Hasting Hill Academy

Inspection of Hasting Hill Academy Tilbury Road, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear SR3 4LY

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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Good

The headteacher of this school is Natalie Fountain. This school is part of Wise Academies, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Zoe Carr, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Margaret Stephenson. 5 and 6 December 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is warm and welcoming. The school cares deeply for the pupils and their families. Pupils love coming to school. They know staff will greet them with a smile. Relationships between pupils and staff are very strong. Pupils trust staff and feel safe. Pupils are kind to each other. Instances of bullying are rare. If bullying does happen, staff deal with it promptly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils respond well to the school’s high expectations. Behaviour is good. Pupils move through the school calmly and get on with work in lessons. Pupils apply themselves and work hard. A few pupils struggle to manage their own behaviour. Staff support these pupils well. Learning is not interrupted.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school supports pupils’ well-being very effectively. Pupils learn about the different ways to help keep calm, for example. Pupils who need extra help can use one of the homely breakout spaces.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love reading. They look forward to hearing the next chapter of the class book. They recall the content with enthusiasm and excitement. They listen to teachers reading a novel, rapt with attention and groan when the chapter ends on a cliffhanger. Younger children eagerly join in with the re-telling of traditional tales.

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better?

The school’s high ambition for pupils is reflected in the curriculum. The well- designed reading curriculum helps pupils learn to read as quickly as possible. Teachers’ frequently check that pupils keep up with the sounds they are learning. Pupils read books that are closely matched to the sounds they know. The school promptly provides extra support to pupils who need it. Pupils become fluent, confident readers. The school’s rigorous approach to the teaching of reading is paying dividends. It is not reflected in the below average outcomes at the end of key stage 2 in 2023.

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better?

A carefully sequenced mathematics curriculum enables pupils to learn well. Effective teaching ensures that pupils master number skills. Probing questioning picks up pupils’ misconceptions. Staff are quick to correct any misunderstanding. If pupils struggle they receive tailored support to help them keep up.

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better?

Other subjects have well-sequenced plans. Pupils steadily build up what they know and can do. Pupils can confidently recall what they have learned. However, in a small number of subjects, there are gaps in pupils’ knowledge. For example, in history, pupils struggle to explain key developments in different historical periods. Also, in art, pupils do not have a clear understanding of the artists they are studying. 5 and 6 December 2023

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The school is ambitious for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Teachers adapt lessons effectively for pupils with SEND. Staff skilfully support pupils who struggle to concentrate. Pupils with SEND achieve well.

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Younger children settle into school quickly. The early years is calm and purposeful. Children learn to follow routines. The curriculum is carefully mapped out. Children get support that matches their stage of development. Children learn an ever- widening vocabulary. For example, two-year-olds learn that ducks quack while they play in the water. Children in Reception learn that ‘enchanted’ is another word for ‘magic’.

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The school’s teaching of speaking and listening is not as effective as it needs to be. In the early years, for example, children’s conversational skills are not developed consistently. While in key stage 2, some pupils struggle to articulate what they know.

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The vast majority of pupils behave well. Pupils understand the importance of the school’s rule to be kind. Pupils accept differences. They understand the need to be tolerant of others. The school is aware that some pupils do not attend as well as they need to. Improving the attendance of these pupils is a high priority for the school. The school has robust systems in place to address this issue. There is early evidence of improvement to pupils' attendance.

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Pupils receive a wide range of experiences that support their personal development. These include making a campfire and visiting art galleries and museums. Older pupils hold responsibilities such as anti-bullying champion, school councillor or digital leader. Pupils with SEND participate in the full range of school activities and clubs.

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Support for pupils social and emotional well-being is extensive. The school provides a range of opportunities to help with pupils’ specific needs. The school ensures pupils have access to external agencies, when needed. Many parents and carers speak highly of the support their child receives in school.

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The trust and local governing body are proud of this inclusive school. Their frequent checks assure them that pupils are safe and achieving well. They monitor the support that pupils and families receive. Staff have full confidence in school leadership. Staff benefit from extensive support and training.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of foundation subjects, including history and art, the school is not ensuring that pupils have the essential knowledge they need. This means 5 and 6 December 2023

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that, in these subjects, pupils have gaps in their knowledge. This is limiting pupils' understanding in these subjects. The school should review the planning and delivery in these subjects. The school should ensure pupils are revisiting essential knowledge consistently across all subjects in order to ensure pupils are learning effectively across the curriculum.  The school does not have a consistent approach to developing pupils’ expressive, spoken language. This means that some pupils struggle to speak in full sentences and cannot explain themselves clearly. The school should review the opportunities children have to develop spoken language from the early years onwards. The school should ensure that there is a consistent and effective approach to developing spoken language across the school, so that all pupils can speak in full sentences and explain themselves clearly.

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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' 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). 5 and 6 December 2023

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School details

Website www.hastinghill.wiseacademies.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 19 June 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school’s headteacher is an executive headteacher. There is also a head of school. Both postholders were appointed after the last inspection.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school runs a breakfast club.  The school runs provision for two-year-olds.

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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. 5 and 6 December 2023

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID19 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 met with the executive headteacher, head of school, the attendance and family liaison officer, members of the local governing body and the chief executive officer of Wise Academies.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, history and art. 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.  Inspectors reviewed the curriculum in the early years as well as the curriculum for pupils with SEND.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff, pupils and parents; and

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considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors reviewed school documentation, spoke to staff with different responsibilities and had discussions with pupils about aspects of school life.  Inspectors considered the responses, including the free-text comments, to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View and spoke to a sample of parents. Inspectors also considered responses to the online staff survey.

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Inspection team

Susan Waugh, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Julie McGrane Ofsted Inspector 5 and 6 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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