Hornsea Community Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils embody Hornsea Community Primary School's motto that 'happy children progress and succeed'. Pupils enjoy their time in school and strive to become helpful, responsible citizens of the future.'

The Orchard', an enhanced resource provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), supports pupils with a range of social, emotional and mental health needs. This provision nurtures pupils to learn how to successfully control their own feelings and behaviour. Staff skilfully manage the behaviour of pupils.

Pupils are respectful and kind to one another. Staff quickly respond to any behaviour that does not follow the school's golden rules. Pu...pils know what bullying is.

They would tell an adult if they thought it was happening. Pupils are safe and happy.Leaders have created opportunities for every year group to take part in memorable activities.

Pupils are encouraged to 'Gopher' (go for) special experiences, such as dancing in the rain in Year 2 and cloud gazing in Year 4.Leaders provide a wide range of extra-curricular clubs. Leaders respond to pupils' suggestions for clubs by offering activities such as Lego or Marvel superhero club.

Leaders appoint pupil mental health ambassadors. These pupils support their peers, talking openly and honestly about their thoughts and feelings.

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

Since the pandemic, leaders have refined many aspects of the school's curriculum.

Leaders place a focus on pupils' vocabulary development. This is because leaders identified that many pupils start school with delayed speech and language skills. Leaders have designed the curriculum to raise pupil aspiration.

Leaders teach pupils about inspirational figures in the curriculum to help them to realise what it is possible to achieve. For example, pupils speak about people such as Greta Thunberg, Marcus Rashford, Rosa Parks and Nelson Mandela. Pupils can explain why they are personally inspired by them.

Leaders continue to develop aspects of the curriculum. Teachers and subject leaders have created knowledge organisers for each unit of work. These identify the vocabulary and 'sticky knowledge' that leaders want pupils to remember over time.

However, teachers do not consistently reinforce this 'sticky knowledge' in the language and tasks they use in the classroom. For example, in science, pupils carried out investigations with magnets without considering the meaning of the vocabulary 'repel' and 'attract', despite these terms being the 'sticky knowledge' teachers wanted them to remember.Leaders prioritise using quality literature in the school's curriculum.

There is a session every day when adults read to pupils. In early years, teachers promote a love of reading through a diverse range of texts. Leaders recently introduced a new phonics programme.

In early years and Year 1, more pupils can segment and blend sounds now than in previous years. Pupils use these skills to decode new words in their reading books. Leaders check individual pupil's phonics knowledge.

These checks identify pupils who are not keeping up with the phonics programme. Pupils receive extra sessions daily to ensure they catch up quickly.The early years curriculum is coherently organised, with topics that engage children.

Children love to access the outdoor learning environment, particularly the construction area. The early mathematics curriculum is clearly planned. Adults recap on early number recognition and counting skills at the start of each mathematical input.

Early years children with SEND are supported well by staff to access number tasks.The provision in The Orchard for pupils with SEND evolves to meet the specific needs of the pupils who attend. Leaders tailor the curriculum and timetable for each pupil to match their needs.

Leaders regard both the academic and emotional development as equal in priority. For example, pupils who attend The Orchard have a carefully considered balance of time in the enhanced resource provision and time in the main school to develop relationships and social skills. Each pupil has bespoke support.

Teachers adapt activities to engage pupils in appropriate tasks. The identification of pupils with SEND is timely and accurate. There are systems in place to support pupils with SEND and those who may require additional support, such as a 'watching list', on which pupils who may subsequently need more formal support are monitored.

Leaders ensure that pupils have a secure understanding of equality, diversity and protected characteristics. Pupils are mutually respectful, encompassing this by saying, 'We are all different; no one cares how you look as long as you reach your dreams.' Leaders celebrate pupil achievement in their weekly assemblies, praising academic achievement, kindness, effort and improvement.

Governors assure themselves that leaders are fulfilling their duties through their governor visits to school. They use these to assure themselves that what is reported to the governing body at meetings can be seen in practice during the school day.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff and governors receive annual training on how to recognise safeguarding risks. Leaders identify possible risks within the locality. For example, leaders recognise that Hornsea is a holiday destination, so there are many visitors in the town.

As a result, leaders provide safety information in assemblies and talk regularly about 'stranger danger' to pupils.Leaders recognise that pupils with SEND have additional vulnerabilities. Leaders encourage pupils to use visual prompts to describe their emotional state.

Relationships between adults and pupils in The Orchard are strong. Staff know the pupils well. As a result, they respond effectively to small changes in pupils' behaviour or mood.

Leaders react swiftly to any concerns pupils post in the worry boxes around the school site.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Leaders have not consistently matched the 'sticky knowledge' they want pupils to remember to the planned learning in classrooms. Leaders should work with teachers to better emphasise the most important knowledge they want pupils to remember.