Hoo St Werburgh Primary School and the Marlborough

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are truly cared for and nurtured at Hoo St Werburgh and the Marlborough. The school's values drive every decision made by staff.

Pupils have a strong understanding of those values of courage, confidence, respect and belonging. Pupils use opportunities offered by the school, such as becoming a character ambassador to raise money for local charities.This school is ambitious for all pupils to do well and achieve their best.

Adults set clear expectations for learning. Pupils live up to these. They work hard in lessons and generally achieve well, especially in English and mathematics.

Pupils behave well. They play happily alongside each other, sharing the l...unchtime equipment and enjoying games. They benefit from the nurturing and caring environment created by staff.

For example, the koala club helps pupils with their concerns and provides them with opportunities to discuss any of these before school starts. Pupils also use the worry boxes to let staff know about what is on their mind so staff can help them. Consequently, pupils feel safe and listened to.

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

In most subjects, the school has ordered knowledge sensibly and worked out the most important knowledge that pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), need to know. This is especially strong in English and mathematics, and the positive examination results in 2023 reflect this. However, in a few subjects the school has not identified precisely enough what pupils need to know and when.

This means that in these subjects teachers are not always clear what they need to teach pupils. As a result, pupils achieve less well than in the strongest subjects.The school has prioritised improving staff's subject knowledge through precisely targeted training.

Within lessons, staff check and address pupils' mistakes or misunderstandings. In subjects such as English and mathematics staff regularly check what pupils can remember. This leads to pupils knowing and remembering more in these subjects.

However, in a few subjects assessment is not always used well enough to check pupils' knowledge. Consequently, in these subjects there are some gaps in what pupils can remember.The school ensures that learning is well matched to pupils' understanding and meets their needs well.

This is particularly strong for pupils with SEND, especially in the specialist on-site provision, The Marlborough. Staff ensure that they make precise and individual adaptations for pupils with SEND. Consequently, these pupils thrive and achieve very well.

Pupils love reading. In Reception, children concentrate very well because teachers keep them interested and enthused, particularly in phonics. Pupils learn phonics quickly, and staff identify gaps in children's understanding by checking how well they are starting to read.

Skilled staff provide high-quality support for those that need to catch up. Books closely match the sounds that pupils need to practise, and support is regularly reviewed to ensure that it is impactful. As a result, pupils quickly become fluent readers as they move through the year groups.

Staff have high expectations of how pupils should behave. Across the school, relationships between adults and pupils are warm and respectful. Almost all pupils focus keenly on their learning.

From early years, routines are well established. Pupils know what to expect and develop a high level of independence quickly. However, a few pupils across the school do not always follow the instructions staff give them and lack focus in lessons.

However, leaders are taking action to address this.Pupils' personal development is exceptional. The school provides extremely strong welfare and pastoral support steered by the school's values.

The school's extensive nurture provision effectively identifies and addresses the social and emotional needs of each child. This has led to pupils' attendance improving over time. Pupils talk with a deep understanding about relationships, growing up and what it means to be healthy.

Leaders are highly ambitious for all pupils, staff and the community that they serve. A well-structured programme of training supports strong teaching. The school prioritises staff's workload and well-being.

Staff value the collaborative working within the trust schools which supports their teaching. The trust and local governance committee fulfil their statutory duties with expertise, ensuring a strong partnership across the trust.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few subjects, it is not yet clear what pupils need to know and when they need to know it. This means that pupils cannot systematically build their knowledge and skills over time in all areas of the curriculum. The school must ensure that there is a precise order of learning in all subjects, setting out exactly what pupils will learn and when.

• In some subjects, teachers do not use assessment well enough. Where this is the case, some pupils do not remember what they have learned before in sufficient detail. The school must ensure that teachers in all subjects assess what pupils know equally effectively.

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