Hockering Church of England Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are settled, happy and safe at Hockering Church of England Primary Academy.

Parents comment that it is a lovely school with a strong sense of community. Pupils grow in confidence during their time here. They look forward to what each new school day will bring.

The school provides a range of new and exciting opportunities. For example, pupils recently participated in a karate session, delivered by a black belt instructor, as part of physical education (PE).

Pupils benefit from the school being part of a wider federation of four schools.

This is because high expectations for what pupils should learn have been set across these schools. For exampl...e, pupils learn to read well because staff have had high-quality training in a federation-wide approach.

Pupils get very personalised support to help them catch up or close any gaps in their knowledge if this is required.

This means pupils get the guidance they need to achieve well.

Pupils learn all about being a good friend and treating each other with respect. Staff deliver assemblies that help to further reinforce this.

Themes such as kindness and helping others are discussed. Pupils behave kindly and respectfully towards everyone.

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

The school, federation and trust work closely together.

The federation ensures that school staff receive high-quality training opportunities. Staff across the federation have worked together to develop a broad and ambitious curriculum. This clearly defines the important knowledge pupils should know.

The school has ensured that staff receive suitable training to develop their subject knowledge. As a result, teachers are knowledgeable about what they teach and pupils achieve well. Teachers support pupils to secure intended knowledge by carefully checking what they know.

Every pupil is known as an individual at this school. Staff carefully tailor their teaching to meet pupils' needs. For example, in early years, staff provide the personalised support each child needs, related to where they are in their development.

For example, those needing more help to develop their communication and language spend time with staff who support and model this. This is especially the case for pupils with special education needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school carefully assesses pupils' needs, so that adjustments within class are planned to cater for these.

This means that pupils with SEND access the same curriculum as their peers and achieve well.

The federation has ensured that staff have been trained how to teach early reading well. Pupils successfully use their phonics knowledge to read unfamiliar words.

Staff provide individualised support to help pupils close any gaps in this knowledge. This supports the fluency of their reading. The school provides lots of opportunities for pupils to explore interesting and engaging books and texts.

Pupils are enthusiastic about reading. The school uses these texts to support pupils to compose their own writing. However, the school has not developed its approach to the teaching of grammar, punctuation and spelling well enough.

Consequently, the quality of some pupils' writing is not consistently of a high standard.

The school has set clear expectations for behaviour that pupils follow. Staff remind pupils of these expectations if there are ever any lapses in pupils' engagement.

However, as the school has invested so much time in supporting pupils to understand how to show kindness and tolerance towards each other, this is naturally how they behave at times such as lunch. Pupils attend well. The school supports the needs of each pupil and family diligently.

Pupils' personal development is promoted well. The school provides tailored support for pupils' social and emotional needs, including play therapy and support to develop their social skills. This is particularly beneficial for pupils with SEND.

Pupils get to broaden their horizons beyond the local village and develop their cultural understanding. For example, they have taken part in a singing performance at the O2 and regularly get visiting speakers into school. Pupils learn about staying healthy.

For example, the local dentist came in to teach pupils all about sugar and looking after their teeth.

Governors and trustees know the school well. The trust and federation work together to develop and review the school development priorities.

The school has benefited from a trust-wide focus on developing SEND provision, as well as leadership support from across the federation. This has helped to support the workload and well-being of all staff.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school has not ensured that its approach to teaching grammar, punctuation and spelling is well established or consistent across the school. As a result, some pupils do not apply their fundamental knowledge of grammar, punctuation and spelling in their writing well enough. The school needs to ensure that all staff teach the school's approach to grammar, punctuation and spelling effectively so that pupils can apply this knowledge consistently in their written work.