Harbottle Church of England First School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Harbottle Church of England First School is at the heart of the village community it serves.

Every part of the school community plays an important part in this small rural school. The school feels like a family. Pupils say it is a welcoming school.

It is!

Pupils rise to meet the high expectations staff have of them. Pupils are keen to learn and achieve well. The school wants pupils to know about where they live and the wider world.

The curriculum is carefully built around these aims.

Pupils are proud to be part of the Harbottle family. They feel safe and well cared for.

Parents agree that this school supports their children well. P...upils behave well. Older pupils set a good example to younger pupils around school.

The school prioritises opportunities beyond the classroom. Carefully chosen trips bring the curriculum to life for pupils. Pupils also explore the wider world by visiting cities.

Opportunities to present to other schools helps pupils with public speaking and share their understanding about sustainability. Pupils have an eco-code for everyone in school to follow. Pupils are using resources that they have chosen to help improve and understand the local environment.

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

The school has shaped a curriculum that prepares pupils well for their next stages of learning. It is crafted so that, from the start of early years, pupils build up knowledge step by step. Reading is a high priority.

Children make a prompt start to reading in early years. They are keen to read the sounds they already know with confidence. Older pupils read using the sounds they know too.

Staff support pupils to apply phonic strategies to unfamiliar words. This helps pupils to become fluent readers who read with expression. If pupils need more support with their reading, they receive it promptly.

This helps them catch up. Stories in early years help children know the key language they need in the other areas of learning. Pupils talk about books that they have previously read in class with clarity and enthusiasm.

Teachers use assessment well to make checks on what pupils know and remember. Leaders and staff know pupils well and this helps teachers give extra support to pupils if they need it quickly. Leaders have organised the mathematics curriculum effectively.

Pupils have opportunities to practise and apply their mathematical understanding. Children in early years show focus when learning about number.

The school has carefully sequenced the geography curriculum.

The curriculum makes purposeful links to the local area and beyond. Children in early years learn about their homes. This progresses to understanding the features of the village for pupils in key stage 1.

Older pupils know about the wider world. They remember key locational knowledge accurately. Pupils recall previous topics on rainforests well.

In science, the sequencing of the curriculum helps pupils build on previous learning in purposeful ways. Pupils use scientific terms accurately and with understanding. In some parts of the curriculum, the school needs to make sure that the work is well matched to year group expectations consistently so that pupils deepen their understanding and learning time is not lost.

Leaders ensure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported in school. Quick referrals to other professionals help support pupils with SEND. Pupils with SEND work alongside their peers well.

They access the same curriculum and do well.

The school values, which include teamwork and hope, flow through school life. Pupils' attitudes to learning are positive.

Given the small class sizes, pupils spend a lot of time together. Older pupils say they can fall out on occasions but adults help to sort this out. Lunch is chance to socialise across school.

Pupils sit with their peers from all year groups where they chat and engage with each other well.

Pupils benefit from a well-thought-out set of opportunities to support their wider development. Pupils work together with local schools on sporting events and shared presentations on climate change.

Leaders link school visits to the curriculum. Visits give pupils the chance to experience the coast or a city to prepare them for life in modern Britain. Pupils develop a mature understanding of respect and equality in an age-appropriate way.

Leadership responsibilities start in early years where children take care of their outdoor learning areas each week together.

Leaders and those responsible for governance share the same vision for the school and its pupils. There is an effective network for leaders to draw upon for additional support.

There is a clear focus on making sure the school access appropriate training to maintain high expectations. Staff are proud to work here.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The school has the correct procedures in place to keep pupils safe. Adults know how to report any concerns. Where necessary, leaders refer to the correct agencies to keep pupils safe.

Record-keeping is not kept in an orderly way. It is difficult to see the actions the school has taken to keep pupils safe. The school recognises this.

The school is developing a central system to keep records together. Staff and stakeholders receive regular and timely safeguarding training.

Leaders complete appropriate checks to make sure adults working in school are suitable.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Records and information relating to safeguarding are not kept in an orderly and clear way. It is not always evident what actions the school has taken to keep pupils safe. The school must develop record-keeping so that all actions taken by the school to keep pupils safe are recorded in a clear and chronological way.

• The implementation of the curriculum is not consistent in meeting the different needs in some mixed-age classes. Pupils are not consistently given the opportunity to deepen or extend their learning and sometimes learning time is lost. The school must further develop some aspects of the curriculum to ensure that there are enough opportunities for pupils to deepen their learning.