Hayes School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

It is clear that Hayes School provides all pupils with an exceptional experience.

The curriculum is broad and ambitious. Pupils gain a rich range of knowledge and skills, and this prepares them well for the next stage of their lives. This is one of the reasons why pupils enjoy school and achieve highly.

The wide range of after-school activities and visits to places of interest aim to extend and enhance pupils' learning. For example, sixth-form students recently visited CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, in Switzerland. Pupils learn much more than just facts about subjects.

They learn how to make connections between facts, understanding how ...to apply these to the bigger questions about the subject and the world.

The promotion of pupils' personal development goes hand in hand with their academic education. Each aspect complements the other most effectively.

Pupils behave extremely well. They are polite, respectful of others and have excellent professional relationships with their peers and teachers.

Pupils are clear that bullying, including homophobic bullying, is not tolerated.

They know who to turn to in the school if they have a concern. Any issues that arise are spotted quickly and addressed thoroughly and effectively. Pupils are confident that they will be listened to by staff.

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

The curriculum is especially well thought out. Leaders and staff have devised subject curriculums in a way that builds pupils' knowledge and skills in a logical series of connected ideas and facts. For example, pupils learn the fundamental ideas about a subject before moving on to new work.

This is true across all subjects, including, for example, geography, physical education (PE), drama, English and religious education. However, the curriculum does not just teach pupils the knowledge and skills they need, it enables them to connect facts together so that they can tackle increasingly complex work. It is this that makes the curriculum so effective.

Pupils build up a detailed and more comprehensive understanding of the subjects they study as they move through the school.

Leaders and teachers have developed a consistent approach to their work in the classroom. A great deal of emphasis is given to ensuring that teachers are experts in their subjects.

Where gaps are identified, leaders help teachers to update their knowledge. What is especially strong, is that teachers base teaching on the content of their subjects. They consider carefully how to ensure that pupils learn and remember essential knowledge.

Teachers frequently check that pupils can recall what they have learned previously. Only then do they move on to the next topic or unit of work.

This approach to learning means that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are given work that is demanding and ambitious.

This is also the case in the sixth form, where the curriculum meets the needs of all students and includes a range of academic and vocational qualifications. Students are supported to choose the right course for them, and this helps to ensure the success of all. For example, students studying PE can opt to take either an A level or a vocational qualification.

Pupils' care and welfare are also given a high priority. For example, leaders work effectively with mental health experts and professionals within local authority services. Achievement coordinators know their pupils well and pick up concerns quickly.

This enables leaders to ensure that pupils are given help when they need it.

The programme for personal, social and health education includes helping pupils with their mental and physical health, online safety and diversity. It covers an understanding of how the institutions of modern Britain work as well as healthy relationships.

The careers education programme provides pupils, including those in the sixth form, with helpful advice and support.

Senior leaders and governors have a strong set of values for the school and its pupils. All who work in the school understand and share these values.

This helps to ensure consistency in the way they go about their work. This is the 'Hayes Way'. For example, pupils are clear about the way the behaviour policy works.

They are confident that it is applied consistently. This is one of the reasons why pupils' behaviour and attitudes are so strong. Governance is robust and members of the governing body carry out their roles effectively.

Pupils and staff who responded to Ofsted's online surveys were universally positive about the school. The great majority of pupils said that they enjoy school. Staff were especially positive about the way their well-being and workload is considered by leaders.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Governors, senior leaders and staff all have a secure understanding of the procedures to keep pupils safe. Regular training ensures that everyone knows about the most up-to-date government guidance and how to apply this in practice.

For example, staff know what signs may indicate that a pupil is experiencing difficulties. They understand how to use the school's reporting system so that concerns are picked up and acted upon swiftly. Effective links with external agencies help to ensure that pupils receive the right help at the right time.

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