Hawkley Hall High School

Inspection of Hawkley Hall High School Carr Lane, Hawkley Hall, Wigan, Lancashire WN3 5NY

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Inspection dates: 19 and 20 November 2024

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

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The headteacher of this school is Emma Gregory. This school is part of Rowan 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, Phil Rimmer, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Andy Wilson. 19 and 20 November 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are polite and considerate. Most pupils are proud to act out the school’s values of respect, honesty and kindness. They make a positive contribution to the calm atmosphere that exists at the school. Typically, pupils respond well to the high expectations that the school has of their achievement. Pupils are happy.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are fully included in the life of the school. Staff provide these pupils with the care and support that they need so that they are well prepared for adulthood.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides pupils with access to an impressive range of activities and experiences. These make a strong contribution to the development of their talents and interests. For example, pupils take part in sports, arts and sign language clubs. In addition, pupils benefit from the school’s careers fair and visits to colleges and universities.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school ensures that pupils access opportunities that deepen their understanding of the subjects that they study. These include cultural visits to the theatre, international trips and masterclasses in mathematics and economics. Pupils enjoy taking part in outdoor and adventurous activities during residential stays. These help pupils to become confident, independent and resilient young people.

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

Trustees, governors and the school have created a culture where everyone is valued and included. They use the information that they have about the school diligently to assure themselves about the quality of education that pupils receive. Leaders at all levels make decisions that are in the best interests of pupils. Trustees carry out their statutory duties effectively.

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

The school provides pupils with a well-designed, broad and balanced curriculum. It has thought deeply about the important knowledge that pupils should acquire. Staff appreciate the time that they have been given to work together to ensure that the curriculum is sufficiently ambitious for all pupils. This supports their workload and well- being. Most pupils are well prepared for each stage in their education and they achieve well. In Years 10 and 11, leaders have increased the number of pupils that follow the English Baccalaureate suite of subjects.

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

Staff use their strong subject knowledge to design activities that help most pupils to develop their knowledge and skills securely over time. On occasion, the detailed information that the school holds about the needs of some pupils is not used sufficiently well by some staff. When this happens, some pupils do not receive the help that they need to achieve as well as they could.

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

Most staff make regular checks on what pupils know and remember. However, at times, staff do not promptly address the gaps and misconceptions that some pupils have about 19 and 20 November 2024

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their learning. When this happens, some pupils move on to new learning before they are ready.

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The school accurately identifies the additional needs of pupils with SEND. It provides staff with comprehensive information about pupils’ additional needs. Staff use this information well to provide these pupils with experiences that enable them to learn successfully alongside their peers.

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The school identifies and addresses the reading needs of pupils with precision. For some pupils, this includes help to catch up with gaps in their phonics knowledge. Books are well matched to each pupil’s stage in their reading development. The school provides pupils with all the help that they need to become confident and fluent readers.

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The books that pupils read make a significant contribution to their wider development. They have been carefully matched to the school’s values. For example, pupils read books that help them to appreciate the differences that exist between people and to recognise the features of a healthy relationship.

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The school provides well-considered support to a small number of pupils that need help to manage their own behaviour. Most pupils respond well to this help. Typically, pupils are well motivated and they engage positively with staff about the work that they are given. The school provides effective support for pupils who may need to improve their levels of attendance. For example, the school has successfully addressed the barriers that have prevented some pupils from attending regularly. This has helped to reduce the number of pupils that are persistently absent from school.

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The school’s personal development provision prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain. Pupils know how to keep themselves physically and mentally healthy. They know how to stay safe online. Pupils benefit from an extensive programme of careers education. This helps pupils to make informed decisions about their futures. As a result, pupils move on to meaningful destinations that include further education, apprenticeships or employment with training.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 At times, staff design activities that do not help pupils to develop sufficient depth of knowledge in the subjects that they study. This prevents some pupils from achieving as well as they should. The school should provide staff with the training that they need to design activities that are well matched to pupils’ needs. 19 and 20 November 2024

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 On occasion, the school is not quick enough to rectify the gaps and misconceptions in some pupils’ knowledge. This means that these pupils move on to new learning before they are ready. The school should ensure that staff address pupils’ misunderstandings in a timely manner so that pupils build their knowledge securely over time.

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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). 19 and 20 November 2024

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School details

Number of pupils on the school roll 1173

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 12 and 13 February 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This school is part of the Rowan Learning Trust.  The current headteacher took up post in November 2024.  The school makes use of one registered and four unregistered alternative provisions for a small number of pupils.  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. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form 19 and 20 November 2024

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provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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 Inspections are a point-in-time inspection judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection that 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 carried out deep dives in the following subjects: English, mathematics, science, history, drama and physical education. For each deep dive, they held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with staff, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors met with subject leaders and looked at pupils’ work in geography and food technology.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and other senior leaders.  The lead inspector held a meeting with members of the trust board including the chair

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of trustees. He also spoke to the CEO of the trust, the director of secondary education, members of the governing body and the local authority adviser.  Inspectors met with leaders to discuss SEND, reading, pupils’ behaviour and attitudes and the provision for pupils’ personal development.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. They took account of the responses from staff to Ofsted’s online survey and gathered the views of staff and pupils throughout the inspection.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and at breaktimes and lunchtimes.  Inspectors spoke to staff about their workload and well-being.

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Inspection team

Andy Cunningham, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Paul Slater Ofsted Inspector 19 and 20 November 2024

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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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