Leigh Academy Hugh Christie

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils behave well and work hard.

They have ambitious aspirations about their future education and employment. The school helps them realise these goals, both when pupils finish Year 11 and at the end of sixth form. Staff generally have high expectations, which means many pupils achieve well.

Some pupils, however, do not meet these expectations because their behaviour is not consistently good. Additionally, some pupils are absent too frequently.

Leaders, governors and staff have rightly prioritised improving safeguarding since the last inspection.

This has been successful. Pupils are safe and the majority enjoy school. Relationships between staf...f and many pupils are positive and respectful.

If pupils are concerned about anything, including bullying, they are confident about raising their worries with staff. The pastoral support team makes sure that any issues are dealt with quickly and effectively.

Pupils have a range of opportunities to broaden their experiences.

They enjoy the good-quality clubs, trips and visits that the school provides. Pupils develop leadership skills through taking on additional responsibilities. For example, sixth-form students apply for roles such as 'head students' or 'house champions'.

Many sixth-formers use some of their free periods to support younger pupils' learning in lessons.

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

The school's curriculum is designed to meet pupils' needs and is generally ambitious. Teachers' strong subject knowledge helps many pupils to achieve well, including in the sixth form.

The school organises the curriculum so that pupils build on their previous learning effectively. There is a clear focus on equipping pupils with necessary subject-specific knowledge and vocabulary. Some pupils receive timely additional help with learning to read outside of lessons, for example through small-group work.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) who attend the specially resourced provision, called 'The Lighthouse', have their particular needs identified precisely and met effectively. Proportions of pupils studying the full suite of subjects in the English Baccalaureate at key stage 4 are rising year on year, including pupils with SEND and other disadvantaged pupils. Where there are aspects of the curriculum that require further breadth, for example in computing, the school already has the right plans in place to improve.

Despite these positive dimensions, the quality of education is not yet as strong as it could be. Most importantly, although many pupils with SEND and other disadvantaged pupils get the extra help that they require in lessons, this is variable across the school. Consequently, these pupils do not achieve as well as they could.

Teachers' checks on pupils' learning often identify any gaps, which teachers subsequently address. However, this process is not consistently effective for some pupils with additional needs, including pupils who are weaker readers.

While moving in the right direction, there is further to go before pupils' behaviour is consistently good.

Some lessons are disrupted by the behaviour of a minority of pupils. Typically, these are relatively low-level incidents, for example pupils calling out or talking when they should not be doing so, or not engaging fully with lessons. Such behaviour disrupts these pupils' learning and that of others.

However, pupils, staff and parents rightly agree that pupils' behaviour is improving. The school has raised expectations and provided training for staff about managing behaviour effectively. Leaders support teachers to put new approaches into practice.

Many pupils concentrate well and participate fully in lessons.

Pupils' attendance rates are not high enough. Too many pupils miss school too often.

In particular, some pupils with SEND and other disadvantaged pupils are absent too frequently, which has a negative effect on their achievement. The school has begun to tackle this vital issue with determination. There are now robust processes in place to track all pupils' whereabouts and to follow up on pupils' absences swiftly.

However, while leaders have the right actions planned to raise attendance in the medium to long term, these have not had a substantial impact so far.

The school promotes pupils' character development through teaching them to be 'ready, responsible and respectful.' Pupils make positive contributions to school life and the wider community, for example through fundraising for local and national charitable causes.

Pupils generally socialise well. Sixth-form students act as strong role models for younger pupils. Pupils learn about healthy relationships and how to keep themselves mentally and physically fit.

They receive effective advice and guidance, which helps the vast majority of pupils to follow their chosen paths when they leave school. Sixth-formers particularly value their personal development 'passports', which help them track the rich experiences they gain at school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• There are pockets of low-level disruption in lessons when a minority of pupils do not behave as well as they should. This affects pupils' learning. The school should make sure that the renewed expectations of pupils' behaviour are implemented fully so that pupils' behaviour in lessons is consistently good across the school.

• Some pupils' attendance is too low, which has a negative impact on their achievement. In particular, pupils with SEND and other disadvantaged pupils are absent too often. The school should implement its plans to raise attendance so that there are demonstrable improvements.

• The specific needs of some pupils with SEND and other disadvantaged pupils are not met fully across the school in lessons, including those pupils who require additional help with their reading. These pupils do not make as much progress through the curriculum as they could. The school should ensure that disadvantaged pupils' additional needs are identified precisely through effective assessment processes so that the right support is put into place to help them achieve well.