Hartsholme Academy

Inspection of Hartsholme Academy Carrington Drive, Lincoln LN6 0DE

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement

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The principal of this school is Fran Rhodes. This school is part of Harbour Learning 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), Richard Briggs, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Chris Cherry. 3 and 4 June 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy their time at Hartsholme Academy. They are safe and well cared for by dedicated staff. Pupils work and play together happily. They are polite and respectful, and they value the positive relationships they have with their teachers and other members of staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of what all pupils can achieve. The curriculum is ambitious. Expert staff make sure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) benefit from the support and care they need to be successful. Pupils try hard and most achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour has improved at the school. Pupils follow school routines without fuss. They enjoy the rewards they can earn for demonstrating the school’s values, to be ‘ambitious, resilient and respectful’. Pupils told inspectors that any disruptions to learning are dealt with quickly and fairly by staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides a range of opportunities that supports pupils’ wider personal development well. Many pupils attend clubs that extend their interests and develop their talents. Trips and visits provide memorable experiences for all pupils. Leadership roles, such as reading ambassadors, prefects and house captains, allow pupils to take on responsibilities and develop their character.

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

Since the previous inspection, the school has significantly improved the curriculum. It has identified the precise knowledge and vocabulary that pupils will learn. Subject plans are sequenced well so that pupils connect new knowledge to what they know already. The curriculum in the early years has been designed carefully to give children the knowledge and skills they need to be ready for their next stages.

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

Most pupils achieve the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of key stage 2. However, the number achieving above the expected level is below the national average. The school is developing routines to evaluate the impact of the curriculum and refining it to improve pupils’ outcomes. This process is not currently well established in all subjects.

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

The school has established a range of teaching strategies to support the delivery of the curriculum. When these are applied effectively, teachers revisit topics routinely to make sure that pupils can recall important knowledge. Most of the time, teachers ask careful questions to check pupils’ understanding before moving on to new learning. They provide learning activities that support pupils to gain knowledge securely. However, there is some variation in how effectively the curriculum is delivered and how well learning activities are designed. When this is the case, pupils’ learning is less secure.

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

Reading is at the heart of the curriculum. Beginning in the early years, pupils benefit from a phonics programme that is delivered expertly. Teachers check pupils’ phonics knowledge 3 and 4 June 2025

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often. They make sure that pupils practise reading from books that match their stage of reading. Any pupils who fall behind are supported to catch up quickly. In key stage 2, learning activities are well designed to help pupils develop reading fluency and gain confidence. Pupils enjoy reading for pleasure.

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The school quickly and effectively identifies when pupils have SEND. It provides teachers with detailed information so that they can offer these pupils support where it is needed. When more specific support is necessary, these pupils benefit from ambitious, individualised curriculums delivered by well-trained staff.

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In the early years, children enjoy learning in an interesting and well-resourced environment. Caring staff help children to develop their social and communication skills as they work and play together. Learning activities are designed to excite children’s curiosity as they gain knowledge about the world.

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The curriculum for personal, social and health education prepares pupils well for their next stages in education and their lives in modern Britain. Pupils learn how to take care of their physical and mental health and how to maintain positive relationships. Pupils have a good understanding of the fundamental British values and enjoy learning about different faiths and cultures.

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Attendance and behaviour have both improved in recent years. The vast majority of pupils attend school frequently and behave well. When pupils are absent too often, or display challenging behaviour, the school provides effective personalised support that helps these pupils to improve.

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The school is well supported by the multi-academy trust to improve its provision for the benefit of all pupils. Trustees and the local academy council know the school well and provide appropriate guidance and challenge to school leaders. Although improvements have been made, the school does not have robust systems in place currently to accurately evaluate the impact of all aspects of its work.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 There is some variation in the quality of the delivery of the curriculum. When it is less effective, pupils do not gain knowledge and skills as securely as they could. The school should ensure that all teachers apply effective teaching and learning strategies so that pupils learn and remember the important curriculum information successfully.  The school does not have robust systems in place to monitor the impact of the curriculum or of other strategies it has implemented. This means that leaders do not 3 and 4 June 2025

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have an accurate view of the impact of their work. The school should ensure that leaders have the expertise they need to evaluate the effectiveness of their actions to improve the school and promote the best possible outcomes for all pupils.

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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 June 2025

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School details

Website www.hha.harbourlearningtrust.com

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 7 and 8 February 2023, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of Harbour Learning Trust.  The school uses one registered alternative provision.

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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. 3 and 4 June 2025

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 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 principal, the assistant principals and other school leaders.  The lead inspector met with the CEO of the multi-academy trust. He also met with representatives of the board of trustees and the local academy council.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, science, 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. The lead inspector listened to some pupils read.  Inspectors also visited some lessons, spoke to pupils about their work and looked at samples of pupils’ work in some other subjects.  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.  Inspectors spoke to a number of pupils, staff and parents and carers to hear their experiences of the school. Inspectors also considered views expressed in Ofsted’s surveys for staff and pupils and Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

John Spragg, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Anita Denman Ofsted Inspector 3 and 4 June 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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