King’s Leadership Academy Hawthornes

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

More and more pupils are joining this school as a result of its increasingly good reputation in the local community. Pupils embrace the school's ASPIRE values and ethos.

Many pupils join the school part way through their education. They settle in quickly. They follow school routines and get on well together.

They are happy to come to school. Most attend well.

The school has high expectations of what pupils can achieve.

It has put the English Baccalaureate suite of subjects at the heart of its ambitious curriculum. The achievement of pupils in many subjects, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), has improved consi...derably.

Pupils behave well.

They know what is expected of them and respond quickly and politely to teachers' requests. For the most part, lessons are free from interruption.

Pupils enjoy many opportunities for personal development.

The enrichment programme enables them to develop their talents and interests. For example, they participate eagerly in debating, documentary and baking clubs. They take on positions of responsibility and leadership through becoming members of the Combined Cadet Force and as prefects.

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

The school has focused, in recent years, on improving the quality of education that it provides for pupils. It has worked in collaboration with the trust to put a curriculum in place that now meets the requirements of the national curriculum for all year groups. This curriculum identifies the crucial knowledge and the key vocabulary that pupils need to acquire and remember.

Staff implement the curriculum in a logical order that enables pupils to make connections in their learning. These improvements in the design and delivery of the curriculum have resulted in improved outcomes for pupils in national tests in many subjects.

Teachers regularly check pupils' understanding and recall.

In most subjects, they use the information that they gain to identify and address any gaps in pupils' knowledge. However, in a few subjects, teachers do not use this information well enough to adapt future teaching to enable them to embed missing knowledge. Consequently, in these subjects, pupils cannot build successfully on what they have learned before and struggle to remember their learning over time.

There is a high proportion of pupils with SEND in the school. They follow the same curriculum as their peers. Staff support these pupils well in engaging with the curriculum and in obtaining the qualifications that they require when they move to the next stage in their education or training.

The school recognises that enabling pupils to read well is crucial to their academic success. To this end, it quickly identifies and supports pupils who are at an earlier stage of reading to help them to read more fluently. Pupils have opportunities to read across the curriculum.

Teachers deal effectively with any low-level disruption that occurs. Staff communicate expectations of pupils' behaviour clearly and frequently. Pupils move calmly and purposefully in the corridors.

Older pupils say that behaviour has improved significantly in recent years. Pupil attendance has also improved. However, despite the best efforts of staff, there are still some pupils who do not attend regularly.

The school prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain. They know what makes a healthy relationship. The school has ensured that well-trained staff raise pupils' awareness of sensitive topics.

Pupils learn to respect others through their study of different cultures and beliefs. The school provides a well-considered careers programme to inform pupils and their parents about the range of courses and careers available. As a result, increasing numbers of pupils are continuing their studies after they leave school.

The school engages well with parents and carers. For example, it consulted parents about the enrichment programme to ascertain which activities would be beneficial for their children.

Staff feel valued and listened to.

They appreciate leaders' recent changes to assessment practices that have reduced their workload. The school, supported by the trust, has a rigorous approach to staff training. Teachers make the most of frequent opportunities to develop their subject knowledge and teaching expertise.

As a result, teachers' subject knowledge is now strong.

The local academy council members and trustees are well informed about what the school needs to do to enhance further the quality of education that it provides.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, teachers do not use assessment information well enough to adapt future teaching to enable them to embed missing knowledge. This means that some pupils struggle to remember what they have learned. The school should ensure that teachers use their knowledge of gaps in learning to design activities that help pupils to know and remember more over time.

Some pupils do not attend school regularly enough. This means that some do not have access to the full curriculum. The school should ensure that it strengthens its work with pupils and their parents to increase rates of attendance.

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