Hilltop Infant School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school. Pupils have an outstanding start to school life at Hilltop Infant.

They are very well prepared for their future educational achievement. The headteacher, governors and senior leaders are relentless in their drive to sustain pupils' outstanding achievement and the highest quality of teaching. Senior leaders set excellent examples in their own teaching and, in turn, have very high expectations of all members of the school community and will settle for nothing less than the best.

Early literacy and numeracy skills are taught exceptionally well. By the end of Year 2, pupils' attainment is similar to that found in the top 20% of schoo...ls in the country. Pupils' learning is outstanding in mathematics because pupils have many opportunities to consolidate their learning.

However, when pupils record their work, the lack of guides, such as lines or squares, in their books sometimes leads to inaccuracies. Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs and those eligible for pupil premium funding make similar progress to their classmates. More-able pupils make excellent progress because teachers set them very challenging tasks.

All adults set very high expectations for pupils' behaviour. Within a framework of outstanding relationships, pupils have consistent guidance, so that, from their start in school, they quickly develop and maintain very positive attitudes to learning. Teachers always mark their pupils' work.

The great majority of marking is excellent. The headteacher and senior leaders have correctly noted that more needs to be done to ensure that all marking is of the highest quality. The school looks after its pupils very well.

Pupils know how to keep themselves safe. All parents agree that their children feel safe and happy in school.

Information about this school

This is an average-sized primary school.

There are eight classes including three for Reception children. The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is below average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also below average.

The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for pupil premium funding is below average. In this school, the extra funding is for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals. Since the previous inspection, there has been a change of three-quarters of the teaching staff, including senior leaders; some newly qualified teachers and others who are at the early stages of their teaching careers have been appointed.

The school is a partnership school with the Billericay Educational Consortium School Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT). The school is a National Support School and the headteacher is a National Leader of Education. The school and headteacher are providing support for a local school.

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