Hunsdon Junior Mixed and Infant School

Inspection of a school judged outstanding for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Hunsdon Junior Mixed and Infant School High Street, Hunsdon, Ware, Hertfordshire SG12 8NT

p.1

Outcome

Hunsdon Junior Mixed and Infant School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a warm, friendly and nurturing school. Pupils enjoy coming to school. They like to spend time with their friends as well as completing their ‘fun’ learning. Pupils are polite and respectful of all. They look after each other and staff support them when needed.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils understand that staff have high expectations of them. They know the rules clearly and adhere to these. Pupils work hard, enjoy discussions in small groups or as a class and engage well with activities. As a result, there is a calm and purposeful environment, where pupils achieve well.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have had visits from the police and fire brigade to learn about staying safe, including water safety. They are clear about how they should stay safe online. There are several opportunities available for the pupils to attend extra-curricular activities. These include a wide variety of clubs, including building bricks, cooking, French and computing. The older pupils run some of these clubs for the younger pupils, which helps them develop their confidence and leadership skills. Some pupils also attend sports competitions in which they have recently seen success. This supports pupils to develop their teamwork skills.

p.1

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

The school has a broad, ambitious and engaging curriculum. It is well structured to ensure that pupils’ learning progresses and they build on the knowledge they have acquired. Staff have good subject knowledge, which they present clearly and use to engage pupils in learning activities. Staff question pupils carefully to identify what they 28 January 2025

p.1

2

know and can remember as well as address any misconceptions that they might have. In some subjects, pupils’ work is adapted to meet their needs. However, in a few subjects this is not as effective as it could be. Therefore, pupils find it more difficult to access their learning in these subjects.

p.2

2

Those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have their needs identified quickly. Pupils with SEND have the support they need to achieve across the curriculum. Staff are well trained to support pupils with SEND. The school works well with external agencies to ensure that pupils get the support they need.

p.2

2

Children start to develop into confident readers as soon as they start school in the early years. They have high-quality, consistent phonics teaching. Staff receive training and ongoing support in teaching reading from leaders. Pupils who need extra support learning phonics receive this. All pupils can take books home from the well-stocked library, which has a diverse range of texts. Pupils enjoy reading different authors, as well as meeting and listening to authors. This inspires them to use their imagination when writing stories and develop a love of reading.

p.2

2

Staff ensure that pupils know and follow the rules and routines of the school from the early years. Pupils behave well in and out of lessons. Although absence has been high in the past, the school has clear systems in place and these are leading to improvements. The school builds strong relationships with families so that any pupils who are finding it difficult to attend school get the support they need.

p.2

2

The curriculum for personal, social and health education covers wide-ranging themes. It enables pupils to understand the importance of education and how this will open doors to them in the future. Pupils learn about different careers and the educational pathways people have completed to get these roles. Pupils are active citizens within the school and in the local community. In school, they have leadership roles, which involve taking responsibility for different aspects of the school, including the computer room, feeding the fish and putting chairs out for assembly. In the local community, they raise money for charity by having coffee mornings where the pupils are waiters and waitresses. These differing roles enable pupils to understand the importance of how they are contributing to the whole community.

p.2

2

Staff enjoy and are proud to work at the school. They are passionate about what they do. Staff are well supported and can ask and receive support or guidance when needed. Their workload and well-being are well considered by the school. Parents are supportive and appreciate that the school is central to the community.

p.2

2

The school is in a period of change as it has federated with another local school. As part of this process, the governing bodies have joined together. Governors know their roles and responsibilities well and ensure that they carry these out diligently. They work effectively with leaders to ensure the priorities of the school are the focus of what they do. 28 January 2025

p.2

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Information for the school and appropriate authority

 In a few subjects, the curriculum is not as well adapted to meet the needs of pupils as it is in most others. As a result, pupils find it harder to access learning in these subjects and do not know and remember as much of the curriculum as they could. The school should ensure teachers adapt their teaching effectively in all subjects so that they meet pupils’ needs in order that they can achieve as well as possible across the full range of subjects.

p.3

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 outstanding for its overall effectiveness.

p.3

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 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.

p.3

Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding for overall effectiveness in November 2018.

p.3

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.

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school. 28 January 2025

p.3

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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). 28 January 2025

p.4

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Chair of governing body Mike Newman (co-chair), Sarah Gardiner (co-chair) Headteacher Jonathan Millward

p.5

School details

Dates of previous inspection 29 and 30 November 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 The school does not make use of any alternative provision.  The school federated with another local school in September 2024. The headteacher works across both schools.

p.5

Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s educational provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The lead inspector spoke with governors and the school effectiveness adviser from the local authority.  The inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. 28 January 2025

p.5

6

 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’ interests first.

p.6

Inspection team

Katie Devenport, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Luke Wildig Ofsted Inspector 28 January 2025

p.6

7

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 looked-after children, safeguarding and child protection.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open- government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7