Holly Lodge Girls’ College

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Holly Lodge are friendly and welcoming. They respond to the school's high expectations and learn to make positive choices in their conduct.

As a result, incidents of poor behaviour are infrequent. Pupils behave well in lessons and enjoy spending time in the company of their peers. They are proud of the school's diverse community, which they celebrate each year on 'Culture Day'.

Pupils feel safe at school. They benefit from a strong pastoral system that supports their well-being. Pupils are confident that they will get help from staff when they need it.

Staff deal with any bullying quickly and effectively.

All pupils are expected to achieve ...well at school. Many pupils realise these expectations.

Those who sat their GCSEs in 2023 achieved as well as their peers nationally. Pupils have positive relationships with their teachers, who are patient and understanding. Pupils are given extra help if they fall behind in their learning.

The school provides pupils with a range of opportunities to enrich their education. Pupils participate in activities such as debating competitions, the National Citizen Service programme and the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme. Pupils learn about democracy through annual elections of their year group 'prime minister'.

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

Governors and school leaders have a strong, shared understanding of the vision and values of the school. They ensure that this vision is enacted. The school provides an ambitious curriculum, consistent with its motto 'expect to achieve'.

High priority is given to the English Baccalaureate suite of subjects. This encourages pupils to aim high and enables many pupils to achieve well. In the sixth form, there is a well-chosen and broad range of subjects for students to choose from.

Students on vocational courses attain particularly well.

The school has carefully identified the essential knowledge and vocabulary that pupils should learn. As a result, learning is organised coherently across all of the curriculum.

This helps pupils to tackle increasingly complex tasks over time. The school has ensured that younger pupils receive appropriate physical education (PE) and personal, social and health education (PSHE). However, much less time is devoted to these subjects in Years 10 and 11.

This impedes pupils' ability to develop the important skills and knowledge to support them to make appropriate, healthy choices in their adult lives.

Teachers are well trained and have strong subject knowledge. The school ensures that they use consistent and effective strategies for delivering the curriculum.

Staff select appropriate tasks and resources to support pupils' learning in lessons. They regularly check that pupils recall the most important content. This ensures that new content builds on what pupils have already learned.

Teachers check pupils' learning routinely to identify any gaps in their understanding and they help pupils to catch up. Staff value the investment that leaders have made in their professional development. This has improved the quality and consistency of provision across the school.

The school quickly identifies the additional needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Teachers are given high-quality information about the individual needs of these pupils. Consequently, staff know pupils well and make appropriate adaptations to the delivery of the curriculum.

This helps pupils with SEND to learn successfully alongside their peers.

The school makes reading a priority. It systematically identifies pupils who have fallen behind.

These pupils receive focused help to catch up quickly. Teachers are well trained to support pupils in learning new vocabulary. The school promotes a love of reading.

For example, younger pupils read well-chosen texts with their form tutor each morning.

Staff teach pupils how to behave well. They support pupils to meet their high expectations with clear routines.

In lessons, behaviour is often exemplary. Staff motivate pupils to behave well by giving them recognition and rewards for good conduct.

A team of staff works with families and other agencies to ensure that attendance is a priority.

While attendance for some groups of pupils is lower than the school would like it to be, staff are working hard to ensure that everything possible is being done to help pupils to attend school more regularly. Some pupils access their education at alternative provisions. These pupils benefit significantly from attending these provisions and the additional support that they receive there.

Many have greatly improved attendance as a result.

Pupils benefit from effective careers education and guidance. The annual careers fair, for example, provides pupils with detailed information about the opportunities available to them.

Students in the sixth form participate in carefully selected work experience. Students value the support and guidance that they receive in applying to universities and other training providers.

The school offers a wide variety of clubs and activities to support pupils' personal development.

However, the school has not identified the barriers that prevent many pupils from accessing these opportunities. As a result, many pupils do not benefit from what these clubs and activities have to offer them.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school has not ensured that pupils in key stage 4 have sufficient time devoted to PE and PSHE. This impedes their ability to develop their skills and a broad and deep understanding of these subjects. The school should ensure that older pupils have the time that they need to develop and embed important skills and knowledge in PE and PSHE.

• The school has not identified the barriers to pupils participating in the range of activities it provides to develop pupils' talents and interests. As a result, many pupils do not benefit from these opportunities. The school should review its provision so that more pupils take advantage of this offer and make the best use of the school's wider curriculum.