Hawkley Hall High School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school Senior leaders have ensured that the school has addressed the less effective areas of its work that had developed in the recent past. Leaders at all levels and other members of staff are highly committed to the success of pupils.

Staff and pupils have confidence in senior leaders and how they lead the school. In the past, those responsible for governance were unable to ensure that the school was as successful as it had previously been. Governance arrangements are still too complicated and responsibilities not clear enough to provide the strongest challenge to leaders.

The arrangements for training staff are a strength of the school. The t...raining provided gives staff confidence and helps them to learn from each other. Training for middle leaders helps them to be effective, although some are at an earlier stage of development than others.

Leaders do not always ensure that documents are fully up to date or that these reflect what the school does. This is the case for the school's information about how it uses the pupil and catch-up premiums. The arrangements for safeguarding pupils are thorough.

Pupils say that they feel safe in school. Their personal development and welfare are very strong indeed. Pupils are polite and friendly.

They are respectful to other pupils and adults. They behave well in school, although many more boys than girls receive fixed-term exclusions. There is very little bullying and derogatory language is not heard.

Pupils are proud of their school. They try hard in class and look after the school premises properly. Pupils' attendance is broadly in line with the national average.

They are punctual. The rate of progress of pupils by the time they left the school fell during the past three years. Disadvantaged pupils have increasingly done less well than other pupils.

Current pupils are now making stronger progress. However, this is not as secure for some pupils in lower sets, and disadvantaged pupils still lag a little behind. Teaching is effective.

Where it is strongest, teachers use their subject knowledge and skills very well. Until recently, the curriculum was not designed well enough to best meet the needs of pupils. The school's overall system for assessing pupils is well planned and helps teachers to support pupils.

However, teachers' assessment of pupils as they are learning sometimes works less well. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are looked after with care.

Information about this school

This school is somewhat larger than average.

The number of pupils is increasing. Nearly all pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is below the national average.

While the proportion of pupils with SEND is lower than found in most schools, the proportion of pupils with an EHC plan is above average. The school has additional provision to support the needs of up to 13 pupils with autism spectrum disorder. A small number of pupils attend off-site alternative provision at Three Towers Alternative Provision Academy, Tyler Lee Hair Company and Cast North West.

In 2012, the school converted to become an academy and formed the Rowan Learning Trust. This multi-academy trust now sponsors four schools, including this school. The chair of the trust is also the chair of the local governing body at the school and some other governors are also trustees.

Until the appointment of the current headteacher, the trust's previous CEO was also the executive headteacher of the school. The new CEO is the headteacher of another school in the trust. The academy's predecessor school was most recently inspected in 2009.

It was judged to be outstanding. The headteacher was appointed in 2017. Since then, a number of new middle and senior leaders have been appointed, including in mathematics and science.

A relatively high proportion of teachers in the school were newly qualified teachers in the previous academic year. The school is currently a teaching school. However, it has been agreed with the Department for Education that this designation should cease from September 2019.