The Hertfordshire & Essex High School and Science College

Inspection of The Hertfordshire & Essex High School and Science College Warwick Road, Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire CM23 5NJ

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Inspection dates: 14 and 15 November 2023

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

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

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

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

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The headteacher of this school is Cathy Tooze. This school is part of Herts & Essex Multi-Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is overseen by a board of trustees, co-chaired by Yasmin Gregory and Timothy Hammonds.

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Ofsted has not previously inspected The Hertfordshire & Essex High School and Science College under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. However, Ofsted previously judged The Hertfordshire & Essex High School and Science College to be outstanding, before it opened as an academy. 14 and 15 November 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s motto of ‘Excellence for All’ runs through all aspects of this exceptional school. The school has the highest ambitions for what pupils can achieve. It provides the help and guidance pupils need to achieve them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils consistently rise to meet the high expectations that the school sets for them. As a result, pupils excel both academically and in wider school life. Pupils benefit from the calm and purposeful atmosphere that they experience both in and out of lessons. This orderly environment enables all pupils to thrive. Pupils look out for each other and welcome new pupils and visitors with kindness.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value the rich and extensive range of activities available to them. This includes a range of subject clubs and a comprehensive list of music and sports opportunities. Pupils regularly go on trips and visits.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school encourages pupils to be the best they can be. Pupils develop their leadership opportunities across all year groups. These are linked to the school’s values of resilience, respect, compassion, creativity, independence and initiative. Through this, many pupils help to make the school better and improve the experience for all.

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better?

The school has an ambitious and well-constructed curriculum across all key stages. Leaders continually review and adapt the curriculum to ensure it offers the best opportunities for pupils, including in the sixth form. Recent enhancements include the introduction of new qualifications and vocational pathways. These help pupils to pursue aspirations they might not have considered before.

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better?

Teachers have expert knowledge of the subjects that they teach. Teachers make use of regular assessment. They use what they learn from this to adapt their teaching. This helps to close learning gaps and to address pupils’ misconceptions. This helps pupils to achieve highly. This is reflected in the examination results that pupils achieve.

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better?

Reading is a whole-school priority. Pupils have regular opportunities to read and to study challenging texts across the curriculum. The school library is a hive of activity. Pupils take a leading role in selecting books and helping to run this important part of the school. Pupils who struggle to read are identified early. They are given the specific help they need to read well. This increases their confidence and enjoyment of reading.

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better?

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) develop the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in their studies. Their needs are identified early and continually reviewed. Pupils with SEND benefit from high-quality 14 and 15 November 2023

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teaching. Where pupils have a specific need, the school provides effective support and provision. Pupils with SEND achieve highly.

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Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. They demonstrate highly positive conduct. Pupils’ attitudes towards learning are exceptional. They show high levels of resilience when faced with challenging tasks. Pupils are kind and caring to each other. They work together to make the school a warm and welcoming place through their day-to-day interactions and through more formal roles, such as peer mentoring.

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Pupils attend school regularly. The school challenges pupils’ absence at the earliest opportunity. Tailored support is offered to a very small number of pupils who do not attend as well as they could. This helps to improve their attendance.

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There is a rich and wide programme for pupils’ personal development. It is well planned and closely integrated with the curriculum. For example, what pupils learn about online safety is planned and taught across all areas of the curriculum, ensuring that pupils build on what they already know. This joined-up approach ensures that important knowledge is continually reinforced. This is complemented by a strong ‘co-curriculum offer’, including clubs and other opportunities that enable pupils to pursue new interests and develop wider cultural understanding.

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The school provides high-quality careers information and guidance. There is a comprehensive and varied whole-school offer. This includes work experience and regular opportunities to engage with employers, colleges and universities. This is supported by more bespoke approaches for those who wish to pursue specific pathways. Teachers regularly link what pupils learn in their lessons to careers and higher education pathways.

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Trustees and governors have a bold and ambitious vision for the school. They have the knowledge and information they need to provide effective support and challenge to the school. Staff are proud to work at the school. Leaders continually look for ways to improve staff’s workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are 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. 14 and 15 November 2023

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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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 14 and 15 November 2023

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,483

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sixth form

Chairs of trust Yasmin Gregory and Timothy Hammonds

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sixth form

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school is part of Herts & Essex Multi-Academy Trust.  The school uses one registered alternative provider.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement 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

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision. 14 and 15 November 2023

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, other senior leaders, subject leaders and other members of staff. Inspectors also met with teachers at the early stages of their career to discuss the support they receive.  The lead inspector met with trustees and members of the local governing body. This included the chairs of the board of trustees.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, history, science, modern foreign languages and design and technology. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.

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 Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.

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Inspection team

Marc White, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Susan Sutton Ofsted Inspector 14 and 15 November 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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