IMPORTANT INFORMATION
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HCAT
HCAT Academy Trust Information
Address:
Unit 4 Great Cliffe Court
Dodworth
Barnsley
S75 3SP
Telephone: 01226 100450
Academy Financial information
The Academies Financial Handbook 2020 states that Trusts must publish on their website the number of employees whose benefits exceed £100k. Below is the extract for our Trust.
Band | No of Employees |
£100-110k | 1 |
£110-120k | 1 |
£120-130k | 1 |
COLLEGE VISION
Vision
School ready; Work ready; Life ready
Ambition
Our Curriculum and Culture
- aims to challenge every learner, in every lesson, every day.
- develops the character and skill set of all, through the belief that we are Positive Role Models.
- ensures that there are opportunities for all through our personal development and Careers and Enterprise programmes.
Values
Tolerance Teamwork Kindness Respect Pride Engagement Questioning Independence Organisation Resilience
Aims
Equity of opportunity
To remove academic and social barriers and ensure equitable access to qualifications, programmes and wider opportunities in college.
Global Readiness
An ambitious curriculum that ensures students gain the knowledge, skills and culture capital needed to graduate with options to be highly successful and make a positive contribution to the community and beyond.
High Expectations
Students are challenged and supported to reach their highest academic potential. An extensive personal development programme allows students to build character and resilience ensuring personal growth year on year.
Strong Community
Engage with our students, families, staff and community to cultivate a safe and welcoming college built on mutual respect and courtesy so all learners thrive, Students recognise risk and know how to star safe.
Culture of Kindness
A culture of Kindness throughout the college, with caring and culturally proficient, tolerant students and staff.
OUR CONTEXT
Conversion to Multi Academy Trust status was completed on 01.06.19. HCAT is a growing multi academy trust containing 1 Secondary School and 4 large primary schools. One of the trust schools is an Outstanding school and a designated teaching school under Tykes Teaching School Alliance.
The College initially approached HCAT because their vision and values so clearly aligned with those of Horizon, particularly in terms of moral purpose and focus on Barnsley children. We were also determined that Year 7 students should be in a position to make rapid progress from the outset and build on the very best primary experience. The partnership has also provided an additional layer of challenge and supported improved classroom practice for Horizon, whilst creating greater capacity for the Trust as it expands. A more robust monitoring programme within College has raised teacher expectations and introduced focused dialogue based on learning outcomes for each child. Furthermore, conversion has increased our capacity for CPD through formal training, work shadowing, joint training/work scrutiny and the additional expertise of the primary NLE staff. This has ensured rapid change from 2019 to 2020 through effective support and coaching structures.
At Horizon CC we have a shared ethos where everyone is valued, supported and respected. This ethos is reflected in our commitment that all students study Religious Education from Year 7 to 11, with a full entitlement to the GCSE RE course in KS4, and reinforced by our core values of tolerance, respect and kindness. There is high quality teaching and learning in all subjects, which develops students’ knowledge and skills through an exciting broad and balanced curriculum, providing life-long learning and opportunities for all. This is complimented and underpinned by our investment in a dedicated Careers and Enterprise Team led by one of our Assistant Principals and consisting of 6 full time specialists, who provide a planned programme of career and enterprise events from Y7 onwards to ensure that our students are as prepared as possible for their destinations after Horizon. This is all intertwined and linked in with our ambitious and wide-reaching Personal Development offer to our students which aims to grow their cultural capital alongside their skills and knowledge.
Our admission number is 400 students per year group; in 2019 and 2020 we admitted 420 students into Y7 and have had a significant waiting list. Student mobility is low, 3% in the academic year 2019-20, and due to the popularity of the College most year groups remain at their original admission number. We have a significant cohort of students who have English as an additional language. At least 30 different languages are spoken at home by our students, to differing degrees of proficiency and fluency. New arrivals and those who are still developing their confidence with everyday words and language processing skills are supported by our dedicated EAL team. This support includes 1:1 in-class and out-of-class literacy support, dedicated classroom teaching to develop English skills and the opportunity to study for a GCSE in their home language if they would like and are able to. The College is also an EAL Champion School for the local authority and has provided bespoke support and CPD to schools both at secondary level and for our feeder primaries.
Challenges
In a locality that has significantly greater than average deprivation, students have historically joined Horizon with data below national expectations. Since 2017, this profile has gradually altered, and students are now joining us with KS2 outcomes broadly in line with national figures. The standard of boys’ reading on entry presents a challenge, with all year groups having average Reading scaled scores below or significantly below the national average (Y10 boys average scaled score 98 compared with a national boys’ average of 102, for example). Nevertheless, outcomes have consistently been in line with or above national figures in the majority of subjects at both key stages. The percentage of students in receipt of the PPG is also higher than the national average but again, in 3 of the last 4 years, outcomes for these students have been in line with the national average progress figure for all students. This is due to the raising of outcomes for disadvantaged students being a key focus of our SIP, along with developing quality first teaching for all students.
ISDR 2019 reports the overall school location deprivation indicator to be in quartile 4 which is above national averages. Local statistics indicate that our community has high levels of deprivation, a high incidence of long-term limiting illness, low aspirations and a growing number of alcohol and drug-related illnesses, coupled with parental mental health issues. This is evident in the increasing amount of high-quality support being given to families and students. A morning ‘meet and greet’ allows a positive start to the day – we ensure students are ready for lessons by providing equipment, uniform and a free ‘magic breakfast’ for everyone. We actively encourage all parents/carers to become involved in the journey at Horizon by attending information evenings, parents’ evenings and extracurricular events. The College sits at the ‘heart’ of the community due to the academic and pastoral support it provides for students and their families, which is real strength, in addition to the outstanding dance shows, competitive sporting events and the very purposeful Careers and Enterprise opportunities.
Attendance is above the national average and has improved year on year for the last 3 years. Current cumulative attendance (March 2020) sits at 95.3%, compared with 95.1% at the same point last year, while persistent absence sits at 10% compared to 10.82% at this point last year. Local authority figures For Term 1of this academic year showed Horizon to have the highest attendance – at 95.7% compared to the LA average of 95.2%. Data for the first 3 half terms cumulatively showed Horizon to have the second highest attendance and the second lowest PA amongst all secondary schools in Barnsley.
Attendance data for 3 half terms
2018-19 Horizon | 2018-19 LA Average | 2019-20 Horizon | 2019-20 LA Average | |
% Attendance | 95.0 | 93.9 | 95.2 | 93.6 |
% PA | 11.2 | 15.9 | 9.9 | 17.3 |
The drive to improve attendance has involved the introduction of robust intervention systems, consistent across all year groups, as well as an unrelenting focus on engaging with families through home visits or invitations to attendance meetings. Strong links with the EWS service has strengthened the support offered to Horizon students and their families. Other interventions include awarding achievement points for students maintaining 100% attendance, half termly prize draws for students whose attendance has improved the most and those with 100% attendance, and a Christmas prize draw for sustaining excellent attendance in the last two weeks of term. Analysis of the previous year’s attendance helps to identify trends and focus initiatives at certain times during the year. Overall, College attendance data shows that interventions and initiatives are impacting positively on the attendance of all groups of students in 2019-20.
Quality first teaching, clear structures and high expectations from all adults in College ensure that behaviour is good. We recognise that we have a number of students with social and emotional concerns; we also support schools in the local authority by accepting a number of permanently excluded students through Fair Access Panel. The different needs of these students are addressed by our Inclusion School and SEND department through Inclusion support plans and targeted support. We prioritise supporting students and their parents, driving sustained attendance with year on year improvements, fostering punctuality and transforming negative feelings so that we enable all students to benefit fully from our learning culture.
Awards and recognition: We are working towards the Healthy School Initiative and the inclusion mark 2020/21.
GOVERNANCE
NAME | GOVERNOR TYPE | LINK AREA(S)/LINK MEMBER(S) OF STAFF | DATE OF APPOINTMENT | END OF TERM DATE |
Mrs Huddart | Principal (ex Officio) | n/a | – | – |
Mrs Charlesworth | Co-opted | Governor Training – (Mrs Saeed) Health and Safety – (Mr Clark) Staff workload and welfare – (Mrs Saeed) Policies | June 2019 | May 2023 |
Mrs Creeton | Co-opted | SEND – (Mrs Proud) | June 2019 | May 2023 |
Mrs Gillott | Parent | October 2021 | October 2025 | |
Ms Gostelow | Local Authority | L&M overall, including Governance – (Mrs Huddart) Staffing and Finance – (Mrs Huddart) | June 2019 | May 2023 |
Mrs Green-Lynch | Parent | June 2019 | Resigned June 2021 | |
Ms Harrison | Staff (non-teaching) | n/a | June 2019 | May 2023 |
Mr Kennedy | Horizon Archbishop Holgate Trust | Quality of Education – (Mr Bowden) Horizon Archbishop Holgate Trust – (Mrs Harrison) | June 2019 | May 2023 |
Mr Knowles | Staff (teaching) | n/a | June 2019 | May 2023 |
Mr Koursis | Co-opted | Careers and Enterprise + Post 16 link | October 2019 | October 2023 |
Mrs Ledger | Parent | Quality of Education – (Mr Bowden) | June 2019 | May 2023 |
Mr Lynch | Horizon Archbishop Holgate Trust | SEND | November 2020 | November 2024 |
Mr Punshon | Co-opted | Behaviour, attitudes and attendance (Miss Collins) | October 2020 | October 2024 |
Miss Thomas | Co-opted | Careers and Community Enterprise (Mrs Harrison) + Post 16 link | June 2019 | May 2023 |
Mrs Thomas | Foundation | June 2019 | Resigned September 2020 | |
TRUST/LINK GOVERNORS: Mrs Marsh Mr Kent |
Updated November 2021
COLLEGE LEADERSHIP TEAM
Title | Name |
---|---|
Principal | Mrs C Huddart |
Associate Principal | Mr D Bowden |
Associate Principal | Mrs A Saeed |
Vice Principal | Mr A Arezoo |
Vice Principal | Miss C Collins |
Assistant Principal Head of School 7 | Mr B Irving |
Assistant Principal Head of School 7 | Mrs C Malson |
Assistant Principal Head of School 8 | Miss L Sheldon |
Assistant Principal Head of School 9 | Mr G Middleton |
Assistant Principal Head of School 10 | Miss F Winterburn |
Assistant Principal Head of School 11 | Mr N Plant |
Assistant Principal SENDco | Mrs S Proud |
Assistant Principal Personal Development | Mrs C Anyon |
Assistant Principal Head of Support Staff / College Systems | Miss D Musgrove |
Assistant Principal Head of Support Staff / Careers Lead | Ms S Harrison |
SCHOOL TEAMS
Year 7
Head of School | Mrs C Malson |
Head of School | Mr B Irving |
Deputy Head of School | Mrs L Heskett |
Year 8
Head of School | Miss L Sheldon |
Deputy Head of School | Mr M Trainer |
Year 9
Head of School | Mr G Middleton |
Deputy Head of School | Mr A Cousins |
Year 10
Head of School | Miss F Winterburn |
Deputy Head of School | Mr P Reilly |
Year 11
Head of School | Mr N Plant |
Deputy Head of School | Mrs C Robinson |
ADMISSIONS
To apply for a place at Horizon Community College
For Standard admissions at the point of secondary transfer:
Details are available in the Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council booklet ‘Admission to secondary school – a guide for Parents’ and online by clicking here
If your child is currently in a primary school in the Barnsley area there are two ways to apply:
- Complete the application form and return it to the Headteacher of your child’s primary school.
- Apply online by logging on to the Barnsley Authority website (as per link above) and follow the instructions.
- Horizon Community College provides places for young people between the age of 11-16.
- Our arrangements for selection are handled by the Local Authority
- Our over subscription criteria is also handled by the Local Authority
If you live outside the Barnsley Authority or would like to transfer your child into a year group other than Year 7, or at a time other than at the standard secondary transfer point (ie within year, including Year 7), please contact Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council’s Admission Department (01226 773677) to obtain the appropriate application form.
COLLEGE DAY

SAFEGUARDING LEADS
All staff at Horizon Community college have a responsibility to help safeguard students. However, there are key staff who play a specific role in safeguarding students. These are:
Title | Name |
---|---|
Designated Safeguarding Lead | Mrs Huddart |
Designated Safeguarding Lead | Mrs Saeed |
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead | Mrs Wake |
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead | Mrs Booth |
In college we have other staff members who have undertaken the designated Safeguarding Lead training.
Title | Name |
---|---|
Vice Principal | Miss Collins |
Head of School Year 7 | Mrs Malson |
Head of School Year 7 | Mr Irving |
Head of School Year 8 | Miss Sheldon |
Head of School Year 9 | Mr Middleton |
Head of School Year 10 | Mrs Winterburn |
Head of School Year 11 | Mr Plant |
SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN
COVID 19 RECOVERY PLAN
PERFORMANCE DATA

Pupil Premium
The college Pupil Premium Strategy Report can be found here: Pupil Premium Strategy Statement

The information below outlines how the college is progressing against the success criteria outlined in the strategy for 2021-22 (as of February half-term 2022). This information will be updated in Summer 2022.
Success Criteria 1: Our PP students achieve positive outcomes in line with non PP nationally
Activities outlined in the strategy included reduced class sizes, more Ebacc curriculum time in Y11, home learning and retrieval, developing metacognitive skills.
Impact:
Y11 PP are predicted to achieve a P8 of 0.16, compared with 0.01 at the same time in 2019 (actual was 0.0) 2019 Non-PP progress was 0.03 in 2019.
KS3 PP students are making progress in line or better than their peers:
Average Gap to Target | PP Average Gap | Non PP Average Gap |
---|---|---|
Year 7 | -0.8 | -0.7 |
Year 8 | -0.2 | -0.3 |
Year 9 | -0.2 | -0.3 |
Success Criteria 2: PP attendance is in line with the overall national figure
Activities outlined in the strategy include Additional Student Provision strategy, Parental Engagement workshops, attendance interventions (including First Day Absence prioritisation), increased Safeguarding and Wellbeing provision.
Impact:
- Horizon Free School Meals Attendance to date – 88.8% (up to Easter)
- National Free School Meals Attendance to date – 88.6% (up to Easter)
- National Attendance to Date 92.2%
- Proportion of PP students absent due to COVID-19 (I (COVID) and X codes) ~32% PP
Success Criteria 3: Reduction in sanctions and negative conduct points issued to PP, so that these sit in line with figures for all students across college.
Activities outlined in the strategy include Character in the Classroom, Additional Student Provision strategy, Parental Engagement workshops, Free School Breakfast, increased Safeguarding and Wellbeing provision, etc.
Impact: 39% of Free Breakfasts provided go to PP students. HT1 to HT4 C2s reduced by 54%.
Success Criteria 4: An increase in participation figures for PP students, as measured through the Student Passport and extra-curricular uptake, so that these sit in line with figures for all students
Activities outlined in the strategy include Character in the Classroom, Additional Student Provision, Prioritised Personal Guidance Interviews. These are in addition to the whole college Personal Development Strategy.
Impact: Attendance of PP students who participate in after-school PA and PE Enrichment is 5% higher than those PP peers who don’t attend. 31% of Student Passport Awards so far have been to PP students.
SEND
THE SEND VISION
To support the College in ensuring that all students have the skills and knowledge to be school ready, work ready and life ready. SEND processes are integrated across the college to ensure that additional needs are met but also identified in a timely manner and targeted with appropriate interventions with shared goals between teaching staff, students and parents. We aim for students to leave us as happy and successful individuals who understand their needs and have the ability to self-advocate when required.
OFSTED REPORT
AT Horizon we are very proud of our inspection reports
Horizon’s most recent inspection by OFSTED took place in June 2018. OFSTED described the college ‘Good’ in every category and emphasised the strong and determined leadership.
CURRICULUM
TEACHING AND LEARNING STRATEGY
BEHAVIOUR FOR LEARNING
RSHE POLICY
ATTENDANCE ANALYSIS
Year | % Attendance | % PA |
---|---|---|
2016-2017 | 94.8 | 14.0 |
2017-2018 | 94.7 | 12.9 |
2018-2019 | 94.9 | 11.9 |
2019-2020 | 95.2 | 9.9 |
2020-2021 | 95.4 | 11.21 |
EXCLUSIONS ANALYSIS
Year | Number of Fixed term Exclusions | Number of Permanent Exclusions |
---|---|---|
2019-2020 | 17 | 7 |
2020-2021 | 28 | 4 |
Year | Number of Suspensions | Number of Permanent Exclusions |
---|---|---|
2021-2022 Updated to 9th April |
37 | 4 |
OFSTED PARENT VIEW
2019 performance Figures
Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, most exams and assessments did not take place in the 2019/20, or 2020/21 academic years. The government also announced that it would not publish school or college level results data or compare school and college performance (also commonly referred to as school and college performance tables) in autumn 2020 or autumn 2021, and that this data would not be used to hold schools and colleges to account. The government have also made clear that results data from 2020/21 will not be used in school and college level performance measures in future years. We have set out further information on school and college accountability for 2019/20 and 2020/21 academic years which can be downloaded below.
Progress 8 score | 0.1 |
Percentage of pupils entering Ebacc | 57% |
Ebacc average point score (APS) | 3.87 |
Pupil destinations (Percentage of students staying in education or employment after key stage 4) | 94% |
Attainment in English and Maths (Percentage of pupils achieving a grade 5 or above in GCSE English & Maths) | 34% |
Attainment 8 score | 45.1 |