Hackleton CofE Primary School

Inspection of Hackleton CofE Primary School Main Road, Hackleton, Northampton, Northamptonshire NN7 2AB

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

This school was last inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 13 years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

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Overall effectiveness Good

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between graded inspections under section 5 of the Act. The school received a monitoring inspection under section 8 of the Act in March 2020. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last graded inspection. 6 and 7 December 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils flourish in this happy, safe, supportive environment. They benefit from having such a caring and committed staff team around them. Pupils know there is always help at hand if they have any worries.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their inclusive school. They told inspectors: ‘One of our prayers is about treating everyone as you want to be treated. Everyone is treated the same here.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

The values of faith, forgiveness, friendship, love, respect, thankfulness and trust permeate all aspects of school life. These qualities can be seen and heard in the way pupils and staff interact with each other.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. Attitudes to learning are extremely positive. Pupils meet the high standards expected of them at all times of the day and in all areas of the school. Pupils learn to be resilient at Hackleton. For instance, they persevere with tricky problems in mathematics.

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What is it like to attend this school?

As well as an ambitious curriculum, the school provides many opportunities to develop pupils’ talents and interests. Along with theatre trips and orchestral experiences, all pupils learn to play several instruments. Pupils look forward to representing Hackleton in sports teams, singing in a mass choir and taking part in ballroom dancing competitions.

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better?

Children are immersed in a world of words and books from the moment they start at the school. Early years staff seize every opportunity to develop children’s language skills. They ask questions to check and extend understanding during children’s free- choice activities. The school’s new phonics scheme is implemented well. Staff are already experts in how to teach this new programme. Pupils really enjoy reading and listening to stories. In Year 3, pupils listen in awe to the story of ‘The Iron Man’. Many pupils choose to read for pleasure in the library at lunchtime. Pupils value the quizzes they take after reading a book. They are highly motivated to read for their own enjoyment by the ‘millionaire word reading challenge’.

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better?

The school has thought carefully about what it wants pupils to know and when they should know it. The spiral design of the school’s curriculum means that pupils return to the most important content time and again. In many subjects, this approach enables pupils to build their understanding over the long term and acquire a rich body of knowledge.

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better?

The school makes checks on how well pupils are progressing through the curriculum. However, in some foundation subjects, these checks do not always identify where pupils’ learning is less secure. This means that teaching does not always address specific gaps in pupils’ learning. 6 and 7 December 2023

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Staff have good subject knowledge. They model learning well. Staff present information clearly and find ways to re-explain things when pupils do not grasp the intended learning. Staff provide pupils with resources to support their understanding. In mathematics, for instance, Year 2 pupils successfully solve tricky word problems by using cubes to aid their counting.

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The school has recently reviewed its provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). As a result, most pupils receive support that is well matched to their individual needs. However, this is not always the case. Occasionally, staff do not adapt lessons well enough to fully meet the needs of pupils with SEND. In a small number of cases, SEND support documents are not as specific as they could be.

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The school’s personal, social and health education curriculum is preparing pupils well for life in modern Britain and the wider world. Pupils know what it means to feel safe, as well as what to do if they do not. The school’s new ‘Hub’ is a place where pupils can access well-being support. Pupils show interest in how other people live their lives. They understand what constitutes a healthy relationship and the many forms this can take. They learn about different cultures and beliefs. Pupils have a deep understanding of Christianity and other world faiths. However, their knowledge of fundamental British values is not as secure as the school intends. Pupils make the most of the range of extra-curricular clubs and leadership roles on offer at Hackleton.

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The school benefits from the support and expertise of a skilled governing body. Staff are very complimentary about the way the school is led. They recognise the improvements that have been made by the new leadership team in a short space of time. Staff appreciate the care and consideration given to 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)

 In some foundation subjects, some of the checks the school makes on pupils’ progress do not identify clearly enough the content that pupils have found more difficult. This means that subsequent teaching does not aways specifically address these gaps in learning. As a result, some pupils do not gain the secure understanding of the curriculum that the school intends. The school must review its approach to assessment and monitoring so that pupils acquire the knowledge and skills set out in its foundation subject curriculum.  Occasionally, staff do not adapt lessons well enough to fully meet the needs of pupils with SEND. In a small number of cases, the support documents for pupils 6 and 7 December 2023

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with SEND are not as specific as they could be. The school must ensure that all pupils with SEND consistently receive support that is well matched to their individual needs so they can achieve highly in all areas of the curriculum.

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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). 6 and 7 December 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 11 March 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 There have been significant leadership changes in the last year.  The new headteacher was appointed in April 2023.  The school is a voluntary-aided Church of England school. The most recent section 48 inspection took place in November 2023. This is an inspection of the school’s religious character.  The school does not use any 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.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 6 and 7 December 2023

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, history, computing and physical education. For the deep dives, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited lessons, spoke to teachers and pupils and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors visited mathematics lessons, looked at samples of pupils’ mathematics work and spoke to pupils about their learning in this subject. Inspectors also considered the curriculums for science and design and technology and reviewed pupils’ work in these subjects.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, subject leaders and a sample of teaching and support staff. Inspectors met with the leaders with responsibility for pupils with SEND, behaviour and attendance, and personal development.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils, and

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considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors examined a range of school documentation, including leaders’ self- evaluation, the school development plan, documentation relating to pupils’ behaviour and attendance, and governance.  The lead inspector listened to a sample of pupils in Years 1, 2 and 3 read to a familiar adult. Inspectors met with groups of pupils from across the school.  The lead inspector met with governors, including the chair of the governing body. He also spoke with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View, and the results of the Ofsted staff survey.

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Inspection team

Shaun Carter, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Luella Manssen Ofsted Inspector 6 and 7 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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