Hope Community School

Inspection of Hope Community School 167 Rectory Lane, Sidcup, Kent DA14 5BU

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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 Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 17 and 18 May 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud members of the school community. They are happy and safe here. They like that everyone knows each other so well. Pupils are encouraged to have a great respect for each other’s differences.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour is calm and orderly in class and around the school. Staff have high expectations of all pupils and follow the school behaviour policy consistently well. Pupils who need extra help with their behaviour receive appropriate support from very well-trained staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the termly outings linked to the curriculum such as visits to museums, places of worship and to the seaside. The whole school community recently enjoyed a king’s coronation party.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Typically, pupils attend after-school clubs regularly. There are many clubs on offer such as art, chess, choir and the particularly popular drama club. Staff encourage pupils to take part in fundraising for charities. They provide opportunities for pupils to meet and speak with residents of a local care home.

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better?

Leaders have made sure that the curriculum is coherently planned and sequenced. They have designed the curriculum carefully so that it is ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders carefully sequence the order in which key knowledge and skills are taught in each subject from early years to Year 6, including in mixed-age classes.

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better?

Leaders’ work to improve the curriculum has resulted in positive changes across many subjects. For example, in mathematics pupils deepen their understanding of calculation strategies. However, this has not had time to show an impact on raising pupils’ outcomes at the end of Year 6 in 2022.

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better?

Staff receive regular, subject-specific training. They teach all subjects with confidence. Teachers check pupils’ understanding carefully and address any misconceptions in a timely way. Staff use resources effectively to support pupils’ understanding.

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better?

Teachers revisit key knowledge and skills with increasing complexity over time. This enables pupils to revise and deepen any previous learning. For instance, children in Reception used their prior learning to make observations of seasonal changes. By the time they are in Year 6, pupils have learned about weather and climates in the United Kingdom and different areas of the world.

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better?

Typically, leaders identify the needs of pupils with SEND well. They ensure that pupils with SEND receive the appropriate support they need in order to succeed. Leaders do not share with all staff procedures for identifying pupils with SEND 17 and 18 May 2023

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precisely. This leads to variability in some staff’s understanding of how to identify quickly and support pupils with SEND.

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Leaders have made sure that the teaching of reading is treated as a priority. Right from the start of Reception, staff promote children’s reading skills. Daily phonics sessions help pupils to become fluent readers. They learn to read using books that match the sounds they are learning. This helps them to read with confidence and fluency. Staff make sure that any pupils that fall behind get the extra support they need. They quickly catch up with their peers. Teachers work hard to promote a love of reading. Pupils spoke enthusiastically about their favourite books and authors.

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Staff encourage pupils to keep both mentally and physically healthy. They teach pupils about the importance of healthy relationships. In lessons, teachers deal with any rare low-level disruption effectively. This means that learning continues uninterrupted. In early years, staff support children to follow routines and instructions well.

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Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the school. They appreciated all the recent changes to the curriculum and enrichment offer. Staff felt well supported by school leaders. Leaders think carefully about staff well-being and how to further help in reducing their workload. Those responsible for governance have a strong oversight of leaders’ work.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have made sure that systems for safeguarding are clear and rigorous. They know families well. Leaders work closely with outside agencies to keep pupils safe. They ensure that any concerns are dealt with swiftly.

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Safeguarding

Staff receive regular training. They are very clear about their responsibilities. Pupils are taught how to keep safe in different situations. They trust and know to talk to the adults if they were worried about anything.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Changes to the curriculum have not had time to show a lasting impact on pupils’ academic outcomes by the end of Year 6 in reading, writing and especially in mathematics. Leaders should continue their work to ensure that changes to the curriculum are fully embedded.  Leaders do not ensure that procedures for identifying pupils with SEND are shared with all staff with precision. This leads to variability in staff’s understanding of how to identify and support pupils with SEND quickly. Leaders must make sure that they make the process for identifying pupils with SEND and 17 and 18 May 2023

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all follow-up activities explicit to all staff so that all are clear of their role in supporting pupils with SEND.

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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. 17 and 18 May 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10255406 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection 18 May 2022, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher was appointed to her post in September 2022.  The school is part of the New Generation Schools Trust.  The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school. Currently, all classes apart from Year 6 are taught in mixed-year groups.  The school uses one registered alternative provider.

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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 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 held meetings with senior leaders. They met with members of the governing body, including the chair. They met with trustees, including the chair of trustees. 17 and 18 May 2023

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 Inspectors met pupils to understand their views about the school.  Inspectors did deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics, and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons with senior leaders, met with teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also considered the curriculum in other subjects.  Inspectors considered the behaviour of pupils during lesson visits and around the school. They observed pupils as they arrived at school in the morning. They looked at behaviour and bullying records and leaders’ analysis of these.  Inspectors considered the effectiveness of safeguarding through discussions with leaders, teachers, and support staff. They looked at records relating to safeguarding, including pre-employment checks.  Inspectors spoke to staff about their workload and well-being. They considered

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the views of staff, pupils and parents, including responses to Ofsted’s online surveys.  Inspectors considered a wide range of documentation provided by the school. This included curriculum documentation and school policies.

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Inspection team

Aliki Constantopoulou, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Andrew Rigby Ofsted Inspector 17 and 18 May 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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