Headlands School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending Headlands School. There is a calm, welcoming atmosphere.

Pupils that inspectors spoke with feel cared for. Leaders have developed effective personal, social and health education (PSHE) programmes. For example, a recent visit by the 'Prison! Me! No way!' programme helped pupils to understand issues around crime.

Assemblies help pupils to understand and respect diversity.

In lessons, pupils give teachers their 'purposeful attention'. Leaders' plan the curriculum so that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), can access lessons.

Social times are well organised and orderly across the ...school site. Pupils and teachers enjoy conversations with each other. Pupils told inspectors that they felt safe, and that bullying was very rare.

Pupils know that adults in the school will help them if they are worried.

Leaders have made changes to the curriculum to help pupils catch up after COVID-19. Leaders' expectations of what pupils can achieve remain high.

Pupils told inspectors that teachers helped them to make decisions about the next steps they would take in education or training. Leaders ensure that pupils in all years receive independent advice and guidance about careers. Leaders listen to pupils' suggestions.

For example, by offering after-school clubs such as kick boxing when pupils asked for this.

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

A consistent approach to planning the curriculum across subjects means that pupils experience well-sequenced lessons. For example, in design and technology, pupils progress from learning about how to make simple wooden structures in Year 7 to learning about how to use mortise and tenon joints in Year 9.

Leaders ensure that teachers understand the important knowledge that pupils need to learn. Assessment strategies such as 'Make it stick' at the start of every lesson are well embedded. Pupils can recall important information as a result.

In a small number of sixth form subjects, pupils are less able to recall some important information. This is because assessment systems are not as consistent across sixth form as the rest of the school.

Leaders have checked gaps in pupils' knowledge caused by COVID-19 restrictions.

They have used this information to create a 'personalised pathway' in mathematics, English and science. Pupils on this pathway are helped to catch up quickly. In Years 10 and 11, and in sixth form, leaders ensure that the courses pupils study help them to take the next steps in further education, employment or training.

A medical and healthcare academy in sixth form is encouraging pupils to consider medicine as a future career. Leaders help vulnerable pupils to access the curriculum and plan for their futures in 'Headlands ARC'. As a result of these plans, leaders are raising the aspirations of pupils.

Leaders want to encourage more pupils to take up English Baccalaureate subjects. A clear focus on curriculum planning in some of these subjects is helping to achieve this aim.

Pupils with SEND experience the same ambitious curriculum as their peers.

Teachers are given detailed information about pupils with education, health and care plans (EHC plans). They use this information to plan lessons so that all pupils can access the curriculum. Pupils who have fallen behind in reading take part in special reading lessons.

These lessons help to develop pupils' language comprehension skills and confidence in reading.

Many parents who completed Ofsted's Parent View survey complimented the school for the way it helped their children during the pandemic. Several parents wrote that they believed the school to be 'fantastic'.

Leaders talk to parents about their children attending Headlands ARC. However, leaders' records did not always clearly record these conversations. In Ofsted's Parent View survey, a small number of parents told inspectors that they felt school leaders did not communicate well enough with them.

Pupils that inspectors spoke with said they were confident that teachers would deal with bullying on the rare occasions when it happened. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe online. In sixth form, pupils take care of the social spaces provided by the school.

In eating areas across the school, litter is cleared away by pupils at lunch and break times. The complex school site is well managed by leaders so that pupils are appropriately supervised.

Leaders ensure that extra-curricular activities are available to all pupils.

For example, equipment and materials are provided for some pupils who attend cooking club. The PSHE curriculum develops pupils' sense of respect for difference and diversity. Leaders' support for mental health is embedded across the school.

A school counsellor is available for both staff and pupils. Pupil mental health ambassadors are being trained.

Governors have a good understanding of the school's strengths.

Links with the local community are a strength of the governing body. Governors had good oversight of leaders' work during the pandemic. This helped to ensure that pupils received appropriate support for both academic and welfare needs.

Leaders take workload concerns seriously. Teachers told inspectors that leaders act when they raise concerns. Some commented on the school community being like a family.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders and governors have a clear understanding of the safeguarding risks associated with the local area. Regular safeguarding bulletins and training ensure that all staff are aware of the risks.

Staff have a clear understanding of how to raise concerns about pupils' welfare.

Record-keeping shows that leaders act quickly to protect children and work closely with external agencies. During COVID-19 restrictions, leaders made regular checks on the welfare of vulnerable pupils.

Posters around the school site inform pupils of the local safeguarding risks. Pupils told inspectors that they were confident that adults in the school would help them.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some parents say that leaders do not communicate clearly with them.

Record-keeping about contact with parents sometimes lacks clarity and detail. This means that a small number of parents do not always feel involved in decisions that leaders take about their child. Leaders should ensure that communication with parents is a priority and that they keep clear records of communication.

• Assessment of what students know and can remember in the sixth form is not as well embedded in all subjects as it is for other year groups. This means that in some sixth form subjects, pupils do not always remember key component knowledge. Leaders should ensure that consistency of assessment is embedded across all subjects in the sixth form.