Hilton Lane Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy learning at this friendly, inclusive school. The school's values, such as empathy and respect, underpin the way that pupils treat each other.

Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) appreciate how well cared for they are by warm and nurturing staff. This helps pupils to feel safe and happy in school.Following a period of change, the school has raised its expectations of what pupils can and should achieve.

Pupils achieve increasingly well in some subjects. However, inconsistencies in curriculum delivery and weaknesses in curriculum monitoring, mean that some pupils do not develop a deep body of knowledge over time.... They do not all achieve as well as they should.

Pupils, including children in the early years, engage fully in their lessons. Pupils conduct themselves well around the school. They trust adults to deal with any rare incidents of misbehaviour quickly.

The school successfully enhances pupils' experiences of the wider world. Pupils talked excitedly about their trips to the seaside, a farm and an outdoor activity centre. Pupils are proud of the positive contribution that they make to school life.

This includes fulfilling roles such as prefects and school councillors.

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

This school is emerging from a significant period of staff instability. The school has also established new curriculums for many subjects.

These curriculums are engaging and ambitious for pupils, including for those with SEND. The school has thought carefully about the important knowledge that it wants pupils to learn at each stage.Where staff deliver the curriculum content effectively, they explain things clearly and use well-chosen activities.

However, in some subjects, they do not make sure that pupils remember the knowledge that they have learned. This means that pupils do not then have the secure foundations on which to build new learning.Generally, staff are adept at identifying and addressing pupils' misconceptions effectively.

However, in some subjects, the school's wider checking systems are not as purposeful. Some subject leaders have not fully developed the skills they need to evaluate the impact of their curriculum plans. As a result, the school does not securely track pupils' progress or know how well pupils are remembering the knowledge that they have learned.

The school has successfully forged a love of reading that extends from the early years to Year 6. Pupils enjoy visits from local poets and authors. Pupils benefit from a well-ordered phonics programme that staff deliver well.

Any children who are not keeping up with the pace of the programme are quickly spotted and supported to catch up with their peers. Most pupils become confident, fluent readers by the end of key stage 1.The school uses effective systems to identify pupils with SEND quickly.

Skilled staff successfully support pupils, including some with very complex needs, to make progress and develop their independence.Pupils are courteous and confident to talk to visitors. From the start of the Nursery Year, children are taught to play cooperatively and follow school routines by skilled staff.

Attendance is a high priority for the school. The school has implemented rigorous systems to support families and reduce pupils' rates of absence. The school's strong pastoral approach helps to make these actions effective.

The school places a strong emphasis on fostering pupils' wider personal development. Pupils value the opportunities that they have to organise activities such as cake sales and bingo nights to support charities. Pupils understand the importance of embracing and accepting difference.

They are clear that everyone is welcome in their school. Pupils learn about healthy relationships and they know how to stay safe online. They understand the concepts of tolerance and democracy.

This prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain.

The school offers pupils a wide range of clubs such as basketball, gymnastics and cross country. Pupils also participate regularly in competitions such as triathlons and swimming galas.

These opportunities help them to develop and share their talents and interests with others.

Governors know the school well. They have ensured that leaders are focused on improving pupils' achievement.

Governors have the skills to hold the school to account and continue to drive the school forward, while also being supportive of staff's well-being. Staff appreciate the way that the school considers their workload and are proud to work at 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)

• In some subjects, teachers do not support pupils to recall and build on previous learning sufficiently well. Some pupils therefore have gaps in their knowledge and insecure foundations on which to build new learning. The school should implement effective strategies to ensure that teachers regularly revisit previously taught content and knowledge.

• The school has not ensured that some subject leaders have fully developed the skills and knowledge to effectively evaluate the impact of their curriculum plans. As a result, in these subjects, the school does not have an accurate picture of pupils' progress or know how well pupils are successfully remembering what they have learned. The school should ensure that all subject leaders have the training and guidance to evaluate and monitor the effectiveness of the curriculum accurately in their subject, from the early years onwards.