Hazel Wood High School

Inspection of Hazel Wood High School Hazel Avenue, Bury, Lancashire BL9 7QT

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

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

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

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

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy to attend this school. They wear their uniform with pride. Leaders have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. In the main, this ensures a calm and purposeful learning environment for pupils.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from being part of a diverse and respectful school community. For the most part, staff have fostered positive and trusting relationships with pupils. Pupils told inspectors that there are staff that they can talk to if they have any worries. Any bullying incidents are taken seriously by leaders and dealt with quickly. This helps pupils to feel safe in school.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy a range of extra-curricular activities, including debating and sports. Pupils participate in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme. Leaders also arrange community events for pupils and their families, such as choir performances and organising collections for a local foodbank.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

In the past, pupils did not achieve as well as they should. Now, due to leaders’ raised expectations and a suitable curriculum, pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are successful learners who know and remember more over time.

p.2

better?

Leaders, including trustees, are ambitious for all pupils. This includes disadvantaged pupils and those pupils with SEND. Leaders have placed the needs and interests of pupils at the heart of their curriculum thinking.

p.2

better?

The Year 11 pupils who left the school in 2022 were unable to benefit fully from leaders’ improvements to the curriculum. As a result, some of these pupils did not achieve as well as they should in a small number of subjects. However, these results do not reflect how well pupils currently at the school are learning. The redesigned curriculum means that pupils achieve well overall.

p.2

better?

At key stage 4, pupils can study the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) suite of subjects alongside a range of vocational and creative subjects. Pupils pursue their interests and progress on to a range of suitable education, employment and training opportunities. An increasing proportion of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, are choosing to study the EBacc suite of subjects.

p.2

better?

Leaders have identified the important knowledge that they want pupils to know and remember. They have ordered learning carefully to allow pupils to build their knowledge logically over time. Teachers are experts in their subjects and they use their subject knowledge well to devise appropriate learning activities for pupils. In the main, teachers use assessment strategies well to identify any gaps in pupils’ learning. They adapt their delivery of the curriculum to revisit and consolidate those 13 and 14 March 2023

p.2

3

aspects of pupils’ learning that are less secure. However, in a few subjects, some teachers do not identify and address pupils’ misconceptions effectively enough.

p.3

3

Leaders have strengthened their systems to identify the additional needs of pupils with SEND. Teachers receive appropriate information about the needs of these pupils. They use this information to adapt how they deliver the curriculum, so that, for the most part, pupils with SEND learn the curriculum well.

p.3

3

Many pupils arrive at the school without the knowledge that they need to read fluently and accurately. Leaders identify these pupils quickly. They have designed a carefully considered catch-up programme to provide struggling readers with appropriate support. This programme is helping these pupils to learn to read with confidence. That said, some older pupils, who did not benefit from this support when they joined the school, still find reading difficult. This hampers their progress across the curriculum.

p.3

3

Teachers’ consistent application of leaders’ behaviour policy means that learning is rarely disrupted by poor behaviour. Occasionally, a small number of pupils struggle to manage their behaviour. These pupils receive appropriate support to improve their behaviour over time.

p.3

3

Pupils benefit from a carefully thought-out and age-appropriate programme to promote their personal development. For example, they successfully learn about tolerance, respect, healthy relationships and online safety. Leaders ensure that wider opportunities are open to all. This is helping leaders to tackle disadvantage through the range of extra-curricular provision and visits. Pupils are positive about the helpful careers education that they receive. They feel supported to make well- informed decisions about their next steps.

p.3

3

Governors and trustees are knowledgeable about the quality of education provided by leaders. They hold leaders to account effectively for the school’s performance. Staff feel respected and valued by leaders. Most staff feel that leaders are mindful of their workload and well-being.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

There is a strong culture of safeguarding across the school. Staff are well trained to identify those pupils who might be at risk of harm. Staff are vigilant. They understand the procedures that they should follow to record and report any concerns. Leaders respond quickly and appropriately to any safeguarding issues that are reported.

p.3

Safeguarding

Leaders work closely with external organisations to secure additional support for pupils and their families when required. 13 and 14 March 2023

p.3

4

Leaders are alert to local safeguarding issues. They are well informed about potential risks to pupils. They use this information appropriately to support the design of the personal, social, health and economic education curriculum. Pupils are aware of potential risks that they may face online and in the community. They learn how to keep themselves safe.

p.4

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some teachers do not identify and address pupils’ misconceptions or forgotten learning effectively enough in a few subjects. As a result, some pupils do not learn as well as they should. Leaders should ensure that all teachers routinely check that pupils have learned and remembered the important knowledge and address any gaps or misconceptions promptly.  A small proportion of older pupils do not receive the support that they need to catch up quickly in reading. This prevents these pupils from accessing the full curriculum and achieving as well as they should. Leaders should ensure that these pupils benefit from appropriate support to catch up quickly in reading and access the full curriculum.

p.4

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.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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

p.4

School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 Hazel Wood High School converted to become an academy school in April 2019. When its predecessor school, Broad Oak Sports College, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be inadequate.  The school is part of the Oak Learning Partnership multi-academy trust.  Leaders use two registered alternative providers for a small number of pupils.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 7 to 11 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

p.5

Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.5

Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection that the school has 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. 13 and 14 March 2023

p.5

6

 Inspectors spoke with the chief executive officer, the headteacher, other senior leaders, subject leaders and members of staff. The lead inspector met with representatives of the board of trustees and the local governing board. The lead inspector spoke with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors completed deep dives in these subjects: mathematics, science, English, history, modern foreign languages and music. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers and pupils and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors spoke to groups of pupils from Years 7 to 11 about their experience of school and their views on behaviour and bullying. Inspectors also observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and at breaktimes.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation, including the school’s self- evaluation document, leaders’ improvement plans, minutes of governing body

p.6

6

meetings and records of pupils’ behaviour and attendance.  Inspectors spoke with leaders in one of the alternative providers used by the school.  The lead inspector held meetings with the staff responsible for safeguarding and scrutinised the single central record. Inspectors considered leaders’ safeguarding processes and procedures. Inspectors discussed matters relating to safeguarding with pupils and staff.  The inspectors spoke with pupils about their programme of wider personal development  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free- text comments. Inspectors also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff and pupils.

p.6

Inspection team

Eleanor Overland, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Sarah Mitchell Ofsted Inspector 13 and 14 March 2023

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7