Hucklow Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend this welcoming and inclusive school.

They are happy and safe at school. Staff cheerfully greet children and families arriving at school every morning. These greetings are warm and positive.

This gets the school day off to the best possible start.

The school has high expectations and ambitions for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

Staff know and understand the children, families and community extremely well. Strong, positive relationships are at the heart of all the school's work. Children in early years have ...an exceptionally positive start to their school experience.

Staff consistently apply the school's behaviour policy. Pupils feel that everyone is treated fairly. They insist that there is no bullying at school.

On occasions, when there are disputes and conflicts, these matters are addressed and dealt with seriously, although these events make some pupils feel uncomfortable.

Pupils are nurtured and cared for by thoughtful adults who have their best interests at heart. There is a broad range of support available for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs.

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

The school has designed and introduced an ambitious curriculum. In most subjects, learning is carefully planned and sequenced. In subjects such as mathematics, history and Spanish, pupils build a strong body of knowledge.

Pupils are particularly enthusiastic about history. They can clearly remember what they have learned in a number of history topics. They also learn what it means to think like 'historians'.

In a topic on the Mayans, pupils use their critical thinking skills in their distrust of the reliability of Spanish records of events. Teachers make regular checks on pupils' learning. The curriculum is not consistently well taught in all subjects.

For example, in music, pupils' knowledge does not build on what they have learned in previous years. When this is the case, pupils do not learn as well as the school would like.

The school has placed a strong emphasis on reading.

Books are conspicuous and celebrated throughout the school. Pupils' attitudes to reading are very positive. They speak excitedly about their favourite books, authors and genres.

Pupils at the early stages of learning to read have focused daily phonics lessons. These lessons are consistently taught by expert, well-trained staff.

The published data for the school does not fully reflect the quality of the educational offer.

In 2023, pupils' attainment at the end of Year 6 and Year 2 was significantly below the national average. Some of this underperformance can be attributed to the lingering impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, along with poor attendance rates.

Pupils with SEND have their needs quickly identified.

Support for these pupils is carefully planned and is responsive to their needs. The specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND is very well tailored to meeting their needs. The provision has a strong focus on the development of communication and language.

Wherever possible, these pupils integrate with their peers in mainstream classrooms.

Children in the early years get off to a strong start to their education. They learn in a warm and welcoming environment.

The expertly planned curriculum is designed to meet the particular needs of children and families. There is a strong focus on the development of communication and language. Nursery rhymes and poetry are an essential element to learning.

No time is wasted in providing support for children with SEND. Children quickly develop independence. Children's behaviour in early years is exceptional.

The school has a strong restorative approach to behaviour management. Adults support pupils to learn from their mistakes. Pupils value adults helping them to resolve conflicts.

Despite this, some pupils say that there are occasionally physical altercations in and out of school.

The trust has used a range of strategies to bring about some improvements to attendance. It has also improved its systems for managing and monitoring pupils' attendance.

Despite some improvement, attendance is still low for too many pupils. Too many pupils are also persistently absent.

The school's curriculum for personal, social and health education (PSHE) is well planned and sequenced.

In PSHE lessons, pupils learn how to be good friends. They discuss positive and negative personality traits. School councillors value their opportunities to bring about positive changes to the school such as recent improvements to the lunch menu.

The trust and the school have a strong, unwavering commitment to ensuring that pupils are ready for the next stage of their education and to be active and successful members of society. Leaders and governors are mindful of workload and well-being of staff. Skilled, knowledgeable governors fulfil their duties well.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some areas, the curriculum is not as well sequenced as it is in others. Where this is the case, pupils do not build new learning as well as they should.

The school should take further action to build learning effectively across all subjects. On occasions, some pupils feel uncomfortable as a result of the involvement of a minority of pupils in physical altercations. The school must ensure it continues to promote positive behaviour, a culture of high expectation and a calm and orderly environment in all parts of school.

• Some pupils do not attend school regularly enough. As a result, they do not build their knowledge well over time and have gaps in their learning. The trust needs to ensure that the attendance strategy and work with parents are effective in ensuring that pupils attend with more regularity, so that they learn more successfully over time.