The Hereford Church of England Academy

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 1231 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Michael Stoppard Headteacher The Hereford Church of England Academy Marlbrook Road Redhill Hereford Herefordshire HR2 7NG

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Church of England Academy

This letter sets out the findings from the monitoring inspection that took place on 01 July 2025, on behalf of His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills. The monitoring inspection was carried out under section 8(2) of the Education Act 2005 and took place because the school meets the monitoring threshold as set out in the Monitoring Inspection Handbook .

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Church of England Academy

The purpose of a monitoring inspection is not to grade the school’s key and (where applicable) provision judgements, but to identify and report on the school’s progress. It is to highlight to the school and parents any improvements that school leaders have made since the school’s previous graded inspection.

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Church of England Academy

During the inspection, I discussed with you and other senior leaders, the chief executive officer (CEO) of the trust, subject leaders, the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator, the designated safeguarding lead and other staff, the actions that have been taken to improve the school since the most recent graded inspection. I also visited nine lessons, across eight subject areas, looked at pupils’ work and met with pupils. I scrutinised documents relating to the school’s self-evaluation, the curriculum, the school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), safeguarding and governance. I observed pupils during their breaktimes and lunchtimes. I also reviewed the school’s single central record to assess the checks made for the recruitment of new staff. We discussed the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. I have considered all this in coming to my judgement.

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Main findings

Since the last inspection there has been some change to staffing in the school. This includes a new deputy headteacher. The school has also made key changes to other staff roles and responsibilities. Some staff have been promoted into senior and middle leadership roles, and you have revised the staffing structure. Staff speak in depth about the effective opportunities to experience middle and senior leadership roles, such as through your secondment programme. Your role has developed, with you also holding interim headship of another school in the Diocese of Hereford Multi-Academy Trust.

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Main findings

The school has reviewed the curriculum planning to consider how pupils’ learning can build effectively on their starting points. Subject leaders are increasingly confident to demonstrate how their subject develops the key knowledge and skills pupils need to know. There is encouraging evidence that subject curriculums engage pupils in their learning and that school leaders confidently analyse and evaluate the quality of education provided.

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Main findings

The school has completed a comprehensive audit of how assessment methods are used by teachers to adapt their delivery of lessons and to identify and address pupils’ misconceptions. As a result of this work, the school has put an extensive professional development programme in place. This is delivered weekly. It supports teachers in their use of retrieval activities to help pupils recall the most important information, identifying and meeting the needs of pupils with SEND, and providing challenge where appropriate. However, there is still work to do to ensure that all staff consistently adapt their teaching, including their use of questions, to support and challenge all pupils well.

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Main findings

The school has reviewed the effective opportunities for pupils to read in class and across the wider curriculum. The school has carefully evaluated and improved the reading curriculum. This includes the promotion of wider reading, pupils’ comprehension skills and how reading is woven into all subject areas. There is a growing confidence that staff know how to model reading well to pupils. There are also encouraging signs that reading is prioritised across all subject areas. Pupils report that there is a reading culture in the school. However, some pupils are not clear about how their reading skills and experiences have been developed. Further action is needed to embed the support for pupils to read confidently and fluently.

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Main findings

The school’s safeguarding practice is effective. The school has clear systems in place to identify pupils at risk of potential harm. A well-developed and systematic approach to dealing with disclosures ensures that the school takes decisive and timely action to support vulnerable pupils. Training from both the school and trust enables staff to deal with low-level concerns appropriately. A coordinated approach ensures that support is timely and effective. Those responsible for governance understand their statutory responsibilities well. They continue to support and hold leaders to account effectively. You, and other leaders, report that trustees and governors have worked quickly and effectively with the school and the local authority to support any whole-school changes that are necessary. Relationships between trustees, governors and leaders are positive and purposeful. Governors and trustees are well informed about the school’s development priorities and the progress now

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Main findings

being made to achieve them. Leaders recognise that while progress has been made, there are still areas to review and develop further for greater consistency. You and your team have a realistic evaluation of the school’s current strengths and challenges.

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Main findings

I am copying this letter to the chair of the board of trustees, and the CEO or equivalent of the Diocese of Hereford Multi Academy trust, the Department for Education’s regional director and the director of children’s services for Herefordshire local authority. This letter will be published on the Ofsted reports website.

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