Hermitage Primary School

Inspection of Hermitage Primary School Hampstead Norreys Road, Hermitage, Thatcham, Berkshire RG18 9SA

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

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What is it like to attend this school?

Hermitage Primary is a place where pupils shine. The school is an inclusive and welcoming community. Staff help pupils to understand and act on the school’s values with enthusiasm. It provides excellent pastoral support, which helps those pupils who struggle with their emotions, learn to manage them effectively. Staff secure positive relationships with pupils, who show strong attitudes to their learning as a result.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for pupils. Staff share in the school’s high expectations. This secures a purposeful atmosphere around the school. Pupils focus on their learning well and work hard. As a result, pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school caters for pupils’ wider talents and interests through an impressive range of linguistic, creative and sporting clubs. These are well attended. The school provides pupils with a useful range of leadership opportunities, allowing pupils to make a positive difference to their school community. For example, the school’s eco-council and sports leaders are leading the drive to increase the numbers walking to school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school engages effectively with parents and carers. Most say they would recommend the school to others.

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

The school has created a broad, engaging curriculum that matches the National Curriculum. It has chosen carefully what pupils should learn and in what order, from the early years onwards. The school tracks pupils’ learning across reading, writing and mathematics precisely. It uses this information well to identify pupils, including those with SEND, who require extra support. Leaders ensure teachers have the information they need to provide tailored support for pupils to help them succeed. However, last year, fewer pupils than usual achieved expected standards in writing at the end of key stage 2. In response, the school has strengthened provision successfully to boost pupils’ writing skills across the curriculum.

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

Reading is at the heart of the curriculum. Pupils read a range of diverse texts that help to foster a deep love of learning. They read widely and often. Pupils love acquiring the hidden ‘golden tickets’ in the vast array of library books. The school makes sure that pupils build their reading fluency effectively. When pupils are at risk of falling behind, they get help to keep up. Staff, including those in the early years, are skilled in supporting pupils to apply their developing knowledge in both their reading and writing.

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

Typically, staff subject knowledge is secure. This supports them to deliver the curriculum effectively. Children make a happy start when they join Reception. They secure their knowledge of early number. This helps older pupils to confidently apply their knowledge and solve increasingly challenging problems. Staff prioritise appropriately developing children’s language and communication skills. Across the school, staff support pupils to 11 and 12 March 2025

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acquire ambitious vocabulary skilfully. Teachers present new subject matter clearly. Staff use questions effectively to check that pupils know and remember previous learning. As a result, in most subjects, pupils recall confidently what they have learned. However, occasionally, teacher’s checks on pupils’ understanding lack precision in some subjects. This can result in some pupils having gaps in their knowledge or misconceptions that go unaddressed, and their learning is slowed.

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Pupils behave well. They are polite and kind. From the early years onwards, pupils play collaboratively. Their attitudes to learning are positive, and they are keen to follow the school’s routines. Pupils enjoy attending school and their attendance is high.

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The school’s promotion of pupils’ personal development is exemplary. The curriculum builds pupils’ understanding of difference very effectively, as well as their understanding of what pupils have in common. Pupils benefit from a wide variety of well-considered trips and rich experiences that enhance their learning. Special features of the school include the fields, outdoor ‘roundhouse’ and woodland, where pupils extend their learning in meaningful and practical ways. The school introduces older pupils to potential careers and ‘dream hobbies’, which promote aspiration for their futures well. The school develops leadership systematically by providing pupils with useful opportunities, such as school council. This gives pupils their first experience of applying for roles and the democratic election process. Overall, the school’s extensive provision enables pupils to develop an exceptional understanding of their place in the wider community and of diversity and

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Governors have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development. They provide the school with targeted support and challenge to make sure it continues to be effective. Together with school staff, everyone is committed to creating an inclusive school. Staff appreciate the care from leaders at all levels. They are rightly proud of their school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The use of assessment in some subjects is not consistently effective. This means that, occasionally, pupils have gaps in their knowledge or misconceptions that are not identified and so not addressed. The school should ensure that the use of assessment is consistent across the curriculum, so that gaps in pupils’ knowledge or misconceptions are addressed systematically. 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

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website hermitage-westberks.secure-dbprimary.com

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 24 and 25 September 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school provides a breakfast and after-school club.  The school uses two unregistered alternative provisions.

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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). 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.  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. 11 and 12 March 2025

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 Inspectors met with the headteacher and other senior leaders. They also met with members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, music and geography. 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.  During the inspection, inspectors met with a range of pupils to discuss their views about the school and talked to them informally during social times.  Inspectors met some parents to gain their views of the school. They reviewed the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View. They also took account of staff responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire.  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.

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Inspection team

Laura James, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Lesley Fisher-Pink Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 March 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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