Hungerhill School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school. Students make exceptional progress and reach standards in public examinations that are significantly higher than the national averages. As a result, they are exceptionally well prepared for the next stage in their education, training, and employment.

Lessons are routinely lively and interesting and the work set for the students is challenging. Students concentrate hard, are very keen to do well and so make excellent progress during their time at the school. Occasionally, lessons contain too many activities to be completed at a rapid rate.

Those lessons do not allow the students to develop their understanding of the topic to the f...ull extent they are able. Students' behaviour in lessons and around the school is typically impeccable. The students show considerable respect for each other and the inspectors witnessed high levels of consideration between students and small, but significant acts of kindness and generosity.

Students demonstrate also an excellent grasp of how to keep themselves safe. The headteacher and senior staff have established ways of working that mean the staff and students alike are eager to learn and improve. They have been conspicuously successful over several years in bringing about very significant increases in students' progress and attainment.

Information about this school

The school is larger than the average secondary school. The proportion of students known to be eligible for the pupil premium is about half the national average, but rising. The proportion of students from minority ethnic groups is well below average, as is the proportion with English as an additional language.

The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported at the school action stage is above average. The proportion of disabled students and those with special educational needs supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is well below average. Hungerhill School converted to an academy on 1 March 2012.

When its predecessor school, Hungerhill School, a Specialist Centre for Science, Mathematics and Computing, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall. This was the first inspection of the school since it became an academy. The predecessor school exceeded the government floor targets for the students' attainment and progress in 2011.

The school works currently with YMCA Training to provide alternative provision for one student on three days per week. The school has received a number of awards, including the Quality in Study Support award, Healthy School status and Sportsmark. It also has Investors in People.