Hasmonean Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Hasmonean Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and proud to belong to this inclusive school. They know the staff care for them.

Pupils have strong working relationships with staff, supporting them to feel welcome and part of the school community. Parents and carers said that their children are enthusiastic to attend school. They share the values of the school, including the school's work to encourage pupils to be kind to one another.

Pupils enjoy playing and learning together. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), develop confidence and work hard to match the high ...expectations set by staff. Pupils are confident that staff will support them to resolve any worries that they may have.

Staff's consistent approach to managing behaviour helps pupils to demonstrate positive attitudes to lessons and around the school.

Pupils are eager to learn from the start of the early years. Pupils achieve highly in many areas of the curriculum.

Teachers promote a curiosity for their subject. Pupils pursue their talents and interests in the broad range of clubs on offer, such as art and football. Pupils take on roles of responsibility, including the school council, play and class leaders.

Pupils learn that they can make a positive difference in their school and community through participating in many charities and fund-raising activities.

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

In recent years, the school has developed an ambitious and well-designed curriculum. This work is still to be completed and fully embedded across some foundation subjects.

The values of the school underpin the learning expectations. This has ensured a high standard of education in many subjects. Staff work effectively to provide pupils with a broad and interesting curriculum.

The important knowledge that pupils should learn from the early years onwards has been clearly identified in most subjects. This helps pupils broaden and deepen their understanding of key concepts and knowledge. Staff check pupils' understanding on a regular basis, including those pupils with SEND.

Teachers spot any misconceptions pupils may have quickly and clarify what pupils need to know before moving on. In mathematics, for example, pupils are encouraged to solve problems and to discuss and explain their methods. In a few subjects, for example design and technology, the curriculum has been more recently developed.

The school's oversight and expertise in these subjects is not as strong. In some subjects, the curriculum is not fully embedded, which limits pupils' deeper knowledge and understanding over time.

Reading is a school priority.

Staff are well trained in delivering the school's phonics programme. Children get off to a rapid start in learning to read in early years. This learning begins in Nursery as children enjoy rhymes, stories and songs.

Staff provide effective support for pupils that fall behind or are new to English. The books pupils read are well matched to the sounds that they already know. Teachers choose books that help pupils to recognise and practise new sounds and words.

This helps to make sure that pupils read fluently.

The school intervenes quickly to identify and support pupils who may need additional help, including those with SEND. Leaders work closely with external partners and specialists to ensure that pupils get the help that they need.

Typically, teaching is adapted effectively to meet pupils' needs.

Pupils have positive attitudes to school and learning. This is reflected in their high levels of attendance and the positive behaviour choices pupils make.

In the early years, children learn to take turns and share their equipment and resources. Pupil behaviour is consistently positive. Staff encourage constructive and caring relationships between pupils and between pupils and adults.

Staff hold regular meetings with pupils and parents and carers where attendance is low. They also offer different types of support to parents who are struggling to ensure that their child attends school regularly.

Pupils' wider development is supported well by the school.

Regular outings, visits and residentials are greatly appreciated by pupils. For example, pupils learned about Romans when visiting a historical settlement. Staff teach pupils about the importance of healthy eating, lifestyles, relationships and keeping safe online.

Many pupils, including those with SEND, access a range of artistic, sporting and musical-enriching experiences.

Parents are mostly positive about the school. Leaders are working to improve their work and engagement with some parents.

Governors work successfully with leaders to support staff during periods of change at the school. Most staff have no concerns about their workload or well-being and said they felt well supported by leaders. Governors know the school well.

They are ready to question and challenge the work of leaders when needed. They understand and fulfil their statutory duties.

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 foundation subjects in particular, recent changes to the curriculum are not fully embedded. Sometimes, teaching does not build on pupils' prior learning precisely so that pupils are fully ready for new content. In these subjects, some pupils have not achieved as well as they could.

The school needs to ensure that key knowledge and skills are consistently identified in these subjects. The school should ensure that subject leaders and staff have the guidance and support to fully implement the curriculum changes.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in January 2019.

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