Hawley Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Hawley Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Hawley Primary School is a hub in the local community. Parents, carers, pupils and staff are happy here. This is a place where everyone is valued, and difference is championed.

This has led to a harmonious environment where pupils are kept safe and enjoy learning. Pupils benefit from the wealth of opportunities which are available locally to enhance their experience and understanding of the world around them. This has complemented the planned curriculum and led to pupils experiencing a real sense of adventure in their learning.

Staff expect pupils to do well. Children get off to a v...ery strong start in early years. They settle quickly and engage positively in the curriculum and other aspects of school life.

The needs of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are swiftly identified. Appropriate support is provided for those who need it. This helps pupils learn well and progress through the curriculum.

Pupils behave well in lessons and during less structured times. They enjoy learning and try hard in lessons. Pupils' work is of good quality, meaning they are typically well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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

Pupils learn to read fluently. This is because there is a carefully designed curriculum and staff have been well trained to deliver the schools' chosen phonics programme. Teachers carefully check the letters and sounds pupils know and remember.

Pupils who struggle to keep up receive additional support. Pupils practise reading using books which are well matched to the sounds they know. This supports pupils' accuracy and confidence.

The curriculum matches the scope and ambition of what is expected nationally. In most subjects, leaders have thought carefully about what pupils learn and when. This is well sequenced so that pupils revisit and build their knowledge over time so that it is embedded in their memories.

This begins in early years, where children build a strong foundation for future learning. For example, in geography they develop an understanding of where things are located in the classroom and school. As pupils get older, they draw on this knowledge to understand more complex maps of local and global localities.

In some subjects, the tasks pupils complete do not consistently match the ambition of the designed curriculum. Pupils do not revisit key ideas in these subjects. In these instances, pupils do not build as secure knowledge and understanding over time.

Pupils with SEND are well supported to learn effectively. This is because teachers and support staff understand the strategies that help pupils. Staff make meaningful adaptations to activities so that pupils can access the same curriculum as their peers, wherever this is possible.

Leaders have a sharp focus on attendance. They have carefully analysed pupil absence and have put effective measures in place to support pupils to attend school regularly and on time.

There is a strong focus on pupils' personal development.

For example, pupils learn to respect and value all faiths and cultures. There are developing opportunities for pupils to develop their leadership skills, for example as librarians or as part of the eco team. The curriculum is enriched through a strong programme for learning outside of the classroom.

These begin in early years, enabling children to develop independence and to link what they learn in the classroom to real-life contexts. For example, pupils enjoyed a recent visit to a local research centre as part of their learning about sound. Similarly, pupils visited the National Portrait Gallery as part of the art curriculum.

Across the school, pupils thrive on these experiences.

The school is well led. Leaders, including those responsible for governance, recognise and are building on the school's many strengths.

They have identified some appropriate areas for further improvement. Leaders work closely with external partners. This has helped to secure rapid and sustained improvements.

However, systems for checking the impact of leaders' actions are not consistently applied. This means there are aspects of the school's work that are less well understood. As a result, strategies to improve these areas are not consistently focused on addressing the most important priorities.

Leaders have created an environment where staff are happy in their work. Staff feel valued by leaders. They recognise the initiatives in place to manage 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)

• On occasion, the activities provided to pupils do not match the ambition of the planned the curriculum. When this happens, the opportunities for pupils to practise and apply what they have learned is more limited.

The school should ensure that the tasks set consistently match the ambition of the curriculum. The school should also ensure that pupils are provided with sufficient opportunity to embed their knowledge and understanding in different subjects. ? The systems which help the school understand the impact of their actions are not consistently applied.

This means that strategies to improve aspects of the school's work are not consistently focused on the most important priorities. The school should ensure that their quality assurance processes allow each aspect of their work to be evaluated effectively.

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 February 2019.