Hanham Woods Academy

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Hanham Woods Academy Memorial Road, Hanham, Bristol, Bristol BS15 3LA

p.1

Inspection dates: 28 and 29 January 2025

p.1

Outcome

Hanham Woods Academy has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection. The Principal of this school is Stephen O’Callaghan. This school is part of Cabot Learning Federation, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Steve Taylor, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Yvonne Beach.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high aspirations of what all pupils can achieve. Pupils are encouraged to ‘Dream Big’ about their futures. The school makes sure that pupils have the information they need to make informed decisions about their next steps. Pupils move on to further education or employment that matches their ambitions.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know that they can talk to an adult if they have any worries. Pupils are confident that staff will provide high-quality support if they need help. This helps pupils to feel safe and cared for at school.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils understand how the school expects them to behave. If pupils do not meet the school’s expectations, staff take prompt action. As a result, the school is calm and orderly. However, a minority of pupils do not behave as well as expected in class and sometimes they miss important learning.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn about the importance of tolerance and respect for those from different backgrounds to them. For instance, pupils enjoyed a recent event that celebrated the diversity of cultures that pupils and staff come from. 28 and 29 January 2025

p.1

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

In recent years, pupils have typically achieved well. However, the school’s published outcomes in 2024 were below national averages. This is not typical for the school and is not reflected in the quality of education pupils receive currently.

p.2

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

Staff use their strong subject knowledge to explain new content clearly. The work they give to pupils is well matched to the ambitious curriculum that the school has designed. However, sometimes teaching activities do not help pupils to remember what they have learned before. At times pupils’ misconceptions are not corrected swiftly enough. This means that pupils cannot build on their previous knowledge well enough and that they have gaps in their recall.

p.2

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

High quality advice and training enables staff to identify and provide effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Consequently, most pupils with SEND learn the same curriculum as their peers effectively.

p.2

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

The school has prioritised reading. Younger pupils get support to use the library as part of the curriculum. The guided reading programme exposes pupils to ambitious texts and ensures they read often. There is a strong focus on literacy across all areas of the curriculum. Those who have fallen behind with reading are identified and get support to catch up.

p.2

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

Attendance is a high priority for the school. Staff have a good understanding of the reasons why pupils are absent. Key staff have built positive relationships with families to support pupils to attend more often. Pupils’ attendance has improved. However, some pupils continue to be absent from school too often. This prevents them from achieving as well as they could due to gaps in their knowledge.

p.2

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

The school has a comprehensive approach to preparing pupils for life beyond school. There is a suitable curriculum for teaching pupils about all aspects personal, social and health education. The school uses what it knows about emerging local and national potential risks to adapt the curriculum. This helps pupils to understand how to stay safe, including when online.

p.2

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

Leaders have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and priorities for development. For instance, they have made sure they have the right staff in place to improve pupils’ attendance. Those responsible for governance have the expertise they need to support and challenge the school.

p.2

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

The school is creating opportunities for parents to increase their understanding of how their children are supported. For instance, parents are welcomed to tours during the school day. However, a significant minority of parents lack confidence in the way that the school communicates with them. 28 and 29 January 2025

p.2

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Teaching does not consistently develop pupils recall of their learning well enough. This means that some pupils do not remember what they have been taught before and so cannot build on this learning. The trust should ensure that pupils consistently know and remember more of the curriculum.  Some pupils miss curriculum time because they do not attend well enough. Others miss curriculum time because they are removed from lessons if they do not behave well. As a result, these pupils do not progress as well as they could through the curriculum. The trust should ensure that pupils attend regularly and continue to improve their behaviour in class so that they experience the full curriculum.  Of those parents who gave their views of the school during the inspection, some are not satisfied with the way that the school deals with concerns they raise. Some parents do not have confidence that issues they raise will be resolved. The school needs to

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

improve communication with parents so that parents know that their concerns have been dealt with.

p.3

Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

p.3

Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

p.3

Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in November 2019. 28 and 29 January 2025

p.3

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.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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). 28 and 29 January 2025

p.4

School details

Dates of previous inspection 13 and 15 November 2019

p.5

Information about this school

 This school uses eight unregistered alternative provisions and three registered alternative provisions.  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.  The school has a specially resourced provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This provides education for 28 pupils with Autistic Spectrum Disorder.  The school is part of the Cabot Learning Federation multi academy trust.

p.5

Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school's education provision. 28 and 29 January 2025

p.5

6

 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.  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 inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  An inspector met with representatives of those responsible for governance.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, and the views of staff and pupils in Ofsted’s online surveys. Inspectors also spoke to pupils and staff in meetings and around the school site.

p.6

6

 An inspector visited the specially resourced provision.

p.6

Inspection team

Sarah Favager-Dalton, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Alison Naylor Ofsted Inspector 28 and 29 January 2025

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open- government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7