Hans Price Academy

Inspection of a good school: Hans Price Academy Marchfields Way, Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset BS23 3QP

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Inspection dates: 30 November and 1 December 2023

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Outcome

Hans Price Academy continues to be a good school. The executive principal of this school is Tony Searle. This school is part of Cabot Learning Federation, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Steve Taylor, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Paul Olomolaiye .

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What is it like to attend this school?

A sense of ‘belonging’ is at the heart of Hans Price Academy’s ethos. The school has high expectations for its pupils. These go hand in hand with warm relationships. Staff treat every pupil as an individual. Pupils are encouraged to take responsibility and develop resilience. Pupils feel safe and well cared for in the ‘learning families’ within the school’s four ‘colleges’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school offers an ambitious curriculum. In the majority of areas, pupils learn effectively and achieve well, including in key stage 4 qualifications. Pupils have many opportunities to read. Reading is celebrated alongside sports, charity and contributions to the school community. The school’s ‘ready to learn’ policy underpins its unique culture. It supports pupils to make the right choices. Pupils are regularly rewarded for demonstrating the school’s values.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy a wide range of extra-curricular activities, including the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, traditional and modern sports, and activities related to sc ience, technology, engineering, and mathematics . The school ensures that these opportunities are available to all pupils.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school’s curriculum is carefully designed. The school ensures that pupils build on and regularly revisit important knowledge. Teachers are subject experts and benefit from professional development with other schools in the trust. The school and trust regularly review how well the curriculum is being taught. Staff feel supported to strengthen their teaching. This means most pupils learn effectively. This is reflected in the school’s strong 30 November and 1 December 2023

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published outcomes in most areas. Pupils take pride in their work and talk enthusiastically about what they are learning, making links with what they have learned previously.

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In a few subjects, pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, achieve less well. In these subjects, teachers do not always check all pupils’ understanding before introducing new content. Sometimes, this is because knowledge is not sufficiently broken down for pupils to learn successfully. While the full suite of subjects in the English Baccalaureate is offered to all pupils, the entry level remains low.

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The school prioritises reading. All younger pupils have reading lessons alongside their English lessons, so staff can quickly identify gaps. This includes identification of special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) so that pupils who need extra help with reading receive appropriate support. The school supports pupils with a range of SEND effectively. As with much of the school’s work, this is highly personalised and reviewed regularly. This means that pupils receive the right help at the right time.

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There are effective systems in place to support good behaviour. Pupils reflect on and respond to behaviour that does not meet the school’s high expectations. The school supports these pupils through its inclusive pastoral system. The school does not compromise on maintaining a calm and orderly environment in which pupils can learn. Bullying is rare, and pupils have confidence in staff to help them resolve issues when they do arise.

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Pupils’ wider development is an important part of the school’s ethos. Staff ensure that the school is a place where pupils want to be. When pupils are struggling to attend, the school puts in place appropriate additional support. The majority of pupils attend regularly. They enjoy a wide variety of opportunities to participate in clubs and activities that contribute to ‘college cups’. An effective transition from primary school into Year 7 is a strength of the school’s wider offer.

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Pupils learn from a strong personal, social and health education curriculum. They remember important messages about healthy relationships and how to look after themselves physically and mentally. The vast majority of pupils describe their school as respectful and tolerant. All pupils have age-appropriate opportunities to meet employers, attend careers fairs and visit universities. The school ensures that its careers programme raises pupils’ aspirations. This contributes to the positive culture the school has developed over a number of years.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Assessment is not used effectively in some areas of the curriculum. Teachers do not always check that pupils have understood before they introduce new content. This 30 November and 1 December 2023

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means that some pupils, especially those who are disadvantaged, are not ready for subsequent learning and therefore fall behind. They do not achieve well in these subjects. The trust should ensure that assessment is effective so that all pupils build their knowledge successfully and achieve well.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in February 2018.

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How can I feed back my views?

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' 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). 30 November and 1 December 2023

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School details

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,042

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School details

Date of previous inspection 6 February 2018

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Information about this school

 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.  The school uses one registered and four unregistered alternative provisions.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  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 carried out deep dives in these subjects: science, history and English. 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. 30 November and 1 December 2023

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 The lead inspector analysed responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View.  Inspectors also considered the responses of pupils and staff to Ofsted’s online surveys.  Inspectors also spoke with groups of pupils during lessons and social times.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the lead inspector: 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.  The lead inspector also met with the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator and discussed how pupils with SEND are identified and supported.  The lead inspector met with staff who oversee the personal development and behaviour of pupils.  The lead inspector met with a member of the board of trustees.

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Inspection team

Victoria Griffin, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Matthew Collins Ofsted Inspector 30 November and 1 December 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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