Hill Avenue Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school Leaders, trustees and governors have transformed every aspect of the school since it became an academy in 2017. Inspirational leadership has ensured that the ethos they have established has won the overwhelming support of those staff, parents and pupils who inspectors heard from. Leadership at all levels, including trustees and governors, provide extensive support, challenge and training for staff.

The culture is one of always seeking to improve further. Standards and rates of progress in reading, writing and mathematics are exceptionally high in all year groups, including for the most able. All groups of pupils are doing very well, includ...ing pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and disadvantaged pupils, as a result of the high quality of teaching and support.

Teaching over time is of an exceptionally high standard and never less than good. Teachers are very effective in their questioning and challenge for pupils to do even better. The early years provision ensures children are very well prepared for the next stage in their learning despite their low starting points when they join in Nursery or Reception.

Transition arrangements and relationships with parents are very strong. The extensive range of subjects offered through the innovative curriculum, and the rich extra-curricular opportunities, ensure that pupils are exposed to very challenging, subject-specific, academic language from an early age. The school's provision for pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, including a widening of pupils' cultural horizons, is of a very high order.

Pupils' work in other subjects, including art, design, computing, and humanities, is of exceptionally high quality and standard. Pupils' personal development and behaviour is outstanding. Many take on leadership roles and responsibilities in a mature fashion.

Attendance is rapidly improving to be now above the national average. The school ensures that pupils feel safe and know how to keep safe outside of school. Occasionally, the additional support for some low-attaining pupils is either not enough to access the work fully or too much to enable them to show what they can do on their own.

The depth of pupils' work in modern foreign languages is less evident compared to other subjects. Curriculum links with secondary schools are underdeveloped in French and computing.

Information about this school

Hill Avenue Academy is larger than the average-sized primary school.

The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is well above the national average. The proportion of pupils with SEND, including those with an education, health and care plan, is above the national average. The proportion of pupils who have an education, health and care plan is below the national average.

The percentage of pupils from minority ethnic groups is well above the national average. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is well above the national average. The school is one of seven primary schools which are members of the Manor Multi-academy Trust, having converted to become an academy in January 2017.

The Manor Multi-academy Trust is overseen by a Board of Directors. Hill Avenue's local governing body was established in February 2018, replacing the previous, interim, executive board, which was inherited from the predecessor school, Hill Avenue Primary, and which had been placed in special measures in February 2015. The board delegates all responsibilities, other than finances for the governance of the school, to the local governing body.

The local governing body is also responsible for staff appointments. The head of school and deputy headteacher were both appointed to their roles at the predecessor school in 2015, after it had been placed in special measures. The multi-academy trust started to support the predecessor school after it had been placed in special measures until it converted to be one of their academies.

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