Hope Valley College

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 24 October 2023

The school has high expectations of what pupils can achieve and of how they should behave. Most pupils live up to these expectations. Pupils enjoy school. They get along well together. Students in the sixth form said that the sixth form is like 'one big family'. Pupils understand the school's system for dealing with poor behaviour of, 'chance, choice, consequence'. They said that this helps them to behave well. Pupils said that teachers are fair and consistent when dealing with any behaviour issues. Lessons are calm and orderly. Pupils feel safe in school. They know who they can talk to in school if they have any worries. Pupils behave well at breaktimes and lunchtimes. There are a range of opportunities available to pupils for their wider development. Many pupils take part in the Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme. Pupils also enjoy going to the library at breaktimes or lunchtimes to read and play board games. Pupils can contribute to the life of the school by being 'student ambassadors' and 'reading buddies.' Pupils enjoy attending different after-school and lunchtime clubs. For example, they go to jazz band, netball, Formula 1 club and the movie club.

What the school should improve

• Teachers use recap activities at the start of lessons to help pupils remember what they have learned. Not all teachers check that pupils have completed these activities correctly. This means that they do not always address gaps in learning. As a result, some pupils do not learn as well as they could. Teachers should ensure that they systematically check pupils' understanding so that they can address gaps in learning.
• Some teachers do not always have high expectations of how pupils should present their work. They do not always check that pupils are using correct punctuation or spellings. This means that some pupils make punctuation and spelling mistakes and do not always produce high-quality work. The school should ensure that all teachers model how pupils should present their work and make it clear to pupils the expectations for using correct punctuation and spelling.
• Some pupils do not have a secure understanding of fundamental British values. This means that they are not always as well prepared for life in modern Britain as they could be. The school should ensure that pupils have regular opportunities to develop their understanding of fundamental British values.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)