John Hanson Community School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

John Hanson Community School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a very happy and inclusive school because staff have successfully created a caring and aspirational culture. They share a genuine belief that all pupils can fulfil their potential. Pupils follow a rich and broad curriculum which supports academic development.

It is designed and delivered to nurture confidence and independence. Pupils rise to staff's high expectations of them, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Pupils achieve well, including in examinations.

Staff nurture positive relationships and manage behaviour consistently and fai...rly. Where the school has taken more robust action, this has been received positively. For example, linked to the school's stance taken on mobile phones, one pupil said: 'It has brought us together because we talk more.'

Behaviour in lessons is excellent. Pupils treat each other and adults with respect. They feel safe and know they have staff they can go to for help if they need it.

They know bullying can happen, but they rightly trust the school to address it effectively.

Parents are very supportive of the school and value its rounded approach to education. Many praise the care shown to their children and how well staff develop a sense of 'belonging' among the pupils.

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

Pupils follow an ambitious curriculum and a growing proportion take the suite of GCSE subjects included in the English Baccalaureate. Staff have identified precisely the essential knowledge that pupils need at each point. There is a sharp focus on ensuring that all pupils not only remember what they have been taught but that they can apply it with increasing independence.

Teachers have strong subject knowledge and also receive detailed information about pupils' individual needs. They use this to make thoughtful adjustments as necessary. For example, in modern foreign languages, pupils with different starting points and needs learn highly effectively and enthusiastically together because of skilfully selected approaches.

Teachers regularly check pupils' understanding and use this to implement the school's 'feedback, action, response' process. This supports most pupils to improve their work. However, some pupils do not yet benefit enough from this process and so do not achieve as well as they could.

The school's very strong reading strategy encourages pupils' enthusiasm for books. Pupils access a range of texts in lessons and for pleasure. The school has also established a highly effective programme for pupils who need help with reading, so they can catch up rapidly.

This is based on precise identification of any gaps and then targeted support.

The school's caring and inclusive culture underpins its very strong pastoral work. Pupils value it highly because they know that staff have their best interests at heart.

Pupils appreciate why staff have high expectations for their conduct and attitudes to school. Most pupils' behaviour and attendance are excellent. The school has already established effective internal provisions for targeted pupils, for example through the 'FLEX' team.

However, a small group of pupils' poor behaviour remains challenging. Staff are committed to helping them and to reduce repeat sanctions. The school is rolling out additional strategies, but these are in their infancy.

The school has established very well designed personal development and career programmes. As with all of the school's work, they are both ambitious and inclusive. They ensure that all pupils are very well prepared for their next steps.

They learn how to keep safe and healthy and how to navigate increasingly complex relationships, including online. They explore diversity and are proud that their school is very accepting of difference. The rich careers programme ensures pupils regularly benefit from a very wide range of partners from the world of work, education and training.

The school is very effectively supported and challenged by the governors. Governors provide robust oversight of safeguarding and standards. The school is very mindful of staff workload and of creating a positive and supportive working environment which puts pupils first.

Staff recognise this and are proud to work at the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Occasionally, teachers do not systematically check gaps in pupils' understanding.

This means that some staff do not consistently adapt their teaching and feedback as sharply as they could. The school needs to ensure that teachers further refine their formative assessment practice and how they adapt subsequent lessons so that all pupils achieve as well as they can. ? A very small number of pupils struggle to meet the school's high expectations for behaviour.

As a result, they do not consistently respect the school's culture and show the same levels of respect for others that pupils typically do. The school should embed its new pastoral and inclusion approaches and continue to support staff so that these pupils understand and manage their behaviours and reactions better.

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

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

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in October 2018.