Hill View Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a school that places pupils' well-being at the heart of all that it does. Pastoral care is strong.

As a result, pupils feel safe and supported by the staff. Pupils describe the way that staff are always there to support them.

Everyone is welcomed and the school is a happy community.

Most pupils behave sensibly and respectfully. Staff provide effective support for any pupils who need help to manage their behaviour and emotions. Bullying or unkind behaviours are never tolerated.

Everyone is encouraged to show kindness.

Leaders and staff live by the trust's motto to bring out 'the best in everyone'. They are ambitious for every pupil to... be a confident, successful learner and to benefit from a well-rounded education.

Pupils value the many opportunities to enrich their learning through visits and extra activities. They enjoy school and like the way their teachers make learning interesting. Music and singing are a particular highlight of the week.

Parents and carers speak highly of the school and leaders' work to support them and their children. One parent, typical of many, commented, 'The curriculum is rich and varied, but what is most impressive is their care and support for the whole child.'

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

Courageous, determined leadership has steered this school community exceptionally well through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Staff are full of praise for leaders' work. Many say that they would not want to work anywhere else. Leaders' work to engage and support parents is exemplary.

For example, they have developed the 'community bungalow' and provide adult education for parents.

Leaders have implemented a consistent approach to teaching reading. Staff get phonics under way as soon as possible in Reception.

Up-to-date training ensures that staff are confident and proficient in teaching phonics. Pupils' books are matched to what they have learned. Leaders and staff are aware of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The disruption to pupils' education has set back some pupils' reading. As a result, they are behind the expected stage in the school's phonics programme. Leaders are rightly focusing sharply on helping these pupils to recover lost ground.

This is typically through tutoring and extra support.

Throughout the school, pupils make steady gains in their reading. Teachers use wide-ranging texts to help pupils build their knowledge and enjoyment of reading.

These texts form the backbone of the English curriculum. However, leaders have not identified precisely enough the step-by-step reading knowledge that pupils in key stage 2 need to learn. They have also not given enough focus to developing pupils' handwriting.

This is particularly so for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). As a result, pupils are not developing this aspect of their writing well enough.The school's curriculum is carefully considered and sequenced.

Content is revisited to help pupils secure important knowledge. Mathematics is particularly well thought out. This supports pupils well in developing their mathematical understanding and fluency.

The music curriculum is ambitious and is a strength of the school.

The school is inclusive and leaders have high ambitions for pupils with SEND. They have a strong moral purpose, ensuring that these pupils get the help that they need.

Leaders work closely with early years staff to identify children's needs from the outset. Where necessary, they promptly put in a raft of support. This includes special programmes to help children to overcome language and communication difficulties.

Teachers use their good subject knowledge to explain new content well to pupils. They model vocabulary clearly and engage pupils positively in discussions. Teachers check how pupils are doing and identify any learning gaps.

On the whole, teachers design activities to match the school's curriculum. However, this is not always the case in some subjects in the wider curriculum. This is because activities do not focus well enough on what pupils need to know.

Sometimes, these limit pupils' responses, particularly for pupils with SEND. This means that pupils are not building on previous knowledge as well as they could.

Classrooms are generally settled, calm environments for learning.

Staff foster warm, nurturing relationships with pupils in their care. Most pupils work with positive attitudes, responding well to their teachers' high expectations.

The school's provision for personal development is a distinctive feature of the school's work.

The curriculum for relationships and sex education and health education is of high quality. Pupils learn about equality and the importance of valuing and respecting everyone, whatever their beliefs or background.

Governance is strong and lines of accountability are clearly defined.

Staff and governors benefit from trust-wide training and the opportunity to share good practice.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is a very strong culture of safeguarding at this school.

Staff know pupils very well and are highly alert to the slightest concern. Leaders understand local risks and work in close partnership with safeguarding partners. They make sure that pupils and families get the help that they need.

Leaders do all they can to keep pupils safe. Record-keeping is thorough and systematic. Staff know the vital role they play in safeguarding pupils and fulfil their responsibilities very well.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• During the COVID-19 pandemic, some younger pupils lost ground in reading and are behind the expected stage in the school's phonics programme. Leaders need to continue their sharp focus on helping these pupils to catch up as quickly as possible. ? Leaders have not identified precisely enough the step-by-step knowledge that builds towards the curriculum goals in the key stage 2 reading curriculum.

This risks pupils not building their knowledge securely enough. Leaders need to identify more precisely the component knowledge that pupils need to learn. ? Leaders have not ensured that there is enough focus on pupils' handwriting, particularly for pupils with SEND.

As a result, this aspect of pupils' writing is not developing well enough. Leaders need to ensure that greater focus and attention are given to this aspect of the writing curriculum. ? In some foundation subjects, activities are not always well matched to the intended curriculum.

Some activities limit pupils' responses, particularly for pupils with SEND. Pupils are therefore not building their knowledge as securely as they could. Leaders need to ensure that learning activities are consistently well matched to the intended learning and reflect the school's ambitious curriculum.