Hopton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Inspection of Hopton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Thelnetham Road, Hopton, Diss, Suffolk IP22 2QY

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Inspection dates: 11 and 12 February 2025

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The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Good 11 and 12 February 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a small school and a ‘big family’. Pupils enjoy coming to school. Everyone is friendly. Most pupils behave well. They show respect for one another. A few pupils struggle to access the breadth of the curriculum. They lack the resilience to keep trying when they encounter learning that they think is too hard. They disengage and give up. This can impact on the learning of others. Changes implemented to support these pupils are beginning to improve attitudes to learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils do not always remember the core content of the curriculum. Pupils enjoy a range of subjects and can talk about what they are currently learning about. Some pupils have gaps in their learning, and other pupils lack the opportunity to deepen their understanding.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff know pupils well. The voice of the pupils is important. Pupils trust staff to help sort out problems when they arise. Pupils enjoy the responsibility of being playtime buddies, faith leaders and school councillors. There are a range of trips and visits that enhance pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the world beyond Hopton. Pupils can choose to participate in a number of clubs to pursue and develop their interests.

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

The school has been through a period of instability. Most staff, leaders and governors were not in post at the last inspection. The curriculum is broad and balanced. However, inconsistencies and weaknesses in its implementation have meant pupils have not achieved as well as they could. Leaders’ plans to improve the curriculum are at an early stage of implementation. Until recently, the school did not have the team in place to make the changes needed.

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

Staff identified that pupils were not developing their phonics knowledge well enough. The school has ensured that staff have the expertise to deliver the phonics programme effectively. Staff identify gaps in pupils’ phonics knowledge and help them to catch up. Pupils read regularly in school. Older pupils study a wide range of core texts. They talk enthusiastically about books and poetry they have enjoyed.

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

The curriculum is not always well matched to pupils’ previous learning. Staff do not routinely check pupils’ understanding. This means some pupils find the work that teachers set too easy or too hard, while others continue to repeat mistakes. Consequently, some pupils do not achieve as well as they should.

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

The provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is improving. Staff identify potential barriers to learning. They regularly discuss the progress of all pupils. The school has made changes to improve support for pupils with SEND. When needed, the school seeks advice and implements bespoke plans to meet pupils’ needs. 11 and 12 February 2025

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Some children in the early years lack familiarity with the school’s routines and expectations. The implementation of the curriculum has not been consistent, and there are gaps in children’s knowledge and understanding. Children can lose focus and struggle to concentrate during carpet time. Recent adaptations to the curriculum and provision in the early years are helping children develop good habits for learning.

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Most pupils behave well. Outside, there are things to do at lunchtime. Older pupils teach younger pupils how to play games. Pupils enjoy being able to build dens. However, some pupils do not have consistently positive attitudes to learning. They do not persevere when tasks are challenging. They lose focus and sometimes disturb the learning of others. Recent changes are helping pupils to manage and talk about their feelings better. The school has taken effective steps to improve attendance and works with families to support pupils whose attendance is low.

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The school has thought carefully about opportunities to enhance pupils’ personal development. They learn about difference and other cultures. Pupils can develop their talents. They take on leadership roles. Every pupil can represent the school at a sporting event.

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Governors have secured the long-term stability of the school. There is a full complement of permanent staff. The school is working closely with a multi-academy trust and the local authority to improve the quality of education. Staff value recent training and the opportunity to work with colleagues in other schools. Changes are securing improvements and not adding to staff workload. The foundations for further improvements are in place. Parents have renewed confidence in the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some teachers do not make suitable adaptations to the curriculum to take into account pupils’ prior learning. As a result, some pupils find the work too hard, and some find it too easy and do not achieve as well as they should. The school should ensure that teachers can adapt the curriculum to take into account what pupils have learned previously so that they can build effectively on what pupils already know.  Teachers do not use their checks on pupils’ understanding effectively to identify where pupils have misconceptions or do not have a secure grasp of important knowledge. They do not identify where they need to consolidate pupils’ understanding. As a result, misconceptions and misunderstandings go unaddressed. Pupils repeat mistakes and do not achieve as well as they should. The school should ensure that teachers use their checks on pupils’ learning to address misconceptions and inform their planning for

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

future learning. 11 and 12 February 2025

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 The school has not ensured that some pupils, including some children in the early years, develop positive attitudes to learning. This can result in other pupils’ learning being disrupted. The school should ensure that staff implement agreed approaches to promoting positive behaviour and attitudes consistently.

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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). 11 and 12 February 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 18 and 19 December 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 A new executive headteacher has been in post since January 2025.  The school has opened a nursery for three-year-olds.  The school uses one registered alternative provision.  Governors have agreed to join the Elveden Schools Trust.  This is a Church of England school in the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich. The last inspection of its religious character, under section 48 of the Education Act 2005, took place in March 2022.

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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 provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade. 11 and 12 February 2025

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 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 inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the executive headteacher, the senior leadership team, the special educational needs coordinator, the chair of governors and members of the governing body.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and music. 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.  The inspectors also discussed the curriculum and provision for pupils with SEND and sampled work from other areas of the curriculum.

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 The inspectors considered the responses and free-text responses submitted by parents to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View.  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.

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Inspection team

Oriana Dalton, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Craig Avieson Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 February 2025

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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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