Hetton Academy

Inspection of Hetton Academy North Road, Hetton-le-Hole, Houghton le Spring, Tyne and Wear DH5 9JZ

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Inspection dates: 10 and 11 December 2024

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

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Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act

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The headteacher at this school is Vicky Pinkney. This school is part of the Northern 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, Rob Tarn, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Mark Sanders. 10 and 11 December 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Hetton Academy is a rapidly improving school. Leaders from the school, and from the Northern Education Trust, have successfully embarked on transforming the school. While some of this improvement work is ongoing, other aspects are embedded. For example, pupils’ performance in external examinations has improved rapidly. The school’s published outcomes are now well above local and national averages.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations for pupils’ conduct both in and out of lessons. As a result, the school is calm. The school provides individuals with the support that they need to improve their behaviour. However, some pupils are still removed too frequently from lessons, particularly those in key stage 3. Pupils and staff have positive relationships with each other. This ensures that pupils feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school offers extra-curricular activities that some pupils take advantage of. Clubs such as various sports activities develop pupils’ interests. School productions bring pupils together from across key stages to develop their talents in performing. Pupils on the school council feel heard by adults and appreciate that changes are made due to their feedback.

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

Subject leaders have set out the important knowledge that pupils will learn and when. Staff are well trained to teach the curriculum and check that pupils have understood their learning. Opportunities to revisit topics mean that pupils recall their learning well over time, but this is more secure for some older pupils. For example, pupils develop a more sophisticated understanding of how to analyse texts in English due to a consistent approach to interpretation that deepens understanding.

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

The school is ambitious that pupils will study the English Baccalaureate suite of subjects (EBacc). Approximately half of pupils at key stage 4 currently study the EBacc.

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

The school quickly identifies the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Teachers know pupils well and use their knowledge of pupils’ individual needs to make adaptations that enable them to access the curriculum. As a result, outcomes for pupils with SEND have increased of late. Pupils who need additional support receive this when required, including, for example, through small group work. As a result, the school is inclusive and disadvantaged pupils learn in line with the rest of the school.

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

Pupils who attend the specially resourced provision access much of their education alongside their peers. They are fully included in the life of the school and receive bespoke support.

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

The weakest readers in key stage 3 are supported to develop their decoding skills, fluency and confidence through a range of appropriate interventions. This helps to ensure that pupils can access the texts used across the curriculum. 10 and 11 December 2024

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Attendance is a school and trust priority, not least following the challenges faced following the COVID-19 pandemic. Leaders communicate their high expectations for attendance with pupils and families. The school closely tracks the attendance of pupils. This ensures that there is timely and appropriate support put in place. This has resulted in improvements in attendance and a reduction in persistent absence for key groups of pupils, such as those with SEND.

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The school has created a positive culture of respect and kindness. The majority of pupils feel confident that the school would take quick and effective action should bullying occur. Pupils’ behaviour has improved significantly in the last two years and suspensions have notably fallen. However, overall suspensions remain high. On occasion, the school’s high expectations for behaviour are not met. Where this happens, this impacts the otherwise positive learning environment.

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The provision for personal development prepares pupils to understand society in modern Britain. Many pupils engage well with their learning. However, some do not fully recognise its relevance to their own lives. This is particularly the case for pupils in Year 11. In some cases, these pupils experience notable gaps when revisiting important knowledge, for example about relationships education, that they need in order to be fully prepared for life beyond school.

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There is an inspiring careers programme at the school that provides pupils with the information they need when making decisions about their future. This means that they learn about the world of work, including apprenticeships. Consequently, most pupils move on to destinations that align with their future goals. Pupils in all year groups can confidently discuss their careers education.

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There have been significant changes made to improve the curriculum and raise expectations of pupils. During this period, the school and trust have been considerate of the workload and well-being of staff. Many of the changes are already beginning to lead to improvements. There is commitment from leaders at all levels to continue to develop the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 There is variability in the extent to which the school’s work on aspects of personal development is benefiting older pupils. This means that some pupils do not remember important information about relationships. The school should address these gaps to make sure that pupils are fully prepared for life after school. 10 and 11 December 2024

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 Rates of suspension remain high, and leaders rightly want these to reduce further. When not in schools, pupils are not benefiting from the school’s much-improved curriculum. Leaders should embed the positive climate for learning so that suspensions reduce further.

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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). 10 and 11 December 2024

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Hetton Academy converted to become an academy in September 2021. When its predecessor school, Hetton School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to require improvement for its overall effectiveness.  The school currently uses five registered alternative providers for a small number of pupils.  The school has a specially resourced provision for up to 10 pupils with speech, language and communication difficulties.  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 10 and 11 December 2024

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management) and for any relevant provision judgement (sixth form 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 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. 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: English, science, history, modern foreign languages and mathematics. 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 met with the school special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) and scrutinised SEND support plans from a sample of pupils across different classes, including those pupils who access the specially resourced provision unit.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: reviewed the single central

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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 the CEO of the Trust.  The lead inspector held a meeting with the chair of governors and with the vice-chair of the Board of Trustees.  Inspectors scrutinised the school’s behaviour and attendance records and met with leaders with responsibility for these areas.  An inspector met with leaders responsible for pupils studying in alternative provision. An inspector spoke to a sample of the alternative providers used.  Inspectors spoke to a range of pupils from different classes across both days of inspection.  The lead inspector considered the responses made by parents to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, including free-text responses. The lead inspector also

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considered responses to Ofsted’s survey of staff. An inspector also spoke to a parent on the telephone.

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Inspection team

Jessica McKay, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Bernard Clark Ofsted Inspector 10 and 11 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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