Haygrove School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

At Haygrove School everyone wants the very best for pupils. The school's unwavering focus on providing pupils with a high-quality education sits behind the decisions that leaders make for everyone to succeed.

Even when facing the significant challenge of the main school building being deemed unsafe, this has remained the school's priority. Pupils feel safe in school. They know how to report any concerns they may have.'

The Haygrove Way' exemplifies the high standards the school expects. Pupils respond well to these expectations. They behave well in lessons and during social times.

There is a strong pastoral system that supports pupils' well-being. The school ...does not tolerate bullying.

The school is ambitious for all pupils to learn effectively.

In recent years, the school has considerably strengthened the curriculum across a broad range of subjects. As a result, an increasing number of pupils achieve well.

The school has a wide offer of different activities and opportunities for pupils to develop their interests.

This includes a range of clubs such as chess club, dance club and the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. Pupils talk with enthusiasm about the recent Battle of the Bands competition.

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

Since the previous inspection, the school has overhauled the curriculum to ensure that it is suitably broad and ambitious.

Recent changes have ensured that more pupils study subjects that make up the English Baccalaureate. Effective training means that staff know pupils' needs very well. The curriculum and teaching are adapted accordingly so that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) learn well.

Subject curriculums build on what pupils have learned in primary school. They place this knowledge into a logical order so that pupils learn well over time. As a result, pupils gain the knowledge they need.

The school has a consistent focus on building pupils' vocabulary. This strengthens pupils' spoken and written language, which helps them to learn effectively across all areas of the curriculum.

Learning activities and teachers' questions routinely recap what pupils know.

Mostly this allows teaching to identify gaps in pupils' understanding. However, at times teaching does not do this effectively. This hinders staff from identifying where some pupils have gaps in their knowledge.

This means teachers are not always able to swiftly address pupils' misconceptions.

Reading is a high priority. Pupils read in school every morning.

The school regularly checks their reading ability. Those pupils who require help with their reading are provided with additional support. Consequently, they become increasingly fluent and confident readers who can successfully access the curriculum.

The atmosphere in lessons and around the school is calm and purposeful. Pupils know that poor behaviour will be dealt with fairly. They say that bullying and discriminatory language are taken seriously by staff.

The school makes appropriate use of suspensions and exclusions. However, a minority of pupils do not meet the school's expectations consistently.

Most pupils understand the importance of attending school each day.

Staff identify and support pupils whose attendance is lower than it should be. Despite this, a minority of pupils do not attend school regularly enough. As a result, there are gaps in their learning.

The school has a carefully designed programme to support pupils' personal development. This enables pupils to build their knowledge in an age-appropriate way. For example, they learn how to develop healthy relationships and how to look after their mental health.

Pupils receive comprehensive information about opportunities for further education and different careers. Pupils value this learning and feel well prepared for their lives beyond school.

The trust, the school and those responsible for governance work tirelessly together to ensure that pupils become the best versions of themselves.

This has led to significant improvements in the quality of education provided. Maintaining these improvements has been challenging this year due to the issues with the school site. Leaders at all levels have supported pupils and staff effectively through this period of disruption.

The school ensures that staff receive high-quality training and development opportunities. Staff are very happy to work here.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Sometimes, teaching does not check pupils' understanding well enough. This means that teachers do not always know where gaps in knowledge exist or when pupils are stuck. The school should ensure that teaching systematically checks learning so that gaps in learning are addressed for all pupils.

• A minority of pupils do not attend school regularly enough, especially some disadvantaged pupils. These pupils do not benefit from the improved curriculum, which hinders their achievement. The school should continue developing its work to support those pupils to attend school more regularly and develop a shared approach for supporting pupils to catch up with lost learning.