Hoyland Common Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Hoyland Common are polite, articulate and love learning.

Pupils behave well in lessons. At playtimes they enjoy the space and range of activities they can take part in. Pupils particularly enjoy the opportunity to use the computerised 'pods' inside to play games or watch films.

If pupils struggle to manage their behaviour, they know that adults will help them. Bullying rarely happens here. Pupils have a good understanding of different types of bullying, including cyber-bullying.

Recent changes to leadership have been well managed by the multi-academy trust leaders. This has ensured that work to improve the school has continued during the changes. Le...aders and staff have high expectations and are ambitious for pupils.

They work together to continuously look for ways to improve the curriculum. Leaders are determined that learning will interest, inspire and engage pupils.

This is an inclusive school.

Everyone is treated equally. Leaders' careful curriculum planning enables pupils to develop a mature understanding about areas such as equality and respect. One pupil said, 'No one is different in our school, everyone is welcomed.'



Leaders give pupils many opportunities to explore varied and exciting experiences. Pupils talk positively about taking part in Shakespearean dramas or learning to play the cello or violin. Pupils say visits to places, such as the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, help them to understand sculpture.

They then apply this knowledge to their own works of art.

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

Leaders and staff have created an ambitious and broad curriculum. In some subjects, such as art and design or science, they have created curriculum plans that contain all the important knowledge they want pupils to learn.

Teachers use these plans effectively to create lessons that help pupils to gain rich and varied knowledge about the subjects.

The mathematics curriculum is well planned and sequenced to help pupils revisit their previous learning. Leaders have identified important priorities for learning for pupils from the early years to Year 6.

Pupils revisit times tables and fluency with adding, subtracting, multiplication and division at the start of every session. Teachers use the curriculum well to create lessons that build pupils' learning over time.

In a small number of other subjects, leaders are still refining the curriculum.

In these subjects, teachers do not always have sufficient subject knowledge or understanding of learning resources to plan lessons that help pupils, including those with special educational and/or disabilities (SEND) to learn and remember more. Leaders ensure that pupils with SEND are fully included in all aspects of school life.However, some of the adaptations that teachers make to lessons do not always enable pupils with SEND to make sufficient progress.

Leaders are determined that pupils learn to read from their first days in school. The teaching of phonics is organised successfully. Teachers are well trained and plan learning effectively, using the school's chosen phonics programme.

Teachers check pupils' progress regularly. They use assessments to ensure that pupils read books that contain sounds they have been taught. This helps pupils to develop confidence and fluency quickly.

Pupils who are finding reading more difficult are given extra support. This is planned to enable them to catch up, however the support is not always consistently effective.

Leaders have created a curriculum in the early years that aims to prepare children for future learning.

This is in the earliest stages of development. Staff's relationships with children are warm and nurturing. They encourage children to talk and share ideas about learning.

However, there is very little in the classroom environment to stimulate language, vocabulary or reading development. Furthermore, it is not sufficiently clear how some planned activities support children to make progress in all areas of the early years curriculum.

Leaders use a well-planned curriculum for personal development to teach pupils about being respectful and helpful to others.

An example of this is the role pupils take on as sports leaders on the playground. Pupils say it is important to encourage others to join in the activities and get fit and healthy. Pupils also have a good understanding of different faiths and religions.

Conversely, pupils do not have a secure enough understanding of fundamental British values. They cannot identify how values such as democracy are important to society or how they apply to life in the school.

The trust supports the school effectively.

Representatives visit the school regularly to hold leaders to account. Recently recruited members to the local governing body are currently undergoing training to fully understand their role in challenging and supporting leaders to improve the school further.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

New leaders have ensured that everyone in the school is aware of their role in safeguarding pupils. Staff have had recent training to ensure that they are clear about how to identify and report any safeguarding concerns. Leaders are in the process of refining systems to monitor records and follow up on concerns.

This is needed as current records are not sufficiently organised to ensure that support is always directed to where it is needed.

Leaders ensure that pupils know how to stay safe. Teachers use the curriculum to help pupils to identify risks, both in the community and online.

Pupils learn about healthy and unhealthy relationships in real life and in the virtual world. Pupils understand the importance of telling adults about any concerns.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Staff do not have sufficient expertise to ensure that all pupils, including those with SEND, learn as well as they might.

This means that some pupils do not receive enough help to develop new skills and acquire new knowledge. Leaders must ensure that all staff have appropriate training to adapt learning to meet all pupils' needs, both within classes and where pupils with SEND require additional support. ? Some subject leaders do not monitor the implementation of the curriculum effectively enough.

Therefore, in some curriculum areas teachers are not sufficiently aware of different strategies and approaches that will help pupils to develop deeper understanding. Leaders must enable subject leaders to monitor the curriculum in action, to identify any areas where teachers require more support. ? Leaders have not ensured that staff in the early years use the environment well enough to promote learning.

Many areas of provision are not planned sufficiently to promote independent learning. There are missed opportunities for language and vocabulary development. Leaders should ensure that staff in the early years fully understand how to utilise the environment to build children's confidence, independence and engagement with all areas of learning.

• Some aspects of the personal development curriculum are not covered in enough detail, particularly British values, and awareness of other cultures. Consequently, pupils don't know enough about the values of modern Britain. Leaders must ensure that pupils learn and understand more about British values and diverse cultures.