Fenstanton and Hilton Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school and are happy. They have positive relationships with staff.

Pupils know that staff are there to help and support them. Pupils know whom to turn to if they have any worries. They feel confident and safe because of this.

For example, a common view from older pupils is that leaders being around helps them to feel safe. All pupils know how to keep themselves safe, both online and in their day-to-day life.

Pupils know and strive to follow the school's recently updated values of 'community, determination, integrity'.

They rise to the high expectations of leaders and have mature attitudes towards their learning. This is because... lessons are interesting and enable pupils to achieve well. The curriculum ensures that pupils are well prepared to move to their next phase of education.

Most pupils behave well. They understand the school's approach to managing their behaviour. This results in a calm and purposeful learning environment.

Pupils have a strong understanding of difference. This is reflected in their respectful attitudes towards one another.

The majority of parents would recommend the school and are satisfied that the school's ethos supports their children's well-being and learning experiences.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school has designed an ambitious curriculum, including for pupils in mixed-age classes. Leaders have ordered the curriculum content so that pupils build on what they know. Staff think carefully about what they teach across the school, beginning in early years.

The school has implemented a high-quality reading curriculum. In Reception, children use their phonics knowledge to blend sounds together well to help them read new words. Pupils fully access the reading curriculum, and this enables them to move to more difficult reading books quickly.

The books that pupils read help them to apply their learning of sounds to their reading. Pupils state that there are improvements in reading this term. Staff rapidly identify pupils who find reading hard.

They give them the support they need. Pupils develop their love of reading through the reading curriculum and, for example, regular use of the school library.

Teachers understand what they need to teach and when because curriculum plans are clearly explained.

Alongside this, teachers receive the training they require to implement the intended curriculum. The resources they use support pupils' learning well. There is a regular focus on recapping previous learning to ensure pupils build on what they already know and remember.

On occasion, teachers do not adapt the curriculum well enough to ensure pupils move on to new learning at the appropriate time. When this happens, pupils may repeat work they already know.

Teachers use careful questioning and focused feedback to check on what pupils know.

This helps pupils to remember more. Pupils learn and use subject-related vocabulary. For example, in art, pupils use the appropriate vocabulary, such as 'shading', to describe the technique they learn and use in all their work.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) access the same curriculum as their peers. The identification of pupils with SEND has improved. Most pupils now usually achieve well because they receive appropriate support that is well planned to meet their needs.

However, there has been some inconsistency in the advice and guidance provided, which means some of the support is not as well delivered to ensure pupils progress as well as they could.

There are clear routines throughout the school, including those in the early years. Children in the early years engage well in both adult-led activities and in their own independent play.

Pupils focus on their learning well. On the odd occasion, behaviour does not meet the high expectations of the school, especially in unstructured times. Staff deal with this quickly.

The personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) curriculum supports pupils in their understanding of healthy relationships throughout the school, including in the early years. Pupils know and articulate the values of the school, including fundamental British values. There are opportunities for pupils to take on extra responsibilities through the prefect programme.

Prior to the pandemic, there were more opportunities for pupils to develop their talents. Leaders are aware of this and have plans to respond to pupils' and parents' views.

The school has a clear focus on rapidly improving the quality of provision.

This work is having a positive impact on pupils' education. Staff enjoy working at the school. They feel well supported.

They appreciate that leaders are considerate regarding their well-being and workload.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school has revised the curriculum across the school.

In some subjects, this is in the early stages of implementation. Some pupils have undertaken work that they already know and can do, which slows down the pace of their learning. Staff need more training in implementing the revised curriculum so that pupils learn and achieve well.

• Over time, some of the guidance and support for pupils with SEND has been inconsistent. While pupils with SEND access the same curriculum as their peers, there are occasions when the support pupils with SEND receive is not precise enough for pupils to achieve as well as they could. The school needs to ensure that the guidance it provides for staff is consistently precise in meeting pupils' needs so that staff are able to plan and deliver the most appropriate support so pupils with SEND achieve consistently well.

Also at this postcode