Hawes Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Hawes Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

The headteacher of this school is Andrea Caygill. This school is part of Yorkshire Collaborative Academy Trust which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school.

The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Jo Robinson, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Jenny Baynes. There is also an executive headteacher, Elaine Nayler, who is responsible for this school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Hawes Primary School are proud of their school and their community.

Pupils of all ages get ...along well, with older pupils supporting younger ones. The school prioritises pupils' well-being. It has a strong family feel, where pupils genuinely care for each other.

Pupils show kindness and respect to adults and to each other.

The school has high expectations for pupils' learning and behaviour. Pupils thrive academically, socially and emotionally in the school's supportive and engaging environment.

Pupils feel safe and are cared for. They welcome the chance to build new friendships with each other in their small school community.

Behaviour is extremely positive.

Pupils are polite, well mannered and engage well with adults. Pupils behave sensibly in lessons. They move calmly around school.

Pupils enjoy learning and attend well. Warm and caring relationships between staff and pupils support learning. Pupils are confident learners and enthusiastic in lessons.

Pupils understand equality and respect difference. Children, right from the Nursery Year, begin to understand the importance of respecting others and following rules.

Parents and carers comment positively about the supportive nature of the school.

Pupils welcome the opportunities to attend a wide range of extra-curricular activities, including yoga, multi-sport events and gardening.

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

The school has carefully designed an ambitious curriculum for its mixed-age classes. The curriculum identifies the specific knowledge pupils should learn in each year group.

Adults use questioning to check pupils' understanding and to address misconceptions. This helps pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to correct mistakes quickly. The school has effective approaches to identify pupils with SEND.

Across the curriculum, pupils retain knowledge well. They build knowledge from previous learning. For example, in history, pupils talk confidently about different periods they have learned about in previous years.

Teachers carefully design lessons that help most pupils develop essential knowledge. However, at times, some learning activities are not well matched to pupils' needs. As a result, some pupils, including pupils with SEND, find work too hard or their learning is not deepened in lessons.

This affects how much progress these pupils make through the curriculum.

Pupils develop grammar and handwriting knowledge securely and apply their learning to writing tasks. Throughout the curriculum, there is a strong emphasis on language and vocabulary.

Right from the early years, adults develop children's speaking skills and encourage them to share their ideas. In mathematics, pupils explain their thinking and discuss their ideas using accurate mathematical vocabulary.

Pupils have positive attitudes towards reading in school.

They are enthusiastic readers. Younger pupils use phonics knowledge to decode words accurately and fluently. Pupils who need additional support are identified quickly.

They progress well in reading, becoming more confident and expressive over time. Pupils appreciate the wide selection of books available to choose from. They recognise the importance of reading to build knowledge and vocabulary as well as to support their well-being.

Pupils enjoy listening to teachers read to them during English lessons and at story time.

Children get off to a strong start in the early years. Adults build on children's interests to support learning.

Children stay focused on tasks. Routines are well established from Nursery where children start to play together. Language skills are well developed.

This builds confidence in speaking and understanding.

Right from the early years, well-established routines mean children know how to behave well. They respond well to praise.

Pupils welcome the rewards on offer, including house points and certificates. They look forward to the celebration assembly, where they receive awards for achievements in learning, behaviour and attendance.

The school's approach to supporting pupils' personal development is a strength.

It prepares pupils well for the next stage of their education. Assemblies cover important themes that focus on learning and personal growth. For example, pupils strive to achieve the 'headteacher's award' that rewards positive attitudes and kind behaviour.

Pupils take part in local walks, learning about issues like littering and safety. Pupils have a secure knowledge of fundamental British values. They learn about different religions and faiths.

Well-being walks encourage pupils to engage with others they may not know well. Pupils develop responsibility through roles like reading ambassadors, who help with the parents' reading cafe and promote reading in school.

Leaders, including governors and trustees, are proud of the school and the progress it has made since the last inspection.

Governors know the school well. They know the school's strengths and work closely with the trust. Staff feel valued and are well supported by leaders.

They work together and help each other. Staff value the professional training and well-being support that they receive to help them carry out their roles effectively.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Occasionally, some pupils are given work that does not meet their needs appropriately. This means some pupils, including some pupils with SEND, can over rely on adult support or are not challenged enough. The school should ensure pupils are given work that meets their needs and adults provide consistent support in lessons to enable pupils to achieve well.

Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade.

This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 for overall effectiveness in September 2019.

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