Hulland CofE Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Hulland CofE Primary School Firs Avenue, Hulland, Ashbourne, Derbyshire DE6 3FS

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Outcome

Hulland CofE Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a vibrant school. The learning environment is impressive. Great attention is given to helping pupils secure core knowledge and skills in reading, writing and mathematics. Wider opportunities give pupils new experiences and, in the words of the school motto, ‘prepare them for life in full’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils told inspectors that there are adults that they can talk to if they have any concerns. Pupils keep ‘think books’ where they can jot down anything that is bothering them. Pupils are encouraged to talk about their emotions. These approaches to supporting and nurturing pupils make the school feel very inclusive and caring.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations of pupils’ learning and behaviour. These expectations are evident in the quality of work in pupils’ books and their overall conduct around school. Pupils behave extremely well. One parent captured the views of many in their survey response, describing the school as ‘a lovely primary school where the teachers really care about the pupils’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

On the whole, pupils and parents and carers report that the school is friendly and welcoming and that children thrive.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The curriculum has improved. There is more work to do to ensure that the new reading programme is fully embedded. Some aspects of the wider curriculum need strengthening further.

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

The school’s phonics programme is well taught. Staff have received special training to teach reading. This training has given staff much confidence and is helping ensure that pupils make rapid progress. However, the programme is only in its first year of implementation. There are adaptions that staff rightly want to consider as the new approach to teaching phonics is fully embedded. 7 June 2023

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Pupils are encouraged to foster a love of reading as soon as they start school. They enjoy learning phonics and practise reading books which are matched to the sounds that they have learned. Children in the Reception Year get off to a very strong start with their reading. They can sound and blend letters accurately and enjoy reading tricky words. Across the school, staff carefully select books that complement the curriculum and stretch pupils’ minds. Texts challenge stereotypes and promote diversity. Pupils enjoy taking part in reading challenges and speak with enthusiasm of the things they read about.

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Staff take great care to consider how the curriculum is planned and delivered for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school works effectively with external agencies and experts to make sure that pupils’ needs are met. Parents speak very highly of this support and the positive impact that it has on their children.

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The core subjects are a particular strength of the curriculum. Reading and mathematics are coordinated well by subject champions. Subject champions know what is taught, and why, from Reception to Year 6. Staff know what to teach, and when, and receive helpful training. Assessment is used skilfully. As a result, pupils make strong progress in these subject areas and are able to recall important knowledge quickly. There are also strengths in subjects like history. Pupils are able to recall important historical knowledge and enjoy their studies of local areas such as Cromford and Eyam. However, some subjects in the wider curriculum, including music and languages, are not as well developed. Aspects of curriculum design in these subjects are quite broad. The important knowledge that staff want pupils to learn is not clear enough. Leaders have plans in place to develop these subjects further as part of their ongoing review of the curriculum.

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Pupils’ behaviour is impressive. They cooperate exceptionally well in their play. They make full use of the amazing grounds, building dens and playing traditional games. Staff are rightly proud of pupils’ conduct.

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Leaders coordinate a wide-ranging programme of extra-curricular opportunities for pupils. The school’s wraparound care is popular and valued by parents. The after-school clubs are well attended and include football, dance, crafts and drama. The curriculum also provides pupils with opportunities to visit different places of worship and take part in local traditions, including a ploughing match and festival. These experiences enhance pupils’ wider development.

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Governors know the school well. Between them, they have a wide range of skills and attributes that help the school bring about improvements. They very much value the leadership of the headteacher and subject champions. Governors ‘buddy’ with different classes so that they can see the curriculum in action. They have taken a particular interest in the implementation of the new phonics programme.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff are well trained and know how to identify any pupils who may need additional support. The school responds to any concerns and works effectively with families. The 7 June 2023

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curriculum is designed to help pupils learn how to keep safe. For example, all pupils in key stage 2 have weekly swimming lessons. Pupils are taught about road safety and a wide range of other important matters through personal, social, health and economic education.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The new phonics programme is only in its first year of implementation. As a result, further monitoring and evaluation is required to ensure that it fully meets pupils’ needs and continues to secure strong progress. Staff should continue to monitor the extent to which pupils are securing their phonics knowledge and gaining fluency and confidence in reading as they move through the programme.  There is some variation in the overall quality of curriculum design in the wider curriculum. The knowledge that pupils are to be taught in some subjects is not as well set out or organised as it is for others. This means that the curriculum pupils receive does not prepare them as well as it might for future learning. Leaders and governors should make sure that staff receive further training in these areas so that the overall curriculum offer is as well designed as the school’s strongest subjects.

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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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in September 2014.

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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.

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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. 7 June 2023

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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. 7 June 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10286989 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 13 March 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school’s religious character was inspected by the Church of England education office in October 2022. The next section 48 inspection is due within eight years of the last. The next section 48 inspection will be in three to five years’ time.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.  The school provides a before- and after-school club which is managed by the governing body.

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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 the headteacher, business manager, subject champions and governors (including a representative from the diocese), and spoke to the local authority adviser via the telephone.  Deep dives were conducted in the following subjects: reading, mathematics and history. To explore the effectiveness of these curriculum areas, inspectors: spoke to the 7 June 2023

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headteacher and subject champions to understand the overall curriculum design; visited lessons to see the curriculum in action and consider the activities chosen by teachers; considered work in pupils’ books; and talked to teachers and pupils about their experience and understanding of the curriculum.  To determine the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: reviewed the single central record; met with the headteacher, who is the designated safeguarding lead, to discuss record-keeping and training; talked to staff about safeguarding; and reviewed attendance records.  Inspectors reviewed responses to surveys and spoke to pupils and staff throughout the inspection. Inspectors also took account of responses, including written free-text submissions, to Ofsted’s questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View. Inspectors also visited the school’s wraparound care.

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Inspection team

Jonathan Keay, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Sally Wicken Ofsted Inspector 7 June 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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