Hundon Community Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Hundon Community Primary School North Street, Hundon, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 8EE

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Outcome

Hundon Community Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending this small, welcoming school. Positive relationships between staff and pupils create a supportive learning environment. Additionally, teachers motivate pupils to do their best. Pupils achieve well through the broad and interesting curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations. Pupils respond well by demonstrating positive behaviour and by working diligently. This instils a commitment to learning. The youngest children know the school routines. They are confident, independent and show resilience. They are well prepared for their next educational stage. Older pupils are well equipped for secondary school. They have the skills, confidence and knowledge needed to manage this transition. This is especially important as they move from a small, rural school to a new school setting.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn to understand cultural and religious diversity through a well-structured programme. This is further developed through thought-provoking discussions. Pupils are encouraged to have inquisitive minds.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Currently, there is a strong focus on supporting pupils’ mental health. The strategies pupils learn help them to build resilience so that they can tackle new challenges. Interesting and well-considered trips and visitors to the school further enhance pupils’ educational understanding. These also broaden their horizons beyond the classroom and their local community. 8 May 2025

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

The school has designed a curriculum that ensures pupils in mixed-age classes learn what is relevant for their age. Staff typically have secure subject knowledge. They explain new concepts clearly. In many subjects, teachers make sure that tasks support the different starting points of pupils in each year group. However, in some subjects, teachers sometimes do not check pupils’ learning effectively to identify what they already know. Consequently, teachers sometimes do not provide activities that build on pupils’ existing knowledge as well as they could in these subjects. This means that some pupils cannot make meaningful connections between previous and current learning. This limits their progress through the curriculum in these subjects.

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

Children in the early years benefit greatly from the strong emphasis on developing their language and communication skills. This enables them to express their thoughts, emotions and ideas with confidence. Learning activities are designed well to build children’s mathematical knowledge and skills. Children secure the knowledge they need so that they are ready to move into Year 1.

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

Pupils read from a wide range of books. This broadens their understanding of the world. Learning to read is a high priority. Pupils enjoy learning to read as soon as they start in Reception. Over time, pupils get plenty of practice and reinforcement and they read books that match their understanding. This ensures that pupils’ reading skills develop well. Skilled staff provide any pupils who require reading support with catch-up sessions. This enables these pupils to keep up with their peers. By the time they leave, pupils can read with fluency and confidence.

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

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have their needs identified effectively. Teachers, parents and carers work together to pinpoint pupils’ barriers or challenges. This helps staff to plan suitable adaptations should pupils need them. Teachers encourage pupils to be independent, helping pupils to build self- confidence. Pupils with SEND achieve well through the curriculum, progressing in line with their peers.

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

In lessons, pupils generally show focus and concentration. Peaceful classrooms enable pupils to focus better. This helps them to learn and remember information more easily. Outside, pupils play well with each other, and staff help when any pupils have a disagreement. In the past, some pupils did not attend school consistently well. The school has worked well with parents and pupils to reduce barriers to attendance. This is now a much-improved situation.

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

Leaders and governors work successfully to provide the strategic direction of the school. Since the last inspection, the school has improved, including enhancing the environment for children in their early years. The federation allows staff to collaborate and leaders at all levels to develop their roles. Staff feel that training opportunities improve their teaching skills. They also value the efforts to reduce their workload and say leaders are considerate of their well-being in the actions they take. 8 May 2025

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The school ensures that pupils get exposure to enriching cultural experiences. This means that pupils can broaden their perspectives. They learn about different religions and come to appreciate them. This helps them to value diversity. Pupils are knowledgeable about how to stay safe online and in the community. They learn about important cultural and historical events. Pupils greatly enjoyed explaining what Victory in Europe Day was and its cultural significance, for example.

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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, teachers do not always use assessment information well enough. They do not always identify what pupils know and what knowledge needs to be revisited. As a result, some pupils do not build a secure body of knowledge or develop a deeper understanding in these subjects. This slows their progress through the curriculum. The school should ensure that staff use assessment information effectively in all subjects to inform their teaching and the learning activities they provide for pupils.

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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 to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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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.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in March 2020. 8 May 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). 8 May 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body John Griffin and Dr Sue Mckeogh, Co-chairs

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 5 and 6 March 2020, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Hundon Community Primary School is federated with Thurlow Church of England Primary School. Leaders at all levels work across both schools.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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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 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 headteacher, other leaders and staff. The lead inspector also met with representatives from the governing body, including the chair of governors. Additionally, inspectors met with a representative from the local authority.  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 8 May 2025

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the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspectors considered the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text responses. They also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online staff survey.

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Inspection team

Jessie Linsley, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Katie Devenport His Majesty’s Inspector 8 May 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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