Hazeldown School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The school vision of 'learning for living' is woven into school life. Pupils are welcomed and valued at school.

Pupils show respect for each other and adults who care for them well. They know they can talk to a trusted adult if they have any concerns. Pupils feel safe in school.

The school has high expectations. Pupils live up to these. The school's 'social bond' helps pupils to behave well in the classroom and around the school.

Learning is rarely disrupted. Pupils understand what bullying is and the different forms it can take. If bullying does happen, the school is swift to act to ensure pupils receive the appropriate support to avoid future incidents.
...>
Inspirational speakers and assemblies help to raise pupils' aspirations. Pupils explain how their 'north star' helps them to achieve their goals and ambitions for the future. Trips and residential visits enable pupils to build resilience and independence.

Pupils enjoy an array of clubs such as reading, art and chess.

Pupils appreciate opportunities to take on leadership responsibilities. For example, the school council meets regularly and make improvements to the school.

They have improved the school menu with healthier options and used funding to update the school 'fit trail'.

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

The school has designed an ambitious and rich curriculum. It supports all pupils to learn well from the early years through to Year 6.

From the beginning of pre-school onwards, there is a sharp focus on developing children's communication and language. When necessary, staff make adaptations that help pupils including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to learn effectively.

In most subject areas, the school has identified the key knowledge that it wants pupils to learn and the order in which it is taught.

For example, in mathematics, children in the pre-school are supported to secure their understanding of numbers to five. In the Reception Year, children build on this and learn to practise counting and grouping numbers in different ways. In Years 1 to 6, pupils deepen their understanding and solve problems involving addition and subtraction.

However, in some curriculum areas the school has not defined some key subject-specific knowledge that pupils need to know. Where this is the case, some pupils develop gaps in their knowledge and struggle to recall subject content that has been taught previously.

The school has prioritised reading and has implemented a new phonics programme recently.

Children start learning sounds that letters make as soon as they join school. Staff check the sounds regularly that pupils know. They identify if pupils start to fall behind and provide appropriate support to help them to keep up.

Pupils, including those with SEND, read practice books that are matched to the sounds that they are learning. This helps them build fluency and confidence. The school promotes reading for pleasure effectively.

Pupils can choose from fiction or non-fiction books, comics and magazines from the classroom 'book buzz' corners. Older pupils read widely and enjoy the books they read. All pupils visit the school library and enjoy listening to carefully chosen stories.

The school has high expectations of pupils' behaviour. This starts in the early years where children show positive learning behaviours. Skilled staff successfully support pupils who find it difficult to regulate their emotions and behaviour.

Attendance is exceptionally strong. Pupils, including pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils, attend the school well. The school supports pupils and their families to successfully address any instances where pupils' attendance begins to decline.

Pupils benefit from a rich set of wider opportunities. They are proud to represent the school in sporting competitions like swimming and gymnastics. The school offers pupils a chance to achieve a local 'Civic Award' where pupils make a difference to the local community and the wider world.

The personal social and health education curriculum supports pupils to understand the importance of physical and mental health. Pupils enjoy their experiences in the large forest school. They develop their knowledge to see how concepts learned in class can be applied outdoors.

Pupils enjoy learning about faiths and cultures different to their own. For example, older pupils relate their learning about the 'Windrush' to their study of equality.

Governors have the skills and expertise to challenge and support the school well.

Staff are overwhelmingly positive and proud to work at the school. Parents and carers are positive about the support and care the school provides.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some areas of the curriculum, the essential knowledge pupils need to know and remember is not identified clearly. As a result, pupils do not yet build their knowledge as well as they do in other areas. The school must ensure that the precise knowledge is identified and sequenced across all subjects and check pupils are learning the curriculum well.