Hardingstone Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school The principal, staff, governors and members of the Academy Improvement and Performance Board are committed to making sure that all pupils achieve their full potential. Teaching, learning and assessment are now good.

Through rigorous checking, the principal, along with her leadership team, ensures that pupils receive teaching that results in good learning. Children in the Reception classes make good progress in relation to their starting points because adults plan activities that are accurately matched to their interests and needs. The proportion of children who reach a good level of development is usually above the national average.

Pupil...s make good progress in Years 1 to 6. Teachers support pupils effectively and regularly track the progress they make. Pupils achieve well.

In Year 6, most pupils reach or exceed the expected national average in reading, writing and mathematics. The most able pupils in Year 6 achieve a deeper understanding in their learning in reading and writing. Behaviour is good and, at times, better.

Pupils are keen learners, who develop good relationships with each other and the adults who help them. Pupils say incidents of bullying are rare. They are confident that adults will keep them safe.

Pupils demonstrate a good awareness of how to keep themselves safe. The well-planned curriculum promotes pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. Older pupils speak maturely about how much they enjoy learning and coming to school.

They demonstrate a good understanding of equality and diversity.

Information about this school

The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website. The school became an academy in 2014.

It is a member of the EMLC Academy Trust. The school complies with DfE guidance on what academies should publish. The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.

Approximately three quarters of the pupils are from White British families. The remainder originate from a range of different ethnic groups. The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is broadly average.

The proportion of disadvantaged pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium is below average. Only a few pupils speak English as an additional language or are in the early stages of learning English. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress by the end of Year 6.