Hackness Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, parents and carers value the school's family friendly ethos. New pupils to the school settle quickly. They are soon made to feel welcome.

Older pupils are excellent role models to those in younger year groups. Year 6 pupils enjoy being buddies to children in Reception. They carry out these and other roles, such as worship ambassadors and librarians, responsibly.

Pupils benefit from school visits that enable them to experience different cultures and faiths. Regular opportunities to work with local schools, including the partner school in the federation, build pupils' confidence to meet and work with others.

The school's high expectations of pupils, inc...luding those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are beginning to be realised.

By the end of their time in school, most pupils achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics. While this is encouraging, there remains work to do to continue to embed the recently developed curriculum and achieve consistency across the school.

Those associated with the school recognise the improvements that have been made.

Pupils know what is expected of them in class and around school. They conduct themselves in a positive and friendly manner. Classrooms are calm and settled places that support pupils' learning.

Pupils told inspectors that they like the clarity they now have in the use of rewards and consequences. Most pupils attend school regularly and on time. They benefit from being in school.

As a result of the school's implementation of a consistent approach to monitoring absence, rates of attendance are high for most pupils.

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

The school is working to improve the quality of the curriculum. It has clearly identified the knowledge and skills that pupils must learn.

In some subjects, the school has introduced commercial schemes. It has made appropriate adaptations to these to meet the needs of pupils at the school, including for those pupils in mixed-aged classes.

The school has focused on improving the curriculum in reading, writing and mathematics.

This is having a positive impact on pupils' learning. Consequently, most pupils, including those with SEND, achieve well in these subjects. The school recognises that there remain inconsistencies in the delivery of parts of the curriculum, particularly in foundation subjects.

Where the curriculum is less developed, pupils do not build on what they have previously learned as effectively as they might.

Teachers demonstrate confidence in their subject knowledge. However, in some subjects, teachers do not break learning down within lessons as much as they could.

When this is the case, pupils do not understand the concepts that are being taught sufficiently well.Teachers check what pupils know and remember at the beginning and end of units of work. Within lessons, teachers do not routinely check pupils' understanding of concepts they are being taught.

This means that pupils are sometimes given work that is too difficult for them.

The school has ensured that there are clear processes to identify the needs of pupils with SEND. Strategies to support these pupils in their learning are shared with staff and parents, and reviewed regularly.

Teachers make suitable adaptations to pupils' learning, such as providing alternative ways for pupils to record their answers.

Pupils benefit from a consistent approach to the teaching of reading. They read books that are matched to their phonics knowledge.

The school appropriately supports pupils who are at risk of falling behind in reading. Over time, pupils read with increasing fluency and accuracy. Pupils in Reception and key stage 1 are enthusiastic about learning to read.

As pupils progress through the school, most develop a love of reading. The school's new library is a stimulating environment to support and promote reading to pupils.

The school has significantly developed and improved the early years curriculum.

It has carefully considered what children need to know and experience by the time they move into Year 1. Adults make effective use of opportunities to promote children's communication and language knowledge. Adults ensure that the classroom and outside areas enable children to apply what they have learned in a practical context.

Children develop high levels of independence and positive attitudes to their learning. They are curious about what they are doing and are eager to try new ideas. This prepares children well for key stage 1.

The personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum supports pupils to learn how to keep themselves safe, including online. Acts of worship, PSHE and other curriculum lessons provide times for pupils to reflect on what they have learned and how this impacts on their own life. During the inspection, pupils shared with an inspector what they had learned about the Windrush.

They reflected on the meaning of racism and its impact on society.

Leaders, including those with responsibility for governance, have ensured that staff receive regular, high-quality training to support their practice. The school routinely checks that the actions taken to improve the school are having the intended impact.

This way of working is now firmly established. Governors check that what leaders tell them aligns with what they observe in visits to the school and in reports by external advisers. Governors provide an appropriate level of challenge and support.

Leaders are aware of the demands on staff within this small school. They have worked with staff to reduce additional and unnecessary workload.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Teachers do not consistently break learning down sufficiently well to enable pupils to develop and remember important knowledge. In some subjects, pupils do not develop the knowledge they need for later learning. The school should support teachers to develop strategies to enable pupils to understand and retain the most important subject knowledge.

• Within lessons, teachers do not routinely check pupils' understanding of what they have been taught. Some pupils are given work that does not accurately meet their needs. The school should ensure that teachers systematically check what pupils know and understand, enabling teachers to respond to individual pupils' needs appropriately.