Hebburn Comprehensive School

Inspection of Hebburn Comprehensive School Campbell Park Road, Hebburn, Tyne and Wear NE31 2QU

p.1

Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Good 8 and 9 March 2023

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a welcoming school. Leaders are passionate about providing pupils with the best experiences they can. Relationships between pupils and staff are positive. Pupils enjoy coming to school. Most pupils enjoy their learning and experiences and so they attend school regularly.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have carefully planned the curriculum. Some pupils do not always get the support they need to do as well as they could. As a result, some pupils receive a better quality of education than others.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are polite and friendly. They feel well looked after by caring staff. Pupils told inspectors that they feel safe in the school. Pupils say that bullying is not common. Inspectors’ evidence supports this view. Pupils have confidence that if bullying did occur, then staff would deal with it. Inspectors found that pupils behave well in lessons.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders offer pupils activities outside of their lessons. They encourage them to take part in a range of extra-curricular activities. These include musical productions, drama events and sporting activities.

p.2

better?

Leaders have planned an ambitious curriculum for all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The sequence of lessons in mathematics, for example, is carefully planned and helps pupils to remember important knowledge. In some subjects, sequences of lessons are not as helpful. In science, pupils make strong links between their current and prior learning. In some other subjects, pupils are not as confident to do this.

p.2

better?

In most subjects, teachers use a variety of methods to recap learning. These help to check pupils’ understanding. In science, the learning tasks which are set help to identify pupils’ next steps. In some other subjects, pupils’ understanding is not checked as well. Pupils do not remember important knowledge as successfully.

p.2

better?

The support available for pupils with SEND is variable. In modern foreign languages, teachers use effective support strategies which help to develop pupils’ confidence and fluency. In some other lessons, the progress made by pupils with SEND is not as strong as it could be. Written information or support plans, for pupils with SEND, are not used as well as they might to help pupils do well. Expectations of what pupils with SEND can achieve are, at times, too low.

p.2

better?

Leaders have worked hard with pupils, parents and carers to maintain strong attendance for pupils. They have done this in difficult circumstances. The local community was hard hit by the impact of the pandemic. 8 and 9 March 2023

p.2

3

The behaviour of pupils is good. Leaders encourage pupils to report any inappropriate behaviour or comments from others. This includes any which make them feel uncomfortable. Leaders assume this sort of behaviour can happen in schools. They provide pupils with advice and support. Leaders take swift and effective action if such incidents do occur.

p.3

3

Leaders and staff are working hard to improve pupils’ reading. A new, high-quality library is helping to develop a strong culture of reading across the school. More recent phonics interventions and wider support is helping those pupils at an early stage of learning to read.

p.3

3

The school provides a range of extra-curricular activities. These include sporting activities and school productions. The school is a member of the Anne Frank Trust. Leaders have also put in place a high-quality programme of careers advice and guidance for pupils.

p.3

3

Leaders are considerate of the well-being and workload of staff. They take account of individual staff circumstances and any support they may need. Staff are proud of the school. They are very happy to work there.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

Leaders and governors have developed effective procedures for checking, recruiting and training staff. All staff receive relevant safeguarding training. Pupils receive the help they need because of the swift action by leaders. All staff and pupils know who to talk to when they have a concern. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe, including when online. Leaders make sure all pupils, including those who are the most vulnerable, have the support and care they need.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, curriculum sequencing and design does not clearly highlight the rationale or the important knowledge that pupils need to know. As a result, assessment is not as clear as it could be and the expectations of what pupils can achieve are too low in some subjects. Leaders should ensure the curriculum in each subject is well considered, identifies the most important knowledge and helps teachers assess pupils’ understanding effectively.  The individual education plans for some pupils with SEND do not have the detail required to identify the most useful and effective strategies to remove barriers to their learning. Because of this, some pupils with SEND do not reach the learning goals that they could. Leaders should ensure that strategies to support learning for individual pupils with SEND are clearly defined to help teachers plan for these pupils. 8 and 9 March 2023

p.3

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. 8 and 9 March 2023

p.4

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection 21 June 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 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.

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 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 leaders, curriculum leaders and other members of staff. The lead inspector met with representatives of the local governing body, including the chair of governors.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school, including at breaktimes and lunchtimes. They gathered pupils’ views about the school 8 and 9 March 2023

p.5

6

through formal and informal discussions.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation, including the school’s self- evaluation and improvement priorities and safeguarding documents. Inspectors evaluated information relating to pupils’ behaviour and attendance.  Inspectors considered the views of parents who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View, along with responses submitted as free text. Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil questionnaires.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, science, geography and modern foreign languages. 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.

p.6

Inspection team

Barry Found, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Karen Gammack Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 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