The Hayfield School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

The Hayfield School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have created a culture in which the school's values of kindness, decency and a strong work ethic are lived out by pupils and staff. Pupils behave extremely well. Relationships between pupils and adults are warm and respectful.

Bullying occurs very rarely. On these occasions, adults act to resolve it effectively. The majority of pupils, and their parents and carers, have confidence in staff to resolve issues successfully.

Pupils have access to a wide range of enrichment activities. Leaders, since the pandemic restrictions were eased, have prioritised enrichment activities as pa...rt of their wider well-being strategy. They recognise the importance of helping pupils to socialise more widely and to develop their talents.

Many pupils have attended an educational visit, such as to the National Space Centre or to the theatre. These opportunities enhance pupils' understanding of the curriculum, as well as developing their cultural awareness.

Some pupils take up leadership roles in the student parliament.

Others have supported local primary schools as part of their sports leadership role. The school, through its house system, engages pupils in charitable fundraising activities. Pupils in Year 7 participate in the annual summer residential camp.

Residential visits such as this provide pupils with opportunities to develop their independence and wider skills, such as teamwork.

Pupils receive a high-quality education that prepares them well for their next steps in education, employment or training. Pupils make use of independent careers advice and guidance.

A minority do not access this advice before they make decisions about their future.

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

Leaders are aspirational for pupils. The varied curriculum reflects the school's inclusive and supportive ethos.

Leaders have enhanced the curriculum, adding subjects such as architecture and animal care, to reflect pupils' diverse interests. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well across the curriculum and exceptionally in subjects such as English and mathematics. This helps pupils, including pupils with SEND, to secure appropriate post-16 education or training.

Subject leaders have considered the knowledge and skills they want pupils to learn over time. The new knowledge that pupils acquire builds on what they already know. This supports pupils to be able to make connections between topics and across subjects.

For example, pupils in physical education appreciate how many of the core techniques they learn when throwing in cricket remain relevant when they learn about the javelin in athletics. Leaders regularly review the curriculum and consider how it can be improved.

In lessons, pupils are attentive and contribute positively.

They confidently discuss their learning with their teachers and peers. As part of their focus on literacy, teachers use these discussions to develop pupils' oracy. Staff implement the school's agreed lesson routines effectively.

They explain new information clearly and provide pupils with opportunities to practise new skills before moving on. Teachers ask questions to check on what pupils know. In the most effective examples, teachers skilfully probe further and challenge pupils' misconceptions.

In a minority of lessons, pupils' misconceptions are not identified and corrected quickly. When this happens, pupils' progress slows through the intended curriculum.

A small number of pupils access their learning through alternative providers.

Leaders arrange these placements in partnership with parents, external professionals and the local authority. Leaders use these placements appropriately to give pupils the best opportunities to be successful in education. Pupils benefit significantly from attending the majority of these placements.

However, in a small number of alternative provisions, the curriculum is not as strong as that experienced by their peers in school.

Pupils learn about personal, social and health education (PSHE) in 'character curriculum' lessons. These lessons are supplemented with weekly briefings from the headteacher and through assemblies.

Pupils develop a secure understanding of important learning, including protected characteristics such as race and gender. This understanding contributes to the school's inclusive culture. Some topics, such as relationships and sex education, are delivered during 'drop-down' days, when the normal timetable is modified for the day.

Leaders ensure that pupils cover all of the required statutory content in an age-appropriate way. Pupils' understanding of other knowledge, such as the fundamental British values and the variety of faiths and beliefs, is not as detailed. Leaders have not established a common framework for checking pupils' understanding of knowledge from the PSHE curriculum.

Consequently, gaps in pupils' knowledge are not addressed as quickly as they could be.

Leaders know the importance of reading. They quickly identify pupils who need additional help.

Leaders make sure that this extra help is matched to pupils' needs. They make regular checks on pupils' progress. This additional support helps pupils to catch up with their peers.

Leaders are promoting a wider culture of reading in the school. For example, leaders provide access to a range of electronic and audio books. They recognise that there is more to do to embed this culture securely.

Trustees are well informed about the performance of the school. Leaders provide them with accurate and detailed information. This allows trustees to provide effective support and challenge.

Leaders at all levels act with integrity. They place pupils' interests at the centre of their decision-making. Leaders consider the impact of their decisions on staff well-being.

Staff recognise leaders' consideration and feel valued in their roles.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff know how to recognise the indications of harm in a pupil.

They report concerns about a pupil's welfare promptly. Staff understand that each piece of information contributes to a wider picture of safeguarding for that pupil. Leaders regularly review open safeguarding concerns.

They make appropriate referrals to external agencies. Leaders keep detailed records of their actions.

Leaders use PSHE lessons responsively to address local issues.

For example, pupils have recently learned about the risks of county lines during one of the school's drop-down days. Leaders have invested in external services and trained staff to support pupils and their families with their mental health when access to local services is oversubscribed.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• There is no system in place to check what pupils know and remember from the school's PSHE curriculum.

Leaders are not able to assure themselves that pupils have learned the intended knowledge from the PSHE curriculum. Leaders should establish a system that enables them to evaluate the effectiveness of the PSHE curriculum.

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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in February 2014.

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