Hampton Vale Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love attending Hampton Vale Primary School. The school culture is extremely welcoming and inclusive.

Pupils describe a strong sense of belonging to the 'Hampton Village' community. Pupils display high levels of kindness, and they support each other to do well. Relationships between pupils and adults are excellent.

Pupils talk positively about the trusted adults they can turn to if needed. Children in early years are equally happy and safe. They develop very good relationships with adults and with their peers.

Adults have very high expectations of what pupils can achieve. Pupils live up to these expectations. They are extremely positive about their lear...ning and are proud of their achievements.

Adults support pupils to keep trying in order to improve. Pupils do not give up when things are hard. They keep going, and this means they achieve highly.

Pupils' behaviour is excellent. They show high levels of respect for each other and for adults. Pupils learn how to manage their feelings and emotions.

This means that learning is very rarely disrupted. Social time is equally positive, with pupils playing happily together.

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

Leaders have developed and embedded a highly ambitious curriculum.

They have ensured that topics are logically ordered to build on what pupils already know. Important knowledge is revisited at well-planned intervals. Leaders have put in place appropriate assessments to check pupils' understanding.

Teachers are skilled at using this assessment information to support pupils who show less secure understanding. This careful curriculum planning ensures all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), remember what they have been taught.

Leaders and teachers have high expectations of what pupils should be able to do in each subject.

The curriculum plans are detailed. They outline clearly what pupils need to know and understand. High-quality training means staff are consistently skilled in supporting pupils to learn the knowledge and skills that they are taught.

For example, in English, teachers have identified the skills that pupils need when they are learning to infer. Teachers then break down the steps into small stages and check pupils' understanding throughout. Any misunderstandings are quickly spotted and clarified.

This means pupils do not fall behind. Appropriate adaptations are made for some pupils with SEND, and this ensures that they progress through the curriculum.

Processes for identifying pupils who may have SEND are clear and effective.

Leaders from within the trust work closely together to ensure that pupils with SEND receive timely and appropriate support. Staff are well trained to support these pupils to do well.Children in the early stages of learning to read are generally well supported in their phonics lessons.

They learn the sounds that they need and develop the necessary skills to become confident readers. Pupils talk very positively about the books they love. Sometimes, leaders are not precise enough in identifying when a child is not keeping up.

Additional support is not always given as promptly and effectively as it needs to be, and a small minority of children fall behind their peers.

From the early years, pupils behave extremely well. Pupils speak positively about the consistently good behaviour that they experience throughout the school.

A very small minority of pupils who sometimes struggle to manage their behaviour are given effective support from adults to meet leaders' high expectations.

Leaders have ensured that pupils' personal development is highly targeted to support all pupils. Teachers are very confident in using relevant scenarios to deliver interesting and informative lessons.

Pupils develop a deep understanding about important themes such as racism and discrimination. They then link this knowledge with new information, such as in history, when they learn about Rosa Parks. Leaders have embedded a wide range of trips and visits within the curriculum for all pupils to benefit from.

For example, in Nursery, pupils visit a local crocodile farm. Older pupils benefit from a range of experiences, including geography trips to Ferry Meadows, a mummification experience day and a cricket coaching course. These enjoyable opportunities help pupils develop a deeper understanding of what they are learning.

The governance of the school is highly effective at securing continued improvement. The Four Cs Academy Trust and governors ensure that leaders are appropriately challenged and supported to provide a high-quality education to all pupils. Staff and parents are very positive about the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have ensured that safeguarding is a whole-school priority. A well-designed curriculum ensures that children, from the early years, learn about staying safe online and offline.

They learn about age-appropriate risks such as water safety or the risks associated with gang culture.

All staff are trained to identify the signs that a pupil may be at risk of harm. Safeguarding leads are quick to respond to any concerns that are raised.

They work closely with external agencies to support pupils who need additional help.

Leaders have ensured that all adults who work with pupils have had the appropriate pre-employment checks.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• A small number of pupils have gaps in their phonic knowledge, which are not identified and acted upon quickly enough.

This means that some pupils fall behind in their reading. Leaders need to ensure that ongoing assessment is precise enough to identify where pupils have fallen behind the pace of the programme. They then need to ensure that pupils receive prompt support to meet their individual needs.

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