Humberston Academy

Inspection of Humberston Academy Humberston Avenue, Humberston, Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire DN36 4TF

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

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The principal of this school is Daniel Shoubridge. This school is part of The David Ross Education Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Stuart Burns, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by David Peter John Ross.

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Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding for overall effectiveness at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school has not been inspected under section 5 of the Act since March 2013. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 3 and 4 December 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and staff create a welcoming environment where they feel valued and included. Pupils are confident, friendly and mature. The school’s aspirational culture is lived out by pupils who demonstrate the ‘Humberston Way’. They are well prepared to make a positive contribution in their community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has very high expectations of pupils’ behaviour as part of its ‘excellence for all’ agenda. These are realised consistently. Pupils are considerate of each other. This is grounded in an understanding of, and mutual respect for, one another. Relationships between pupils and adults are strong. Staff provide effective support to pupils and act in their best interests. Pupils behave exceptionally well across the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from high-quality personal development provision. Many pupils have experienced educational visits, including overseas. Some of these visits, such as those to Auschwitz and the World War One battlefields, enhance the school’s subject curriculums. Some pupils hold a range of leadership roles. These positively impact on the school in the interests of peers. Pupils at the school complete extensive charitable work. They raise significant funds to improve the lives of others and for charities that are important to the school community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The majority of pupils achieve well, including in national examinations. However, there remains variation in how well some groups of pupils achieve and between subjects. The school is aware of this and is taking steps to address it.

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

The school’s curriculum is ambitious for all pupils. The school has made recent improvements to the curriculum in several subjects. The trust has supported these changes. The school’s approach to reading is central to its curriculum. Pupils read regularly. Daily reading lessons ensure that all pupils access high-quality texts. Many of these contribute to widening pupils’ cultural awareness. Pupils in the early stages of learning to read receive additional support that helps them to strengthen their reading knowledge.

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

Staff appreciate the training that the school has provided. They implement this training in their own teaching. They teach lessons using consistent approaches that support pupils to learn effectively. Teachers have strong knowledge of the subjects that they teach. They use this to inform questions that check pupils’ understanding. Pupils are attentive during lessons. They discuss their learning with peers in a considered way. Sometimes, pupils do not have sufficient opportunity to use and apply their knowledge independently.

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

Pupils’ additional needs, including any special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are quickly identified. The school works with external professionals to provide any additional support that these pupils may need. Teachers help pupils with SEND to access the curriculum. Pupils who access the school’s ‘Hive’ provision are particularly well supported by the school. 3 and 4 December 2024

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Pupils attend school regularly. The proportion of pupils who are absent is lower than the national average and reducing over time. The school takes effective action to support pupils to overcome challenges and to improve their attendance.

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The school’s personal development offer is carefully designed to provide rich opportunities for all pupils. The school’s ‘graduation’, ‘challenge’ and ‘competitive edge’ programmes build over time to help pupils develop the skills and behaviours that will help them to succeed. Through these programmes, pupils have a range of experiences that enrich their education. Many pupils further this by volunteering or completing activities, such as The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme. The school’s strong careers education and guidance programme prepares pupils well for their next stages of education, employment or training. This is reflected in the high proportion of pupils progressing onto aspirational pathways when they leave school.

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Those with responsibility for governance make appropriate checks on the work of the school. They provide effective support and challenge to school leaders. However, in some areas, the school does not evaluate the impact of its actions consistently well. It does not use the information that it collects as well as it could to check what is working well and what can be improved further. As a result, some improvements take longer to be realised than they might.

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Leaders support staff well. Staff appreciate the considerate approach that the school takes to their well-being. The trust provides additional benefits to the school, such as additional specialist support in individual subjects.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 At times, teachers do not provide pupils with sufficient opportunities to use and apply their knowledge independently. Sometimes, this limits how successful pupils are when they progress on to more complex topics. The school should ensure that staff support pupils to use and apply their knowledge effectively.  The school does not use some of the information that it collects, such as about pupils’ achievements, as well as it could to evaluate the impact of its actions. Some improvements to the quality of pupils’ experience in school are not realised as quickly as they could be. The school should ensure that it evaluates the impact of its work consistently well and uses this insight to inform future actions in a timely way. 3 and 4 December 2024

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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). 3 and 4 December 2024

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 12 and 13 March 2013, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The principal and other senior staff within the school are new to post since the previous inspection.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  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 provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade. 3 and 4 December 2024

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  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.  The lead inspector met with members of the trust board, the local governing board and a delegate for the trust’s CEO.  During the inspection, inspectors met with the principal. They also met with other senior and middle leaders, including those responsible for safeguarding, behaviour,

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attendance and personal development.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, modern foreign languages, science and history. 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 also held curriculum discussions with leaders responsible for mathematics and geography. They also visited lessons in other subjects.  Inspectors looked at a range of documentation regarding the support that pupils with SEND receive. They looked at the quality of the provision for pupils with SEND in lessons.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation, including minutes from governing board meetings as well as the school’s self-evaluation plan.  Inspectors looked at a range of information regarding behaviour. They observed the behaviour of pupils in classrooms and at social times.

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 The views of pupils and staff who responded to Ofsted’s surveys were considered.  Inspectors considered the views of parents through the responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for parents, Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Thomas Wraith, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Steve Willacy Ofsted Inspector 3 and 4 December 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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