Hambleton Primary Academy

Inspection of Hambleton Primary Academy Church Lane, Hambleton, Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire FY6 9BZ

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Inspection dates: 17 and 18 December 2024

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

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The headteacher of this school is Holly Wood. This school is part of the Fylde Coast Academy 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), Dean Logan, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Kathleen Evison.

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Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding for overall effectiveness at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school has not been inspected under section 5 of the Act since June 2013. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 17 and 18 December 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive at Hambleton Primary Academy. It is a safe, happy and exciting place to learn and play.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has established a highly effective curriculum that enables pupils to develop deep knowledge and understanding in each subject. Pupils achieve remarkably well. They are exceptionally well prepared for their next steps in education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides pupils with plentiful opportunities to develop their character and their understanding of the wider world. Staff encourage even the youngest children to be brave and adventurous. This significantly contributes to pupils becoming resilient learners and prepares them remarkably well for later life.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know that they are expected to be respectful, responsible and ready to learn. They readily meet these expectations and behave exceptionally well. If pupils struggle, they are taught the strategies they need to manage their own behaviour, including making use of the ‘zen den’. The school building buzzes with activity but is equally calm and purposeful.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school values pupils’ opinions. For example, staff and members of the local governing body consult pupils about many aspects of school life. Pupils see themselves as leaders in their school. They know that their voices and actions make a positive difference to their school community.

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

The school has meticulously designed a broad, ambitious and highly relevant curriculum. From the early years to Year 6, staff have a deep understanding of what pupils should learn and when this content should be taught. They take every opportunity to ignite pupils’ curiosity, for example, by carefully selecting trips and visits to enrich topics and to develop pupils’ cultural awareness.

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

Staff are experts in delivering the curriculum. They make sure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) benefit from the same rich curriculum as their peers. The school identifies pupils’ additional needs, including any SEND, as early as possible. Staff provide well-tailored support to ensure that pupils with SEND achieve highly.

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

Staff design activities with great care so that pupils’ learning builds firmly on what they already know. Staff carry out highly effective checks on pupils’ learning. This means that gaps in pupils’ knowledge and misconceptions are accurately pinpointed and addressed as they arise. The way that staff enable pupils to connect their knowledge in different subjects is exemplary. For example, pupils use their historical knowledge of the World Wars to help them to design and make biplanes in design and technology. They then apply what they know about electricity to add moveable parts to their planes. This approach ensures that pupils experience success in their learning and are highly motivated to want to find out more. 17 and 18 December 2024

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Starting in the early years, staff readily promote a love of reading. Pupils have access to books that help them to explore the rich diversity of the world. They spoke with great excitement about the choice of books in the newly revamped school library. Pupils particularly enjoy the class novels that their teachers read to them.

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The school ensures that children in the early years develop an impressive range of vocabulary. Children use this language confidently in their interactions. Reception-aged children master phonics with remarkable ease. They become confident readers. If pupils struggle with reading, highly skilled staff provide the support that they need to become fluent. Pupils develop into extremely competent readers over time. This helps them to access the full curriculum and contributes to their very strong achievement across all subjects.

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Pupils demonstrate extremely positive attitudes to learning. Most pupils are rarely absent from school. The school’s approach to supporting pupils’ personal development is exceptional. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe. They recognise the risks that can be present online as well as the dangers of substance misuse. Pupils understand the changes that will happen to them as they grow up. They know what makes a healthy relationship. Pupils display a particularly mature understanding of fundamental British values. They spoke about national and school-based elections with genuine fervour. Pupils are amply prepared for their future lives.

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The school highly values its staff. It prioritises their ongoing training. Staff appreciate working closely with colleagues from other schools in the trust to hone their practice. This collaboration has a very positive impact on staff’s workload and well-being.

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The school benefits from highly effective leadership. Members of the local governing body carry out their roles earnestly. They provide trustees with the information that they need to support and challenge the school effectively. Leaders at all levels ensure that pupils make a strong and successful start to their education.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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. 17 and 18 December 2024

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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). 17 and 18 December 2024

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School details

Website www.hambletonprimaryacademy.co.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 12 and 13 June 2013, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This school is part of the Fylde Coast Academy Trust.  Since the school was last inspected, a new headteacher has been appointed. There have also been other changes to the leadership of the school, including the appointment of a new chair of governors.  The school does not make use of alternative provision for its pupils.  The school has extended its age range since the time of the last inspection. There is now a school-run nursery for children aged from three years old.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form 17 and 18 December 2024

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provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s educational provision.  This was the first routine inspection that 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.  The inspectors spoke with the headteacher and other leaders in the school, including the CEO and the director of primary education for the trust.  The lead inspector spoke with members of the trust and the local governing body, including the chairs of both groups.  The lead inspector observed pupils from Years 1 to 3 reading to a familiar adult.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and history. 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

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samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also evaluated the curriculum in some other subjects.  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.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour at breaktimes and lunchtimes and when they moved around the school. An inspector scrutinised leaders’ records of pupils’ behaviour and attendance.  Inspectors spoke with parents and carers as they dropped their children off at school. Inspectors also considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff.  There were no responses to the online survey for pupils. However, inspectors spoke

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with groups of pupils about their experiences at school.

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Inspection team

Jackie Stillings, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Paul Edmondson Ofsted Inspector 17 and 18 December 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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