Hurst Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Hurst Primary School Dorchester Avenue, Bexley, Kent DA5 3AJ

p.1

Outcome

Hurst Primary School continues to be a good school.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff foster a strong sense of community in this large primary school. Pupils are well cared for. Relationships between staff and pupils are built on mutual respect. Pupils are happy and safe. They are confident to approach staff and share any concerns that they may have.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations of pupils. This includes those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). All pupils rise to this challenge and enjoy the work that teachers give them. They are curious, attentive and motivated to learn. Most pupils work hard and learn the planned curriculum successfully.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. They are courteous and polite to their peers, staff and visitors. Pupils understand and follow the school’s ‘golden rules’. They are calm and focused in lessons. Pupils enjoy earning rewards and house points for modelling good behaviours and attitudes. They know what bullying is and said that it is extremely rare in the school. Staff address any incidents of bullying swiftly if they occur.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils make a positive contribution to school life through various leadership roles. For example, they can become school councillors, well-being ambassadors or digital leaders. Pupils, staff and parents and carers are proud to be part of the Hurst family.

p.1

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

Since the last inspection, the new headteacher, working alongside other leaders, has reviewed the curriculum. Leaders have thought carefully about what they want pupils to learn. They have ordered the curriculum so that pupils build their knowledge of subjects over time. This starts in the early years where children benefit from ambitious and well- sequenced programmes of learning. Staff make the most of the school’s grounds to support children’s learning and promote an inquisitiveness about the wider world. For example, children study the life cycles of animals found in the forest school area. Children leave the early years as curious learners with the knowledge they need to learn the Year 1 5 and 6 July 2022

p.1

2

curriculum. Leaders, at all levels, are ambitious and continue to develop the curriculum to make sure that it is the best it can be.

p.2

2

Leaders have secure knowledge of their curriculum areas. They share their expertise with teachers to ensure that everyone has the knowledge they need to teach subjects well. Pupils behave well in lessons. They are fully engaged in their learning.

p.2

2

Leaders and staff check how well pupils learn the curriculum. They typically use this information to refine their curriculum and to provide pupils with feedback, if necessary. In a few subjects, such as geography and art and design, the curriculum is very new. This means that sometimes pupils do not have the necessary prior knowledge to learn the content in the new curriculum effectively.

p.2

2

Learning to read is prioritised by leaders. Leaders make sure that staff have the necessary expertise to teach the recently introduced early reading programme. Children in the Nursery classes develop their vocabulary through singing songs and listening to rhymes and stories. From Reception, children learn to recognise the sounds that letters make. Staff provide well-chosen activities that help pupils practise and develop their phonics knowledge. Teachers select reading books that are matched to the sounds that pupils know. If pupils need additional support, specific help is put in place quickly. Teachers, throughout the school, help pupils to develop a love of reading. Older pupils are confident and fluent readers who enjoy reading independently. They talk enthusiastically about the books that they have read.

p.2

2

Leaders ensure that pupils with SEND are supported effectively. These pupils learn the same curriculum as everyone else. Leaders provide teachers with up-to-date information on the additional learning needs of individual pupils. Teachers and other adults use this information to make the necessary adjustments so that pupils with SEND achieve well.

p.2

2

Leaders provide pupils with a range of opportunities designed to support their wider development. They are keen to develop pupils’ understanding of difference and mutual respect. Diversity is celebrated. Leaders ensure that pupils learn about different communities. For example, pupils learn about different faiths and families so that they are prepared for life in modern Britain. Pupils learn how to keep physically and mentally healthy. They have a range of experiences made available to them which aim to develop their talents, for example by taking part in extra-curricular activities. This includes learning musical instruments and participating in sporting competitions.

p.2

2

Leaders create a positive team culture within the school. They are mindful of staff workload and well-being. As a result, staff enjoy working at the school. Governors support and challenge leaders well. They use knowledge from governance training to check that leaders are focused on improving the quality of education.

p.2

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 5 and 6 July 2022

p.2

3

All staff know how to keep pupils safe. They receive regular and up-to-date training. Leaders have established a culture where staff report any concern about a pupil, no matter how small, to the safeguarding team.

p.3

3

Leaders manage safeguarding concerns effectively and share information with appropriate authorities to help keep pupils safe. Safeguarding records are detailed. Governors have had the necessary training to oversee safer recruitment. They regularly visit the school to check that leaders’ safeguarding procedures are appropriate.

p.3

3

Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe when using technology. They also learn about other risks in society and how to manage these.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have recently introduced a new curriculum for some subjects, such as geography and art and design. This means that sometimes pupils do not have the knowledge they need to fully understand the subject content set out in the new curriculum. Leaders should ensure that all pupils have the necessary prior knowledge to learn and understand the new curriculum.

p.3

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.

p.3

Background

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the predecessor school to be good in September 2011.

p.3

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.

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school. 5 and 6 July 2022

p.3

4

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

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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 and 6 July 2022

p.4

School details

Inspection number 10226973 Type of school Primary

p.5

School details

Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 668

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection 21 March 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 Hurst Primary School is a stand-alone academy.  The school is much larger than the average-sized primary school.  There has been a change of leadership since the previous inspection. The headteacher has been in post since September 2020.  Leaders do not use any alternative provision.

p.5

Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation.  During the inspection, inspectors met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, other leaders and staff at the school. They met with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, art and design, history and mathematics. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with 5 and 6 July 2022

p.5

6

subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspectors also looked at other subjects as part of this inspection.  Inspectors met with groups of pupils to talk about their work, behaviour and their experiences of school. They also met with groups of staff.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors viewed the school’s website and policies, met with the leader in charge of safeguarding, spoke with pupils, staff and governors, and checked relevant safeguarding documentation and records.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at playtime and lunchtime.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documentation. They considered the responses to the Ofsted Parent View survey. They also considered the responses to Ofsted’s questionnaires for staff and pupils.

p.6

Inspection team

Chris Birtles, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Tom Canning Ofsted Inspector 5 and 6 July 2022

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7