Holderness Academy

Inspection of Holderness Academy and Sixth Form College Station Road, Preston, Hull HU12 8UZ

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Sixth-form provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement

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The headteacher of this school is Neal Holder. This school is part of The Consortium Academy 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), Lizann Lowson, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Ian Furlong. 25 and 26 March 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy a much-improved education at this welcoming school. Staff have high expectations for what pupils can achieve. Many pupils progress well in their subjects and personal development over time. A well-designed curriculum helps them develop knowledge and skills for future success. However, this improved experience has not impacted fully on pupils’ published outcomes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn in an environment that is largely disruption free. Pupils say that bullying and discrimination rarely happen. This reflects the inclusive culture in the school. Pupils understand the school’s aspirational, resilient, respectful and kind (ARRK) values well. They are embedded in the life of school. If pupils do make mistakes, skilled and caring staff help them to learn from this.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Sixth-form students are keen to explain how much support they get from their school. This helps them move on to ambitious destinations, including university courses and apprenticeships. With support from the trust, sixth-form students enjoy a range of trips and visits with peers from other schools. They can also undertake short courses in areas of interest. This includes ‘future lawyers’ and ‘future medics’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Some pupils are part of an active student council. They help bring about change in their school. These pupils also enjoy joining their peers across the trust. This includes taking part in a conference on different themes, such as sustainability.

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

The school has addressed previous weaknesses that were evident in the most recent published outcomes. Subject leaders have overhauled the curriculum in many areas. This includes creating strong foundations for future success in key stage 3. This is beginning to have an impact on what pupils know and remember. The curriculum is ambitious. It makes clear the important knowledge pupils need to know. Pupils are also taught subject- specific terminology. This improves their discussions and written work. In the sixth form, criminology students confidently discuss the criminal justice system. They use key terms such as ‘recidivism’ to explain their ideas.

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

Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They explain learning clearly to pupils. In art and design, staff use thoughtful demonstration techniques. As pupils work, a video on a loop reminds them of the key techniques they should use. This builds pupils’ confidence and accuracy in the subject over time.

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

The school places a high priority on helping the weakest readers improve. Precise diagnostic tools identify the support and intervention pupils need. From this, well-trained staff help pupils get better at reading. This work has a notable impact on pupils’ confidence and skill. The school has ambitious strategies to encourage reading for pleasure. There is a vibrant library in the school. Through English, well-chosen texts help pupils discuss important topics. This includes refugees and homophobia. In the sixth 25 and 26 March 2025

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form, students make good use of their independent study time. They read academic articles linked to their subjects.

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Provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is greatly improved. Pupils with SEND access the same ambitious curriculum as their peers. Support plans help staff understand the broad strategies they can use to help pupils. However, there is more work to do to help staff develop their expertise further. Some staff do not adapt learning as well as they should to meet pupils’ specific needs. The support is occasionally too generic. Over time, some pupils with SEND do not achieve as well as their peers.

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The school’s ARRK lessons teach pupils about the wider world. Pupils have secure knowledge about how to stay safe, both online and offline. They understand what makes a healthy relationship. Pupils also know how to look after their physical and mental health. Students in the sixth form learn age-appropriate content. This includes driver safety. Despite this, learning about other faiths and cultures is not as consistent. This is particularly the case for pupils in key stage 4. Pupils’ tolerance and kindness towards others is evident throughout the school. They behave well and treat others with respect. However, pupils lack a breadth of knowledge to underpin these positive character traits. They cannot draw upon knowledge of other faiths and cultures to support meaningful discussions in this area.

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Leaders, governors and the wider trust are making a positive difference for pupils. A journey of improvement is well underway and showing positive signs of impact. The trust helps the school check on its progress. As a result, the school has an accurate view of its strengths and areas for development. Through focused work, the school has improved its relationship with most parents. Compared to the last inspection, many more would now recommend the school. Parents comment on the improvements the school has made. Staff are proud to work at the school. They know the school and the trust prioritises their workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some lessons, staff do not implement pupils’ SEND support plans as well as they should. As a result, some pupils with SEND do not achieve as well as their peers. The school should continue its work to upskill staff, with a focus on understanding the range of SEND needs in school and how best to adapt learning precisely for pupils’ specific needs.  Pupils do not consistently learn about other faiths and cultures as they move into key stage 4. Consequently, they do not have a secure knowledge and understanding of the 25 and 26 March 2025

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wide range of faiths and cultures in modern Britain. The school should ensure that pupils’ experiences of different faiths and cultures are further enhanced, so that they are fully prepared for life beyond school.

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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). 25 and 26 March 2025

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School details

Local authority East Riding of Yorkshire

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School details

Type of school Secondary Comprehensive School category Academy converter

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form

Dates of previous inspection 2 and 3 March 2023, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This school is part of The Consortium Academy Trust.  The school has a resourced provision for pupils with education, health and care plans. The pupils’ area of need is autism. There are currently 17 pupils on roll in this provision.  The sixth form provision currently has Year 13 students only. The sixth form is due to close at the end of this academic year.  The school currently uses three registered and one unregistered alternative provisions. 25 and 26 March 2025

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 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.

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Information about this inspection

 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, trust leaders and other senior leaders over the course of the inspection. The lead inspector also met with the CEO of the trust.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, science, history and art and design. 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.  An inspector met with the leader responsible for SEND, reviewed pupils’ support plans and visited lessons to see support for pupils with SEND in action.  The lead inspector met with the leader responsible for the sixth form and visited sixth-

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Information about this inspection

form lessons.  The lead inspector met with trustees and governors. The lead inspector also reviewed documentation related to governance, including minutes of meetings.  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 with groups of pupils and staff formally throughout the inspection and spoke with them informally at social times and in lessons.  Inspectors reviewed a range of school documents, including the school’s self-evaluation and the school improvement plan.  Inspectors considered the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. Inspectors also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff and for pupils.

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Inspection team

Hannah Millett, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Carl Sugden Ofsted Inspector 25 and 26 March 2025

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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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