Hucknall school vows to improve after scathing Ofsted report

Holgate Academy, part of the Diverse Academies Trust, was labelled ‘inadequate’ for behaviour and attitudes and ‘requires improvement’ for the quality of education, personal development and leadership and management.

However, ray of light for the school was its sixth form which was rated ‘good’.

Ofsted inspectors praised the school’s commitment to reading, it’s range of after-school clubs and the knowledge of teachers and the broad curriculum.

It also praised leaders foe encouraging pupils to experience a wide range of social and cultural experiences outside of school and noted many pupils achieve the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

But they were damning in their criticism of other factors of school life, particularly how the school handles bullying and poor behaviour and school attendance.

The report said: “Leaders’ expectations of how pupils should behave are too low, staff do not manage behaviour consistently well and pupils say that their learning is often disrupted by the poor behaviour of other pupils.

"Pupils report that bullying is frequent., pupils do not have confidence in staff’s ability to tackle bullying effectively., some pupils say that they feel unsafe.

"Poor behaviour has a negative impact on most aspects of the school’s work.

"Staff do not consistently challenge poor behaviour, too many pupils are released from classrooms and are left wandering the corridors or around the school grounds during lesson times.

"Leaders support pupils who struggle to attend regularly.

"Nevertheless, too many pupils are persistently absent from school.

"These pupils are missing the opportunity to learn due to their poor attendance and punctuality to school and lessons."

The report praised the safeguarding measures at the school and the fact that SEND pupils are beginning to benefit from a better quality of education than they have done in the past.

However, it added that ‘not all teachers support pupils with SEND effectively’ and ‘consequently, some pupils with SEND do not achieve as well as they could’.

Ofsted said areas where the school needs to improve are:

Raising expectations of pupils’ behaviour.

Tackling the fact too many pupils are persistently absent from school and leaders must ensure that all pupils, particularly disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND, attend more regularly.

Dealing with bullying consistently and ensuring all pupils know bullying is unacceptable.

Ensuring quality of education is consistent and checking teachers know how to use assessment strategies to check that pupils understand and remember more over time.

Considering the needs of pupils with SEND better with planning and delivering the curriculum so they get the right support to be successful.

Ensuring the PSHE curriculum allows pupils to gain an understanding of age-appropriate relationships education and fundamental British values.

In a statement, Diverse Academies said: “Ofsted’s judgement falls significantly short of our high expectations and standards.

"Whilst disappointing, some aspects of the report reflect areas we had already identified but which are not typical of our academy as a whole.

"Like many schools across the country, we faced a number of challenges as students returned to pre-pandemic routines following a long period of disruption, but we remain committed to the rapid improvement necessary to make Holgate a good school and one which the community can be proud of.

"The welfare of our students is of paramount importance and so we were pleased that Ofsted confirmed this is a priority for our leaders and that our arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

"We want all students to feel happy and safe at school, and we will ensure that any incidents of disruptive behaviour are dealt with firmly and consistently.

"Ofsted acknowledged that our teachers have good subject knowledge and are passionate about the subjects they teach within a broad curriculum.

"We are proud of the wide range of enrichment opportunities we offer, which Ofsted also recognised as a strength and which enable students to develop leadership skills and confidence. Inspectors found that our students speak positively about how they want to become ‘Holgate achievers’, and we will continue to enhance all aspects of our education so that each student can reach their full potential.”