Hillbourne Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy their time at school and feel looked after and cared for. They say that teachers know them well. Pupils appreciate all the different after-school clubs that they can attend.

They are keen to join in with different projects such as the Hillbourne On Waste (HOW) club. This helps pupils to learn about recycling and understand their local environment.

Pupils look after and show concern for each other.

For example, one pupil went out of his way to help a younger pupil who could not find his brother.

At all times, pupils are well behaved. They listen to adults and follow instructions.

Pupils are keen to meet adults' high expectations ...for their behaviour. They walk into assemblies in silence so that everybody can listen to and enjoy the music. Pupils walk back to classrooms after playtime in a calm and orderly way.

Pupils told us that they love playtimes and that they feel safe.

Pupils agree that bullying does not happen very often at the school. If it does, adults sort it out quickly.

The school has anti-bullying ambassadors. These pupils help with any problems in and around school. Pupils told us that they like being able to speak to the ambassadors on the playground.

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

Leaders have not thought enough about what they want pupils to learn. The important things that pupils should know, understand and be able to do in each subject are not clear. Pupils are not clear what they are aiming towards in their learning.

In subjects such as history, teachers have little guidance about what to teach, how to teach it and when to teach it. Pupils complete different activities in lessons. But it is not clear how this helps pupils to develop their skills of historical enquiry or build on what they already know.

Teachers encourage pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to do their best. Pupils with SEND struggle to learn what they should because they do not receive enough of the right help.

Younger pupils in the school do not learn phonics quickly enough.

This is because teachers are not ambitious in their expectations of the sounds, words and books that pupils should be able to read by the end of each term. Teachers do not use the information they have about the sounds and words that pupils can read precisely enough. This means that pupils who are falling behind are not taught what they need to catch up.

Pupils in Years 1 and 2 that have fallen behind in reading have extra sessions in the afternoon. Support staff run these sessions, but they have not had enough training in teaching reading. This reduces the impact of these sessions.

Pupils understand how to keep themselves safe online and know what to do and who to talk to if they experience any problems. Pupils told us how they run a mile every day to help them to keep fit and healthy. Pupils in the School Council explained how their peers vote for them.

They were able to make this link to the idea of democracy and Parliament. The school helps pupils to be confident and provides opportunities for them to showcase this. For example, pupils spoke with confidence in front of a large audience at their class assembly.

Pupils are polite and take pride in their school.

Children in the early years play well together and enjoy exploring different activities. For example, one child told inspectors how he was catching treasure in his net at the water tray.

Children are happy and settled. But leaders have not given enough thought to the curriculum in the early years. They are unclear about the important things that children need to learn.

Children do not learn their phonics quickly enough and leaders are unsure of when children should know different sounds and words. This means that some children are behind in their learning when they move into Year 1.

Leaders make sure that all pupils join in with visits to different places.

For example, pupils go to Corfe Castle and to the beach as part of their learning. This helps pupils to understand the world around them. Pupils can choose to join in with a wide choice of after-school clubs.

All pupils can attend the clubs because they are free of charge.

Governors are keen to support the school and understand their role, but they need more training to help them work with leaders to make sure that all pupils do well in their learning.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff are well trained to spot signs that a pupil may be at risk of harm. They follow the school's policy and procedure for reporting concerns about pupils' welfare correctly.

Leaders act quickly when concerns are raised.

They work well with other professionals, such as the family outreach worker.

Leaders have clear recruitment systems in place. They only appoint staff who are suitable to work with children.

Pupils feel safe. They know who to talk to if they are worried about anything.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

There is a lack of clarity and ambition about what leaders want pupils to know, understand and be able to do.

This is because the curriculum is not planned and sequenced effectively to ensure that pupils know more and remember more. Leaders must set high expectations for curriculum and ensure that it is planned carefully so that pupils learn and build on essential knowledge. .

Not all teachers are sufficiently ambitious for pupils with SEND. Leaders have not ensured that teachers are helping pupils achieve their targets, as detailed in pupils' individual plans. This means that some pupils are not able to join in with the learning in class.

Leaders must ensure that teachers implement these plans and provide training where necessary to support teachers. . Leaders are not clear about how well pupils will learn to read at different milestones.

Teachers are not clear about the pace of the phonics programme. They do not check on pupils' phonic knowledge well enough to identify pupils that are at risk of falling behind. This prevents teachers from providing the targeted support that needs to be given to these pupils to help them keep up.

The school has not developed sufficient expertise in the teaching of phonics and reading. Leaders must train all members of staff that teach pupils to read across the school and assure themselves of the quality of any reading interventions. .

Leaders have not assured themselves that the early years curriculum enables all children to develop, deepen and consolidate their knowledge, understanding and skills across all the areas of learning. Not enough children secure their knowledge of phonics to read accurately with increasing speed and fluency by the end of Reception. Leaders must ensure that the early curriculum enables children to learn all that they need to so that they are well prepared for Year 1.

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