Hawley Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Staff, pupils and parents and carers work constructively together to ensure that pupils can learn safely and happily. The recently appointed headteacher and her senior leadership team have raised expectations in all areas of school life during the recent months.

All members of the school community are working hard to achieve these.

Pupils value the many enrichment opportunities the school provides, including a wide range of clubs and trips. Pupils know how to keep themselves physically and mentally healthy.

They are aware of current affairs and demonstrate empathy for people in other parts of the world. For instance, they are currently collecting items to don...ate to the people of Ukraine.

Pupils are keen to learn and want to do well.

They talk enthusiastically about the activities they have been doing and can quickly recall and explain their learning. Clear routines and high expectations support pupils in making the right choices in lessons.

Behaviour around school is calm.

Pupils get on with each other well and develop positive relationships with adults. Bullying is rare. If it does occur, pupils are confident that it will be quickly sorted out.

Leaders' records show this too. Pupils feel safe in school. They know that they can talk to trusted adults if they are worried.

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

Subject leaders at Hawley are enthusiastic about their subjects of responsibility. They are keen to play their part in the school's development and have worked together to design a broad and exciting curriculum for pupils.

Effective leadership and strong subject knowledge in English and mathematics mean that pupils learn well in these subjects.

However, in some other subjects, such as geography, learning is not always as well sequenced as it could be. The work set for pupils is not always ambitious enough and does not reflect the learning the subject leaders have planned. Senior leaders are addressing these issues, and support is in place for class teachers and subject leaders.

The majority of pupils become accomplished readers. A new phonics programme has been quickly and securely established. Adults in the school have been well trained in teaching phonics.

Early indications suggest that the programme is helping pupils to make better progress in reading than previously. Carefully planned support ensures that pupils who fall behind catch up quickly. Pupils' love of reading is evident throughout the school.

They talk enthusiastically about the books they are reading.

The early years leader builds strong relationships with parents and with staff in children's previous settings. This ensures that children get off to a strong start when they begin at Hawley.

The curriculum is well planned and children have access to a wide range of appropriate resources in the classrooms and outside. They enjoy selecting activities with their friends and are able to concentrate and focus for extended periods of time. The curriculum supports children's progress well in most areas of learning.

Leaders are currently developing some aspects of the early years curriculum, such as outdoor learning, so that children make even better progress.

Staff are quick to identify the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The interim special educational needs coordinator has worked hard to establish herself in the school and supports parents, staff and pupils effectively.

Staff make suitable adjustments to the curriculum to ensure that all pupils learn and make progress.

Parents are very positive about the work of the school. Many parents feel that the new headteacher has brought about positive changes.

Parents, staff and pupils feel that their views are valued.

Governors are passionate about the school and are rightly proud of its staff and pupils. In the past, they have not been actively involved in the process of school development planning.

Governors acknowledge that the new headteacher has given them the opportunity to see the school and their roles through fresh eyes. They have risen to the challenge of supporting the new leadership team.

Behaviour around school is calm and orderly.

Pupils engage well with adults and their peers. At lunchtime, pupils play happily with their friends in cooperative games. Pupils are generally attentive in lessons and usually behave well.

However, sometimes pupils lose focus during lessons, resulting in some low-level disruption. This means that some pupils do not learn as much as they could in some lessons.

Leaders plan carefully for pupils' wider development.

Pupils learn to respect and care about others through activities such as their involvement with commemorative events. They enjoy holding positions of responsibility, such as those of house captain, member of the school council and eco chief. Leaders ensure an appropriate focus on pupils' well-being, with sensitive support for those who are feeling anxious.

Pupils attend well, within the context of the pandemic.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders ensure a strong safeguarding culture in the school.

Records are well maintained. Staff benefit from suitable training. They understand that it is everyone's responsibility to keep pupils safe and to report any concerns quickly.

Leaders know pupils, families and the local context well. They act quickly to ensure that pupils get the help they need and work effectively with external agencies, such as social care.

Governors review the safeguarding arrangements regularly.

Governors have a good understanding of their statutory duties relating to safeguarding and undertake these with vigilance.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Teachers do not always have the specific subject knowledge needed to deliver the revised curriculum. As a result, teaching does not build on pupils' prior learning as well as it could in some subjects.

Leaders' actions show that they are in the process of developing the sequencing of lessons and supporting teachers in their delivery and subject knowledge. For this reason, the transitional arrangements have been applied. ? In previous years, governors have not been actively involved in deciding the improvement priorities of the school.

They are working closely with the new leadership team and their understanding of the school's needs is rapidly improving. Governors need to build on their existing work to further increase their oversight of school development. This will support leaders to identify what is working well and what needs to be prioritised for improvement.

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