Hylands School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 10 February 2026

Pupils’ experiences in lessons are highly variable, and many pupils do not achieve well. While some pupils enjoy their learning and make progress from their starting points, this is not typical. Learning is frequently ill-matched to pupils’ needs. Too often, teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve are too low. This is partly because leaders do not have effective systems to identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge, including in the fundamentals of reading, writing and number. As a result, teachers do not have a secure understanding of pupils’ starting points. When pupils struggle to keep up in lessons, the ways in which the school helps them are often ineffective. Many pupils miss parts of the curriculum because they join the school part-way through the year, or have low attendance. Leaders do not have effective processes in place to help pupils catch up with missed learning. This particularly affects disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Consequently, many pupils do not make the progress they should. They are poorly prepared for their next steps. Pupils typically have positive relationships with staff and their peers. They benefit from supportive pastoral care, for example when they need help to manage their feelings. Bullying and unkindness are rare. This helps pupils to feel safe in school. Pupils value the small size of their school because it helps them build strong friendships. Behaviour is generally calm, and pupils respect each other regardless of differences between them. Although attendance is beginning to improve, it remains too low for many pupils, particularly those who are disadvantaged. Some pupils benefit from a small range of clubs, particularly sports. However, too many pupils miss out on wider opportunities that would help them develop their confidence, interests and sense of belonging within the school community.

What the school should improve

• Trustees and governors must strengthen their challenge and support to leaders in order to ensure that their actions, including the use of additional funding such as the pupil premium, are making a positive difference for pupils.
• Trustees, governors and leaders should ensure that they have an accurate oversight of the quality of the school's provision, so that they can identify and act on the most urgent priorities for improvement.
• Leaders should ensure that teachers have a clear understanding of pupils’ starting points and provide work that is appropriately ambitious and well adapted so that all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), can access the curriculum and achieve well.
• Leaders should strengthen systems to identify, review and support the needs of pupils with SEND, and ensure that staff develop the appropriate expertise to help pupils with SEND access learning successfully.
• Leaders should evaluate more rigorously the impact of strategies to improve pupils’ foundational skills, particularly in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Leaders should continue to develop and embed their strategies to improve attendance, particularly for disadvantaged pupils, those with SEND and those who are persistently absent.
• Leaders should ensure that careers education, information, advice and guidance are effective in raising pupils’ aspirations and improving their understanding of the full range of pathways available, particularly for disadvantaged pupils.
• Leaders should take steps to increase pupils' participation in enrichment opportunities. This is to ensure that a much greater proportion of pupils, especially those who are disadvantaged, benefit from activities that develop their confidence, leadership skills and sense of belonging.

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