Fenstanton and Hilton Primary School

Inspection of Fenstanton and Hilton Primary School School Lane, Fenstanton, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28 9JR

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Inspection dates: 13 and 14 December 2023

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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 13 and 14 December 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school and are happy. They have positive relationships with staff. Pupils know that staff are there to help and support them. Pupils know whom to turn to if they have any worries. They feel confident and safe because of this. For example, a common view from older pupils is that leaders being around helps them to feel safe. All pupils know how to keep themselves safe, both online and in their day-to-day life.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know and strive to follow the school’s recently updated values of ‘community, determination, integrity’. They rise to the high expectations of leaders and have mature attitudes towards their learning. This is because lessons are interesting and enable pupils to achieve well. The curriculum ensures that pupils are well prepared to move to their next phase of education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils behave well. They understand the school’s approach to managing their behaviour. This results in a calm and purposeful learning environment. Pupils have a strong understanding of difference. This is reflected in their respectful attitudes towards one another.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The majority of parents would recommend the school and are satisfied that the school’s ethos supports their children’s well-being and learning experiences.

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better?

The school has designed an ambitious curriculum, including for pupils in mixed-age classes. Leaders have ordered the curriculum content so that pupils build on what they know. Staff think carefully about what they teach across the school, beginning in early years.

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better?

The school has implemented a high-quality reading curriculum. In Reception, children use their phonics knowledge to blend sounds together well to help them read new words. Pupils fully access the reading curriculum, and this enables them to move to more difficult reading books quickly. The books that pupils read help them to apply their learning of sounds to their reading. Pupils state that there are improvements in reading this term. Staff rapidly identify pupils who find reading hard. They give them the support they need. Pupils develop their love of reading through the reading curriculum and, for example, regular use of the school library.

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better?

Teachers understand what they need to teach and when because curriculum plans are clearly explained. Alongside this, teachers receive the training they require to implement the intended curriculum. The resources they use support pupils’ learning well. There is a regular focus on recapping previous learning to ensure pupils build on what they already know and remember. On occasion, teachers do not adapt the curriculum well enough to ensure pupils move on to new learning at the appropriate time. When this happens, pupils may repeat work they already know. 13 and 14 December 2023

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Teachers use careful questioning and focused feedback to check on what pupils know. This helps pupils to remember more. Pupils learn and use subject-related vocabulary. For example, in art, pupils use the appropriate vocabulary, such as ‘shading’, to describe the technique they learn and use in all their work.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) access the same curriculum as their peers. The identification of pupils with SEND has improved. Most pupils now usually achieve well because they receive appropriate support that is well planned to meet their needs. However, there has been some inconsistency in the advice and guidance provided, which means some of the support is not as well delivered to ensure pupils progress as well as they could.

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There are clear routines throughout the school, including those in the early years. Children in the early years engage well in both adult-led activities and in their own independent play. Pupils focus on their learning well. On the odd occasion, behaviour does not meet the high expectations of the school, especially in unstructured times. Staff deal with this quickly.

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The personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) curriculum supports pupils in their understanding of healthy relationships throughout the school, including in the early years. Pupils know and articulate the values of the school, including fundamental British values. There are opportunities for pupils to take on extra responsibilities through the prefect programme. Prior to the pandemic, there were more opportunities for pupils to develop their talents. Leaders are aware of this and have plans to respond to pupils’ and parents’ views.

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The school has a clear focus on rapidly improving the quality of provision. This work is having a positive impact on pupils’ education. Staff enjoy working at the school. They feel well supported. They appreciate that leaders are considerate regarding their well-being and workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school has revised the curriculum across the school. In some subjects, this is in the early stages of implementation. Some pupils have undertaken work that they already know and can do, which slows down the pace of their learning. Staff need more training in implementing the revised curriculum so that pupils learn and achieve well.  Over time, some of the guidance and support for pupils with SEND has been inconsistent. While pupils with SEND access the same curriculum as their peers, there are occasions when the support pupils with SEND receive is not precise 13 and 14 December 2023

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enough for pupils to achieve as well as they could. The school needs to ensure that the guidance it provides for staff is consistently precise in meeting pupils’ needs so that staff are able to plan and deliver the most appropriate support so pupils with SEND achieve consistently well.

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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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 13 and 14 December 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.fenstantonandhiltonschool.com

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School details

Date of previous inspection 25 May 2021, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, there has been a new chair of governors, and the current headteacher joined the school in April 2022. There have been several changes in the leadership for the provision of pupils with SEND.  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

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors spoke to the chair of governors and the representatives of the governing body. Inspectors met with the headteacher, senior leaders, subject leaders and staff. 13 and 14 December 2023

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 Inspectors spoke to a representative of the local authority and a sample of parents.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history and art. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  Inspectors spoke to leaders about wider pupil development, including the PSHE and the relationships and sex education curriculum, and spoke to pupils about their learning.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.

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 Inspectors looked at pupils’ behaviour in and around the school, in lessons and at social times. They also spoke to pupils about behaviour. Inspectors also spoke to staff about behaviour and workload.  Inspectors reviewed a range of other school documentation and policies, including the school improvement plan and minutes of governors’ meetings.  Inspectors considered responses from the Ofsted pupil and staff surveys. They also considered responses from Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments.

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Inspection team

Suzanne Thrower, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Charlie Fordham His Majesty’s Inspector 13 and 14 December 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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