Haven High Academy Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of leadership and management, by:
  • developing a strategic approach for overseeing and evaluating the teaching and the curriculum for pupils with SEND
  • ensuring that all leaders have the skills, knowledge and understanding to be fully effective in their role
  • ensuring that leaders routinely evaluate the impact of their actions and amend their plans accordingly, including evaluating the impact of their use of additional funding.
• Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, by ensuring that:
  • teachers have consistently high expectations of what pupils are able to achieve and plan activities to challenge all pupils, particularly the most able
  • teachers make good use of time in lessons and ensure that all activities are purposeful and promote pupils’ learning
  • teaching assistants are consistently effective in supporting pupils’ progress.
• Ensure that disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND attend school regularly.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management

Requires improvement

• The headteacher has successfully halted the school’s decline since the previous inspection. He has taken swift action to bring about clear improvements to all aspects of the school. Pupils and staff have a renewed sense of belief and determination. Morale is high.
• The headteacher has been successful in transforming the culture of the school. Staff are now aspirational for pupils’ success. Pupils are keen to succeed and to meet the new, high expectations for all aspects of school life. Pupils are at the heart of all that the school does.
• Leaders have shared high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. They have introduced a new behaviour policy that is clear and simple. Pupils’ behaviour has improved considerably as a result.
• Leaders have accurately identified the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Improvement plans focus on the school’s key priorities. However, not all leaders evaluate the impact of their actions precisely enough to inform further improvement.
• Until recently, there has been a lack of strategic oversight for the provision for pupils with SEND. The recently appointed trust special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) has conducted a detailed review of the provision and identified clear priorities for improvement. Although improving rapidly, this aspect of the school’s work remains a key priority.
• Leaders have not ensured that all staff understand how to improve their practice. For example, staff recognise the school priority to challenge the most able pupils and have received training on this. However, leaders have not checked that staff are applying this to their daily practice. Not all staff understand how to meet this requirement.
• Leaders have ensured that the additional funding to support disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND is used appropriately. It has contributed to improved progress for these groups of pupils. However, leaders do not evaluate its impact precisely enough to determine the effectiveness of their chosen strategies and to amend future plans.
• The Year 7 catch-up funding is used effectively. Pupils make good progress to catch up with their peers in reading and mathematics. Pupils who speak English as an additional language benefit greatly from this funding.
• Leaders review the curriculum to meet the interests and needs of changing cohorts. For example, pupils who speak English as an additional language benefit from a curriculum that is tailored to help them to quickly develop their language skills to access the main curriculum. Leaders have introduced level 2 qualifications in motor vehicle, salon and construction and employed specialist staff to support pupils’ learning. These actions are contributing to pupils’ increased progress.
• Staff, at all levels, feel empowered and appreciate the headteacher’s support. However, not all leaders, including some senior leaders, have the skills, knowledge and understanding to be fully effective in their roles.
• Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. The ‘future zone’ provides valuable careers education and guidance. An increasing number of pupils undertake work experience. Pupils have a good understanding of British values. The curriculum helps pupils to understand and respect those with protected characteristics. Leaders promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development very well.
• Pupils benefit from an extensive range of extra-curricular and enriching experiences that contribute to the vibrant atmosphere of the school, such as performing in the school choir. Pupils have visited the Holocaust museum and take part in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme. Leaders are keen to further develop pupils’ opportunities; for example, plans are in place to establish a pupil cadet force.
• Until recently, the trust has been slow to take action to address areas identified as needing improvement. However, recent activity is promoting school improvement, for example by the appointment of the trust SENCo to lead developments at the school.
• The school has maintained a positive working relationship with the local authority. The school improvement officer has a thorough understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and provides effective support to leaders.

Governance of the school

• Governance is provided by the LGB and the trust board of directors. Both share leaders’ ambitions for pupils’ success. They recognise the areas in need of development and are keen to bring about the necessary improvements. Those responsible for governance have the skills, knowledge and understanding to provide challenge and support to leaders. They do so effectively.
• Members of the LGB are committed to the school and passionate for pupils’ success. They maintain a high presence, which supports leaders’ aims of raising aspirations and expectations. For example, governors attend school events and parents’ evenings.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. A team of trained leaders supports the designated safeguarding lead effectively. The trust’s safeguarding lead provides additional guidance and oversight.
• Staff receive regular training. They have an up-to-date knowledge and understanding of safeguarding matters. They take their responsibilities to ensure pupils’ safety and well-being seriously.
• The procedures to identify and follow up safeguarding concerns are simple, thorough and understood by all staff. Leaders involve external agencies when necessary and follow up concerns robustly to ensure that pupils’ needs are met.
• Checks to ensure staff’s suitability to work with children are secure. Leaders follow safer recruitment practices thoroughly.
• The curriculum helps pupils to understand how to keep themselves safe.
• Pupils are well cared for. They feel safe in school.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment

• The quality of teaching, learning and assessment has improved, but remains variable across the school. Teachers do not have consistently high expectations of what pupils are able to achieve. Staff do not routinely use information about what pupils can already understand and do to plan activities that are appropriately demanding. The most able pupils are not sufficiently challenged. They are sometimes held back in their learning. This limits their progress.
• Teachers do not always plan activities that are purposeful. Time is sometimes wasted in the completion of routine tasks rather than meaningful learning activities.
• Teaching assistants are not consistently effective in helping pupils to make progress, particularly when they are not directed well by teachers or when teaching assistants do not know what is expected of them. However, there is some very good practice where teaching assistants provide additional challenge and effective support to move pupils on in their learning. Practice is particularly strong in BTEC physical education (PE).
• Leaders have introduced a revised approach to homework. All pupils now use ‘knowledge organisers’, which are designed to prepare pupils for their lessons. Pupils recognise that homework helps their learning. However, the quality of activities is not consistent across the school. Leaders are aware that ensuring high-quality home-learning activities is the next step in the development of this strategy.
• The school’s assessment and feedback policy is consistently applied. Teachers provide feedback through targeted questioning. When this is most effective, pupils understand what they need to do to improve their work. This furthers pupils’ progress.
• Teachers have good subject knowledge. Many teachers use this to plan activities that interest and motivate pupils.
• Relationships between staff and pupils are extremely positive. This boosts pupils’ confidence and helps them to make progress.
• When teaching is most effective, teachers consider what pupils are able to do. They plan activities that meet pupils’ needs. They support the least able pupils well and provide appropriately demanding activities for all pupils. Teachers use questioning well to probe pupils’ understanding, to challenge their thinking and to encourage pupils to develop their reasoning skills.
• Teachers provide very well for pupils who speak English as an additional language. Teachers have high expectations of what these pupils can achieve and set individual pupils challenging activities. This helps this group of pupils to make good progress.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement. Pupils’ attitudes to learning have improved because of raised expectations of behaviour. However, not all pupils consistently demonstrate positive attitudes to learning. When teaching is weaker, pupils sometimes lose focus and motivation. Some pupils do not maintain pride in their work. For example, the least able pupils do not always ensure that their presentation is as good as it could be.
• Morning tutor sessions are not consistently effective. Inspectors observed some very good practice, but sometimes staff were not making effective use of time. For some pupils, these sessions lack purpose and value.
• Leaders have successfully developed pupils’ confidence and raised their aspirations. They consider pupils’ views when making decisions about the school, which means that pupils feel valued. Pupils are proud of the improvements they can see in the school and are keen to support further improvement.
• Pupils understand how to keep themselves safe in a variety of situations. For example, they learn about the potential dangers of the internet and how to protect themselves from risk. Pupils say that bullying is rare. They are confident that staff would deal with any instances that did occur quickly and effectively.
• Relationships between staff and pupils are very positive. Pupils respond quickly to staff requests. There is mutual respect. This creates a harmonious atmosphere and contributes to pupils’ well-being. For example, inspectors observed staff and pupils eating lunch together, chatting amiably. Pupils are happy at school.
• Arrangements to promote the personal development and well-being of pupils who attend alternative provision are secure. Clear structures are in place for checking pupils’ attendance and safety, and for monitoring their progress.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.
• Pupils conduct themselves well around school and in most lessons. Disruption to learning has reduced considerably. The instances of low-level disruption that remain are largely due to weaker teaching. Pupils and staff say that behaviour has improved greatly.
• Pupils’ attendance has been below the national average in recent years and the proportion of pupils who are persistently absent has been high. Leaders have communicated high expectations of regular attendance. Their work to support and challenge pupils with low attendance is beginning to bear fruit. Whole-school attendance has improved and is now similar to the national average.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND who are persistently absent from school has declined. However, it remains too high. Improving attendance for these pupils remains a priority.

Outcomes for pupils

• In recent years, pupils have not made enough progress in a range of subjects.

Requires improvement

Although there has been a year-on-year improvement, in 2018, pupils’ progress was in the lowest 10% of all schools nationally. Disadvantaged pupils, high prior attaining pupils and those with SEND also made considerably less progress than other pupils nationally.

• Leaders have taken effective action to improve pupils’ progress, particularly since September 2018. They have raised expectations and ensured that behaviour has improved. The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is also improving. These improvements have contributed to pupils making greater progress than in the past.
• Leaders’ tracking information and work in pupils’ books indicate that pupils who are currently in Year 11 are making better progress than past cohorts. This includes disadvantaged pupils, those with SEND and the most able pupils. Nevertheless, leaders expect progress to remain below that seen for other pupils nationally.
• Amendments to the curriculum are helping pupils to make more progress than in the past. Progress in vocational subjects in 2018 was stronger than in other subjects.
• Pupils who speak English as an additional language made more progress than other pupils in 2018. Their progress was strongest in mathematics and was similar to that made by other pupils nationally.
• Year 7 catch-up funding is used effectively to help pupils who enter the school with poor reading and mathematical skills to catch up with their peers. Progress in mathematics was particularly strong for these pupils in 2018, and the vast majority of pupils achieved expected standards for their age. Current pupils are also making good progress in these areas.
• The provision for current pupils who speak English as an additional language is a strength of the school. Pupils make very good progress in developing their English language skills. This supports them to make more rapid progress across the curriculum.
• Leaders promote reading for pleasure across the school. They have introduced DEAR (‘drop everything and read’) and all pupils in Years 7 and 8 read regularly to an adult. Leaders have introduced a new reading programme that helps pupils to select books that are appropriate to their reading ability. Pupils enjoy these activities, which they say encourage them to read widely and often. Pupils’ reading skills are improving.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 138754 Lincolnshire 10057657 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Secondary modern School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Number of pupils on the school roll Academy converter 11 to 16 Mixed 1,039 Appropriate authority Board of trustees Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Jessica Gale Matthew Van Lier 01205 311979 www.havenhighacademy.net havenhigh@bwaf.net Date of previous inspection 15–16 November 2016

Information about this school

• The school is part of the Boston Witham Academies Federation. The chief executive officer (CEO) was absent during the inspection. The deputy CEO is currently the acting CEO.
• The headteacher took up his post as substantive headteacher in September 2018. He worked alongside the previous headteacher during the summer term of 2018.
• The school is slightly larger than the average-sized secondary school. It is based on two sites. Year 7 provision is on one site and Years 8, 9, 10 and 11 are based on the other.
• The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is above average. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is considerably above the national average.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is above average.
• The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan is average. The proportion of pupils with SEND but who do not have an education, health and care plan is considerably higher than average.
• Arrangements are in place for the school to use Springwell Lincoln City Academy as alternative off-site provision. No pupils are currently using this provision.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed learning in 39 lessons, some jointly with senior leaders, on both sites. They also visited nine morning tutorial periods and observed an assembly.
• Discussions were held with senior and middle leaders, other staff, members of the LGB and representatives from the trust, including the chair of the board of directors and the acting CEO. The lead inspector also met with a local authority school improvement officer who is providing support to the school.
• Inspectors looked at pupils’ work in lessons and a large sample of pupils’ books.
• Pupils’ behaviour was observed during lessons, and at breaktime and lunchtime.
• Inspectors spoke with pupils in discussion groups, in their lessons and informally around the school.
• Inspectors scrutinised a wide range of documents, including the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plans, minutes of meetings of the LGB, information about the attainment and progress of all pupils, records relating to behaviour and safeguarding, and information on the school’s website. They evaluated the school’s pupil premium and Year 7 catch-up funding strategies.
• An inspector scrutinised the school’s single central record.
• Inspectors considered the 40 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey, and the 37 free-text responses from parents. They considered the 91 responses to the staff survey.
• Inspectors also read a letter from two pupils and an email from a member of the LGB.

Inspection team

Deborah Mosley, lead inspector Mark Mitchley Aune Turkson-Jones Kate Beale Nigel Boyd

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector