The Hathershaw College

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school Pupils' achievement has improved since the previous inspection. Pupils now make good progress in the majority of subjects, including English, mathematics and science. Pupils who have special educational needs or disability, including those in the hearing resource centre, make good progress because of the high- quality support that they receive.

Achievement of the most-able pupils is improving in most subjects. Disadvantaged pupils achieve well and their attainment is catching up with that of other pupils in school and nationally. Teaching is consistently good.

Teachers know the pupils well and plan interesting lessons that engage them. Th...ey follow the school's marking and feedback policy well, which ensures that pupils know what to do to improve their work. Pupils behave well and enjoy school.

This is reflected in the fact that attendance is high when compared with that in other schools. Pupils feel safe in school and have a good understanding of risk and how to keep themselves safe. The school makes very good provision for pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

As a result, the school is a very harmonious community and pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. Leaders and governors have very high expectations and a determination to ensure that pupils achieve well and have the best possible experience in the school. They tackled the weaknesses identified at the last inspection quickly and robustly and have brought about significant improvements in teaching and achievement as a result.

It is not yet an outstanding school because : Teaching and learning are not outstanding. Teachers do not always set work that is challenging enough for the most able. This is particularly true in humanities, where pupils' progress is slower than in other subjects.

Teachers do not always check pupils' understanding well enough in lessons. Sometimes they move on too quickly and at other times not quickly enough. Pupils do not get consistent opportunities to develop their literacy skills across the curriculum.

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Information about this school

The Hathershaw College is larger than the average-sized secondary school. The school is a member of West Oldham Trust, along with three local primary schools. Since the previous inspection, a new principal has taken up post in the school.

The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium is well above average. The pupil premium is additional government funding for pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and for children who are looked after by the local authority. More than three quarters of pupils are from minority ethnic heritages and almost all of these speak English as an additional language.

The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disability is above average. A hearing resource centre is based in the school. This is funded by the local authority and managed by the school's governing body.

The centre provides specialist support in communication for 12 pupils who are educated mainly in mainstream classes. The school makes very limited use of alternative provision, but one pupil currently attends part-time provision at Oldham Pupil Referral Unit. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum national expectations for attainment and progress.

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