Hatherleigh Community Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to this welcoming and inclusive school.

Leaders expect all pupils to be successful. Pupils rise to these high expectations and take pride in their work. They talk about their learning with excitement and interest.

Pupils feel safe at school. Pastoral support is strong.Pupils interact and play well with their friends at breaktimes.

They are kind and helpful towards each other. Pupils are confident that leaders and staff will listen to their concerns. Adults deal swiftly with any minor falling out.

Bullying is rare.

Pupils behave well and move round the school calmly. They are enthusiastic learners.

Pupils value th...e responsibilities they are given. School councillors support leaders to make changes. For example, they helped with the development of a house system.

Many pupils benefit from the range of activities that leaders provide. These activities develop and nurture pupils' talents and interests well.

Parents and carers value the work of staff and the school.

Many say that the school is helping their children to thrive.

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

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils. They have created a well-sequenced curriculum, from the early years to Year 6.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported well throughout the school. They follow the same curriculum as their peers, with activities that are adapted where appropriate.

Leaders have identified the key knowledge that they want pupils to build over time and the order in which this should be taught.

This has raised expectations for staff and pupils. For example, although assessment outcomes in mathematics were below the national average in 2022, current pupils now know more and remember more. Children in the early years get off to a strong start.

In Reception, for example, they learn about common three-dimensional shapes such as cubes, cones and triangular prisms.

Reading is a priority across the school. Children in the early years begin learning to read as soon as they start school.

Staff ensure that all pupils receive phonics teaching that meets their needs. Pupils read from books that match the sounds they know. Pupils can use their phonics knowledge to sound out unfamiliar words.

If pupils fall behind, staff provide pupils with support to help them catch up quickly. However, for pupils in key stage 2 the reading curriculum is less developed. This slows down the rate at which they develop their reading once they have mastered phonics.

In some other subjects, teachers do not always check with enough precision that pupils remember the important knowledge well enough. This means that pupils are not supported as well as they could be to build on what they already know.

Leaders provide for pupils' personal development well.

For example, pupils plan charitable projects to help their local community. This helps them to become mature and responsible citizens. Leaders understand their local context well.

They identify cultural experiences, such as a fairtrade event, that help pupils to learn about different people around the world. A residential trip to Bristol further develops pupils' understanding of modern Britain and diversity.

Governors understand their role clearly.

They both support and challenge leaders. Governors' oversight has been a key factor in the recent improvements to the curriculum and safeguarding. Staff are overwhelmingly positive about the school.

Leaders take account of workload when making decisions about improving the school. Staff say that leaders create an atmosphere where everyone is valued and supported.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have established effective systems to keep pupils safe. All staff know how to identify and report concerns. Pupils feel valued and safe.

They know who to talk to if they are worried. Leaders take swift action to follow up on any concerns. They ensure that vulnerable pupils and their families receive the support they need.

Leaders challenge external agencies when they feel that decisions are not made in the best interests of pupils and their families.

Pupils learn how to stay safe, including when they are online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The reading curriculum in key stage 2 is underdeveloped.

This means pupils do not build on the strong start they make in early reading. Leaders need to ensure that reading in key stage 2 is developed further, so pupils read more widely. ? In some subjects, the teaching of the curriculum is not as effective as it could be.

Sometimes, this is because staff do not use assessment well as a basis for planning what pupils need to learn next. When this happens, pupils do not learn as well as they could. Leaders need to ensure that the curriculum is implemented as intended and that staff check effectively what pupils learn.