 48 of the Education Act 2005, most recently in June 2022. 18 and 19 April 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 this into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in English, history, physical education, science and modern foreign languages. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors met with senior leaders, subject leaders, groups of staff, governors and representatives of the Minster Trust for Education. The lead inspector spoke by telephone with a member of the diocese.  Inspectors met formally with groups of pupils and spoke with pupils in their lessons and around school. Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour at breaktime, lunchtime and around school.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with leaders responsible for the provision of SEND, behaviour and attendance and personal development.  Inspectors met with leaders responsible for the school’s sixth form and visited sixth-form lessons. They reviewed samples of sixth-form students’ work and spoke formally and informally with sixth-form students.  Inspectors scrutinised the school’s safeguarding arrangements. They spoke with staff and pupils about safeguarding. The lead inspector reviewed the school’s safeguarding records and the school’s single central record.  Inspectors took account of the views of pupils and staff through formal and informal meetings. They also considered the responses to the pupil and staff survey, and to Ofsted Parent View, including free-text responses.

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Inspection team

Adrian Rollins, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Rachel Tordoff His Majesty’s Inspector 18 and 19 April 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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