Huntingdon Primary School

Inspection of Huntingdon Primary School Ambury Road, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE29 1AD

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Inspection dates: 27 and 28 February 2024

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 27 and 28 February 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Huntingdon Primary School is an inclusive school where pupils are happy. They are proud of the sense of care and community that permeates the school. Pupils respect each other and value the school’s culture of celebration irrespective of who you are. Parents and carers also appreciate the school’s nurturing ethos.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils trust adults in the school to deal with any incidents of bullying if it does occur. Pupils feel confident about going to staff if they have any worries.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Poor behaviour is not accepted, and pupils behave well. Playtimes are calm and well managed. Staff intervene in a timely manner if play becomes overzealous. Pupils get along well with each other. The school teaches pupils to be kind to everyone, irrespective of their differences.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils like the fact that staff are ambitious about what they can achieve. Pupils enjoy the different subjects they study and happily talk about what they know. Pupils value the large range of opportunities they have to take on responsibility. This includes being school ambassadors, playground buddies, subject experts or peer mediators. Pupils also appreciate the many visits that staff organise to enhance their learning. This includes residential trips.

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better?

The school has a clear ambition for reading. It wants all pupils to be fluent readers and to develop the skills required to be successful. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The reading curriculum progresses in a structured, incremental fashion, starting with the teaching of phonics in Reception. This ensures that pupils master their learning before they move on to the next step. Staff carefully check pupils’ understanding.

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better?

The school has designed an interesting and well-sequenced curriculum. It is clearly planned so that it builds pupils’ knowledge and skills in a logical way over time. Staff are well trained to deliver the curriculum. Pupils speak enthusiastically about their learning. For example, they were proud of how much they have learned in physical education (PE).

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better?

However, there are gaps between the curriculum plans and what pupils learn. In a few foundation subjects, teachers do not always follow the curriculum plans. This means that pupils miss out on key content and are less secure in their knowledge for future learning. Where this occurs, pupils are not always able to remember key vocabulary that they should know.

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better?

The early years curriculum is carefully planned. The school considers what children need to know and understand ready for their learning of the national curriculum in Year 1. Staff actively engage with the children and model correct pronunciation of sounds or words. The children enjoy the way in which the learning environment is 27 and 28 February 2024

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set out. For example, the children had fun being creative with musical instruments and shared this by performing for others. Children understand staff’s expectations.

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The school ensures that pupils with SEND are well supported. A robust system is in place to identify and meet the needs of pupils who need extra help. This includes adjusting the learning in class where necessary. Owing to the helpful training they receive, staff have an expert understanding of how to work with pupils with SEND. The use of bespoke programmes helps pupils to be successful at school. This includes building resilience and anger management.

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Behaviour around the school is calm. Pupils enjoy their lessons and are keen to learn. The vast majority of pupils show enthusiasm and engagement with their learning. Staff are quick to support pupils to self-regulate if they lose concentration.

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The school has improved attendance, and persistent absence is reducing. This is because there are clear daily procedures in place that encourage good attendance.

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There are high take-up rates for the many engaging activities to nurture pupils’ talents provided by the school. For example, pupils organise activities to support charities such as the air ambulance service and the local food bank. The school also provides rich experiences linked to the curriculum. These range from trips to the local library and museum to residential visits. Pupils feel that adults at school listen to them and that their views matter. The school emphasises the importance of respecting different religions and cultures. The pupils also value the school’s ethos of tolerance and respect for others.

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Governance is strong because governors know the school well. They understand its strengths and weaknesses. Staff feel well supported by the school, which regularly checks on their workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small minority of foundation subjects, important parts of the school’s planned curriculum are not taught. Therefore, pupils do not have the subject knowledge that they need for the next steps in their learning. The school must ensure that the intended curriculum is taught in its entirety in every foundation subject so that pupils have a secure knowledge of the key content they need for their future learning. 27 and 28 February 2024

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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). 27 and 28 February 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.huntingdonprimary.cambs.sch.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 14 and 15 March 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school runs breakfast and after-school clubs for pupils.  Currently, the school does not use 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 had 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 met with senior leaders, subject leaders, other members of staff and the governing body, including the chair of governors. Inspectors also spoke with a representative from the local authority. 27 and 28 February 2024

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, PE, music and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with pupils about their learning, looked at samples of pupils’ work and spoke with teachers. The lead inspector listened to pupils reading with a familiar adult. Inspectors also spoke to leaders about the curriculum in science.  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 spoke with pupils during break- and lunchtimes. They observed their behaviour during these times. There were no responses to Ofsted’s questionnaire for pupils.  Inspectors had informal conversations with parents at the end of the school day.

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Inspectors also took account of the 32 responses and 23 free-text comments on Ofsted Parent View.  Inspectors analysed the 41 responses to Ofsted’s questionnaire for school staff. They also held discussions with several staff members during the inspection.

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Inspection team

James Adkins, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Nichola Pickford Ofsted Inspector 27 and 28 February 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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