Hillesley Church of England Primary School

Inspection of Hillesley Church of England Primary School Kilcot Road, Hillesley, Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire GL12 7RH

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Inspection dates: 23 and 24 January 2024

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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 Good 23 and 24 January 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Hillesley Church of England Primary School sits firmly and deeply within its community. The school works effectively to ensure that pupils learn to contribute to, and draw from, their community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are rightly proud of their school. The school helps pupils to achieve well and to be fully prepared for their futures. Pupils benefit from the detailed understanding that staff have of each of them as learners and as growing young people. Staff value the cohesive culture through which they are supported to develop their expertise. Parents are appreciative of the hard work that staff put in to provide high-quality learning both within and beyond school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and settled here. They feel safe and well cared for. Pupils respond positively to adults and try their best during lessons. During social times, pupils play kindly together and look out for one another. All pupils enjoy the variety of clubs and trips that extend and enrich their learning. The school vision, ‘growing together in learning and in life’, embodies the sense of unity that permeates this small school.

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better?

This is a highly inclusive place to learn. The school ensures that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have the support they need to be successful. Staff’s careful identification of needs means pupils are well supported to achieve. Guidance and advice from external agencies are sought when required.

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better?

From the start, in Reception, the school encourages and inspires pupils to read widely and often. As a result, pupils enjoy reading. They confidently discuss previous books they have read. Those who need extra help to learn to read receive frequent support from skilled staff. This helps pupils to gain the confidence they need to catch up. Pupils look forward to the daily class story and their turn to read to the school dog, Ethel.

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better?

The school knows what it does well and what could still be improved. Recent improvements to the outdoor environment in Reception are already enhancing learning opportunities for the youngest children, such as by supporting a range of experiences for aspects of physical development.

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better?

The school has prioritised the development of an organised and detailed curriculum. The curriculum outlines the expected learning for each year group in each subject. This supports teachers to organise learning for different ages across multi-age classes. Pupils benefit from rich, meaningful and memorable learning experiences. There is a focus on developing vocabulary. Pupils learn to identify important words in different subjects and what they mean. Consequently, all pupils learn and remember the curriculum well. 23 and 24 January 2024

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The school continues to develop aspects of the writing curriculum. Sequences of learning in writing, however, are not sufficiently clear. Sometimes, pupils are unsure about how the activity they are completing contributes to the writing end goal.

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Governors bring a wealth of knowledge and skills to the school. They provide effective challenge, as well as guidance and support. Governors are determined to ensure that the school continues to go from strength to strength, and they give careful consideration to the well-being of staff.

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Core values for life, such as perseverance and respect, pervade the school. Preparing pupils for their futures is a key part of the curriculum. Pupils develop interests and talents through the diverse range of after-school clubs such as yoga, drama and chess. Outdoor learning among the sheep in the forest school enables pupils to experience and appreciate nature.

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The school has high expectations for behaviour, which are consistently applied. Consequently, pupils are polite and, without thinking, are thoughtful and caring towards each other. Parents say how apparent it is to see the values of the school played out each day. This prepares children well for their next steps in education.

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The school is outward-looking. Links with other schools, including inner-city schools with a range of cultures, support pupils to understand the diverse world in which they live. Pupils look forward to developing their independence and team-building skills during residential visits.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 At times, sequences of learning in writing lack clarity and cohesion. When this happens, it is not clear how learning is supporting pupils to become better writers. This slows pupils’ progress. The school needs to ensure that the writing curriculum is coherently sequenced so that pupils develop the knowledge they need to become fluent, confident young writers.

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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. 23 and 24 January 2024

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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). 23 and 24 January 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 17 July 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Hillesley Church of England Primary School is a smaller-than-average-sized school. Pupils are taught in mixed-age classes.  The school is designated as having a religious character. The school is in the Diocese of Gloucester. At the most recent section 48 inspection of the school, carried out in May 2019, the school was judged to be good.  There is a breakfast club and daily after-school clubs for pupils who attend the school.  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. 23 and 24 January 2024

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 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.  Inspectors held discussions with the headteacher, governors and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, design and technology and mathematics. 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 discussed the curriculum in some other subjects, including looking at samples of writing.  The lead inspector listened to pupils read to a trusted adult.  An inspector met with the special educational needs coordinator to consider the quality of education for pupils with SEND.

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 To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school.  Inspectors considered the views of parents who responded to the confidential questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View. They also evaluated the views of staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Tonwen Empson, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Gary Schlick Ofsted Inspector 23 and 24 January 2024

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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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