The Halifax Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 14 June 2023

Leaders are determined that pupils will receive an education that provides them with the qualifications and confidence to make a positive difference in their community and beyond. Pupils benefit greatly from curriculums and programmes put in place to meet these goals. The school's 'character curriculum' supports pupils expertly to 'develop a voice to positively change their world'. Pupils are able to carefully construct persuasive arguments based on detailed knowledge and well-considered personal opinion. They benefit from a wide range of clubs and societies, including a British Sign Language club, that meet and extend the range of their talents and interests. The standards that pupils have achieved in national examinations have not returned to the impressive levels prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, pupils in school learn well and are catching up on lost learning quickly. Those pupils with potential barriers to learning receive the support they need to learn effectively. Pupils' behaviour in lessons and around school is calm and focused. Learning is very rarely disrupted. There is little bullying in school. When it does happen, pupils report it, and it is dealt with promptly and effectively. Pupils appreciate the education they are receiving and the doors it is helping to open for their future.

What the school should improve

• Pupils' learning was significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Steps taken to identify and address the gaps in learning were not as successful as leaders had hoped. As a result, pupils who sat their GCSE examinations in 2022 still had gaps in their knowledge and understanding. Pupils did not achieve as highly as expected in external examinations. Leaders should ensure that important gaps in pupils' knowledge and understanding that have arisen as a result of the COVID- 19 pandemic restrictions are identified and fully addressed.

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