Hartest Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils attend a small school that sees itself as a big family.

They feel safe, seeing how staff spot and swiftly solve issues with them. Many pupils trust that kind behaviour is the norm in their school. Such kindness means pupils feel comfortable being themselves.

This puts pupils in a positive state of mind from which to listen and learn.

Close ties with the pre-school on site mean pupils typically flourish from the moment they start the Reception Year. The progress they make academically and personally is strong.

It shows in younger pupils readily reading the books they receive, wanting to succeed in the school's 'reading challenge'. Older pupils ...expertly explain what they learn, particularly in geography. For example, pupils recall facts about the longest river in the world or what constitutes a dormant volcano.

Generous patrons, including the parish council, add to pupils' learning and play resources. Pupils access some of these, such as the trim trail, outside the school day. There are cross-school activities too with the other primary school which leaders oversee.

Having adults who foster opportunities for pupils to socialise ensures pupils become confident, happy and polite individuals.

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

Leaders have seen the school through some difficult times. Their resilience and communication skills mean pupils, parents and staff rightly trust in leaders' ability to improve the school.

Staff, for example, appreciate the personal and professional support leaders provide. Such support from the whole community keeps the school going from strength to strength.

The school is steadfast in ensuring pupils learn to read.

Reception-aged children quickly learn the sounds letters make. For older pupils, regular reading practice means they read fluently using an engaging voice. Pupils rarely fall behind.

Still, for those who do, effective use of assessment to inform tuition ensures they catch up fast.

The trust facilitated school access to expertise and funding for learning resources. It supported leaders in bringing about change to the curriculum.

In all subjects, the curriculum specifies the words, concepts and skills pupils should learn. This helps teachers to plan and teach clear lessons. Consequently, pupils achieve well.

Simple adjustments, including the flexible use of additional adults, supports pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities in accessing the same curriculum as their peers.

Leaders are in the process of having staff adopt research-informed approaches to check what pupils know. For example, the 'three heads' activity encourages pupils of all ages to explain why statements are true or false, referring to what they learned in and across lessons.

It shows in pupils' suitably strong recall of what they learn.Still, some staff need to strengthen how they use their observations and questions to inform their teaching. There are occasions when staff are slow in spotting and quickly resolving pupils' mistakes.

Leaders cultivate a caring community. They treat staff with dignity, so staff treat pupils with respect. Pupils treat each other with kindness.

Pupils enjoy learning about the school's values. They particularly like nominating a peer to receive recognition for demonstrating a value. This, along with a breadth of pastoral support, means pupils learn how to behave and manage their feelings well.

Most pupils attend school regularly. However, too many disadvantaged pupils are persistently absent. When they do return to school, they see how others know and can do things they cannot.

It does not make them feel good about themselves. This sometimes leads to further absence, making it even harder for these pupils to catch up. The school has clear procedures in place, including how they liaise with and support families.

However, more needs to be done to tackle this issue.

Being a small school does not limit the personal development programme. Pupils foster their creative and sporting prowess through the curriculum and clubs.

Clubs include band academy, board games, gardening and multi-skills sports. The 'curriculum enrichment passport' capture the extra-curricular offer. It includes snapshots that, in time, Year 6 pupils will receive as a reminder of all they achieved in school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• A few staff are still getting to grips with recent staff training about how best to routinely check pupils' understanding to inform teaching. As a result, there are occasions where staff skim over pupils' mistakes or pose confusing questions.

Leaders should continue their work to revisit and monitor the training staff received, providing suitable support to those few staff who need it. ? Persistent absenteeism for disadvantaged pupils is higher than the school would like. Time away from school leads to gaps in pupils' knowledge.

This stops them from achieving their very best which also affects their well-being. The trust and school should consider how best to enhance current policy and procedure. Doing so will ensure all pupils benefit from what the school offers through regular school attendance.

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