Hardwick and Cambourne Community Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Hardwick and Cambourne Community Primary School Limes Road, Hardwick, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB23 7RE

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Inspection dates: 16 and 17 November 2021

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Outcome

Hardwick and Cambourne Community Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love coming to school. They are looked after by staff and say the school is ‘full of kind people’. Pupils feel safe in school and know who to speak to if they have a problem. Relationships between staff and pupils are strong. This is because there is a culture of mutual respect between them all.

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What is it like to attend this school?

All staff expect pupils to behave well, and they do. In lessons, pupils listen carefully to adults and each other. There is a calm and purposeful atmosphere in classrooms across the school. This helps pupils to learn well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know about different forms of bullying but say it does not happen often. They say that if it does happen, it is dealt with well by adults. Pupils of different ages get on together and play happily with one another at lunchtimes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils received a broad curriculum. They love reading and have lots of opportunities to read a range of books for pleasure and hear adults read stories and poems to them. They have the chance, through ‘golden afternoons’, to try out different activities. Pupils say this time is ‘amazing’. Amongst other things, they have been able to play golf, learn Japanese and work in the school garden.

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What is it like to attend this school?

It does not matter which site the pupils attend - Hardwick or Cambourne. They all receive the same high level of care, support and opportunity.

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

Hardwick and Cambourne Community Primary is a unique school. Leaders have worked with great skill to bring together one school community across two sites. They have done this well, creating a warm and friendly environment where pupils can learn and have fun. Parents and staff see the school as a happy and safe place for pupils to be. 16 and 17 November 2021

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Leaders are determined to make sure that pupils not only learn to read, but they have a love of reading too. From the start of Reception, children learn phonics every day. Leaders set out precisely the letters and sounds that pupils need to know and remember, and the order in which they must learn them. Pupils who find learning to read tricky are identified quickly and given extra help. Teachers carefully choose books that pupils take home to read, so they get to practise the sounds they learn in class. All of this means that pupils learn to read fluently and with confidence.

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Leaders have set out the important knowledge that pupils need to know and remember across the curriculum. This means that pupils’ new learning builds on what they already know and can do. For example, in art, pupils improve their ability to use shading techniques as they move through the school. This results in pupils in Year 6 producing very high-quality portraits using sketching pencils. One pupil told the inspector, ‘Our learning isn’t jumbled’.

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There are a small number of subjects where leaders have not yet completely finished implementing their new curriculum plans. Although pupils still know and remember much of the curriculum in these subjects, some of their knowledge is disjointed. They do not yet develop the rich and detailed knowledge in these subjects, as they do in others.

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Pupils’ behaviour in and around the school is very good. Lessons are calm and orderly, and pupils are able to learn effectively.

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Leaders make sure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities have access to the full curriculum. Teachers know the needs of these pupils well and adapt the curriculum, or the support pupils receive, to make sure they learn as well as other pupils.

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Leaders provide a range of clubs and activities for pupils to take part in. Pupils understand how people come from different backgrounds and may have different beliefs. Pupils show respect and say that, ‘Everyone is included, no matter what their background’.

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Teachers, and teaching assistants, have a good knowledge of the subjects they teach. This is because leaders provide regular high-quality training. The local authority also provides effective support for leaders, especially those who lead curriculum subjects.

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Leaders look after staff well. Staff say they are proud to work in the school. Leaders think carefully about the workload of staff before introducing new ways of working.

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Governors carry out their duties effectively. They support leaders well, but do not shy away from asking questions to provide challenge when this is needed. Governors regularly reflect on the way they do things. They have been quick to make changes in the way they work if they realise things could be even better. 16 and 17 November 2021

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff receive regular and relevant training and know the local risks that pupils face. This means there is a culture of vigilance. Staff know how to report concerns and are confident that leaders will take action if needed. Older pupils also know the risks they face, for example the effect the use of social media can have on their mental health.

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Safeguarding

When pupils do need help, leaders work effectively with outside agencies. They are quick to follow up requests for support if they do not feel that pupils are getting the help they need. Leaders make all the required checks on new staff to make sure they are safe to work in school.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, leaders are still in the process of implementing the curriculum. Some plans are in the early stages of development. This means that some aspects of the curriculum are not fully embedded across the school. Pupils do not develop such a rich and detailed knowledge in these subjects as they do in others. Leaders should quickly ensure that these few areas are planned and implemented.

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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 a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in March 2012.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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. 16 and 17 November 2021

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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. 16 and 17 November 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10200012 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Cate Thompson and James Hoban

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School details

Website www.hardwickandcambourneprimary.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 15 September 2016, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is set over two sites - the Hardwick site and Cambourne site. They are approximately five miles apart. Each site caters for pupils from Reception to Year 6.  There is a Nursery class at the Cambourne site which takes children from the age of three.  The school is led by two co-headteachers. They have been substantive co- headteachers since September 2019.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since a COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, art and mathematics. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. 16 and 17 November 2021

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 The inspector also looked at curriculum plans and spoke to leaders about a number of other subjects.  The inspector held meetings with the co-headteachers, assistant headteachers, special educational needs coordinators, members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority.  To inspect safeguarding, the inspector looked at the single central record, reviewed safeguarding paperwork and systems, and spoke to leaders, teachers, support staff, governors and pupils.  The inspector considered 160 responses made by parents to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, including 87 free-text responses, along with one email from a parent. The inspector also considered 37 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for staff.

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Inspection team

Nathan Lowe, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 16 and 17 November 2021

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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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