The Hamble School

Inspection of The Hamble School Satchell Lane, Hamble-le-Rice, Southampton, Hampshire SO31 4NE

p.1

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 18 and 19 March 2025

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

The Hamble School is a happy, inclusive and calm place to learn. Pupils embrace the school’s high expectations for their behaviour. Pupils are courteous, friendly and considerate of others. They like helping others, for example by taking on responsibilities such as ‘transition prefect’ and ‘cyber ambassador’. Pupils feel safe because they know staff will listen and help if they have any worries.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school. They like the positive ethos and the many ways to celebrate success. ‘Proud Fridays’, when pupils showcase their hard work and determination, are especially popular. Pupils are encouraged to develop their talents and interests, for example by joining one of the school’s many after-school sports clubs or performance groups. The school’s crochet, reading and chess clubs are also popular.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for pupils’ achievement. The curriculum in several subjects has been revised. There is a consistent approach to teaching. Disruption to learning is rare. Consequently, pupils remember more of what they are taught, and academic outcomes are improving.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Some highly bespoke provisions within the school help a small minority of pupils who need extra support to improve their behaviour, mental health or learning.

p.2

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

Leaders and governors have taken a strategic approach to improving the school. Several parents and carers, pupils and staff call the changes ‘transformational’. This is because pupils are now much happier in school and are learning much more. In particular, provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is considerably better.

p.2

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

Leaders and staff have worked hard to ensure that the curriculum is broad and ambitious. The school has made sure that teaching covers all the requirements of the national curriculum by the end of Year 8. In Year 9, pupils can choose not to continue with some foundation subjects so that they can deepen their knowledge in other subjects and try out some new ones, such as media or engineering. Pupils find this helps them to make more informed and confident choices about what to study in Year 10.

p.2

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

The school is reviewing the content and sequencing of each subject’s curriculum. Although there is still some fine-tuning to do in a few subjects, this is making a big difference in the classroom. Teachers are clear about the most important knowledge that pupils need to learn and the order that they need to learn it in. The school recognises that some pupils have gaps in their knowledge, especially some who are disadvantaged and some pupils with SEND. Consistent approaches to identifying and filling these gaps are starting to make a positive difference to these pupils’ learning.

p.2

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

Provision for pupils with SEND is strong. The school works well with pupils’ previous schools to ensure that the right support is put in place for pupils when they join. It puts in 18 and 19 March 2025

p.2

3

place robust processes so that pupils’ individual needs are met. Many parents praise how effectively the school works in partnership with them to ensure that pupils are well prepared for their future lives.

p.3

3

Pupils’ attendance is much better. Effective help for pupils who struggle to come into school regularly means pupils attend more regularly, especially those with social, emotional and mental health needs. As a result, fewer pupils are persistently absent. Pupils’ punctuality has also significantly improved because of the school’s raised expectations.

p.3

3

The school sets out clear and consistent expectations for managing pupils’ behaviour, which most pupils follow. Appropriate consequences and support are in place to help the small number of pupils who continue to struggle to meet these expectations.

p.3

3

The school’s approach to supporting pupils’ personal development is well organised. Pupils learn how to keep safe, including how to recognise risks online and in the local community. Careers education is well organised. Pupils are increasingly taking up opportunities for work experience.

p.3

3

Leaders and governors support staff well in managing their professional development, workload and well-being. As a result, staffing is more stable than it has been in the past.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school’s high expectations for behaviour and attendance are not consistently understood and followed by a small group of pupils. As a result, these pupils miss too much time in school and are less well prepared for life in modern Britain than they could be. The school should continue to strengthen support for these pupils so that suspensions decrease and attendance improves further.  Some pupils, especially some pupils with SEND and some who are disadvantaged, have gaps in their knowledge. This means that they are not achieving as highly as they should. Leaders should embed improvements to the curriculum and teaching so that pupils’ gaps in learning are filled and more pupils achieve the ambition of the curriculum. 18 and 19 March 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). 18 and 19 March 2025

p.4

School details

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,090

p.5

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection 2 February 2024, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 The headteacher took up her post in January 2023. She was previously a deputy headteacher at the school.  The school uses two registered providers of alternative education and two unregistered providers of alternative education.  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.

p.5

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 (sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade. 18 and 19 March 2025

p.5

6

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation 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 met with the headteacher and other senior leaders. They also met with subject leaders, pastoral leaders and a range of teaching and support staff.  The lead inspector met with representatives from the governing body and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, science, modern foreign languages, art 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 discussed with the school how the curriculum as a whole is organised

p.6

6

and explored the curriculum in some other subjects.  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.  Inspectors met and visited lessons with the special educational needs coordinator, including visiting the school’s ‘engage’, ‘step’ and ‘retrack’ intervention rooms.  Inspectors considered the views submitted to the confidential staff survey.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour at lunchtime and as they moved around the school between lessons.  Inspectors considered the views submitted in the confidential pupil survey and met with several groups of pupils to discuss their views and experiences of the school.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View and the comments made by

p.6

6

those who responded.  Inspectors scrutinised a variety of school policies and records, including records about pupils’ behaviour and safety.

p.6

Inspection team

Catherine Old, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Mark Marande Ofsted Inspector 18 and 19 March 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