Horndon-On-the-Hill CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel a strong sense of belonging at this warm and welcoming school. They live by the values of both the school and the trust.

Pupils show these values throughout the school day. Responsibility is particularly important to pupils. They develop their confidence and independence through the many opportunities the school carefully provides for them to lead.

Pupil ambassadors are proud leaders who have a say in how to improve the school. Well-being ambassadors care deeply about helping other pupils should they need support. Across year groups, pupils look after each other and act as positive role models.

Pupils of all ages happily play together on the playg...round and at the breakfast club. Older pupils especially enjoy setting up games for younger pupils to play during lunchtime. This helps to build the strong community feel that exists in the school.

Pupils show respect and consideration towards each other and adults. They have a strong sense of everyone being unique and 'special in their own way'. Pupils work hard in class.

They want to reach the high expectations the school has of them. This helps pupils to achieve well across the curriculum.

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

The school has established a curriculum that is ambitious for all pupils.

The curriculum has recently been reviewed and redesigned across the foundation subjects. It clearly identifies the most important knowledge and vocabulary pupils will learn during their time at school. This knowledge is appropriately ordered so that pupils learn the content in a sensible order.

The school understands how the early years curriculum provides the important building blocks of learning that children need to be ready for key stage 1.

In subjects where the curriculum is well established, pupils develop a deep understanding of this knowledge and vocabulary. In mathematics, for example, teachers identify with precision how well pupils have learned and remembered important content.

They then use these checks to adapt their teaching. Carefully chosen resources or time to revisit topics help pupils to secure their knowledge before they move on to new learning. In subjects where the curriculum is new, these checks on learning are less embedded.

There are occasions where these checks on learning are not used to adapt teaching. This means pupils sometimes move on to new learning before they have secured their understanding of important knowledge and vocabulary.

Children in both Nursery and the Reception class settle quickly into school life.

Well-trained staff carefully probe children's understanding through thoughtful questions. A love of stories and reading begins in the early years. Children enjoy choosing stories and books to share with staff and each other.

They learn the sounds that letters make. Once they have understood this, they learn to blend sounds together to read. The school identifies any pupil who finds reading hard.

They then receive effective help to become more fluent. Staff have the subject knowledge they need to teach reading well. Older pupils enjoy reading.

They particularly enjoy the books and stories that teachers read to them.

The school has established effective ways to identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Specific needs are identified early.

This helps staff in both the Nursery and Reception classes to provide the support children need. Staff have the knowledge they need to help pupils with SEND access the same curriculum as their peers in class. Specific and well-chosen resources, for example, the use of technology, help pupils to read important information.

Pupils have positive attitudes to their learning. They want to attend school and do so consistently. The school teaches pupils the importance of listening to adults and each other.

This helps classrooms to be places where pupils learn well. The school teaches pupils about the importance of respecting diversity. Pupils develop a broad understanding of different religions and people.

Pupils show high levels of respect for anyone who is different to them.

The school and the trust place a high priority on supporting and developing staff. This has a positive impact on pupils.

Staff appreciate the opportunities they have to develop their own subject knowledge. Staff also value how the school helps them to manage their own workload and well-being. They are proud to work at the school.

The trust has established clear ways to check how well the school is performing. Knowledgeable trustees and local governing body members support and hold leaders to account for the quality of education pupils receive.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In subjects where the curriculum is new, there are occasions where checks on pupils' understanding of content and vocabulary are not used to adapt teaching. This means, sometimes, pupils move on to new content before they have secured their understanding of this important knowledge and vocabulary. The school should ensure that teaching in all subjects is well adapted to enable all pupils to secure their understanding of important knowledge and vocabulary.