We are Locrating.com, a schools information website. This page is one of our school directory pages. This is not the website of Hope Academy.
What is Locrating?
Locrating is the UK's most popular and trusted school guide; it allows you to view inspection reports, admissions data, exam results, catchment areas, league tables, school reviews,
neighbourhood information, carry out school comparisons and much more. Below is some useful summary information regarding Hope Academy.
To see all our data you need to click the blue button at the bottom of this page to view Hope Academy
on our interactive map.
Pupils are proud to be part of Hope Academy. They know the school values of respect, courage, ambition and hope very well.
Pupils try hard to follow them in all that they do. Pupils enjoy strong relationships with their teachers and pastoral staff. They feel safe in school and know who to speak to if they feel worried or upset.
Increasingly, pupils are benefiting from the recent improvements that the school has made to the quality of education that it provides. However, pupils learn better in some lessons and in some subjects than in others. This is because the delivery of the curriculum is not consistent across all subjects.
As a result, pupils do not achiev...e as well as they could.
Pupils are respectful of staff and visitors in lessons and around school. The corridors are busy but ordered when pupils move from lesson to lesson.
Once lessons begin, a calm atmosphere descends and learning quickly resumes in the classrooms.
Pupils benefit from the school's 'Inspire' programme. This programme helps pupils to understand themselves and to value and respect each other.
It teaches pupils ways they can contribute positively to the wider community outside school. Well-thought-out collective worship sessions reinforce the school values.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school, with the support of the trust, has overseen a number of improvements to the curriculum in recent years.
This has resulted in positive changes to the overall curriculum offer. The key stage 3 curriculum is broad and ambitious for all pupils. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) access the full curriculum alongside their peers.
The school has made adjustments to the key stage 4 curriculum to enable pupils to study each subject in greater depth.
The school has also reviewed its subject curriculums with the intention of giving them more breadth and depth. In all subjects, these changes have resulted in curriculums which are well designed and allow pupils to build their subject knowledge in a logical way.
As a result of these changes, current pupils know more and remember more of their learning than has been the case previously. However, it is too soon to see the impact of these positive changes on the school's published outcomes.
Teachers have secure subject knowledge.
They use this knowledge to provide clear explanations to pupils about new learning. They ask probing questions and make sure that pupils revisit important learning. However, in some subjects, teachers do not routinely choose the most appropriate activities to help pupils understand key knowledge.
On some occasions, teachers do not check carefully that pupils understand what they have learned before introducing new learning. As a result, some pupils develop gaps in their learning and struggle to recall important knowledge. This is especially the case for those pupils who have fallen behind in their learning or those who find learning more difficult, including some pupils with SEND.
The school identifies the additional needs of pupils with SEND accurately. It has provided teachers with training on how to support pupils with SEND in the classroom. However, there is variability in teachers' expectations for what pupils with SEND will achieve in lessons.
As a result, the achievement of pupils with SEND is variable.
The school has reviewed how it identifies and supports pupils whose reading knowledge is weak when they join the school. It has effective systems to identify pupils who have gaps in their reading knowledge.
These systems enable staff to pinpoint and remedy the specific problems that individual pupils face with reading. In addition, all subject curriculums make reading a priority. This enables pupils to become increasingly confident in their understanding and use of words and phrases which are specific to each subject.
Pupils benefit from the positive relationships that they have with staff and their peers. Typically, they behave well and enjoy learning and socialising together. They understand and follow routines, such as the one-way system on the corridors and stairs.
Older pupils said that behaviour has improved recently. This is because teachers and pastoral staff frequently remind pupils about their high expectations concerning behaviour.
The school has appropriate procedures in place for tackling any concerns about pupils' attendance.
It seeks to understand the underlying causes of a pupil's absence. Although attendance is above the national average for all pupils, the school has recognised that improving the attendance of disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND is a priority. It works constructively with these pupils and their families to improve attendance.
Pupils follow a very well-planned programme of activities that support their wider development. This provides them with the knowledge and skills that they need to become active and informed citizens. Through the 'Inspire' programme as well as subject curriculums, pupils are taught about important issues, such as sexual health and sexual consent.
Pupils discuss political, social and moral issues with their peers with confidence. Pupils told inspectors that the careers education and advice that they receive prepares them very well for making decisions about their future lives. Many pupils benefit from extra-curricular opportunities, including a wide range of sports, music and cultural activities.
Recently, the trust has strengthened the school's capacity for improvement by providing additional resources and expertise in key subjects. The school has made positive changes with the support of the majority of staff. Leaders at all levels have been considerate of staff's workload and well-being.
The trust and members of the local academy council support the school using their expertise in educational matters.
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 school does not ensure that all teachers use the most suitable techniques to help pupils understand subject content.
As a result, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge and understanding. This hinders how well they progress through the curriculum. The school should ensure that teachers are fully equipped to deliver curriculum content consistently well across all subjects so that pupils know and remember important knowledge.
• Some teachers do not routinely check pupils' understanding well enough. This means that pupils, particularly those with SEND, develop gaps in their knowledge and misconceptions which go unchecked. The school should ensure that in all subjects, teachers identify and address gaps in pupils' knowledge so that pupils can build on what they know already.
• There is variability in teachers' expectations for what pupils with SEND will achieve and how well they implement whole school support strategies. As a result, some pupils with SEND do not achieve as well as they could. The school should ensure that all teachers utilise the information that they have to meet the specific needs of pupils with SEND in the classroom.
