Hotham Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils receive remarkable learning experiences at Hotham Primary.

The school promotes exceptionally high ambition for all pupils. The school's vision of 'limitless opportunities for every child to aspire and succeed' is fully realised. Pupils embody the school's values of 'respect, responsibility and resolve'.

The early years provision is dynamic and engaging. Children get off to a rapid start in their learning. Staff ensure that children learn how to communicate and cooperate with each other in a stimulating environment.

Staff have high expectations of pupils across the school. They make sure that pupils acquire a depth of knowledge and skills in their learn...ing. The school ensures that the curriculum is stimulating and is delivered through highly skilled teaching.

Pupils behave wonderfully well and eagerly attend school. Pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve very well.

The school's work on pupils' development is exemplary.

Pupils become confident and mature individuals. They benefit from an orchestrated collection of broader development opportunities. These include numerous trips and extra-curricular activities, including skateboarding, fencing, art clubs and contributing to the 'Hotham Herald'.

Pupils proudly take on leadership responsibilities, including the 'value teams' and being eco-leaders, playground leaders and sports leaders.

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

The school balances pupils' academic success with strong personal development. The school's curriculum is highly ambitious and well organised, with a strong emphasis on pupils' early language development and learning to read.

In Reception, children blend sounds to form words and recognise trickier sounds with ease. Pupils read with increasing fluency and accuracy. The school prioritises developing children's writing skills early on.

For instance, staff teach children in the early years to begin to write letters accurately. This focus on high-quality handwriting and sophisticated vocabulary use continues throughout the school, resulting in the exceptional quality of pupils' writing.

Teachers use their strong subject knowledge to design effective learning activities that help pupils to build on their earlier learning.

For example, in physical development activities, children in Reception learn to throw objects accurately. This develops in Years 5 and 6, where pupils demonstrate strong knowledge and awareness when making connections between different types of passes in basketball and netball. In mathematics, Nursery children use a variety of resources to count up to five.

In Reception, children learn to add and subtract with numbers up to 20. By Year 2, pupils solve real-life problems by dividing numbers accurately. Across the curriculum, staff enable pupils to deepen their knowledge and understanding of subject content well.

The school ensures that pupils with SEND have their needs carefully identified. Teachers and support staff utilise the information on individual pupils to ensure that they can fully access the curriculum. Resources are adapted in different ways that help pupils gain a better understanding of the content they need to learn.

Pupils love reading. This is because the school makes reading a priority. The school makes sure that pupils read a wide variety of interesting books that capture their interest and understanding of the wider world.

Older pupils talk about their favourite books, characters and story plots with zest. The school takes decisive actions with pupils who have fallen behind in their reading and ensures that their confidence and fluency improve quickly.

Pupils exhibit high levels of resilience and self-control in their learning.

Time is never wasted in lessons, and the school ensures that low-level disruption is minimised. Children in early years learn to play very well with each other. They learn to use tools in their construction area and role play safely, increasing their understanding of safety in the wider world.

The school has a strong focus on pastoral support and care. The school prioritises pupils' well-being. Any barriers to pupils' learning and attendance are minimised by highly skilled staff.

The school has structured its personal, social and health education programme meticulously. Through a variety of assemblies, lessons and events, pupils gain knowledge about different faiths, cultures and backgrounds. Pupils are well versed in online safety and understand the significance of various types of discrimination.

They value opportunities to develop their character and cultural awareness. For example, pupils in Year 5 rehearsed for a regional festival, performing a song with precision and flair. Pupils appreciate the residential trips, which help them learn about themselves and develop leadership and teamwork skills.

Leaders, including the governing body, are highly committed and strive for excellence. The school is reflective in its work and ensures effective involvement with all stakeholders. Projects like the 'winter wonderland' involve many members of the school community.

Staff appreciate the school's efforts to manage their workload and well-being. Parents and carers are also highly appreciative, fully supporting and contributing to the work of the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.