George Hastwell School Special Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Children in the early years, pupils, and students in the sixth form have warm and trusting relationships with staff.

Pupils, including three-year-old children in the early years, have adults around them who know them well. Pupils feel safe and happy in school. They enjoy breaktimes, where they join in team games and socialise with their friends.

Pupils enjoy the different activities on offer to them. They particularly love the new 'sign and sing' after-school club. They cannot wait to sing in the local festival.

Pupils enjoy residential trips, where they take part in outdoor activities such as horse riding, swimming and other sports.

Pupils' and stud...ents' behaviour is improving because staff help pupils to use different strategies to manage their emotions. However, pupils' behaviour sometimes disrupts learning.

Occasionally, pupils fall out. That said, staff are quick to intervene and help pupils to understand different points of view. Pupils told inspectors that staff deal with bullying effectively.

Leaders have high expectations for all pupils and students. However, pupils do not achieve as well as they should because the curriculum is not designed well enough to help them to know and remember more

Members of the student council are proud that they help to improve their school. They have had a say in the recent changes to school lunches and have ideas to further improve the outdoor spaces.

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

New senior leaders have brought about many improvements in a short space of time. They recognise that the current school curriculum does not allow pupils to achieve highly enough. The curriculum does not make clear what children in the early years, pupils across the rest of the school and students in the sixth form need to learn and when they need to learn it.

Subject curriculums vary in quality and detail. This impacts on teachers' delivery of the curriculum. For example, in some subjects, teachers do not establish what pupils already know and understand before they introduce new learning.

Consequently, gaps appear and subsequent learning does not build on pupils' and students' prior knowledge.

Some teachers use assessment strategies well to plan useful next steps for pupils' and students' learning. These teachers use the targets in pupils' and students' education, health and care (EHC) plans effectively.

However, these strategies are not used consistently well by staff across the school to meet pupils' and students' learning needs and to build on what they already know. This means that many pupils and students do not achieve as highly as they should.

Leaders have recently introduced a new reading curriculum to ensure that the teaching of phonics is consistent across the school.

Pupils and students now read regularly. Children in the early years and pupils in key stage 1 enjoy learning phonics. However, the reading books that children and pupils currently use to practise their reading are not well matched to the sounds that they know.

This hinders their ability to read with accuracy and confidence.

The new senior leadership team has brought about rapid improvements in pupils' and students' behaviour. Staff are well trained to manage pupils' and students' behaviour.

Staff support pupils and students to understand and manage their emotions. Pupils' and students' attitudes to learning are positive. Lessons are mainly not disrupted by pupils' or students' behaviour.

However, in some subjects, the activities provided for pupils and students do not match the intended curriculum or support pupils' or students' SEND needs. When this happens, pupils do not manage well. Behaviour deteriorates and little or no learning takes place.

Leaders ensure pupils regularly learn about the school's values and fundamental British values in lessons and assemblies. Pupils understand that everyone should be treated with respect. Pupils learn about other cultures and religions and celebrate different festivals.

However, pupils' and students' knowledge of sex and relationships is not as well developed as it should be.

Students in the sixth form gain nationally recognised qualifications. They build their independence skills well.

For example, they learn to travel, shop, cook and to look after themselves. This prepares them well for life after school. Pupils and students learn about the wide range of opportunities available in work and training, including internships and technical qualifications.

Even so, leaders do not ensure that pupils and students gain sufficient careers education, advice and guidance to help them to make informed choices about the next steps in their lives.

Leaders consider staff's workload and well-being. Staff are overwhelmingly supportive of senior leaders.

Leaders, including governors and trustees, have an accurate understanding of the school's current strengths and weaknesses. New governors with the appropriate skills and expertise have strengthened the governing body. They challenge and support leaders to ensure the school continues to improve.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is a strong culture of safeguarding in school. Staff are vigilant.

They have been trained to remain alert to any change in behaviour or appearance that may indicate that a pupil or student is at risk from harm. Staff are aware of the procedures to report any concerns about pupils' or students' safety. The safeguarding team works closely with external agencies, including the local authority when required.

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe and how to be kind and respectful to others.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The curriculum does not set out the essential knowledge that children in the early years and pupils and students in the sixth form need to learn and when they need to learn it. This means that many pupils do not achieve as well as they should.

Leaders should revise their curriculum thinking to ensure that children, pupils and students achieve as well as they should. ? Leaders do not ensure assessment strategies are used consistently well to plan next steps for pupils and students. Staff do not routinely consider the targets in pupils' and students' EHC plans in their curriculum thinking.

As a result, pupils' learning does not always build on what they already know as a result. At times, this leads to poor behaviour that disrupts learning. Leaders should ensure that assessment strategies are used consistently well and that staff take account of pupils' and students' needs when designing learning activities.

• The books that pupils and students read do not always match their phonics knowledge. This hampers pupils' and students' ability to read fluently and confidently. Leaders should ensure that children's and pupils' reading books more closely match the phonics that they are learning.

• Leaders do not ensure that pupils and students have timely access to information about careers education, information, advice and guidance. This means that pupils and students are not equipped well enough for their next steps after leaving the school. Leaders should ensure that pupils and students receive the guidance that they need to help them and their families make informed choices about their next steps.