Hockliffe Lower School

Inspection of Hockliffe Lower School Woburn Road, Hockliffe, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire LU7 9LL

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good

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Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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The headteacher of this school is Aoife Greaves. This school is part of Kingsbridge Educational 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), Peter Barnes, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Megan Crawford.

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Ofsted has not previously inspected Hockliffe Lower School under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. However, Ofsted previously judged Hockliffe Lower School to be outstanding for overall effectiveness, before it opened as an academy. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 11 and 12 March 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to this small village school. Pupils are well cared for through the strong pastoral support they receive. Mixed-age classes help pupils develop good relationships with each other. Staff know pupils very well. This helps pupils to feel safe. Pupils know they can talk to a trusted adult if they have a worry. Starting in Reception, staff help children learn school routines quickly. They follow these routines well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and attitudes towards learning. In the main, pupils meet these expectations and show enjoyment in their learning. They engage in lessons, typically listen well to adult instruction and try their best.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are many opportunities for pupils to take on roles of responsibility in the school. Pupils speak with pride about their roles. Assembly monitors, sports leaders, milk monitors and play leaders all help and support other pupils in the school. School council members make sure that everyone join in with school activities and help improve the school environment for others. They help share information with other pupils by leading assemblies on important topics such as having positive mental health.

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

The school has developed a well-sequenced curriculum. Starting in the Reception Year, it clearly sets out what pupils need to know over time. The curriculum accounts for how pupils in mixed-age classes build their knowledge and skills. In reading and mathematics, where the curriculum is securely in place, this supports pupils to deepen their understanding over time. However, in some subjects, where the curriculum has been introduced more recently, the school has not fully evaluated how well the curriculum is taught or whether pupils are making the best progress they can. The school and trust are aware of the need to continue to carry out this important work.

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

Teachers have expert subject knowledge. They teach the curriculum well. Staff typically present new information clearly and precisely. This helps pupils build on their knowledge from their mixed-age starting points. However, sometimes teaching does not build on pupils’ starting points precisely enough. When this happens, pupils do not learn the curriculum as well as they should.

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

Children in early years begin to learn phonics as soon as they start school. The teaching of phonics is highly effective as a result of the training that all staff have received. Pupils practise their knowledge of phonics by reading books that are well matched to the sounds pupils know. Pupils who are finding reading tricky are identified quickly and given the support they need. As a result, pupils become fluent and enthusiastic readers who talk about the books they like to read.

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

The school quickly and accurately identifies the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Working with parents and carers, the school puts tailored support plans in place. Staff who know these pupils very well support pupils with SEND effectively to learn well alongside their peers. 11 and 12 March 2025

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Children in the early years are well supported. In Reception, focused activities develop children’s fine motor skills. These help to develop their writing. A variety of other rich activities ensure that children develop their physical and social skills. Children know how to take turns and to be kind to each other from an early age.

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A recently introduced behaviour curriculum is ensuring pupils’ behaviour is managed effectively. Pupils behave well in lessons and during social times. Pupils’ attendance is high. The school is not complacent and promotes the importance of attendance. High- quality pastoral support, including engagement with external agencies, helps those pupils who struggle to attend school to improve their attendance.

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Pupils enjoy celebrating each other’s achievements through the weekly celebration assembly. This rewards those pupils who have demonstrated the school’s ‘meerkat’ learning behaviours. Pupils understand how to keep themselves safe online and locally, for example through their ‘scootability’ lessons. Children in Reception understand and can talk about healthy foods. Pupils have a mature approach to understanding and appreciating other’s differences. One pupil reflected the views of many by saying, ‘If everyone was the same, then the world would be boring.’

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Trustees and governors are knowledgeable. They regularly check the school’s work. They understand what is working well and what areas need further improvement. Staff are positive about the support they receive with their workload and well-being. They are proud to be members of the school 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 the curriculum is still being embedded. The school is not evaluating effectively how well these subjects are being delivered. As a result, pupils do not always make as much progress as they could. The school should develop its monitoring and evaluation processes to ensure curriculum improvements support pupils to make more progress in their learning.  Sometimes, teaching does not precisely meet the needs of mixed-aged classes. This means that pupils do not always learn all they should. The school should ensure that staff develop their expertise to teach mixed-aged classes effectively so pupils learn and remember information more securely. 11 and 12 March 2025

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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 March 2025

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The current headteacher took up post in January 2023.  The school joined the Kingsbridge Educational Trust in January 2024.  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 and/or sixth form 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. 11 and 12 March 2025

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 This was the first routine inspection 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.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history 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.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and other leaders, including the special educational needs coordinator.  Inspectors met with representatives of the governing body, including the chair. They also spoke to the members of the board of trustees, including the CEO.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the

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extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. There were no responses to Ofsted’s online staff survey or Ofsted’s pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Wayne Jarvis, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Lesley Stevens Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 March 2025

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