Hutton Church of England Grammar School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Hutton Church of England Grammar School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Hutton Church of England Grammar School is defined by ambition, kindness and respect.

These values sum up school life for very many pupils and students. Pupils said that they enjoy attending this school and that they make friends easily. Pupils and students told inspectors that the school is a safe and happy place.

Pupils and students are known and cared for well by staff. Pupils and students understand people's differences. They are comfortable being themselves.

They have few concerns about harmful behaviour or bullying. Pupils report any worries to adult...s. Staff listen to pupils' and students' concerns and resolve any bullying issues quickly.

Leaders have high expectations of pupils' and students' behaviour. Pupils and students behave well in lessons and at social times. They arrive at their lessons on time.

Pupils and students are confident, courteous and respectful.

Leaders and governors set high hopes for pupils' and students' achievement. Staff share these ambitions.

This helps to make sure that pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well.

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

Leaders and governors take the time to know the pupils and students well. This knowledge helps them to provide pupils and students with a broad and ambitious range of subjects to study.

These subjects match the students' and pupils' high academic ambitions.

Leaders organise subject curriculums well. These curriculums include the essential knowledge that pupils need to learn.

Leaders design especially ambitious curriculums in the sixth form. Leaders have checked for any knowledge that pupils and students did not grasp fully during the COVID-19 pandemic. They have adjusted curriculums to make sure that pupils and students get to learn, remember and apply this key knowledge.

Pupils, including those with SEND, achieve well. Students in the sixth form achieve especially well. Teachers across the school have strong subject knowledge.

They deliver the subject curriculums well. They are clear about what secure knowledge looks and sounds like in pupils' work. Teachers expect and help all pupils, including those with SEND, to secure this important knowledge.

They check for and address any misconceptions or shortfalls in pupils' and students' knowledge quickly. Teachers implement the curriculum especially well in the sixth form. Here, students regularly get to explore ambitious and contemporary academic resources.

They are exposed to high-level academic thinking and knowledge. Their learning flourishes.

Pupils and students are attentive, curious and polite in class.

They focus on their work. Pupils' learning is not disrupted in lessons.

Leaders identify pupils and students with SEND well.

They make sure that staff know how to help these pupils and students to enjoy success in class. Teachers adapt what they do, where necessary, to make sure that pupils with SEND progress well through the subject curriculums.

Leaders are quick to identify any pupils who find reading more difficult.

They support these pupils to catch up quickly. These pupils learn to read fluently. They apply this knowledge to learn successfully across the curriculum.

Leaders have begun to make sure that all pupils and students read ambitious texts regularly. They want to strengthen their reading and academic expertise. Leaders also want to broaden pupils' and students' knowledge of the world through this reading.

However, the delivery of the reading curriculum is at an early stage. Some pupils read ambitious texts in school regularly, while others do not.

Leaders acted quickly to rebuild the breadth of clubs and activities available to pupils on their return to school after the COVID-19 pandemic.

They check that staff consider pupils and students with SEND and enable them to join in with others in the clubs and activities that are provided. These include musical productions, sports clubs and the sixth-form student council.

Pupils and students benefit from a strong personal development curriculum.

Leaders listened to the views of pupils and students to help them design this curriculum. This helped leaders make sure that pupils, and students in the sixth form, get to cover what they need to know at the time that they need to know it. As a result, this curriculum provides the knowledge that pupils and students need to flourish in modern Britain.

Leaders provide pupils and students with an effective careers curriculum.

Staff told inspectors that they appreciate leaders' efforts to support their well-being and ensure that they have a reasonable workload.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders make sure that staff are well trained and kept up to date with any risks that pupils and students may face. Staff know how to spot the signs that pupils or students may be at risk of harm in or outside of school. They are vigilant.

Leaders make sure that all concerns are recorded and acted upon promptly.

Pupils and students are taught about risks to their safety and how to avoid them. They seek help from staff when they need it.

Staff quickly identify whether pupils and students require additional support from external agencies. Leaders ensure that pupils, students and their families get the timely help that they need.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some pupils do not read ambitious texts as regularly as others.

These pupils miss building their reading expertise and deepening the academic knowledge and cultural capital that would enrich their learning and lives. Leaders need to ensure that a rich reading curriculum is provided consistently well across the school.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in May 2017.