Hadlow Primary School

Inspection of Hadlow Primary School Hadlow, Tonbridge, Kent TN11 0EH

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Inspection dates: 25 and 26 February 2025

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Good 25 and 26 February 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s motto, ‘happiness, progress, success’, threads through all aspects of school life. Pupils are proud members of their community and love school. The school has high expectations and pupils rise to these. Pupils have very positive attitudes to their learning. In lessons, pupils are diligent and focus on their tasks. They achieve well across the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is exceptional. The school’s ‘behaviour blueprint’ is known and understood by staff and pupils. Pupils are polite and well-mannered. There are high levels of respect for others. At social times, pupils play happily. They are kind and look out for one another.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children in the early years get off to an excellent start. The clear and established routines and expectations help them to settle quickly and develop their independence over time. Children are highly motivated by the varied and engaging activities that are available. These support their learning and ensure they are very well-prepared for Year 1.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Relationships between staff and pupils are warm and caring. The school’s nurturing approach supports pupils’ emotional well-being, enabling them to thrive in a safe environment. Staff know the pupils and their families well. This helps them to put the right support in place so that every child is able to experience success and have a positive school experience.

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

The school’s curriculum is ambitious and promotes a love of learning. Starting from the early years, learning has been carefully sequenced and thought out. The school has defined the knowledge, skills and vocabulary that pupils need to learn. Teachers have secure subject knowledge and regularly check pupils’ understanding so that gaps and misconceptions are addressed. Pupils have opportunities to recall previous content and practise new learning. In many subjects, pupils develop a deep body of knowledge and are able to talk about this in great detail. For example, in history pupils’ make meaningful connections about what has happened in the past and their own lives. As said by one pupil ‘we learn about history to make sure that we do not make the same mistakes that people made in the past’. However, in some subjects, pupils are not as confident in recalling subject-specific knowledge, including vocabulary. On occasions, they remember

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

the activities they have completed rather than the knowledge and skills they have learned.

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

In the early years there is a sharp focus on developing children’s communication and language. Interactions with children are used routinely to model and extend their vocabulary. Children are immersed in a range of books and texts. The well-designed curriculum and environment support children’s high levels of concentration and curiosity about their learning. 25 and 26 February 2025

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The school prioritises reading. Phonics sessions provide well-crafted opportunities for pupils to practise and apply their reading skills. This helps them to become confident and fluent readers. The school quickly identifies if extra support is needed to help pupils catch up. Throughout the school, a love of reading is promoted. This is through daily story time sessions, a ‘reading cafe’, reading for pleasure in the school library or from the ‘reading shed’ at break and lunch times. Pupils also regularly visit the local library.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are very well supported. The school’s highly inclusive approach to identifying SEND ensures that swift action is taken so that pupils get the support they need. This means that pupils with SEND are able to access the curriculum and learn happily alongside their peers. The school works with families and external agencies where needed to ensure pupils with SEND get the right support. Pupils with SEND achieve well from their starting points.

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The school shares the importance of attending school regularly with pupils and families. It closely monitors and tracks pupils’ attendance. The school acts quickly to support families when absence is becoming a concern. As a result, most pupils attend well.

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The personal development provision successfully supports pupils to be well-prepared for the next phase of their education. Pupils have a wide range of experiences that develop and broaden their view of the world and their talents and interests. The ‘3 school rules’ and school values of ‘relationships, resilience, regulation, reflection and recognition’ guide pupils’ conduct and help to develop their character. This is seen in their exemplary behaviour and commitment to their education.

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Pupils’ understanding of the fundamental British Values prepares them well for life in modern Britain. Pupils learn that everyone has the right to be treated equally. Diversity is celebrated. Pupils learn about different families and relationships. They learn how to keep themselves safe and healthy. Pupils have opportunities to take on roles of responsibility, such as a sports leader, librarian or member of the school council. The wide range of after school clubs help to develop their talents and interests. Pupils are supported to learn about their feelings and emotions. Older pupils take on roles as ‘ambassadors’ to support younger pupils’ well-being.

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Leaders have a clear and ambitious aim to provide a high-quality education for pupils. The governing body is committed to fulfilling its role effectively and knows the school well. There is an effective balance of challenge and support. Staff are proud to work at the school and feel well-supported. The collaborative work with the partner school in the federation supports staff workload and professional development. The school values the relationships with parents and carers and the local community.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, pupils do not remember enough of the skills and knowledge they need for their future learning. In particular, their understanding and use of subject- specific vocabulary is not always secure. This hinders pupils developing a deep body of knowledge in these subjects. The school should ensure the curriculum is understood and remembered by pupils across all subjects.

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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). 25 and 26 February 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 1 and 2 October 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Hadlow Primary School is part of the Bourne Partnership. Through this, the school is federated with Shipbourne Primary School.  The school runs a breakfast club for pupils.  The school does not use any 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. 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 provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024, will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school's education provision. 25 and 26 February 2025

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The lead inspector 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 members of the local governing body, including the chair and vice-chair of governors. She also spoke with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and other members of the senior leadership team.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history and physical education. 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.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: reviewed the single central

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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 staff about their workload and well-being. They also took account of the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff.  Inspectors looked at a range of policies and documentation relating to pupils’ welfare and education. They observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and around school.  Inspectors took account of the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments.  Inspectors spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences at school and considered the responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Julie Wright, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Megan Underhill Ofsted Inspector 25 and 26 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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