Humberston Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and staff create a welcoming environment where they feel valued and included. Pupils are confident, friendly and mature.

The school's aspirational culture is lived out by pupils who demonstrate the 'Humberston Way'. They are well prepared to make a positive contribution in their community.

The school has very high expectations of pupils' behaviour as part of its 'excellence for all' agenda.

These are realised consistently. Pupils are considerate of each other. This is grounded in an understanding of, and mutual respect for, one another.

Relationships between pupils and adults are strong. Staff provide effective support to pupils and act in the...ir best interests. Pupils behave exceptionally well across the school.

Pupils benefit from high-quality personal development provision. Many pupils have experienced educational visits, including overseas. Some of these visits, such as those to Auschwitz and the World War One battlefields, enhance the school's subject curriculums.

Some pupils hold a range of leadership roles. These positively impact on the school in the interests of peers. Pupils at the school complete extensive charitable work.

They raise significant funds to improve the lives of others and for charities that are important to the school community.

The majority of pupils achieve well, including in national examinations. However, there remains variation in how well some groups of pupils achieve and between subjects.

The school is aware of this and is taking steps to address it.

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

The school's curriculum is ambitious for all pupils. The school has made recent improvements to the curriculum in several subjects.

The trust has supported these changes. The school's approach to reading is central to its curriculum. Pupils read regularly.

Daily reading lessons ensure that all pupils access high-quality texts. Many of these contribute to widening pupils' cultural awareness. Pupils in the early stages of learning to read receive additional support that helps them to strengthen their reading knowledge.

Staff appreciate the training that the school has provided. They implement this training in their own teaching. They teach lessons using consistent approaches that support pupils to learn effectively.

Teachers have strong knowledge of the subjects that they teach. They use this to inform questions that check pupils' understanding. Pupils are attentive during lessons.

They discuss their learning with peers in a considered way. Sometimes, pupils do not have sufficient opportunity to use and apply their knowledge independently.

Pupils' additional needs, including any special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are quickly identified.

The school works with external professionals to provide any additional support that these pupils may need. Teachers help pupils with SEND to access the curriculum. Pupils who access the school's 'Hive' provision are particularly well supported by the school.

Pupils attend school regularly. The proportion of pupils who are absent is lower than the national average and reducing over time. The school takes effective action to support pupils to overcome challenges and to improve their attendance.

The school's personal development offer is carefully designed to provide rich opportunities for all pupils. The school's 'graduation', 'challenge' and 'competitive edge' programmes build over time to help pupils develop the skills and behaviours that will help them to succeed. Through these programmes, pupils have a range of experiences that enrich their education.

Many pupils further this by volunteering or completing activities, such as The Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme. The school's strong careers education and guidance programme prepares pupils well for their next stages of education, employment or training. This is reflected in the high proportion of pupils progressing onto aspirational pathways when they leave school.

Those with responsibility for governance make appropriate checks on the work of the school. They provide effective support and challenge to school leaders. However, in some areas, the school does not evaluate the impact of its actions consistently well.

It does not use the information that it collects as well as it could to check what is working well and what can be improved further. As a result, some improvements take longer to be realised than they might.

Leaders support staff well.

Staff appreciate the considerate approach that the school takes to their well-being. The trust provides additional benefits to the school, such as additional specialist support in individual subjects.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• At times, teachers do not provide pupils with sufficient opportunities to use and apply their knowledge independently. Sometimes, this limits how successful pupils are when they progress on to more complex topics. The school should ensure that staff support pupils to use and apply their knowledge effectively.

• The school does not use some of the information that it collects, such as about pupils' achievements, as well as it could to evaluate the impact of its actions. Some improvements to the quality of pupils' experience in school are not realised as quickly as they could be. The school should ensure that it evaluates the impact of its work consistently well and uses this insight to inform future actions in a timely way.