Hounsdown School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are keen to make the best of the many opportunities that the school provides both in and out of lessons.

Pupils in the eco-schools group are proud of the impact their actions have had on the school's environment. Pupils participate in themed days, subject-based enrichment and a range of house events as well as sports clubs and a school production. Leadership opportunities exist for older pupils who can mentor younger pupils, and some represent their peers as school prefects.

Expectations of pupils in lessons are high and pupils often rise to these expectations. Pupils enjoy learning and have positive attitudes to school. They are keen to succeed, and they value... all the ways in which their teachers support and motivate them.

The school helps pupils to be able to attend school and many pupils make effective use of 'The Hub' to support their well-being. Pupils are expected to behave well and be mindful of others. They are welcoming and respectful and are often able to follow the school's '6 Ps' that are used to guide behaviour.

The school works hard to prevent bullying. Some pupils feel that bullying occasionally occurs. However, the school deals with it effectively if it does happen.

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

Pupils experience a rich, well-designed and varied curriculum. Leaders have identified what pupils need to learn and the ambitious end points in each subject. Leaders carefully monitor how well pupils are learning the important knowledge that they need in each subject.

This helps teachers to be aware of the areas in which pupils could achieve more highly. Teachers use this information to focus their attention on how particular topics are taught.

Teachers are knowledgeable and passionate about inspiring pupils to learn their subjects.

For example, in art, lessons are exciting and well ordered. This supports pupils in progressing well through the curriculum. Teachers work together to share their ideas and generate appropriate resources.

However, some teachers are not successful in adapting teaching to the needs of all pupils. Leaders are aware of this and have prioritised appropriate professional development for teachers.

The school has clearly identified which pupils need additional support, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Teachers use pupils' individual learning plans to help them organise learning. This supports pupils in learning the planned curriculum. The school is determined that all pupils become confident readers.

Specific reading programmes, delivered by trained staff, support less confident readers effectively.

The school has a calm and welcoming atmosphere and relationships between staff and pupils are strong. Behaviour is managed by a policy of restorative conversations backed up with clear sanctions.

This approach is having a positive effect on removing any low-level disruption to learning but staff and pupils both recognise some inconsistencies in how staff implement the policy. Most staff feel well supported by leaders when managing behaviour. Pupils attend school frequently.

The school works hard with individual pupils whose attendance has dropped in order to help them attend school.

Pupils' character and awareness of the world around them are developed very well in subject lessons and in planned personal, social, health and citizenship education lessons. Leaders give careful consideration to how assemblies, lessons and tutor time all intertwine and support each other.

The themes that are explored are relevant and up to date. Outside speakers, trips and visits all add to the wide variety of experiences that pupils enjoy. Pupils benefit from a wide range of career focused activities.

There is information on careers taught within the curriculum as well as links to the local labour market and meaningful work experience opportunities.

Those responsible for governance know the school extremely well. They hold leaders to account well.

However, leaders do not always evaluate how well their improvement strategies are working. This can lead to leaders not being sure about how well their actions are improving standards. Staff feel well led and managed and say that Hounsdown School is a delightful place in which to work.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There are a small number of pupils who currently receive remote learning at home. The school performs some checks on these pupils by monitoring how often they access their remote learning.

However, the school's oversight of these pupils when they are not accessing remote learning is not always strong enough.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The checks made on those pupils learning remotely from home are not robust enough. Leaders must swiftly ensure that their policies clearly set out the actions needed to check on the welfare of all pupils who are not in school and they must monitor these actions closely.

• Leaders have not been rigorous and consistent enough in monitoring and evaluating recent school improvement priorities. Some of the policies and actions that they have put in place are not having the full impact that they intended. Leaders should improve the quality assurance procedures so that they can evaluate their improvement strategies fully and make refinements when necessary.

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