Hookstone Chase Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Hookstone Chase Primary School Hookstone Chase, Harrogate, North Yorkshire HG2 7DJ

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Inspection dates: 19 and 20 November 2024

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Outcome

Hookstone Chase Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is James Hughes. The school is part of Northern Star Academies Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Jenn Plews, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Helen Murphy.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school and are happy here. Relationships between staff and pupils are strong and positive. Pupils value their friendships with each other, and warmly state that, ‘There is a friendship waiting for everyone at Hookstone.’ The school is ambitious for its pupils to achieve well in all areas of their education. Outcomes in early reading are high and pupils’ performance in national tests in key stage 2 is improving. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to hold positions of responsibility. They enjoy their roles such as reading ambassadors and playground buddies. Pupils feel rightly that this helps them play an important part in school life.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe. They are clear that bullying is rare and when it happens it is dealt with swiftly by adults. Pupils know that a trusted adult will help them if they have concerns. Pupils are aware that they can report concerns confidentially using ways, such as the ‘worry boxes’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ school experience is enriched by visits to places, such as Marrick Priory. Many pupils also enjoy taking part in activities, such as circuit training and the school Christmas choir. 19 and 20 November 2024

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

The school has developed a broad and balanced curriculum. In many subjects, the knowledge that pupils should learn and remember well is identified carefully. Work is Well sequenced and pupils achieve well.

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

However, the school is refining the curriculum in some subjects. This is because in some wider subjects, pupils can explain what they are learning currently but they cannot recall easily the knowledge that they have been taught in the past. Pupils excitedly share their knowledge about Egyptians and Cleopatra from recent lessons. They are less confident when comparing or remembering learning from previous work. Consequently, pupils do not learn as well as they could.

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

The school has deliberately chosen a phonics programme to reflect the learning needs of pupils starting school. Well-trained staff deliver the programme effectively, including to children in early years, where there are also a range of opportunities to develop early language skills. Children relish these activities and develop an early love of learning to read. Staff check pupils’ understanding frequently and identify pupils who are at risk of falling behind. Timely interventions ensure that these pupils achieve well, as reflected in the school’s most recent phonics outcomes.

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

Teachers are well trained. They have strong subject knowledge and share this well with pupils. For example, in subjects such as mathematics and science, pupils enjoy using practical resources to support and secure their understanding of the concepts taught. Pupils’ work in mathematics shows they are given planned opportunities to develop their fluency and errors are identified by staff and corrected by pupils.

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

The school has recently introduced a list of ‘key ingredients’ for teachers to include in all lessons. This is still in the early stages of development. In a small number of subjects, there are inconsistencies in how teachers check pupils’ understanding. This means misconceptions are sometimes missed, or pupils do not receive support as quickly as they could.

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

Teachers skilfully use a range of resources to support all pupils and to enable pupils with SEND to learn alongside their peers. Staff identify the needs of pupils with SEND early and work closely with external agencies to ensure pupils receive the help they need to succeed in aspects of their work.

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

The school has recently re-established consistent routines and expectations of behaviour. Pupils behave well in lessons. They are keen to learn. Around school, children are polite to each other and to adults. Children in the early years listen carefully and join in classroom activities with enthusiasm. They enjoy the outdoor learning environment and are able to learn happily with each other. The school works in partnership with parents and carers to promote and understand the importance of regular attendance. Pupil attendance continues to improve as a result. 19 and 20 November 2024

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The school’s work to develop pupils’ character is strong. Pupils know that they are unique and learn about tolerance and diversity. They are respectful of different religions and cultures. Pupils are taught how to stay healthy. They also know to ‘stop and think’ before making decisions to stay safe in the local community and when online.

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The trust has put in additional support to help the school to address the challenges of the pandemic, including boosting leadership in all areas. This is making a positive and pivotal impact. Leaders at all levels work closely to monitor closely the improvements introduced. The school is well supported by the local governing body. Staff benefit from working with other schools in the trust to share and develop expertise.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Strategies used by the school to ensure pupils can recall prior knowledge are not embedded across the curriculum. Pupils are unable to recall their prior knowledge as well as they should in a small number of subjects, which results in gaps in their knowledge. The school should develop a range of effective strategies to enable pupils to remember more of what they have been taught previously.  Teachers do not always address pupil misconceptions in a timely manner. This means some pupils make errors in their independent work. The school should ensure that lessons provide sufficient opportunities for teachers to identify and address pupil misconceptions swiftly.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the 19 and 20 November 2024

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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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This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Hookstone Chase Community Primary School, to be good for overall effectiveness in March 2013.

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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.

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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). 19 and 20 November 2024

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School details

Website www.hookstonechaseprimary.org.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 9 April 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Northern Star Academies Trust.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with a range of leaders, including the headteacher, deputy headteacher and other senior staff from the school and the trust. The inspector met the chair of the trust, other trustees and members of the local governing body. 19 and 20 November 2024

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 The inspector focused inspection activity on the following groups of subjects: early reading and mathematics, and science and physical education. For each group of subjects, the inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: 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’ interest first.  The inspector spoke with several groups of pupils and observed their behaviour around school.  The inspector reviewed a range of school documentation and policies. These included the academy improvement plan, minutes of governing body meetings and records of behaviour incidents.  The inspector took account of responses to the Ofsted Parent View survey and the

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free-text responses. He also reviewed responses to the staff survey and spoke with pupils and staff to gather their views of the school.

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Inspection team

Paul Martindale, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 19 and 20 November 2024

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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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