Hinton St George Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Hinton St George Church of England Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Hinton St George Church of England Primary School thrive.

They get off to a strong start in the pre-school. Pupils who join at other times are quickly welcomed into this inclusive and friendly community. Pupils behave well.

The school has high expectations of all its pupils, and they have high expectations of themselves. Bullying is not tolerated. Pupils here want to do well.

They have positive relationships with staff. The school encourages all pupils to be 'the best that we can be'.

Pupils, and children in the early years fou...ndations stage (EYFS), learn from an engaging and ambitious curriculum.

They enjoy their learning. The well-established routines within mixed-age classes ensure that all pupils understand what is expected of them. They feel confident and safe, so they are enthusiastic about school.

Most pupils participate in the wide range of extra-curricular activities and clubs. There is a strong focus on outdoor learning, which pupils enjoy. For example, experiments and local trips help pupils develop scientific and geographical skills.

Pupils feel listened to. The student council and eco-council give pupils a voice and develop their sense of personal and social responsibility.

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

The school's curriculum is carefully planned.

In most subjects, the school has adapted the curriculum to ensure that it is relevant for its pupils. The school has ensured that staff have the subject knowledge they need to deliver the curriculum well. This gives teachers the confidence to adopt teaching approaches that get the best from pupils.

As a result, learning in mixed-age classes is effective. Pupils learn age-appropriate content. Staff ensure that all pupils are well supported and challenged.

Pupils also work well independently because they are given clear instructions. Activities enable them to build their knowledge over time.Staff are quick to identify misconceptions and correct them 'in the moment'.

In the EYFS, children are given daily opportunities to develop mathematical and reading skills, as well as to develop their fine motor skills. Storytelling and vocabulary development is prioritised. Children are well-prepared for key stage 1.

Pupils are engaged and positive about their learning. They take pride in their work and remember what they have learned in most subjects. In a few areas of the school curriculum, this is less evident.

In these areas, the curriculum has not been sufficiently refined. This means that pupils do not remember what they have learned. They do not connect new learning with what they have learned before.

The school ensures that children in Reception learn to read straight away. They quickly learn letters and sounds and have regular reading practice. Children read books matched to the sounds they know.

Teachers ensure that knowledge is secure before they move on. This continues into key stage 1. Pupils who struggle to keep up receive extra help.

The school assesses pupils effectively to ensure that every pupil receives the help or challenge they need. Pupils enjoy reading. Older pupils talk enthusiastically about the books they read independently.

Staff read to all pupils every day, expertly bringing texts 'to life' for pupils and younger children in the EYFS.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are accurately identified. Staff make appropriate adaptations, when needed, to ensure that all pupils learn the full curriculum.

Many pupils with SEND work with increasing independence because they have a clear understanding of classroom routines and have strong relationships with staff. The school works effectively with other agencies to secure educational health and care plans, when needed.

Pupils' wider development is central to the school's ethos.

Pupils understand how to keep themselves physically healthy. They understand how to maintain friendships and be inclusive. Pupils value being recognised for their achievements and efforts.

Pupils are encouraged to participate in sports and outdoor education, as well as arts-based activities, to maintain positive physical and mental health. In the EYFS, children's interactions with staff support their personal, social and emotional development. Well-trained adults listen carefully to children and skilfully encourage them to talk about their learning.

Leaders engage positively with staff and parents. There is a strong sense of community. Governors are knowledgeable about the school and are unafraid to challenge leaders when needed.

This means that the school is supported to adapt and improve and that pupils benefit from a good quality of education.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The implementation of some aspects of the wider curriculum is not consistently effective.

This means that pupils' knowledge and understanding in these areas are not as secure as they are in others. The school must ensure that the implementation of all subjects is consistently strong, so that pupils know and remember more in all subjects.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in May 2018.