Hillhouse CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school. Pupils across the school make good and rapidly improving progress from their low starting points.

Achievement is much stronger than in the past and is now on an upward trajectory. School leaders have high expectations of what pupils can achieve and are ambitious for their success. Leaders' focus on improving the quality of teaching has led to a significant increase in pupils' progress.

Every effort is made to help pupils to be prepared for life in modern Britain. The school strongly promotes pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development throughout the curriculum. Teaching is good.

Staff provide well-planned and high-...quality activities for pupils which ensure they are keen to learn and achieve well. Recent changes introduced by leaders to improve reading and writing have led to rapid rises in pupils' attainment. Governors have a well-informed and accurate view of the school's improving performance.

They work successfully with senior leaders to raise standards and improve the quality of teaching. Pupils feel extremely safe in school. Their behaviour is good and they have highly positive attitudes towards learning.

Members of staff form good relationships with them, and set a good example of the levels of courtesy the school expects. Pupils are given high-quality feedback about how well they are doing and how they can improve. This is helping pupils to make good progress.

Good teaching and provision in the early years ensure that children achieve well and get off to a good start. It is not yet an outstanding school because : The most-able pupils are not always fully challenged, and too few reach the highest levels in English or mathematics. Teachers do not place sufficient emphasis on the need for accurate spelling, punctuation and grammar outside of English lessons.

The skills of new subject leaders in checking the quality of teaching and pupils' learning in their areas of responsibility are not yet fully developed.

Information about this school

Hillhouse C of E is an average-sized primary school. Most pupils are White British.

A small number of pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds and an even smaller number are learning to speak English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils for whom the pupil premium provides support is around the national average. The pupil premium is additional funding for pupils previously known to be eligible for free school meals or who are looked after by the local authority.

The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is below the national average. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year6 Children attend the Reception class on a full-time basis. The school runs a breakfast club and an after-school club on site.

Since the appointment of the headteacher in September 2012, half of the teaching staff have left the school and been replaced by other teachers. Three senior leaders, including the early years leader, have been appointed since Easter 2013. The school also supports three newly qualified teachers.

The school is a member of the local schools primary school cluster, which provides support for schools. It is also a member of the National Education Trust, which provides support to leadership at different levels. It has also received support from Hilltop Infants school to strengthen the leadership of the early years, and from Wickford Junior school, to improve the work of middle leaders.

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