Hodge Hill College

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school Since the last inspection, the headteacher has successfully led a relentless drive to improve the school. She has created a culture where high expectations are resulting in good standards of achievement, behaviour and personal development for pupils. Pupils make good progress across most year groups and in the majority of subjects.

Many achieve particularly well in science. Teaching is good. Teachers have good subject knowledge, which they use effectively to plan activities which interest pupils.

Behaviour is good. Pupils are polite and well mannered. They work hard and socialise well together.

Bullying is rare at the school. Con...sequently, pupils feel safe. Safeguarding procedures are effective.

Subject leaders are well trained. As a result, they have a good impact on making sure that teaching and achievement are good and continue to improve. The curriculum makes a good contribution to pupils' academic progress and personal development.

Pupils have a strong awareness of spiritual, moral, social and cultural matters as well as British values. The governing body is effective. Governors know the school very well and they provide a good balance of support and challenge to school leaders.

It is not yet an outstanding school because : Teachers do not regularly move pupils on to harder work quickly enough. As a result, progress is not as rapid as it could be, particularly in mathematics and geography. Some of the most able pupils do not make the rapid progress that they are capable of.

This is because work is occasionally not challenging enough throughout lessons.

Information about this school

The school is larger than most secondary schools. Ninety-five per cent of pupils are of minority ethnic heritage, which is well above average.

Half of the pupils speak English as an additional language, which is well above average. Almost all of these pupils speak fluent English. The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disabilities is similar to the national average.

The pupil premium, which is additional government funding given to schools for children who are looked after by the local authority and those known to be eligible for free school meals, provides support for just over half of the pupils. This is well above average. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress by the end of Year 11.

A very small number of pupils attend alternative provision on a full-time basis. These pupils attend the East Birmingham Network Academy and Riverside Academy. The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

Around a third of teachers are in the early stages of their career. The school shares its site with a school for the deaf called Braidwood School. This is inspected separately.