William Hildyard Church of England Primary and Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

William Hildyard Church of England Primary and Nursery School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

The school is determined that pupils will be given every opportunity to 'let their light shine'.

Pupils say they like their teachers and feel safe. They know the school values, including forgiveness, respect and courage. Pupils share that these values, as well as British values and protected characteristics, are respected at their school.

The school has high expectations of pupils' behaviour. Pupils live up to these expectations. A new behaviour system provides clear guidance for staff and pupils to 'be ready, be respectful and be safe'.
<...br/>Staff share that this has resulted in a more consistent approach to managing pupils' behaviour. In lessons, pupils focus on their learning. During social times, there is a harmonious atmosphere.

Pupils enjoy visits to Lincoln Cathedral, Peterborough Museum and Flag Fen. These visits link to pupils' learning in the classroom. The school arranges for visitors to help bring pupils' learning to life, such as in relation to their study of the Vikings.

Many pupils take part in clubs, such as football and cross-country clubs as well as music and drama. Children in the Reception class develop their social skills as they become pen pals with their peers in the other school in the federation.

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

The school's curriculum is ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Pupils develop secure knowledge. They can talk with confidence about how they select the most appropriate method to solve problems in mathematics. Pupils are very knowledgeable about recent learning, explaining in detail about Elizabeth I's royal progress to Worcester, for example.

Some pupils are less fluent when referring to previous learning in some subjects. The school's curriculum in some subjects is new and while pupils have learned a great deal during the current academic year, they cannot always recall in the same depth what they have studied in previous years. The early years curriculum has been carefully designed.

Children gradually develop their understanding of mathematics and the world around them. They are well prepared for key stage 1.

Teachers have secure knowledge of the subjects they teach.

They model learning effectively. Pupils enjoy their lessons. Teachers check pupils' understanding in lessons.

They identify and address pupils' misconceptions.

Reading is prioritised. Children learn to read as soon as they start in the Reception year.

They read books matched to the sounds they know. Children and pupils consistently report that they enjoy reading. Should pupils need any extra help to develop their reading comprehension and fluency, they benefit from tailored support which helps them to catch up quickly with their peers.

Pupils with SEND have their needs accurately and promptly identified. Staff adapt their teaching to ensure that almost all pupils with SEND study the same curriculum as their peers and develop their knowledge. A small number of pupils with SEND continue to learn in the classroom with their peers but benefit from work matched to their precise needs and stage of learning.

The school has not yet ensured that the targets set for pupils with SEND are consistently precise in identifying the small steps that will help these pupils to achieve their potential. As a result, there are occasions when the review of these targets does not provide staff, pupils and parents and carers with the information they need about how well pupils with SEND achieve.

Pupils behave well.

They treat one another with respect and welcome new pupils to the school. The school has worked hard to ensure that barriers to pupils' attendance are removed. Pupils attend well.

Pupils benefit from a range of opportunities to develop their leadership skills. Some pupils act as playtime leaders, organising activities for their peers during social times. Others are sports ambassadors, well-being ambassadors or members of the worship council.

Pupils develop an understanding of active citizenship. They sing carols at a local care home and contribute to the school's food bank during harvest festival.

There have been recent, significant changes to leadership.

New leaders have taken action to improve the sequencing of the curriculum as well as the consistency with which staff use the behaviour system. Staff report that their well-being is catered for and their workload is manageable. In some subjects, the school has only recently introduced a robust system to monitor and evaluate the impact of the curriculum.

In those subjects, the precise strengths and areas for development have not yet been identified so that further improvements can be made.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some pupils with SEND are not provided with targets which precisely identify the small steps they need to take to achieve their potential.

As a result, it is difficult for these targets to be reviewed and for parents to be provided with information about their children's attainment. The school should ensure that all pupils with SEND benefit from targets which precisely identify how they can achieve their personal and academic goals. ? The school has recently introduced a robust system to monitor and evaluate the impact of the curriculum.

There has not yet been time for this system to identify the strengths and areas for development in all subject areas. This means that the school does not yet know how to improve further the curriculum in all subjects and to build on existing strengths.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in April 2019.

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