Hogarth Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe and happy at this calm and welcoming school. They value being part of the school community and have demonstrated resilience to the many recent changes to leadership and staff.

Pupils are generally polite and courteous, and most have positive attitudes to learning. However, some pupils do not attend school as often as they should. In lessons, pupils sometimes lose interest and become distracted if they do not understand what they are learning or receive the help that they need.

Pupils say that they know they can speak to an adult if they have a concern. Pupils are clear on what to do if they are concerned about bullying or unkindness. This understandin...g helps them to feel safe and secure at school.

Pupils value the opportunities they have had in the past to take part in clubs, visits and leadership activities, including sports clubs, mindfulness sessions and overnight trips to a local camp. However, due to the many changes at the school, some of the planned activities do not take place. As a result, pupils miss out.

Parents have mixed views about the school due to the lack of stability over the last few years. Many, however, feel positive about recent changes.

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

Leaders are committed to ensuring that pupils learn and achieve well.

They have recently put in place a structured early reading programme. Teachers, including those in early years, have begun to follow leaders' plans consistently so that pupils can sound out difficult words and develop their reading skills. However, leaders have yet to establish procedures for identifying and supporting pupils who have fallen behind in their reading.

This means that some pupils are not being given the help they need to catch up.

The teaching of reading is more developed for older pupils. By the end of key stage 2, pupils enjoy learning through guided class texts.

Teachers use these carefully chosen books to help pupils discuss, for example, the motives of character and predict what is going to happen next.

Work to develop the wider curriculum is in its early stages. Current plans do not consistently build on what pupils know and can do.

Leaders have not identified the key knowledge pupils need to learn as they progress through the school. This limits how well pupils build their understanding of subjects over time.

Leaders have made sure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are able to access the curriculum adequately.

They have adapted resources and provided in-class support where appropriate.Leadership has not been consistent in most curricular areas or in early years. This means that teachers are only just beginning to receive the training they need to engage pupils in lessons effectively or identify gaps in learning well enough.

As a result, sometimes, pupils who do not understand the task set for them can lose focus and become distracted.

Leaders have established an effective curriculum for the teaching of personal, social and health education. Pupils learn, for example, about the qualities needed to be a good friend and citizen.

However, leaders' attempts to support pupils' development beyond the curriculum and to develop a programme of clubs and visits have been hindered by frequent staff changes.

Pupils are kind, considerate and supportive of each other. They respect differences and learn about concepts such as democracy by, for instance, holding secret ballots for class representatives.

They develop their understanding of other cultures and religions through, for example, assemblies which focus on important celebrations and festivals.

The attendance of pupils, including those with SEND and those from disadvantaged backgrounds, is low, even in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Leaders have identified the pupils with poor attendance.

They have not, however, developed or applied an effective strategy to improve low attendance.

Staff communicate that the many changes of leadership over the past two years have been detrimental to their morale and workload. Staff are, however, starting to feel more positive as a result of recent improvements in the support they receive from leaders.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders make sure that pupils are kept safe. Staff receive regular training to keep their safeguarding knowledge up to date.

They are swift to alert leaders to any potential issues or concerns about a pupil's welfare or well-being. Leaders are proactive and engage effectively with external agencies and partners. Leaders keep accurate records and make sure vulnerable pupils receive the support they need.

Leaders make sure that the appropriate checks on adults who work at the school are completed. Members of the Statutory Intervention Board (SIB) use external audits to monitor this.

Staff ensure that pupils learn about different aspects of safety.

They know and follow the SMART (safe, meeting, accepting, reliable, tell) guidelines for using the internet. Pupils, especially those in older year groups, articulate well how they use these to keep themselves safe online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Leaders and members of the SIB do not ensure that staff know exactly what knowledge they must teach.

As a result, pupils do not always learn what leaders intend. This sometimes causes pupils to become distracted. Leaders should ensure that teachers are clear about what pupils must learn in all curriculum areas.

• Leaders do not have a plan for supporting pupils who have fallen behind in the phonics programme. This means that pupils who are struggling to read are not given sufficient help to be able to learn the sounds and strategies they need to be successful readers. Leaders should ensure they put in place appropriate strategies to help those who struggle to read to catch up.

• Leaders do not promote effectively the personal development of pupils beyond the taught curriculum. Pupils do not, therefore, benefit from a consistent programme of activities and responsibilities to complement their core learning. The school should put in place a more complete and reliably delivered programme of personal development for all pupils.

• Leaders do not ensure that all pupils attend school regularly. Consequently, some pupils, particularly disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND, are frequently absent from school. Leaders should develop a more systematic approach to identify and resolve low attendance.