Hardwick Green Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Hardwick Green Primary Academy has care and support at the heart of all it does.

Pupils enjoy coming to school each day, knowing that staff want the best for them. Behaviour around school is calm and positive, with clear routines that help pupils feel safe and ready to learn. Pupils say they know who to talk to if they have any worries.

Parents value the effective communication between home and school.

While pupils benefit from a nurturing environment, some aspects of the quality of education need to improve to ensure that all pupils reach their full academic potential, particularly in reading and mathematics. There are inconsistencies in curriculum delivery ...that mean some pupils, particularly those with disadvantage, are not as well prepared for the next stage of their education as they should be.

The school prioritises well-being and personal development, helping pupils to feel valued and supported. Pupils show respect for others and benefit from various extra-curricular opportunities, such as the popular street dance class, eco club and residential visits. Staff teach pupils how to keep themselves safe in the local area and when online.

Parents, pupils and staff are confident in the school's commitment to keeping pupils safe.

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

The school has designed a broad and ambitious curriculum. This begins right at the start in the early years.

However, the curriculum is not consistently well implemented. In some subjects, teachers do not emphasise the most important knowledge that pupils should learn. At times, the activities that teachers choose do not help pupils to learn and remember the knowledge they need.

This inconsistency affects pupils' ability to build knowledge progressively over time. While staff monitor pupils' understanding, they do not consistently use this information to guide future learning. Currently, the school is sometimes unsure if pupils are remembering essential knowledge and skills.

Staff show genuine care for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and prioritise creating a welcoming and supportive environment. The school has improved its approach to help these pupils achieve and succeed alongside their peers. Some pupils with SEND access tailored support through smaller lesson groupings, called 'SEND pods', and personalised interventions.

Recent changes to the reading curriculum are having a positive impact in the early years and key stage 1. This is helping pupils develop a stronger foundation in phonics and early reading. Pupils who struggle with reading receive additional support.

However, there are also inconsistencies in how well the reading curriculum is implemented, which hamper pupils' achievement. The school has recently introduced strategies and tasks to improve fluency and reading skills. These initiatives have yet to show significant impact.

Reading outcomes remain below national expectations, especially for disadvantaged pupils.

The early years provision is a strength. The school has developed a nurturing and stimulating environment that encourages children's curiosity and exploration.

The curriculum is well considered, allowing children to develop early literacy, numeracy and social skills. The exciting outdoor area has been carefully designed to develop children's large muscle strength and creative skills. The school has prioritised developing children's communication and language in Nursery and Reception.

Children benefit from rich interactions with adults, who support them in building their understanding of the world. This foundation prepares children well for key stage 1.

Pupils behave well and understand the school's high expectations.

Staff manage behaviour consistently. The reward systems and praise from staff encourage pupils to display positive behaviour. Pupils are polite and engaged in their learning.

The school's calm and orderly environment helps pupils feel secure. Pupils are kind and welcoming to new pupils when they join the school. Staff sensitively provide targeted support for pupils who may need additional help in managing their behaviour.

The school actively monitors and challenges any instances of poor attendance. Staff work closely with families to ensure that pupils attend regularly, with a sharp focus on improving attendance for disadvantaged pupils. As a result, pupils attend school well and on time.

The commitment to pupils' character development is evident throughout school. The personal, social and health education (PSHE) and 'character' curriculum helps pupils develop values such as resilience and empathy. The school has chosen to introduce programmes and workshops to teach pupils how to manage their emotions through understanding how the brain works.

Staff are well trained to promote well-being and positive mental health for pupils across school. Pupils benefit from the regular opportunities to reflect on global news and equalities. Alongside the well-planned extra-curricular activities and educational visits, this is widening pupils' experiences and raising their aspirations.

The school is dedicated to creating a nurturing environment. However, the school does not strategically evaluate the impact of improvement actions. It does not check carefully enough to ensure that the changes being made are having a positive impact on pupils' achievement.

Staff workload and well-being are well managed. Staff are proud to work in this school and serve the local community.

The school benefits from the development opportunities and networks provided by the trust.

Trustees and governors provide a high level of support for leaders. However, they have not done enough to challenge the school to further improve the quality of education.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, staff do not implement the curriculum in a way that consistently enables pupils to build their knowledge over time. As a result, pupils do not achieve as well as they should. The school should ensure that staff are well equipped to support more consistent curriculum delivery to support pupils' knowledge progression and development of core skills.

• The school does not accurately identify gaps in pupils' knowledge or when pupils are ready to move on to new learning quickly enough. This means that pupils' attainment and progress is slower than it should be. The school should develop a system to identify what pupils know and remember and adapt the curriculum accordingly.

• The school's oversight and strategic evaluation of its curriculum development is not as robust as it should be. This contributes to a lack of prioritisation regarding the curriculum areas needing the most focus. The school should strengthen oversight of the quality of education and evaluating curriculum impact.