Hob Moor Community Primary Academy

Inspection of a good school: Hob Moor Community Primary Academy Green Lane, Acomb, York, North Yorkshire YO24 4PS

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Outcome

Hob Moor Community Primary Academy continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a school that provides opportunities for pupils to grow in a caring environment. Pupils develop a strong sense of pride and respect. Staff and pupils dedicate time to each other. They listen and explore their feelings, and as a result, know each other well. Staff’s knowledge of their pupils enables them to provide support and help when needed.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations for pupils. They want pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to thrive and enjoy their education. Pupils are keen to do well and work hard. They approach lessons with a sense of curiosity and maturity. Pupils recall knowledge that they have learned. They also make connections across different subjects. One pupil linked their reading book to the moon landings covered in history lessons.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils read fiction and non-fiction books that stimulate discussion. They describe in detail the story and characters in ‘Letters from the lighthouse’. They can make relevant links to other areas of the curriculum, such as personal, social and health education. For example, they recognise when a character is anxious or is proud.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is good. Pupils are clear that bullying does not occur frequently, and they would report it if it did. They trust adults to deal with worries or concerns.

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

Leaders have created a carefully thought-out curriculum. It is broad and ambitious. ‘Memory Lane’ is a regular activity in lessons that allows pupils to connect back to learning from earlier in the week, term, year and key stage in some cases. This helps teachers to check learning and address misconceptions. It ensures that pupils have a positive start to learning new content. This is possible because leaders have mapped the curriculum from early years through to Year 6. 5 and 6 October 2022

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Subject leaders are knowledgeable and have a clarity of purpose for their curriculum areas. This is reflected in the detail of the curriculum thinking. It focuses on enabling pupils to acquire subject knowledge that builds over time. Subject leaders use assessment, pupils’ views, staff voice and expertise from outside agencies to refine and improve the curriculum. Senior leaders have empowered and trusted subject leaders to do this. As a result, a strong whole-school curriculum is in place. Leaders recognise that they must continue to review and monitor the revised mathematics curriculum. This will help to evaluate whether the changes made are successful.

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Leaders place a great deal of emphasis on staff development. For example, subject leaders work with staff and trust leaders to support curriculum development. Leaders engage with external providers and other schools to share expertise. Leaders and staff appreciate these opportunities. Subject planning, phonics delivery and lesson content have improved as a result of this professional development.

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The early years provision provides children with a stimulating learning environment. Areas inside and out support learning. Children know the routines and treat each other with respect. Teachers ensure that there are planned daily opportunities that encourage curiosity and link play to learning. Children respond positively to staff support.

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Reading starts at the very beginning of early years. Staff share good practice through weekly phonics training. Leaders use these sessions to reinforce key messages. In lessons, teachers consistently teach phonics in line with the programme. Pupils recall and use the sounds that they have learned. The school library includes texts that are diverse. This gives pupils exposure to different perspectives on life. Pupils are aware of different societies and different cultures.

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Staff invite parents and carers of children in early years into school to support learning. Listening to children read and observing teachers teach are part of these sessions. This helps younger children settle into school well.

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Many activities are available to enhance pupils’ development. The school excels in this area. Planned trips include visits to the seaside and local areas of interest, and residential visits take place throughout the year. These enhance the curriculum content and bring to life aspects of subjects.

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Expectations for behaviour are high. The vast majority of pupils meet these expectations. Staff deal swiftly and consistently with the very few instances of low-level disruption. Pupils appreciate the positive way in which support is offered. They know whom to turn to if they need advice or feel that someone is behaving in an unkind way. Leaders follow up reports and work successfully to resolve problems.

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Governors provide challenge and support to leaders. They are heavily invested in the school and are clear about their roles and responsibilities. Training and support from the trust help governors to fulfil their roles in an effective and professional manner. Staff appreciate support in relation to their well-being and workload. 5 and 6 October 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff make sure that they spend time getting to know the pupils and their families. Pupils study how to keep safe both offline and when online. They are aware of whom to contact if they are concerned or feel anxious.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make sure that staff members receive frequent training so that they are equipped to protect pupils. Staff promptly document and communicate any worries that a pupil might be in danger. Leaders act quickly to address issues when these are brought to their attention. They also communicate frequently with external agencies.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make sure that appropriate employment checks are conducted. Leaders receive training on safer recruitment. Governors carefully monitor staff recruitment and other safeguarding policies and practices.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In mathematics, recent curriculum refinements have been made. To ensure that the changes made help build on the successes of the past and secure the clear intentions of leaders, monitoring arrangements must be robust. This will provide leaders with a clear understanding of the impact of the changes made.

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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 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.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Hob Moor Community Primary School, to be good in December 2013.

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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. 5 and 6 October 2022

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

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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 and 6 October 2022

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Ebor Multi Academy Trust.  The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  Leaders do not make use of alternative provision for pupils.  The school is part of a federation with another special school. The schools are on the same site.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school had received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The lead inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders, and has taken that into account in his evaluation of the school.  The lead inspector met with the headteacher and senior leaders.  The lead inspector met with the chief executive officer of the trust, trustees and governors. 5 and 6 October 2022

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 Deep dives were conducted into reading, mathematics and history. In each subject, the inspector visited lessons, scrutinised pupils’ work and held discussions with subject leaders, teachers and pupils.  The lead inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead to discuss the arrangements in place to safeguard all members of the school community. The lead inspector scrutinised checks that leaders make on the suitability of staff, and other safeguarding records.  The lead inspector considered responses to Ofsted’s surveys for pupils, parents and staff.

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Inspection team

Richard Jones, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 5 and 6 October 2022

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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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