Hillside Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Hillside Primary School is a focal point of the local community. It is a diverse and happy place.

Pupils at Hillside have experienced significant changes in the school recently. Pupils feel safe and know that they can tell an adult if they are worried about something. A small number of pupils have experienced bullying.

They have been called unkind names. School staff stop bullying when pupils report it to them.

Pupils do not always meet the standard that is expected of them in terms of behaviour or their learning.

Many pupils know how to behave well, but some pupils do not follow the rules consistently. Pupils know their teachers want them to do well.... Generally, they try hard in their lessons.

Pupils can be involved in a range of activities across the school, including extra-curricular clubs and leadership opportunities, such as school councillors. Many pupils enjoy being involved in a wide range of activities provided by the school at breaktimes and lunchtimes. Football is a popular choice at lunchtime, although this can sometimes lead to boisterous behaviour.

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

The school is ambitious for pupils to achieve well and has put detailed curriculum plans in place. The curriculum has been carefully considered and implemented. However, pupils' understanding is not checked effectively.

This means that teachers do not always know what pupils have learned and remembered. Gaps in pupils' understanding are not always picked up and addressed. This prevents pupils from making the progress intended.

In the early years, adults check what children know more effectively, and children's progress is tracked precisely. This information enables staff to support children to improve. Staff are well trained to support the younger children.

Pupils with special educational needs and or disabilities (SEND) typically receive a high quality of education. In lessons, pupils with SEND usually get the right help to join in learning with their peers. However, sometimes, they need more support with their writing or to achieve as well as they should.

The school focuses on early reading and has a clear scheme in place to ensure even the youngest children learn basic sounds well. Pupils read regularly in school. Where pupils fall behind, the school provides the right extra help.

An increasing number of children make the expected level of reading progress.

Most pupils are respectful and kind to staff, visitors and each other. However, this is not always the case.

Pupils do not always respond positively to the differences between themselves and others. There is an appropriate personal, social and health education curriculum. This enables most pupils to know how to keep themselves safe online.

Some pupils can also describe how to keep themselves healthy. Pupils can participate in leadership opportunities, such as the school council. Some pupils become anti-bullying ambassadors.

Pupils' attendance is not always regular enough. While most pupils attend school well and are on time, too many pupils miss learning because they are not at school. Pupils miss opportunities to learn, and they fall behind their peers.

The school is working with the local community to improve attendance.

Behaviour around the school and in lessons is inconsistent. Most pupils behave well.

However, where pupils' behaviour is poor, this has an impact on learning in the classroom and during social times. Pupils can sometimes use language that is not kind. Pupils comment that they have noticed behaviour has improved since the beginning of the term.

The school has experienced a period of turbulence that has affected the quality of education of the pupils. The leadership of the academy has recently changed significantly. Leaders at all levels are ambitious to ensure that the experience of the pupils improves rapidly.

Trustees, executive leads and the headteacher have the tenacity and expertise to bring about change. While the impact of their actions is yet to be fully realised, there is evidence that improvements are beginning to have an effect. Staff are positive about the direction of the school.

They feel supported and included. Parents comment positively about recent changes to the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Too many of the most vulnerable children do not attend school regularly. For younger pupils, this affects their progress with early reading. Older pupils miss out on studying the full curriculum.

Leaders must ensure that they identify closely those individuals who are missing large parts of their education because of absence. Leaders must take action to improve the level of pupils' attendance. ? The delivery of the school's curriculum plan is not yet consistent across all subjects.

Staff do not always have the same high expectations for pupils' progress. The quality of pupils' work is inconsistent because of this. Leaders need to provide appropriate training for staff to enable them to deliver the curriculum plans effectively and check these are in place as intended.

• Leaders do not always know how well pupils are progressing through the curriculum because assessment practice is not effective. As a result, teachers are not always able to identify and address gaps in pupils' knowledge. Leaders must ensure that all staff can use assessment information effectively to enable pupils to catch up and keep up.

The behaviour of some pupils is not appropriate. As a result, the learning for some pupils is disrupted. Leaders must ensure that the new behaviour policy is communicated well and implemented robustly to reduce incidents of poor behaviour.