Hammond Academy receives 'Good' rating in recent Ofsted inspection

Situated within large grounds, the school offers modern spaces for children to learn and thrive.

Social and emotional well-being are at the heart of everything we do at Hammond Academy. Staff work extremely hard to nurture our children and help them grow into happy, confident and respectful young people who believe in themselves and strive to achieve their best.

Hammond Academy is part of Aspire Academies Trust. Aspire Academies Trust has a family of 6 schools across Hertfordshire, that have come together to make a difference to the lives of their children.

They aim to create a network that is truly supportive. They value expertise and encourage high-quality collaborations that give their community a voice and an opportunity to be heard. Collaboration across the Trust enables them to capture great ideas and make innovative improvements. Aspire Academies Trust offers a variety of core services to their schools, so they can focus their attention on the children, teaching and learning.

Hammond Academy, part of Aspire Academies Trust, is proud to announce that it has received a ‘Good’ rating in its recent Ofsted inspection.

The inspection, which took place on the 20th and 21st June 2023, evaluated the school's effectiveness in key areas such as leadership and management, the quality of education, personal development, behaviour and attitudes, and early years provision.

The Ofsted inspectors praised the leadership team for creating a school environment where the ‘Hammond Learner’ is happy, motivated and wants to do well.

“There are many changes that have taken place in the school, which pupils recognise. They know that the calmer environment is a result of the new behaviour systems.”

They also commended the teachers for how they “carefully adapt lessons to meet individual pupil’s needs, including those with special education needs and/or disabilities (SEND).” They mentioned that staff are ambitious for the pupils at the school and that clear expectations are set.

The school places a strong emphasis on reading and have recently opened a new school library. The report highlights that “pupils read for pleasure” and “early reading is consistently taught well”. The inspectors emphasise that “this is due to the high-quality training that staff have received.”

Inspectors noted that pupils at Hammond Academy “feel safe” and “know their voice is important”, with many leadership opportunities available to them. They also “know how to take care of themselves. This includes their physical and mental wellbeing”. “Pupils are enthusiastic about being active and staying healthy”.

Speaking about the report, Principal of Hammond Academy, Karen Cohen said “I am delighted that Ofsted have recognised the many of strengths within the Hammond community.

"It is a testament to everyone associated with our school, who are constantly striving to improve and provide our Hammond learners with the very best possible start to their journey through education.”

Vicky Parsey, CEO of Aspire Academies Trust commented "We are thrilled with the outcome of the recent Ofsted inspection and proud of the hard work and dedication of the staff, children and parents at Hammond Academy".

The Ofsted Inspectors concluded that “a lot of effective work to improve provision has taken place in the school in a short time”.

For more information about Hammond Academy, visit www.hammondacademy.org.uk. The full Ofsted report can be found here.