Hindley Junior and Infant School

Inspection of Hindley Junior and Infant School Argyle Street, Hindley, Wigan, Lancashire WN2 3PN

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good

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Good

Previous inspection grade Good 19 and 20 April 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff set high expectations for pupils’ learning and behaviour. Pupils rise to these challenges. They have a strong belief in their ability to succeed. Teachers help pupils to build high levels of resilience when tackling new learning. As a result, pupils are extremely committed to their education. They relish learning new information.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have designed a curriculum that is ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils, including those with SEND, achieve well across a range of subjects.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is excellent in and around school. Pupils display consistently high levels of self-control. They are exceedingly respectful of each other and of staff. Pupils accept that everyone is unique. They value diversity and difference. Pupils readily offer support to their peers to help them in their work and play.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from positive, caring relationships. The pastoral support that pupils receive is a considerable strength. For example, leaders are quick to deal with any incidents of bullying. As a result, pupils feel safe and happy in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have access to a wide and rich set of experiences, which allow them to develop their interests, talents and character. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education. This includes children in the early years.

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better?

Leaders have established an engaging curriculum that meets pupils’ learning and development needs. Leaders have thought carefully about the important knowledge that pupils must learn. This includes the knowledge that children should learn in the early years. Overall, the curriculum is delivered in a logical way. It enables pupils to build up a strong foundation of subject knowledge on which they can add new learning. The curriculum in the early years ensures that children are well prepared for Year 1.

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better?

Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They use their expertise to devise lesson activities that enable most pupils to learn well. Teachers ensure that pupils have plentiful opportunities to recall and revisit previous learning. This is so that pupils do not forget important topics and concepts.

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better?

In the main, teachers use leaders’ assessment systems well to identify where pupils have developed misconceptions, or to adapt the delivery of the curriculum to revisit important knowledge. However, leaders have not fully established exactly what knowledge teachers should assess in one or two subjects. This is a work in progress. Consequently, in these subjects, teachers are less certain about whether pupils have learned all the important information that they should have. For example, teachers 19 and 20 April 2023

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in these subjects do not know whether some pupils have grasped aspects of subject- specific vocabulary and terminology.

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Leaders prioritise, and have a passion for, the teaching of reading right across the school. Staff have benefited from quality training and support to enable them to deliver the phonics programme consistently well. Children benefit from starting this programme as soon as they enter the Reception Year.

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Staff quickly enable children in the early years to develop their skills in reading, so that they can apply these to their writing. Pupils soon develop fluency and accuracy in reading. A strong and effective reading curriculum supports pupils to unlock learning in other subjects.

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Teachers’ checks on how well pupils are learning to read ensure that they identify those pupils who are struggling to keep up. Leaders put into place effective support for those pupils who find reading more difficult. This enables them to catch up quickly with their peers.

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Leaders ensure that pupils with SEND are identified early. They fully involve parents and carers in discussions about their children’s needs. Leaders ensure that teachers know how to adapt the delivery of the curriculum to enable pupils with SEND to learn successfully alongside their peers. Pupils with SEND learn well.

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Pupils’ behaviour is exceptional. Children begin to develop an awareness of the importance of sharing and taking turns in the early years. Staff establish extremely effective routines in the early years, which prepare children well for the demands of learning in later years. Pupils’ rates of attendance are excellent.

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Pupils show a real concern for the welfare of themselves and others. In particular, older pupils show significant empathy for younger children and those with additional needs. The wider personal development programme is exceedingly well thought out. It enables pupils to take on an impressive range of leadership roles. It also ensures that pupils discuss and debate key issues, for example about the environment, with maturity.

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Pupils, including those with SEND, have access to a rich and extensive array of extra-curricular opportunities. For example, pupils enjoy attending a varied range of clubs that develop their knowledge and skills. These include creative, academic, sporting and well-being activities. Leaders are passionate in their ambition to ensure that pupils develop fully as active citizens. For example, pupils know and understand that promoting equality of opportunity is of fundamental importance.

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Leaders have ensured that staff feel valued and, as a result, they work well together. Staff morale is high. Staff feel supported, trusted and respected by leaders. Governors have a knowledgeable and accurate understanding of the quality of education that pupils receive. They provide leaders with the appropriate challenge and support. 19 and 20 April 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have created a strong culture of safeguarding. They have a secure understanding of the potential safeguarding risks that pupils may face, including within the local community.

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Safeguarding

Staff have received appropriate safeguarding training. They have a clear understanding of the indicators of potential abuse and neglect. Leaders and staff work well with outside agencies to ensure that families facing challenging circumstances get the timely help that they need.

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Safeguarding

Pupils know how to keep themselves safe, for example they are taught how to use the internet safely. Pupils know how they can report any concerns to staff.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have not ensured that teachers know exactly what knowledge to assess in a few foundation subjects. As a result, some pupils do not build up a secure enough understanding of different topics and concepts. Nor do some pupils gain a sufficiently secure understanding of the essential subject-specific vocabulary that they require. Leaders should identify the most crucial subject knowledge that teachers must assess across all the foundation subjects.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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.

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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. 19 and 20 April 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Graham Doubleday

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School details

Date of previous inspection 15 and 16 May 2012

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Information about this school

 A new headteacher has been appointed since the previous inspection.  Leaders do not place any pupils in alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection that the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, music and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, discussed the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors observed pupils read to a familiar adult.  The lead inspector met with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors. 19 and 20 April 2023

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 Inspectors considered a wide range of documentation, including leaders’ evaluation of the school and their improvement plans. Inspectors also reviewed the information on the school’s website.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour as they moved around the school, in class and in the outdoor play areas.  Inspectors met with the designated safeguarding leaders and checked how leaders record and respond to safeguarding concerns.  Inspectors checked the safeguarding policies and leaders’ records of checks on the suitability of staff to work with pupils. Inspectors spoke to the headteacher, leaders and other staff about safeguarding procedures and training. Inspectors also spoke to staff about their workload and well-being.  Inspectors spoke with pupils about different aspects of school life, including behaviour and bullying. There were no responses to the pupil online survey.  There were no responses to the staff online survey. Inspectors spoke to staff

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about their workload and well-being.  Inspectors evaluated parents’ responses to Ofsted Parent View. This included the free-text comments.

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Inspection team

Iain Sim, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Michelle Joyce Ofsted Inspector 19 and 20 April 2023

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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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