Hodge Hill College

Hodge Hill College

Address: Bromford Road, B36 8HB Unique reference number (URN): 103503

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Achievement Expected standard

Pupils often start at the school with some historic gaps in their learning. Despite this, they typically achieve well in most of the qualifications offered by the school. Leaders take particular pride in how well pupils achieve in their arts GCSEs. Pupils who are disadvantaged perform well in the examinations they take. Typically, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) achieve well in examinations. They particularly benefit from the support the school offers for revision and consolidation of key learning. Leaders are securing increasing consistency in how well pupils with SEND achieve in key stage 3. Overall, therefore, pupils are well prepared for their next steps.

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Achievement Expected standard

Leaders support pupils to move on to suitably ambitious destinations in employment, education and training.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Pupils attend well, including those who are disadvantaged and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders have established systems that ensure pupils continue to attend regularly. They are securing a consistent approach between year groups so that overall attendance rates continue to increase. Leaders also track punctuality closely. Pupils understand the importance of regular attendance because leaders set clear expectations.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Pupils, including pupils with SEND and pupils who are disadvantaged, typically behave well. Pupils' positive behaviour creates a calm, orderly and respectful environment. Pupils show positive attitudes to their learning and want to do their best. Low-level disruption in lessons is rare. Pupils understand the importance of respecting and celebrating others. They know that if unkind or intolerant behaviour occurs, leaders act promptly to address it. This includes both online and offline behaviour. Staff understand leaders' approach to managing behaviour and typically apply this consistently. This includes teachers who are new to the profession.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have a secure understanding of the quality of the curriculum. Since the previous inspection, they have reorganised the curriculum to raise ambition for all pupils and to ensure pupils learn the key knowledge they need in the correct order. Leaders have established a common understanding of effective teaching. Subject teams use the school's 'golden threads' to make sure key learning builds on what pupils already know.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Teachers demonstrate secure subject knowledge. Typically, they check effectively what pupils already know, including whether misconceptions exist or whether some pupils are ready to move on to more complex tasks. Typically, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) learn the curriculum well, although there can be some variation in this. How teachers adapt learning is more variable. Generally, teachers adapt the learning tasks well for their pupils. Sometimes, these adaptations are not quite as precise as they need to be. Where adaptations to learning are less accurate, some pupils find it harder to learn the curriculum as leaders intend. This includes some pupils with SEND.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders work effectively to provide pupils with strong foundations in reading, writing and mathematics. Any gaps that exist in pupils' knowledge close rapidly.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have an informed and accurate understanding of the school's strengths. They have correctly identified and prioritised further improvements. Leaders are refining how those at all levels evaluate the quality of their areas of responsibility using the information available to them.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Governors offer supportive challenge to leaders. They also evaluate the provision accurately and receive appropriate and developing support from the local authority. As governors and leaders understand the school's wider community well, they ensure that decisions are always taken in the best interests of pupils. Leaders in the school have identified that provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities needed increased consistency. They have taken appropriate action to secure this. Overall, decisions taken by leaders are in the interests of pupils. Leaders and governors engage appropriately with parents and carers.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders and governors remain mindful of staff workload and wellbeing. They have taken appropriate steps to work with staff on this. Leaders provide an extensive and effective professional learning programme to build teachers' expertise, including for those who are new to the profession.

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Personal development and well-being Expected standard

Pupils are well prepared for life beyond school. Leaders achieve this through a personal development programme built around the themes of voices, passions, future, wellbeing and relationships. This equips pupils with the knowledge they need to lead healthy and safe lives, both online and offline. Pupils learn the appropriate information they need about healthy relationships. Leaders also ensure pupils are taught about the diversity of life in modern Britain, including important knowledge about different religions and traditions. Pupils typically recall this key learning well, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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Personal development and well-being Expected standard

Leaders offer a wider programme that includes a range of trips and activities. Examples include a visit to an amusement park and the popular breakfast club. Leaders engage well with pupils to develop this wider offer. They track which pupils take part and work to further increase participation among more vulnerable pupils, including pupils with SEND.

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Personal development and well-being Expected standard

The careers provision supports pupils to access ambitious destinations effectively. Leaders carefully guide pupils so that as many as possible move on to employment, education or

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Needs attention

training. They are continuing to enhance this provision across the school. Leaders support more vulnerable pupils well to pursue aspirational next steps.

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Inclusion Needs attention

There are sometimes inconsistencies in how well leaders identify and assess some pupils' individual learning needs. For example, on occasion, the identification of the needs of some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is not precise enough or easy for staff to access. Where the identification of the pupils' needs is less precise, the support they receive in the classroom can be less helpful to them. There are examples of a new, more precise approach that leaders are adopting. Where this is applied, it is helping pupils with SEND, those who are disadvantaged or those who are known to social care achieve consistently well. It has not yet been adopted across all year groups, however. There are some effective practices to support these pupils. For example, the school provides pupils with appropriate equipment.

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Inclusion Needs attention

How leaders evaluate the support they offer to these groups of more vulnerable pupils is also inconsistent. For example, how leaders use the views of pupils, parents and carers to review the support they offer to pupils with SEND varies. Leaders engage appropriately with external agencies and make appropriate use of alternative provision for pupils who require this. The school's use of the pupil premium funding supports disadvantaged pupils to achieve well.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

This is a school where all pupils are welcome. The school lives out its CARE values of courtesy, achievement, respect and excellence. Pupils understand these values and can explain what they mean. Pupils are welcoming to visitors and take pride in their school. They treat each other with kindness and consideration. Typically, they listen respectfully in lessons, try their best and behave thoughtfully during social times. If unkind behaviour occurs, pupils know that staff act promptly and decisively. Pupils enjoy school and attend well.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils learn to thrive, both in school and in the community. The school teaches them how to be safe in person and online, and how to live happy, healthy lives. Pupils appreciate the opportunities the school provides, such as trips, extra activities and the popular breakfast club. They also know they can turn to trusted adults if something worries them.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils understand that the school is aspirational for them. They typically work hard to achieve well and enjoy learning in lessons. They speak proudly about the work they complete, for example in art and design. Year 11 pupils readily take advantage of the school's additional support with revision. They know staff help them to do their best across all their learning. Some pupils need more precise support to enable them to achieve even better. This tends to be some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The school has taken steps to ensure more consistent support for these pupils.

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Next steps

• Leaders should work to apply a consistent approach to support vulnerable pupils, especially those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. • Leaders should work with teaching staff to strengthen how they adapt their teaching based on how secure pupils are in their learning. • Leaders should refine how leaders at all levels evaluate their areas of responsibility so that their work has a clearer impact on pupils' achievement.

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Team inspectors:

Nicola Beech, His Majesty's Inspector Mark Howes, Ofsted Inspector Ian Tustian, Ofsted Inspector Andrew Washbourne, His Majesty's Inspector Stuart Clarkson, His Majesty's Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with school leaders, teachers, governors, representatives of the local authority, other adults who work at the school and pupils during the inspection.

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About this inspection

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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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school: The school makes use of one alternative provision.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational support needs at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English Indices of Deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced Provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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English and maths GCSE

Percentage of pupils who achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSE.

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Attainment 8

A measure of pupils' point scores across 8 subjects including maths (double weighted), English (double weighted if both language and literature are taken), 3 EBacc measures and 3 GCSE or technical measures.

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Progress 8

How much progress pupils made between the end of primary school (key stage 2) and the end of secondary school (key stage 4), compared to pupils across England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

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Disadvantaged pupils' English and maths GCSE grade 5 or above

Percentage of disadvantaged pupils achieving grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSE.

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Disadvantaged pupils' Attainment 8

A measure of disadvantaged pupils' point scores across 8 subjects including maths (double weighted), English (double weighted if both language and literature are taken), 3 EBacc measures and 3 GCSE or technical measures.

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Disadvantaged pupils' Progress 8

How much progress disadvantaged pupils made between the end of primary school (key stage 2) and the end of secondary school (key stage 4), compared to pupils across England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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Disadvantaged pupils' English and maths GCSE grade 5 or above

Percentage of disadvantaged pupils who achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSE.

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Disadvantaged pupils' Attainment 8

A measure of disadvantaged pupils' point scores across 8 subjects including maths (double weighted), English (double weighted if both language and literature are taken), 3 EBacc measures and 3 GCSE or technical measures.

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Disadvantaged pupils' Progress 8

How much progress disadvantaged pupils made between the end of primary school (key stage 2) and the end of secondary school (key stage 4), compared to pupils across England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2.

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Destinations after 16

Percentage of pupils staying in education or employment for at least 2 terms after the end of secondary school (key stage 4).

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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national average

2024/25 (1 term) 18.5% 21.1% Close to average

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standards expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standards set out in statutory and non-statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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

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