Hawkchurch Church of England School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school? '

A small school with a big heart' captures the essence of what it means to be a pupil at Hawkchurch Church of England School. The school welcomes and nurtures the individuality of its pupils. This is apparent in the ambitious education that pupils receive and the high expectations of what they can achieve.

The day-to-day provision is flexible to ensure that pupils' learning is maximised. This approach is critical in the school's work to identify and reduce barriers to learning that pupils may have.

There are strong relationships between staff and pupils.

Staff's detailed knowledge of pupils ensures that pupils are successful in meeting the school's high expec...tations of their academic, social or emotional learning.

Pupils are happy at the school and get along well. They support and encourage each other in class and on the playground because they see this modelled by staff.

Pupils are aware that, at times, their peers can struggle with their emotions and behaviour and this can disturb learning. However, pupils show a strong awareness of why their friends might struggle. They trust that staff address this and work to support pupils to develop strategies to help them manage their behaviours.

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

Pupils learn a well-designed curriculum. Staff make effective use of secure subject knowledge to adapt their teaching to meet the intent of this curriculum. Furthermore, this enables staff to address the potential challenges that come when pupils start outside of expected transition points or who have not had a positive or successful experience of learning elsewhere.

Early years staff understand children's development needs and prepare them well for key stage 1 and beyond. Early language development is prioritised. Staff share songs, rhymes and stories with children to spark an interest and broaden their vocabulary.

The school checks on what pupils know and remember effectively. Pupils recall their previous learning well. However, there are times when the design of learning activities, to deliver the curriculum, practice skills and build new learning, are not as effective as they could be.

In some areas, for example, the school tries to cover too much or does not prioritise important concepts. This can hamper pupils building a rich body of knowledge in these areas.

Reading is prioritised to ensure that pupils become increasingly confident and fluent readers and to strengthen pupils' awareness of the diverse world around them.

Children in the Nursery gain the range of listening skills that they need to make a secure start on the phonics programme when they move into Reception. Support for pupils who need extra help with their reading is targeted successfully. As a result, pupils learn to read with great success and develop a love of reading for pleasure.

The needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified quickly because staff know pupils well. They are alert to signs which may indicate that children need additional support and adaptations to their learning. At times, these adaptations do not precisely target the levels of need that a pupil has.

While the support rightly targets pupils' pastoral requirements, it does not fully extend to meeting their learning needs.

Pupils have a secure understanding of different faiths and cultures through the curriculum and assemblies. They know how to keep physically active and mentally healthy and how to maintain healthy relationships.

The school makes creative use of different approaches and opportunities to enrich and strengthen pupils' wider development. Pupils fundraise and take on roles of responsibility, which contribute to the running of the school. They participate in community events.

These experiences build confidence and independence. It prepares pupils well to be active community participants in the future.

The school's approach to behaviour sets clear expectations of how pupils should behave.

Most of the time, pupils demonstrate positive attitudes to their learning and their school. They value the merit system but are motivated to behave well because they want to do well. This sense of pride for their school means pupils want to be in school regularly.

However, there are a small number of pupils and their families that the school is working closely with to make sure that barriers to being in school regularly are reduced. The impact of this work is positive.

The school has benefited from the capacity of the trust to support, guide and challenge, so that it is well equipped to provide a high-quality education for its pupils.

The trust, along with the local advisory board, know the school well to ensure that they are successful in this work. This is valued by staff and impacts positively on their workload and well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The provision for some pupils with SEND is not as precise and targeted as it could be. This means that pupils with SEND, although getting the pastoral, social and emotional development that they need, are not as successful academically as they could be. The school should ensure that it brings together and builds on the SEND knowledge and expertise it currently has, to adapt pupils' learning and make the most impact on the learning and development of pupils with SEND.

• The design of some learning tasks are not as effective as they could be to consolidate knowledge and secure new learning. This hampers pupil's learning and their ability to develop a deep understanding. The school should ensure that it carefully considers the way in which learning activities are designed and delivered, so that pupils secure new learning with greater success and remember the most important knowledge and skills.