Hogarth Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Short inspection of Hogarth Academy

Following my visit to the school on 30 January 2019, I write on behalf of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education, Children's Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. The visit was the first short inspection carried out since the school was judged to be good in May 2015. This school continues to be good.

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. Consistently high expectations are seen throughout the school and the drive for excellence has brought about further improvement. Relationships are strong and pupils have very positive attitudes to their learning.

The school has a calm and purposeful... atmosphere, where tolerance and respect for others is evident. You have built a team that is both enthusiastic and committed to doing their best for the pupils and each other. Teamwork is strong and everyone's contribution is valued.

You ensure that staff have access to high-quality training and professional development. This ensures a high degree of consistency in the way teachers work and this has contributed to the recent improvements in pupils' achievements. There are regular opportunities to work with colleagues in the LEAD multi-academy trust, of which you are a member, and this helps you to compare the performance of Hogarth Academy to that of other schools, both locally and nationally.

Governors make visits to the school to check on various aspects of the school's work. Parents whom I spoke to during the inspection and those who responded to Parent View, Ofsted's online questionnaire, made many positive comments, praising the staff for being approachable, creating a safe environment and helping their children make good progress. Some told me that they were confident that staff would listen to any concerns they may have and help to resolve them.

The previous inspection report recommended that pupils should extend their knowledge of other cultures. The curriculum provides opportunities to look at the wider world beyond the local area, both nationally and globally. Pupils told me how their visits to different places of worship helped them learn more about people who have different religious beliefs from their own.

You have rightly identified the need to improve outcomes, particularly in reading, at the end of key stage 2. Progress in reading was not as good as in writing and mathematics, as confirmed in the 2018 national tests. You have introduced some new ways of working, including focused discussion times, which are helping pupils improve their reading comprehension skills.

Ensuring standards improve further at the end of key stage 2 remains a priority for the school. Safeguarding is effective. Pupils' safety and well-being are at the heart of the school's work.

Staff receive regular training to make sure that they are up to date with the most recent government guidance. They are knowledgeable about safeguarding and the signs that may indicate a cause for concern. They respond quickly to minor concerns so they do not escalate.

The school works with external agencies where appropriate to ensure that vulnerable pupils are not at risk. Pupils told me that they feel safe at school. They say that bullying is very rare and they have confidence in teachers to resolve any problems that may arise.

They have a good understanding of different types of bullying, including those that might occur online or through the use of social media. School leaders have a good understanding of the risks that pupils may encounter in the local area as they grow up. They ensure that the curriculum includes opportunities to learn how to stay safe and live healthy lifestyles.

For example, Year 6 pupils told me that they valued the DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) programme and consider that it helps them to make a more confident start to their secondary education. Behaviour in the school is excellent. Pupils are respectful to each other and adults.

They say, 'we work as a team so everything is better'. Their evident enjoyment of school is reflected in the improving rates of attendance. You regularly praise and promote good attendance, following up any absences quickly and thoroughly.

You have ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose and that records are detailed and of good quality. You and members of the governing body monitor documentation regularly to ensure that it meets all requirements. Inspection findings ? During the inspection, I looked particularly at how you and other leaders ensure that teaching is of high quality and pupils make good progress.

You provided a range of evidence that showed the regular checks you make on pupils' learning. The trust's detailed quality assurance reports also show the positive impact your actions are having in addressing the school's priorities for improvement. You have successfully improved outcomes for pupils in key stage 1 and the early years.

The proportion of pupils achieving the standards expected of them for their age is above average. ? Your high expectations and ambition for pupils are shared by your team and are reflected in the school's day-to-day work. Leaders with responsibility for English and mathematics are the champions of new initiatives and they work with colleagues to develop the most effective teaching strategies.

Their support and expertise ensure consistency throughout the school. ? Regular reviews of progress ensure that timely action can be taken if pupils are at risk of falling behind. Tailored interventions are provided so that pupils can catch up and not lose ground in their learning.

Teaching assistants support pupils' learning effectively, providing support in different ways, according to need. ? When children join the school in the early years, many have skills and knowledge that are below what is typical for their age. You have ensured that the curriculum is tailored to their needs, in particular to develop their communication, language and literacy skills.

Learning in the early years is often focused on books and stories and this provides opportunities for children to learn through a range of activities. For example, based on the story of 'The Three Little Pigs', children were enjoying retelling and acting out the story, building houses for the pigs and making pictures of the story. Adults encourage children to talk about their learning and help them build their vocabulary and become more confident in their use and understanding of language.

• Older pupils read confidently and accurately. Younger pupils use their sound knowledge of phonics to tackle difficult words successfully, but are less confident when answering questions about the text. You have introduced regular opportunities for pupils to discuss a class novel.

For example, Year 3 pupils were talking enthusiastically about events in a story about an 'Ice Monster', sharing their opinions and ideas. This is helping pupils develop their reading skills and improve their understanding of a range of texts. Early indications show that this is having a positive impact on pupils' progress in reading.

• Teaching throughout the school is effective. Tasks are well matched to pupils' abilities and lessons are carefully planned to build on what pupils already know. Teachers have high expectations of all pupils and provide extra challenge so pupils can apply what they have learned in different contexts, for example in mathematics, by solving problems or by explaining their work using the correct mathematical vocabulary and terminology.

• Pupils acknowledge and value the work of their teachers. Their very positive attitudes to learning reflect the ambitions you and your team have for them. Pupils often review their own work and edit it.

They understand how to improve their work, as teachers' expectations are very clear. Pupils try their best and say that this extra effort is worth it as 'it makes you feel proud'. They are rightly proud of their work.

Their books are very neat and work is beautifully presented in line with school policy. ? Overall, there has been a steady improvement in standards at the end of all key stages, though test results dipped in 2018 for key stage 2 in reading and mathematics. Pupils' books and recent assessments indicate that the proportion of pupils who are working at standards expected for their age is increasing; however, these improvements have not yet been sustained over a longer period of time.

Next steps for the school Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that: ? recent successful initiatives are embedded so that the improvements in pupils' achievements are sustained ? standards at the end of key stage 2 continue to improve so they are at least in line with national averages. I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body and the chief executive officer of the multi-academy trust, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children's services for Nottingham. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

Yours sincerely Jane Salt Ofsted Inspector Information about the inspection During the inspection, I carried out a learning walk with you and the deputy headteacher, visiting all classes. I reviewed pupils' books to consider the standard of work and the progress being made. I heard some pupils read and talked to a group of pupils about their school experiences.

I held meetings with you and the deputy headteacher, and met with other members of staff to discuss the school's work. I also met with members of the governing body and LEAD, the multi-academy trust. I reviewed a range of the school's documentation, including policies, assessment information and the school's own evaluation of its performance.

I took into account seven responses to Parent View, Ofsted's online questionnaire, and spoke to some parents informally at the beginning of the day. I also considered the six responses to the online staff questionnaire. There were no responses to the pupil questionnaire.