Huntington Primary Academy

Inspection of Huntington Primary Academy North Moor Road, Huntington, York, North Yorkshire YO32 9QT

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Good 6 and 7 June 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to be part of this school. The recently established leadership team has developed a powerful vision of ‘belong, embrace, encourage, succeed’ (BEES). This inspires pupils to see themselves as ‘bees in a hive’, working together to encourage each other. This vision underpins the curriculum that leaders are beginning to establish. However, staff are in the early stages of developing the curriculum, including in the early years. In most subjects, the curriculum does not precisely define what leaders want pupils to learn and remember. Pupils are not able to build their knowledge step by step as they move through the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Adults help pupils to manage their own feelings and behaviour well. Leaders have established the school rules of ‘ready, respectful, safe’ to help pupils understand what adults expect of them. Staff apply these rules consistently. As a result, pupils behave well most of the time. Bullying is rare. This is because leaders and staff teach pupils how to treat everyone with respect. When bullying does happen, staff deal with it so that the bullying stops.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a real sense of community at Huntington Primary Academy. Leaders have built positive relationships with pupils and their families. They have created an inclusive culture that helps pupils to feel happy and safe.

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better?

In most subjects, leaders have not defined the most important things they want pupils to learn. This means that teachers do not consistently match activities to the most important things pupils should learn. This makes it difficult for pupils to build their knowledge step by step. Currently, pupils are not learning well enough in subjects across the curriculum.

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better?

Leaders are reviewing the curriculum. They want to make sure that pupils build on what they already know. In areas such as physical education (PE) and mathematics, this process is gaining traction and pupils are learning more of the important knowledge and skills they need.

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better?

In early years, staff help children to cooperate well and build positive relationships with each other. They teach children to share and to be kind. Staff encourage children to use new vocabulary. They ask them questions that help children to extend their talk and explain their thinking. However, leaders have not thought carefully enough about how the important knowledge, skills and attributes that children need to develop will build progressively. Many of the activities that staff provide for children are not helping them to develop the knowledge they need to be ready for Year 1.

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better?

Leaders make reading a priority. They give staff the training that they need to help pupils to learn to read. From the earliest years, leaders make sure that children develop their phonic knowledge to become confident readers. Staff give pupils 6 and 7 June 2023

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throughout school lots of practice to read. This helps pupils to become fluent readers. The books that pupils read match the sounds that they know. When pupils struggle with reading, staff give them the right support to catch up. Staff show pupils what being a great reader looks like by reading together frequently. Pupils talk enthusiastically about the books that they read in class. For example, they can talk in detail about the characters in the stories they are reading.

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Teachers help pupils to build their mathematical knowledge step by step. Pupils have lots of opportunities to rehearse and practise learning. For example, when practising tally charts, teachers addressed misconceptions to help pupils become more confident. Teachers support pupils to use mathematical vocabulary accurately. Pupils were able to discuss the meanings of ‘interpret’ and ‘estimate’ and apply these to their mathematics. By the time pupils leave school in Year 6, they are confident mathematicians.

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Leaders’ commitment to pupils’ wider development is a considerable strength. Pupils can explain the importance of respect. They celebrate difference and diversity. Leaders have made sure this is woven through the curriculum. Pupils explore diversity through activities such as reading the poetry of Benjamin Zephaniah and debating the lack of female astronauts in the early space race. Leaders deliberately broaden pupils’ experiences. For example, pupils take part in a career conference at the local high school and represent the school in singing competitions. This work informs the maturity and kindness with which pupils treat everyone around them. One pupil summed this up, saying: ‘Our school is unique. We are allowed to be our own person.’

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Leaders have ensured high-quality support for the mental well-being of pupils. Pupils learn about how to manage their emotions. Skilled staff provide a valued service to pupils who need additional support. Leaders ensure the school is a caring and inclusive environment.

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The recently established leadership team has skilfully balanced priorities for improvement alongside consideration for staff. Staff feel they are well supported, listened to and valued. They appreciate the positive improvements leaders have made. Staff feel proud to work at this school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Everyone at Huntington Primary Academy takes safeguarding seriously. Leaders make sure that staff are trained well and receive regular updates to safeguarding guidance. Staff work hard to build strong relationships with families. As a result, they know pupils and their families well. Staff are vigilant and know how to identify any risks that pupils may face. They swiftly follow up any concerns over pupils’ welfare. Leaders and trustees check that staff follow safeguarding procedures consistently. 6 and 7 June 2023

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Leaders make sure pupils are taught about staying safe. Pupils of all ages show a strong understanding of how to stay safe, both in the community and online. Pupils are confident to speak to adults in school if they have any worries. They know that adults will support them.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In most subjects, leaders have not identified the most important knowledge and skills that they want pupils to learn. This is also true in the early years. This means that pupils are not consistently able to build important knowledge. Leaders should ensure that they clearly identify exactly what they want pupils to learn and remember.  Teachers do not consistently set learning activities that enable pupils to learn and remember important knowledge. This means that pupils are not able to build their knowledge securely. Leaders should work with staff to enable them to better set activities that focus on what they want pupils to know.

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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. 6 and 7 June 2023

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School details

Website www.huntingtonprimaryacademy.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 10 January 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is a larger-than-average primary school.  A new headteacher has been appointed since the last inspection.  The school runs a breakfast club for pupils who attend the school.  The school uses one unregistered 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 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 met with senior leaders, subject leaders and teachers. One inspector met with the special educational needs coordinator and early years leader.  The lead inspector held a meeting with trustees and the chair of the trust board. 6 and 7 June 2023

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, science, geography and PE. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with 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 lead inspector also listened to a sample of pupils read to a familiar adult.  The lead inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead to review a range of documents, including the school’s log of safeguarding incidents. Inspectors also spoke to staff about how they keep pupils safe. The lead inspector reviewed the school’s single central record to check the suitability of staff working at the school.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of other documentation, including records of pupils’ behaviour, minutes of governors’ meetings and leaders’ evaluation of the school.  Inspectors spoke informally to pupils to gather their views on school life. One

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inspector also talked to parents at the start of the school day.  To gather parents’ views, inspectors took account of the views of parents from Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, including free-text comments.  To gather the views of staff, inspectors took account of the staff survey.  To gather the views of pupils, inspectors took account of the pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Jen Sloan, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Tracy Turner Ofsted Inspector 6 and 7 June 2023

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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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