Hatch Beauchamp Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend this inclusive and welcoming church school.

They enthusiastically share the school's core Christian values of 'acceptance, integrity, perseverance, courage, respect and responsibility'. Pupils fully understand the importance that these values play in helping them belong to the 'Hatch Beauchamp family'.

Leaders, including those from the trust, have placed a sharp focus on helping pupils to become better readers and mathematicians.

This is making a difference. However, the quality of education that pupils receive across all subjects is inconsistent. Pupils do not remember the most important knowledge and cannot make connections in the...ir learning.

This means that they do not learn as well as they should in a range of subjects.

Pupils are happy, eager to learn and feel safe. Adults know pupils well and care about them.

The relationships that exist between adults and pupils are warm and respectful. Pupils enjoy a range of clubs and responsibilities that are on offer to them. These include dodgeball, bell-ringing, reading buddies and play leaders.

Leaders have high expectations for pupils' behaviour and conduct. Pupils behave well both in and outside lessons. Pupils say that bullying is rare, but if it does happen, staff deal with any issues quickly.

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

The school has experienced turbulence in leadership as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic over the past two years. Trust leaders have worked hard to manage these challenges. Leaders, including those from the trust, accurately understand the school's strengths and areas to develop.

They have worked to improve the whole curriculum on offer to pupils. However, it is too soon to see the impact that leaders' improvements are having on the foundation subjects.

Leaders and staff share a love of reading.

They ensure that pupils listen to and discuss a range of stories and poems. For example, in early years, texts are used to not only develop children's speaking and listening skills, but also to foster their curiosity about nature. Pupils read with increasing fluency and accuracy.

They talk confidently about their favourite authors and read regularly, both in school and at home.

Children start to learn to read from the moment they enter early years. The approach is carefully organised.

Staff benefit from the training they receive from the trust. They understand how to teach reading well because of this. Books are well matched to the sounds that pupils know, and staff regularly check on how well pupils learn new sounds.

If pupils fall behind, they receive additional support to help them to catch up quickly.

Some subjects, such as mathematics, are designed well. Leaders have put in place a carefully sequenced curriculum that is broken down into small steps.

Staff routinely check that pupils' understanding is secure and that learning builds on what they already know. Pupils develop their mathematical knowledge well from Reception to Year 6 because of this.

In some other subjects, such as history and art, the curriculum design does not make clear the key knowledge that pupils need to learn.

Pupils struggle to recall what they have been taught previously. This lack of knowledge also prevents them from being able to talk confidently about concepts such as chronology in history. In addition, some teachers and subject leaders do not routinely check how successfully pupils learn the curriculum.

This slows the progress that pupils make.

The plans for pupils with special educational needed and/or disabilities (SEND) are detailed. However, some teachers do not use these plans well enough to adapt their teaching to meet the needs of pupils.

As a result, some pupils with SEND do not learn as well as they should.

Pupils of all ages understand and follow the school's rules and routines. There is a calm and positive environment because of this.

These routines start in early years. Children are kind to one another and keen to help. They get off to a good start because of this.

Leaders promote pupils' personal development well. The school's Christian values underpin this work. Pupils talk confidently about the features of positive friendships and healthy relationships.

They know how British values contribute to life in modern Britain. As a result, pupils from different backgrounds and communities integrate well together.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders ensure that safeguarding is everyone's responsibility. Staff are well trained to notice and report any signs of concern. Leaders make appropriate checks on adults' suitability before they start working with pupils at the school.

They work well with a range of agencies to ensure that both pupils and their families receive the help they need.

Pupils have a clear understanding of how to stay safe in the real and the online world. For example, they know about the importance of not sharing personal information and how to report a concern to a trusted adult.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In many of the wider curriculum subjects, leaders have not identified the important knowledge that they want pupils to know and remember over time. This means that pupils do not build a deep understanding of these subjects. Leaders need to ensure that all subjects identify the knowledge that pupils must learn and when.

• In some of the wider curriculum subjects, assessment is not used well enough to check that pupils have remembered the knowledge they have been taught. As a result, some pupils are not able to recall what they have learned. Leaders need to ensure that staff use assessment effectively to check what pupils know and remember across all subjects.

• Teachers do not adapt their teaching well enough to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. Some pupils with SEND struggle to access their work and do not learn as well as they should because of this. Leaders should ensure that staff understand how to provide the support that each pupil with SEND needs in order to learn and make progress across the curriculum.