Liberty Academy

Inspection of Archbishop Sentamu Academy 1 Bilton Grove, Hull HU9 5YB

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Sixth-form provision Good

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The principal of this school is Chris Reynolds. This school is part of Hope Sentamu Learning Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Helen Winn, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Jane Lewis. 10 and 11 April 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

The atmosphere in lessons at Archbishop Sentamu Academy is routinely calm and relationships between pupils and staff are positive. However, during break and lunch times, too many pupils do not follow staff instructions or make their way to lessons promptly. Attendance for a significant number of pupils, including in the sixth form, is too low.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils recognise that behaviour is improving. Derogatory language, though still heard, is now becoming less frequent. Pupils have been given a prominent voice through the student council and other groups. This is helping pupils to feel they have a say in how the school develops. Pupils feel safe in school and are confident that they can speak to staff if they are worried about something.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There has been strong development of the school vision of ‘living the best life possible’. This is closely linked to the school’s Christian ethos.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders’ focus on developing consistent experiences in lessons is helping pupils to access an improving curriculum. Pupils understanding of protected characteristics is well developed. There remains work to do to ensure that pupils are ready for the next steps they will take after leaving Archbishop Sentamu Academy.

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better?

The school curriculum has undergone recent, rapid and successful change. Leaders, well supported by the trust, have a clear understanding of what they want pupils to learn across the curriculum. Governors and trustees are well informed and challenge leaders to improve the school.

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better?

Training for teachers means there is a consistency across lessons. For example, teachers used modelling strategies across all subjects visited. Leaders are ambitious for all pupils. Teachers receive, and use, clear information about pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They use this information alongside careful monitoring and precise questioning of pupils in lessons. This means all groups of pupils are helped to access the curriculum.

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better?

Work that pupils produce shows that the support they receive in lessons is helping them to learn the curriculum. However, in Years 7 to 11, pupils are not confident when this support is removed. This means that they struggle to produce work of a high quality independently. Outcomes in external assessments remain weak. In the sixth form, students are more confident when talking about what they have learned.

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better?

One successful strategy has been the development of the programme for early readers. A significant number of pupils need support with reading when they enter the school. Leaders identify and intervene with these pupils quickly. This is helping to ensure that pupils can access the curriculum. 10 and 11 April 2024

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Leaders’ focus on creating a calm and orderly atmosphere has been successful in lessons. New behaviour systems are well understood by pupils and staff. There is little disruption to lessons. At social times, pupils’ behaviour requires further improvement. Too many pupils do not follow school policies, for example by arriving promptly at lessons. Leaders are aware of this and are enacting systems to bring about changes, for example through the ‘dismissals’ system. Punctuality to lessons is improving.

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Attendance remains too low, including in sixth form. However, there have been steady and consistent improvements over the last year. Leaders’ ‘unified approach’ and analysis of data allows them to identify and help pupils that need support. There are examples of very successful interventions for some pupils. Work to engage parents in this work, for example through the parent council, is prioritised by leaders. This is beginning to change the culture of the school.

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The school’s personal development offer has strengthened considerably in recent months. The personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum has become a more integral part of the school’s offer. Pupils have noticed that leaders now strive to give a voice to different groups, for example the LGBTQ+ members of the school community. The work to ensure pupils understand protected characteristics has been prioritised and is bringing about changes to make the school more inclusive. However, some aspects still need further development. For example, the provision to ensure pupils understand fundamental British values is not as well developed.

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Some pupils in Year 11 are not sure about the support to help them consider career options. Many pupils are not sure about the extra-curricular clubs that are available to them. In the sixth form, some students do not understand the value of attending PSHE lessons.

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A sense of community and collegiality is evident for many, but not all, staff. The vision of leaders and the sense of togetherness created by the Christian ethos of the school help with this. Leaders know that they have work to do to ensure that all staff feel well supported. Similarly, despite a strong focus on parental engagement and building links with the community, some parents do not have positive views of the school. Leaders have strengthened the communication with parents to share the positive changes they are making at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Pupils' ability to work independently and assimilate what they have learned is underdeveloped. This means that outcomes for pupils are weak. Leaders should 10 and 11 April 2024

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ensure that they embed appropriate teaching and learning strategies to help pupils recall what they have learned independently.  Provision for some aspects of personal development is not consistent. Pupils' understanding of careers and fundamental British values is underdeveloped as a result. Leaders should embed strategies to broaden the provision in these areas so that it matches the offer in other areas of personal development.  Pupils do not routinely follow staff instructions at social and unstructured times. Poor language is used between some pupils at these times. This has a negative impact on the relationships between some pupils and between pupils and staff. Leaders should ensure that they continue to consider ways in which they can encourage and support good behaviour at unstructured times so that standards of behaviour at these times mirrors that seen in lessons.  A significant minority of pupils miss important learning because of low attendance

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and poor punctuality. This means they are unable to take advantage of the improving curriculum offer. Leaders should continue to develop systems to improve attendance and punctuality to lessons.

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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). 10 and 11 April 2024

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School details

Local authority Kingston Upon Hull City Council

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1328

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sixth form

Date of previous inspection 21 November 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Archbishop Sentamu Academy is part of Hope Sentamu Learning Trust.  Since the last graded inspection, there have been a number of changes in leadership at the school, including the appointment of a new principal.  The school has a church of England character. The last section 48 inspection took place in October 2017. The next section 48 inspection is due to take place within 8 years of the last inspection, rather than the usual three to five years, due to the impact of the COVID pandemic.  There is currently a sixth-form provision on the school site. A consultation regarding the potential closure of the provision has recently ended.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and 10 and 11 April 2024

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engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.  The school uses a small number of alternative providers of education, including one unregistered provision.

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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

In accordance with section 13(5) of the Education Act 2005, His Majesty's Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires significant improvement.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors spoke with the principal and other senior leaders from the school. Inspectors also spoke with the chief executive officer of the Hope Sentamu Learning Trust and a number of governors and trustees including the chair of both those bodies.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in English, science, history and modern foreign languages. 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 looked at curriculum planning in mathematics and art and design.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single

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Information about this inspection

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.  Inspectors looked at records of behaviour and attendance, observed lesson changeover and social times and visited the ‘seclusion’ and ‘empower’ provisions.  Inspectors met with pupils, including single-gender groups of pupils, both formally and informally.  Inspectors met with representatives from the local authority and the diocese of York.  Inspectors considered the views of staff, parents and pupils through surveys, including through Ofsted Parent View. 10 and 11 April 2024

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Inspection team

Matthew Vellensworth, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Carl Sugden Ofsted Inspector 10 and 11 April 2024

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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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