Hucknall's Holgate Academy rated inadequate by Ofsted

A secondary school in Hucknall has been graded inadequate by Ofsted following its latest inspection.

The Holgate Academy, on Hillcrest Drive was visited by inspectors over two days in June having previously received a requires improvement judgement in March 2019.

The behaviour of students along with attendance levels were heavily criticised in the report which was published today.

It said: "Poor behaviour has a negative impact on most aspects of the school's work. Staff do not consistently challenge poor behaviour. Low-level disruption often prevents pupils from learning. Too many pupils are released from classrooms and are left wandering the corridors or around the school grounds during lesson times."

"Too many pupils are persistently absent from school. This means that they are missing out on their education."

Bullying was also highlighted as a problem at the academy with school leaders said to "not deal with bullying consistently."

The report continued: "Pupils do not feel confident in the staff's ability to tackle bullying. Leaders must ensure that there is a consistent, effective approach to addressing bullying so that all pupils know that bullying is unacceptable and that any such incidents are dealt with in a timely and effective way."

The quality of education was described as 'inconsistent' with some teachers said to not "always use assessment information to check that pupils' prior knowledge is secure, to identify misconceptions, or to plan future learning." The result of this, according to the report was that pupils didn't get the chance to thoroughly understand topics before the teachers moved on.

However, there were areas of positivity in the report with teachers praised for good subject knowledge and the way they used the start of lessons to revisit "important content from previous learning."

Its safeguarding arrangements were deemed 'effective' with leaders said to have made it a 'priority.'

The sixth form which is based on Portland Road and collaboratively managed along with National Church of England Academy and Queen Elizabeth's Academy in Mansfield was adjudged to be good.

The report said: "The curriculum in the sixth form allows students to study courses that meet their interests and aspirations. Teachers are passionate about the subjects they teach. Pupils speak positively about how teachers provide supportive and timely feedback on their work. Students enjoy positive relationships with their teachers. They enjoy their sixth-form experience."

The Holgate Academy said in a statement reacting to the judgement: "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.

The school will be inspected again within 30 months from the previous inspection to see if improvements have been made.