Hoddlesden St Paul’s Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love their school. They actively contribute to making it a happy, positive place. Pupils diligently carry out leadership roles, take responsibility for themselves and demonstrate high levels of respect and support for each other.

Their behaviour is impeccable. Pupils consistently live out the school's values. They maturely reflect on their behaviours and strive to become a 'Hoddlesden hero'.

The school is unwavering in its determination for all pupils to reach exceptional heights, in school and beyond. It has designed a broad and innovative curriculum with this vision at its heart. This enables pupils to achieve exceptionally well across a broad range of subjec...ts.

The school continually looks outward when enriching the curriculum. For example, pupils used virtual reality headsets to learn about design processes when they visited a building site. They meet professionals to discuss the skills and knowledge needed for their jobs, including digital illustrators, fashion designers and engineers.

Pupils' knowledge develops deeply across a range of subjects.

Pupils' talents and interests are promoted exceptionally well. The extensive range of extra-curricular activities includes art, science, computing, gardening, crochet, choir and many sports.

A high proportion of pupils attend clubs and represent the school at events. Pupils learn to play a range of instruments and experience performing with others in a band.

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

The provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is exemplary.

The school identifies and ensures that staff have an in-depth knowledge of pupils' needs. It has rigorous systems to monitor the impact of support for pupils, so that this remains as effective as possible for all. Pupils with SEND achieve exceptionally well.

Pupils enjoy a rich and aspirational curriculum that goes beyond the scope of the national curriculum. For example, they study French from the early years and gain impressive levels of fluency by Year 6. The school has meticulously identified and ordered the key knowledge that pupils should learn in each subject.

It has designed the curriculum to enable meaningful connections to be made across subjects. Pupils explained how they designed and created products using 3D printing. They described how they had used their written and spoken skills to present their designs to businesses.

Pupils spoke about the mathematical knowledge that they used to calculate profit when marketing the products.

Staff have very strong subject knowledge and deliver the curriculum with consistency, clarity and precision. They are vigilant in identifying pupils' misconceptions and successfully address them in lessons.

Published outcomes are consistently above national averages. Pupils make significant progress across the curriculum. This includes those pupils who only attend the school for a short time before accessing national tests.

Reading is prioritised. The school has refined its phonics programme to ensure that activities are highly effective in supporting pupils to learn the intended knowledge. Staff meticulously check pupils' progress through the programme.

They provide timely, tailored support, which has a very positive impact on the progress of pupils who struggle to read. Children in early years become immersed in books as staff read aloud. Pupils spoke maturely about the impact that books have had on them.

Pupils achieve highly in reading.

Pupils' conduct around the school and in lessons is consistently calm and respectful. They understand the school's expectations and the reasons for the school rules.

Pupils work incredibly hard and show high levels of resilience. Children in early years excitedly run to activities, eager to engage in as many learning experiences as possible. Pupils' attendance is strong and has been sustained over time.

The school supports families and successfully breaks down any barriers that stop pupils from attending school regularly.

The school's ambition for pupils extends far beyond the classroom. Pupils go on an impressive range of visits, including science and history trips and residential stays.

The school broadens pupils' experiences of diversity. They learn how to play wheelchair basketball, meet leaders of different faiths and build friendships with pupils from schools with a different demographic. Pupils are proud of the impact that they have on the wider world.

They lead community events, perform with the choir at the hospital and enjoy socialising with older generations at events. As members of the school's 'values committee', pupils plan ways to raise money for many charities. The school ensures that pupils understand the impact this makes to the lives of others.

The school goes above and beyond to support staff to build on their already strong practice, while also considering their well-being and workload. Staff rapidly gain high levels of skills in the subjects that they teach and lead. This expertise is recognised externally, as the school provides support to other schools.

Governors carry out their roles effectively. They constantly strive to build on the school's existing strengths.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.