The Flagship School, Hastings

What it's like to be a pupil at The Flagship School

Pupils are valued by staff at this school. Staff develop warm, professional relationships with pupils. Pupils trust staff and know that they will support them to do their best. They know staff will deal with bullying if it occurs. Pupils know that their voice matters and that staff will listen to any concerns they have. This helps the majority of pupils to feel happy and safe in school. As a result, most pupils re-engage with learning effectively and attend more regularly than in the past. Pupils are generally well-behaved and respectful of other members of the school community. This is particularly the case in lessons, where they show that they are keen to learn. This contributes to a sense of purpose across the school. Pupils are supported to become more successful at regulating their emotions. They are supported effectively to manage challenging situations. This gives them some essential skills for adulthood. Leaders and staff have high ambitions for all pupils. They help them to achieve these through the support they receive in class. This reduces barriers to learning. There is a well-planned curriculum in place across most subjects. Pupils make progress from their starting points. There is an increasing range of qualifications available for all pupils. More pupils are now achieving in qualifications up to GCSE level. This supports them to be well prepared for their next steps. Pupils experience an increasing number of opportunities beyond the curriculum in school and in the wider community. This is evident in their engagement with outdoor learning and local organisations such as the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. Pupils learn about being a volunteer as part of The Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme. The care and ambition that staff show mean that most pupils thrive during their time at the school.

What Ofsted says the school should do next

• Leaders should continue to act on their identified priorities for development, and rigorously monitor the impact of these so that there is consistent improvement across all areas.
• Leaders should ensure that the curriculum is delivered and adapted consistently well so that pupils are equally successful across all subjects.
• Leaders should continue their work to improve overall attendance, particularly for pupils who are persistently or severely absent.

The Flagship School excels at building trusting relationships with pupils and providing the support they need to re-engage with education. Staff work hard to remove barriers to learning through a carefully planned curriculum tailored to individual needs. The school offers ambitious pathways including GCSEs and enriches pupils' experiences through a wide range of clubs, visits and community activities that prepare them well for their next steps.

Safeguarding standards are met. Leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed, making pupils safer and helping them feel safe.

Sports, art, music, chess, Duke of Edinburgh's Award programme, trips and visits, outdoor learning, care home volunteering, Royal National Lifeboat Institution activities

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