Hampton High

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This is an inclusive school where leaders are ambitious for all pupils. The school has a clear vision for school improvement. This is having a positive impact on the school.

Pupils feel safe. They know that they can talk to staff about any concerns they may have. Bullying is rare.

Pupils are confident that when bullying does happen, staff will deal with it effectively. Behaviour around the school is mostly calm, and staff respond quickly to instances of poor behaviour.

The school recognises that pupils did not achieve as well as they could in the 2023 national tests, and leaders have acted decisively to address these areas.

This oversight has helped ...make positive changes to the curriculum.

The school provides opportunities for pupils to develop their leadership skills. For example, pupils take on responsibilities in the student leadership team and as prefects.

Pupils appreciate the wide range of trips available to them, including to Barcelona and Lille.

Parents and carers are rightly positive about the changes that have been made at the school. One parent echoed the views of many by saying, 'The school has made excellent progress in the last 12 months.'



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

Leaders across the trust collaborate effectively to ensure that the school's curriculum is regularly reviewed and updated. Leaders have created an ambitious curriculum. They have designed a well-considered curriculum that helps pupils to know and remember more over time.

Leaders accurately identify what the school does well and what could be better. Trustees and those responsible for governance offer valuable support and challenge. This has helped the school make considerable improvements in a short time.

Staff are united in their ambition to build further on this work.

Previous weaknesses in the delivery of the school's curriculum did not fully prepare pupils well for their next stages in education, employment, or training. This led to gaps in pupils' subject knowledge and skills.

Leaders have identified and implemented consistent and effective strategies to deliver the curriculum. Teachers ensure that pupils regularly revisit the most important content in each subject. They use information from these checks to adapt their teaching to fill gaps in pupils' knowledge.

The impact of this is reflected positively in what pupils know and can do across different subjects. Previously published outcomes do not reflect the quality of learning current pupils benefit from. Improvements in the quality of education provided by the school are benefiting pupils' subject-specific understanding.

Teachers have strong knowledge of the subjects that they teach. They explain new concepts clearly to pupils. However, in some subjects, the work given to some pupils does not enable them to develop their ideas and extend their learning.

This limits pupils' deeper knowledge of important subject content.Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are very well supported. The specially resourced provision for pupils with autism and moderate learning difficulties is highly effective.

Staff across the school are well informed about pupils' specific needs. The school provides these pupils with the additional support that they need to access the curriculum successfully. This means that pupils with SEND achieve well.

The school quickly identifies those who join the school with weaker reading skills. They provide these pupils with the extra help they need. This means that pupils learn to read with confidence and fluency.

The school is successful in its efforts to ensure that attendance is high for many pupils. Attendance has improved over time. Leaders have high expectations for pupils' behaviour.

They have introduced new policies and routines and helped pupils to understand what is expected. While most pupils translate this into good attitudes and behaviour, on occasion, staff's expectations of pupils in Years 7 to 9 are not high. This means that some pupils' attitudes to learning and the quality of work produced are not consistently of high quality.

The school celebrates and promotes diversity. Pupils are taught how to form and maintain positive relationships and lead healthy lives. There are a range of experiences that broaden pupils' horizons and deepen their cultural understanding.

Some aspects of the school's provision for extra-curricular activities have only recently been introduced. This means that there is not a constantly strong take-up by all pupils. Pupils benefit from effective careers education and guidance.

Pupils in Years 10 and 11 take part in work experience, which helps them to understand the world of work. Pupils leave the school with a secure knowledge of the different opportunities available to them.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Sometimes, in Years 8 and 9, the school's expectations of pupils' behaviour and attitudes to learning are not high. This means that some pupils' focus on learning and the quality of work produced are not consistently high. The school needs to ensure that all staff always have ambitious expectations of pupils, so pupils achieve well.

• In some subjects, the school does not ensure that the work given to pupils matches the aims and ambitions of the subject content. This means that pupils do not deepen their knowledge and understanding in these subjects. The school should make sure that the work pupils receive is matched to the curriculum aims so pupils have regular opportunities to extend their subject-specific knowledge and skills.