Hockerill Anglo-European College

Overview

The report describes a school where “boarders and day pupils are happy” and “achieve highly” within an “ambitiously broad” curriculum. Leaders maintain “very high expectations” for academic success and personal development, resulting in pupils who are “extremely well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or work.”

Strengths

• The curriculum is praised for its breadth, including mandatory modern foreign languages and an “ambitiously broad range of academic subjects.”
• Personal development is “exceedingly strong,” featuring extensive enrichment activities such as visits abroad, the Combined Cadet Force, and community service projects.
• Subject leaders carefully structure content so pupils “build up their knowledge step by step,” with teachers swiftly addressing any gaps or misconceptions.
• Support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is effective, with leaders being “quick to identify” needs and providing appropriate in-class support.
• The governing body “holds leaders to account effectively,” and staff feel their workload is considered and valued.

Areas to improve

• Leaders must ensure safeguarding actions “reflect the school’s policies and current statutory guidance precisely and consistently,” following an instance where external agencies were not consulted when required.
• Leaders must ensure all staff share and apply “high expectations of pupils’ attitudes and behaviour” consistently, as expectations currently vary between classes and subjects.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with staff receiving up-to-date training and identifying risks quickly, although a more robust system has been agreed after one instance of inappropriate management of a concern.