The Hills Academy

Inspection of The Hills Academy Stancliffe Road, Bedford, Bedfordshire MK41 9AT

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 5–6 February 2020

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well in lessons and when moving around the school. They enjoy sharing ideas and working things out together. Pupils told us: ‘We are all here to help each other.’ Teachers’ high expectations ensure that most pupils work hard and do not disturb others during learning time.

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What is it like to attend this school?

A range of different clubs, such as tennis, recorders and debating, help pupils to develop as confident individuals. Leaders make sure that almost all pupils learn to swim. Many pupils learn how to play a musical instrument. Pupils recognise that visits to places like Bletchley Park and residential trips to Norfolk and France enrich their learning. Pupils appreciate and understand the responsibility of roles such as being a school councillor or sharing books with younger children. Pupils enjoy helping with the smooth running of the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders take great care to support pupils’ emotional well-being. Pupils say that they feel safe and that bullying is rare. Pupils are confident that staff will sort out any issues. Staff and pupils show a high level of respect for one another.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers who responded to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, and those who spoke with us are very supportive of the school. 

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better?

Leaders and staff want all pupils to achieve well. In most subjects, for example mathematics, computing, physical education (PE) and personal, social and health education (PSHE), leaders have designed a well-planned and ambitious curriculum. Where this is the case, teachers plan lessons that successfully build on what pupils have learned before. Pupils’ work in books shows logical sequencing in what they know and can do. This supports the good progress they make in most subjects.

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better?

In some other subjects, pupils’ long-term learning is not as secure. Pupils do not make connections between what they have learned and what they need to know to learn more. For example, in history, pupils do not remember the historical eras they have studied. In geography, they cannot recall the physical features they discussed in previous lessons. Leaders are aware that the curriculum plans in some subjects need reworking so that teachers understand the important knowledge and skills pupils should learn and remember over time.

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better?

Leaders have not made sure that all curriculum leaders have the confidence or know-how to develop long-term plans in their subjects. In some areas of the curriculum, the key knowledge and skills pupils need to learn from early years through to Year 6 are not well connected. In some subjects, teaching is disjointed and, consequently, pupils have gaps in their learning.

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better?

Leaders have prioritised reading. Pupils learn phonics in a structured way that helps them learn to read confidently. Teachers are clear about the sounds and words 5–6 February 2020

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pupils should be able to read by the end of each term. Any pupil who is falling behind gets the right support to help them catch up quickly.

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Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to learning are strong. Almost all pupils are keen to learn. Disruption in class is rare because pupils want to do their best for their teachers and for themselves.

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Leaders make sure that staff know how to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Teachers and teaching assistants provide a well- considered range of equipment and approaches that help pupils to learn.

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Children in the Nursery and Reception classes settle happily into school and are kept safe. The classrooms and the outside area are attractively set out to encourage children to learn across the curriculum. Staff make sure that children develop their early reading and mathematics skills through lots of different activities. For example, we saw staff showing how to count down from ten as children played hide and seek. Staff supported children to use positional language correctly to guess where the hidden child might be, such as ‘behind’, ‘under’ and ‘by the side’.

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Leaders and staff ensure that pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. Pupils visit places of worship to learn about different religions and cultures. Pupils told us that the school is a friendly and welcoming place, where ‘no one is left out because they are different’.

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The governing body is effective. Governors are knowledgeable and hold leaders to account in most areas of the school’s work. Staff told us that leaders are very considerate of their well-being and workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The culture of safeguarding is consistent with the school’s caring ethos. Staff receive regular training and updates. They are vigilant and understand that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Staff identify pupils who may be at risk and take appropriate action when required. Leaders follow up safeguarding concerns rigorously. They work effectively with other agencies and families to support pupils who may need help.

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Safeguarding

Leaders check that staff are suitable to work with children. Governors must ensure that these checks always meet statutory requirements.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe. Pupils understand how to stay safe when online and when crossing roads. 5–6 February 2020

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school’s curriculum is not yet coherently planned and well sequenced in some subjects. Leaders are in the process of addressing this. They have already taken steps to improve the school’s curriculum and train staff. Leaders need to make sure that revised plans are successfully implemented so that teachers have clear oversight of all subjects and teach pupils effectively, in order that pupils learn well.  Currently, in some subjects, teaching is disconnected. Pupils have gaps in their knowledge and understanding, which does not help them to deepen their learning. Senior leaders need to train and support curriculum leaders, some of whom are new to the role, to be well equipped to improve the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement in the subjects they lead.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, 'disadvantaged pupils' refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 5–6 February 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10121496 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 In April 2013, the school converted to a stand-alone academy. The board of trustees, known as the governing body, is the accountable body.  In September 2017, the school became a primary school. This followed the extension of the former Hills Lower School to include Year 5 and Year 6. The primary school was established on the former lower-school site. The buildings were extended and refurbished to accommodate the additional pupil numbers.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We deemed the inspection a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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Information about this inspection

 As part of this inspection, we held meetings with the headteacher, who is also the designated safeguarding leader, the deputy headteacher, who is also the special educational needs coordinator (SENCo), and the two assistant headteachers, one of whom is the early years leader. We also met with the English, mathematics, and history leaders, the school business manager and a group of staff, including newly qualified teachers, to discuss the impact of the support they receive from leaders. 5–6 February 2020

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 I met with the chair of the governing body and four other governors. Additionally, I had a telephone conversation with an external consultant to discuss their work with the school.  We did deep dives in these subjects: reading, writing, mathematics and history. We spoke to curriculum leaders, visited lessons, looked at a range of pupils’ work and met with teachers and pupils. We also observed some pupils reading to staff and talked to pupils about their reading habits.  We also scrutinised curriculum plans and visited lessons in PSHE, PE, geography and computing.  We spoke to pupils informally in class and around the school at breaktimes to seek their views about the school.  We scrutinised the school’s website and a range of school documents, including the school’s own evaluation, improvement plans and records about behaviour, attendance and safeguarding children.  We considered the 80 responses made by parents to Parent View, Ofsted’s online

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questionnaire, and emails received from parents. We also spoke to some parents at the start of the school day. Additionally, we took account of the school’s own recent parent and pupil surveys.  The transition arrangements for quality of education apply to this inspection.

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Inspection team

Fiona Webb, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Brenda Watson Ofsted Inspector 5–6 February 2020

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regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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