The Hollyfield School and Sixth Form Centre

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

The Hollyfield School and Sixth Form Centre continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

School leaders are keen to ensure all pupils achieve their best. Pupils respond well to leaders' high expectations. There is a distinct sense of community in the school.

Many pupils take part in the popular clubs and visits the school provides. Pupils, parents and carers told us they value the amazing range of opportunities available. Sixth-form students like the debates and other enrichment activities.

Clubs include sports and the arts. There is an orchestra, rock and jazz bands, drama clubs and choirs. The Chamber Choir has been invited to sing in the chapel ...at Magdalen College, Oxford.

Pupils told us they feel safe in school. If they have any worries, they are confident they can talk to their teachers who will put great effort into making things right. Staff tackle occasional poor behaviour, including bullying, promptly, using the school's behaviour policy.

Leaders are working hard to create a positive climate for learning across the school. There is a calm atmosphere in most lessons. Pupils enjoy and take pride in their work.

Sixth-form students organise their studies well.

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

Leaders have well-organised plans for how subjects are taught in the school. There are clear links between lessons, enabling pupils to reinforce and develop their knowledge and understanding.

Teachers are confident in their subjects and can explain more difficult ideas clearly so that pupils rapidly grasp demanding concepts. Classrooms are attractive, with informative displays to support pupils' learning.

Teachers use assessment well to check pupils' understanding and identify where pupils need further support and encouragement.

Pupils told us they like the routines in lessons when they let their teachers know if they are struggling so they receive extra help. We saw several examples of pupils improving their work as a result of their teachers' advice.

Leaders take swift and effective action when they identify a setback.

Results in English declined two years ago. Leadership development and changes to how English is taught have turned this around. Teachers ensure that pupils have more opportunities to recall what they have learned previously.

The trust has supported leaders effectively by developing subject leadership. For example, science is better planned to meet the needs of pupils and to help all pupils to learn and remember more.

The school has developed its curriculum far beyond regular lessons.

Pupils grow in confidence and learn to work together well as a result. The school is focusing hard on ensuring that disadvantaged pupils can successfully access the curriculum as well as clubs and visits. Leaders make sure they do not miss out on the wide-ranging opportunities available to all pupils to grow their interests and talents.

The specially resourced provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) provides effective support for pupils with autism spectrum disorder. Staff support pupils well in the base and in mainstream lessons. However, planning for pupils with SEND is not consistent across the school.

There is some variation in how well pupils' needs are met in the classroom. Support is less effective when staff have not received the right training and guidance

Leaders ensure that pupils and students are well prepared for the next steps in their education and employment. In the lower school, pupils revisit and revise key knowledge to prepare them well for GCSE.

Up until Year 9, pupils study the broad range of subjects included in the national curriculum, as well as drama. A higher-than-average proportion of pupils study the English Baccalaureate combination of subjects in the upper school. In the sixth form, leaders have planned a transition programme to help students adapt to the demands of advanced study.

Students value the support they receive in the sixth form, especially with applications for university. Students achieve well, and they go on to study at a range of universities, including those in the Russell group.

Pupils have positive attitudes to their studies.

We saw that they collaborate well, listen to each other and their teachers, and are responsive to their teachers' expectations. Behaviour around the school and in the playground is generally orderly. Serious incidents of poor behaviour, including bullying, are rare.

Leaders are taking appropriate actions to support pupils who have difficulty managing their behaviour. However, exclusion rates remain high.

Leaders are considerate of staff's well-being.

Teachers appreciate their workload is carefully managed. The governing body provides strong support for the school. Governors are knowledgeable and understand the strengths and weaknesses of the school well.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders and teachers are vigilant in their checks and measures to keep pupils safe. They ensure that pupils are aware of risks to their safety and that they learn how to avoid them.

They have a caring approach to pupils causing concern and take prompt action to protect them. There is a thorough training programme for staff which keeps them up to date with their knowledge of issues pupils might face. The school works well with external agencies to ensure that pupils get specialist help if needed.

Leaders regularly communicate with alternative providers to check on the attendance and well-being of pupils educated there.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

One of the school's priorities is to further improve behaviour. Exclusion figures are too high.

Leaders should continue to focus relentlessly on improving behaviour through their current plans so that there is a reduction in exclusions and even better behaviour in school. . Leaders work hard to support pupils with SEND in accessing the curriculum.

However, there is inconsistency in the quality of that support. Leaders should ensure that teaching and support staff receive the training and guidance they need so that the strong practice evident in the resource base extends 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 non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good, 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 convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good on 27 April 2016.

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