Hillocks Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Hillocks is a warm and friendly school. Staff have created an environment that makes pupils feel happy, safe, and welcome.

It is a place where children come first.

Staff really get to know every pupil. Pupils know that the adults at Hillocks will help them deal with any worries they might have.

This gives pupils a strong sense of belonging and a feeling of security.

The school is well supported by Diverse Academies Trust. The trust has overseen significant improvements at Hillocks in recent years.

Everyone associated with the school has high ambition and aspiration for all pupils. However, there is still further work to do to develop the qua...lity of teaching and learning so that pupils acquire the knowledge and skills they need for the next stage of their education.

Pupils behave well.

They treat others as they want to be treated. The caring ethos at the school is built on the values of respect, curiosity, kindness, and determination. Staff model these values, and they encourage pupils to display them in lessons and on the playground.

This is called 'putting on a Hillocks show!' Pupils strive to earn golden tickets for meeting these expectations.

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

The school's curriculum plans are set out in a precise, logical order in each subject so that it is clear what pupils must know and when. However, pupils do not remember what they have learned before in sufficient detail.

They recall the activities they have done rather than the key knowledge they need for future learning. This is because staff do not emphasise the crucial content that pupils must retain, or systematically revisit important prior learning in all subjects.

The sequence of learning is not as well defined in the early years.

The curriculum for some areas of learning in the early years is not broken down into small steps. This prevents children from building their knowledge and skills gradually over time.

Children begin to learn to read as soon as they start in Reception.

Staff teach phonics well. They encourage pupils to spot sounds made by more than one letter. This helps pupils blend letter sounds together to read whole words.

However, the books given to pupils who find reading more difficult are not always matched to the letter sounds they know. This means they cannot read their books accurately by themselves to develop their confidence and fluency. Older pupils enjoy reading challenging chapter books as a whole class.

By 'echoing' their teachers, pupils practise expressive, speedy reading. In addition to reading lessons, pupils are regularly exposed to short texts in other subjects. This approach gives pupils a wider reading experience, enabling them to use and apply their reading skills often.

The school has ensured that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well catered for at Hillocks. They receive precise, timely support matched to their individual needs.

Pupils sometimes spend time doing work that is too easy or too hard.

The school has not ensured that staff check closely enough on learning during lessons so that pupils' misconceptions are addressed quickly.

The school has reviewed the effectiveness of procedures for managing and improving attendance. Leaders track absence closely and intervene early to stop pupils having too much time off.

However, reducing the rate of absence remains a priority for the school.

Pupils benefit from a personal development offer that prepares them for life in their local community, modern Britain, and the wider world. The school has ensured that pupils are equipped to deal with risks that are relevant to where they live.

Pupils hold respectful, inclusive attitudes towards difference and diversity. They understand the importance of equality. There are plenty of opportunities to broaden pupils' horizons, such as the residential visit to Bristol to see the achievements of Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

Staff love working at the school. They are invested in the Hillocks journey, and they are determined for the school and all its pupils to thrive. Staff appreciate the support and encouragement they receive.

Leaders are considerate of workload when new initiatives are introduced, providing staff with time to complete their subject leadership responsibilities.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Pupils do not reliably remember the important knowledge they have covered before in sufficient detail.

This leaves pupils unable to add to what they already know and deepen their understanding of important concepts. The school should review the approach to the recall of prior learning so that teachers routinely revisit and check on the key content that pupils need to use again, helping them to remember it over the long term. ? The school's arrangements for checking closely on pupils' learning are not consistently implemented.

Sometimes pupils spend time doing work that is too easy or too hard. Misconceptions and errors are not always addressed quickly enough. The school must ensure that teachers sharpen their use of formative assessment so that pupils are moved on to new content when they are ready, and misconceptions are addressed swiftly.

Some pupils are given reading books that are too difficult for them. This prevents these pupils from reading their books successfully by themselves and developing their fluency. The school should ensure that all pupils in the early stages of learning to read are given books that are matched to the letter sounds they know.

• The early years curriculum has not been broken down into a precise enough sequence. As a result, children do not build their knowledge and skills systematically in all areas of learning. The school must review the early years curriculum, ensuring that children build their knowledge and skills step by step in readiness for key stage one.