Hollis Academy

Hollis Academy

Address: Saltersgill Avenue, Middlesbrough, TS4 3JS Unique reference number (URN): 143519

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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

Achievement is well considered at Hollis Academy. Pupils make progress in their learning, as well as being well prepared for adulthood and their next steps. Where pupils have not yet secured key skills in reading and numeracy, the support they receive enables them to become more confident. Many pupils arrive at the school with gaps in their learning. From their individual starting points, pupils make appropriate progress. Most pupils talk confidently about their learning. This is not always the case for pupils who are regularly absent from school.

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Achievement Expected standard

At key stage 4, pupils access a range of qualifications, including entry level certificates, functional skills and GCSEs. An increasing number of pupils achieve GCSE qualifications. Pupils produce high-quality work and use subject terminology with confidence. Most recently, all pupils have achieved accreditation in English and mathematics by the time they leave the school at the end of key stage 4. Many of these qualifications open doors to appropriate next steps for pupils.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders have an informed understanding of pupils’ attendance. Many of the pupils at the school have struggled to engage with education at some point prior to attending this school. Leaders consider pupils' past experiences and current circumstances. This informs their approaches to supporting attendance, for example aligning alternative provision to pupils’ aspirations to help re-engage them in education. Leaders have made notable improvements to rates of pupil attendance over time. Despite this, overall attendance remains below national averages. However, the number of pupils who are persistently absent is reducing. All staff play their part in improving attendance. Where leaders carry out targeted work with individual pupils, this often leads to significant improvements in how often they attend school.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders set clear expectations for behaviour. High expectations are set out and positively reinforced by the school's 'SHAPE' points. In each lesson, teachers and pupils reflect on how well pupils have remained safe and healthy in the choices they have made, made progress towards their targets and demonstrated employability skills. Pupils value the expectations that staff consistently uphold. Pupils generally behave well and engage in learning activities. When pupils struggle to regulate their emotions, staff respond calmly and consistently. Pupils typically respond well and feel safe as a result. Bullying is not commonplace. When it does occur, staff respond swiftly and effectively to address this. Offensive language is not tolerated. Staff reliably challenge this when this is heard.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have an accurate understanding of the school's curriculum. Leaders think carefully about the skills of staff and how best to utilise these to support pupils effectively. Leaders recognise where improvements need to be made to ensure that all pupils benefit from highly effective teaching strategies in the classroom. The curriculum is well planned and appropriately sequenced. This supports pupils to build on what they already know. Teachers have secure subject knowledge, and the curriculum is typically taught well. There are clear opportunities in lessons for staff to check pupils' understanding of key learning. For example, staff use questions at the start of each lesson to check on prior learning. This helps staff to shape further learning in the lesson.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff use their knowledge of pupils and information from their education, health and care plans to adapt their teaching. This supports pupils' engagement in lessons and responds to their barriers to learning. Staff monitor how pupils’ skills develop in practical subjects. In other subjects, teachers check that pupils have secured key knowledge through more formal assessments.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The school's knowledge on how confidently pupils can read and use number skills is also used to tailor individual support. Where needed, teachers help pupils to develop these skills through focused practice in lessons. Elsewhere, for those pupils at the earliest stages of reading, they receive support, including in phonics, to help them learn to read.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders have a clear understanding of pupils’ neurodiversity and social, emotional and mental health needs. When pupils join the school, leaders and staff quickly and accurately identify their barriers using baseline assessments and information gathered from pupils’ previous education providers. Leaders use this information to establish a well-rounded picture of pupils’ skills and barriers to learning. This informs the regular reviews of pupils’ education, health and care plans.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders share pupils' barriers with staff, identifying the key strategies that will support pupils. The adaptations and support provided by staff usually reduce any obstacles that pupils face with their learning. The school also runs a wide range of out-of-class interventions to support the specific needs of pupils. However, leaders' approaches to tracking the progress that pupils make from these are inconsistent.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The school engages well with a range of professionals, including occupational therapists and mental health services. This helps to ensure that pupils receive the most appropriate support. For example, where appropriate, some pupils benefit from home tuition or alternative provision. Leaders maintain regular contact with these pupils to ensure their safety and monitor their engagement.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders use pupil premium funding to further strengthen the support that pupils receive. This includes providing training for staff, which supports them to understand and consistently implement the school’s approaches. These approaches include supporting pupils to reflect on their own actions and learn how to manage their emotions. Additional funding for children in care provides specific support tailored for individuals.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders, including the academy council and trustees, understand the school’s context and the changing profile of the pupils that it serves. Leaders accurately identify strengths and areas for development. Their structured use of data and analysis enables them to respond to concerns when they arise. Recently, leaders have helped secure improvements in pupils’ attendance and supported changes to the school’s approach to behaviour. However, this clear and coherent approach to tracking and monitoring is not currently secure across all areas of the school’s work. As a result, some adaptations are not made as skilfully or as swiftly as they could.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Those with responsibility for governance provide appropriate support and challenge to leaders. They ensure that their statutory duties are met. Leaders are committed to ensuring that decisions are made in pupils’ best interests.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Staff are proud to work at the school. They feel supported by leaders, who take their workload and wellbeing into consideration. Staff, including those early in their careers, benefit from evidence-informed professional learning. Staff value the training they receive, which helps them understand pupils' needs and develop their practice. In addition, there are opportunities for collaboration with other schools and professionals. This includes the local authority and a number of virtual schools.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders engage with parents and carers through weekly phone calls and regular newsletters. The annual 'Wow!' event enables staff to positively focus on pupils' achievements and progress. This is increasingly well attended by pupils' families. Staff work with pupils to build relationships in the community, such as through a recent project to create and deliver hampers to a local hospice.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders place pupils’ personal development at the heart of the school’s work. They focus on carefully building pupils' confidence, providing effective pastoral care and broadening pupils' horizons. Pastoral support is well matched to pupils’ needs. Leaders ensure a range of interventions are in place for those who need them. This includes targeted behaviour support, including the use of restorative conversations.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

The school's well-designed personal development programme reflects pupils’ special educational needs and/or disabilities. The programme aims to help pupils to succeed in later life. All pupils who attend school benefit from the programme. Although the programme is carefully monitored by leaders, their tracking does not consistently help shape and precisely target future provision.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

The curriculum covering this aspect of the school's work is adapted to reflect the context of the school. External speakers come in to supplement the taught curriculum. For example, mental health charities, police community support officers and the fire brigade speak to the pupils about keeping themselves safe and healthy. Pupils learn about different faiths and religions and develop an understanding of healthy relationships. They recognise protected characteristics. Pupils understand the importance of acceptance and tolerance of people with differences to themselves.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders broaden the curriculum beyond academic subjects. Pupils in key stage 3 enjoy ‘VocEd’ lessons, while pupils in older year groups complete the Duke of Edinburgh's award scheme. In ‘VocEd’ lessons and through the school's 'Hollis 50' programme, pupils engage in a range of enrichment activities. These provide pupils with opportunities to develop an awareness of the world around them and build skills for adult life, such as budgeting. This work supports pupils to improve their social skills, grow in confidence and become more resilient. It also allows pupils to make progress towards the outcomes in their education, health and care plans.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

The school's focus on careers education includes meaningful visits to workplaces and further education providers. Pupils who receive home tuition benefit from bespoke support to make applications to future education settings, attend open events and prepare for interviews. This helps as many pupils as possible move on to next steps with ambition and determination.

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

At Hollis Academy, pupils feel safe. Pupils and staff share strong relationships, which are built on trust and respect. Pupils, all of whom have special educational needs and/or disabilities, appreciate the time staff have for them. Pupils feel listened to and feel that their voices are heard.

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

Staff take time at the start of each day to check how pupils are feeling. They use this information to provide support as needed. This can, for example, include addressing uniform concerns, ensuring pupils have had breakfast or encouraging a movement break following the journey to school. Pupils attend school more regularly than was previously the case. Those who have previously been out of education receive effective support to help them re- engage in learning. This includes, where appropriate, home tuition and the use of alternative provision.

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

In lessons, pupils generally engage well with activities. Pupils have access to a range of qualifications to recognise their skills. By the end of key stage 4, many achieve certificated qualifications in mathematics and English. These qualifications help pupils to open doors to the next stage of education, employment or training. Pupils are proud to show off their work. In each lesson, pupils are encouraged to reflect on their participation. This helps pupils to understand what is expected of them, as well as enabling them to share their achievements.

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

At social times, pupils can choose to participate in a range of activities alongside peers and staff. This includes trampolining in the sports hall, access to the games room or spending time outside by the pond or playing football. Pupils value the school's enrichment activities, including off-site visits and outdoor experiences. They recognise how these help to improve their social skills and develop their confidence. Older pupils appreciate the opportunities provided for them to develop skills for adult life, such as maintaining a car and learning to manage money.

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

Pupils typically show respect to one another. They know that bullying is not accepted and trust staff to respond quickly and effectively if it does occur. Offensive language is not tolerated. Pupils know staff will consistently challenge this if it is heard. When pupils experience strong emotions or stress, they receive compassion and understanding from staff, who support them to become calm.

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Next steps

Leaders should accelerate their work to draw together their strands of monitoring, so that they are better placed to adjust provision systematically and skilfully for pupils. Leaders should ensure professional learning is precisely matched to the priorities for whole school improvement, so that highly effective teaching is embedded across subjects and year groups. Leaders should continue to rapidly improve attendance, so that all pupils benefit from everything the school offers, achieving consistently well across the curriculum.

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About this inspection

This school is part of Horizons Specialist 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), Rebecca Whelan, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by David Walker.

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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 the principal, executive principal, senior leaders, human resources manager and trust safeguarding lead during the inspection. They also spoke to the wider staff and pupils. The lead inspector also spoke with the CEO, chair of the trust board and chair of the academy council.

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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:

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About this inspection

All pupils that attend the school have an education, health and care plan. Pupils' primary need is social, emotional and mental health.

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About this inspection

The school currently makes use of 3 alternative provisions, 3 of which are unregistered.

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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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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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What does this mean?

The type of Special Educational Needs provision provided at the school (if applicable).

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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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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 standard 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 standard 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

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