Healing Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Healing Academy are benefitting from leaders' recent work to improve the culture at the school.

Leaders have worked to align the culture with the schools' values of being child-centred, inclusive, ambitious, having integrity, being collaborative and valuing the staff. In a short space of time, pupils have noticed this change.

Leaders have high expectations of pupils.

As a result, most pupils achieve well. Pupils behave well in lessons and at social times. The atmosphere in classrooms and around school is calm and orderly.

There is rarely any low-level disruption. Some pupils feel as though some of the sanctions within the behaviour policy c...an be unfair. School leaders agree and have responded to this by reviewing the behaviour policy.

Pupils feel safe at school. They have trusted adults to speak to if they have any concerns.

Pupils have access to a wide range of extra-curricular activities through the school's 'upskill' programme.

Pupils speak enthusiastically about their 'debates and discussion' lessons. They have access to various leadership opportunities, including the 'pupil parliament'. Pupils with roles such as 'prime minister' and 'deputy prime minister' take part in staff interviews.

These opportunities develop pupils' confidence and help prepare them for their next steps in education.

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

The school has designed a curriculum that is ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The curriculum covers the scope of the national curriculum and, in some areas, goes beyond it.

Leaders have identified the important knowledge that they want pupils to learn and have sequenced this in a logical order. Teachers have good subject knowledge.

In most subjects, the delivery of the curriculum meets leaders' ambitions.

For example, in geography teachers ensure that local knowledge is woven through the curriculum with clear links to local industries. However, in some subjects the activities that teachers use to support learning do not match leaders' ambition. In these lessons, pupils do not consistently learn new content and make as much progress as they could.

By the end of Year 11, pupils achieve good outcomes in external examinations. They make progress that is in line with national averages. Disadvantaged pupils do not make the same progress as their peers.

The school has put strategies in place to respond to this. There is evidence in pupils' books that these strategies are beginning to have a positive impact.

The school has a range of strategies in place to promote a love of reading.

For example, pupils have access to the 'starbooks' before-school reading club. The school accurately identifies pupils who are still struggling to read. However, they do not put in place appropriate support for these pupils to catch up.

As a result, these pupils do not quickly catch up with their peers.

The school accurately identifies pupils with SEND. Each pupil on the SEND register has a 'pupil passport', which outlines a range of strategies identified to help their needs be met.

Staff use this information to adapt their lessons to ensure that all pupils can access the curriculum. Pupils with SEND are well supported at this school.

Pupils attend school well.

Overall, attendance figures are above national averages. The school has an effective system in place to identify and respond to pupils who are struggling with their attendance. As a result of this, the number of pupils who are persistently absent from school has reduced significantly this year.

The school has a comprehensive personal development curriculum. In weekly 'life' lessons pupils learn about topics, such as healthy and unhealthy relationships. They learn about the protected characteristics and understand why they are important.

Leaders ensure the curriculum responds to local issues. For example, pupils recently received a visit from an external agency to learn about rail safety. Pupils have access to an effective careers programme.

An initiative known as 'careers corner' allows all pupils to speak with representatives from a variety of industries.

Many parents would recommend the school to others. However, some parents are not happy about some of the changes that have been made at the school over time.

Some parents feel disengaged with the school.

Governors and trustees have an appropriate oversight of the school. They have supported school leaders to respond to the necessary improvements identified at the previous inspection in April 2022.

School leaders are mindful of staff workload and well-being. Staff feel well supported. They are proud to work at the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects the implementation of the curriculum does not match the quality of the curriculum intent. This is usually because the activities chosen to support learning are not the most appropriate.

As a result, in these lessons pupils are not making as much progress as they could. The school should ensure that staff are supported to use appropriate activities and teaching strategies in lessons, to ensure that pupils know and remember more of what they have been taught. The school accurately identifies pupils who are still struggling to read.

However, they do not put in place appropriate support for these pupils to catch up. As a result, these pupils do not quickly catch up with their peers. The school should put in place an effective programme of reading support to help those who struggle with reading to catch up.

• Some parents and carers do not feel well informed about the school, including some of the changes that have been made over time to the school's expectations. This has led to some parents and carers feeling disconnected with the school and/or not knowing how to best support their child to meet the school's expectations. The school should review its arrangements for communicating and engaging with parents and carers, particularly when changes are being introduced.