St Andrew's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Hitchin

Primary School, Hitchin

Address: Benslow Lane, Hitchin, Hertfordshire, SG4 9RD Unique reference number (URN): 117467

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Leaders have high expectations for all pupils to attend school regularly. They have detailed systems to monitor attendance carefully. Leaders and staff build positive relationships with families to understand any barriers to attending school well. As a result, leaders are quick to put in place tailored support to reduce barriers, when concerns arise. Consequently, overall attendance is above national averages and persistent absence is below. In the small numbers of cases where attendance is challenging, leaders are relentless in their approach. They work closely with external agencies to ensure that pupils get the support they need to attend school more successfully.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Pupils behave with respect, courtesy and kindness towards each other and adults across the school. They understand rules and routines, which support all pupils in behaving well. This is because staff are consistent in their approach to managing behaviour successfully across the school, starting in nursery. As a result, pupils manage their emotions with increasing independence. Behaviour in lessons is calm and purposeful. Staff have established a highly positive learning culture across the school. This means that pupils feel they belong and can flourish. Incidents of negative behaviour, including bullying are rare. Pupils feel confident that adults will help them to resolve any issues or concerns.

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Early years Strong standard

Leaders are passionate about the early years. From nursery, staff prioritise knowing their children and families well. As a result, leaders identify needs quickly and understand barriers that children may face. Leaders make changes to the early years provision to match needs. This is because leaders have a clear understanding of the key skills and knowledge that children need to access future learning.

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Early years Strong standard

The curriculum, in both nursery and reception, is well crafted. Children have rich opportunities to develop in all areas of learning. As a result, children, including vulnerable children, build key skills and knowledge in reading, writing and mathematics. Adults skilfully engage children in high-quality interactions to support learning. This means that children are increasingly confident in their communication skills, alongside building deeper thinking skills, such as problem-solving. Most children achieve well by the end of reception. Leaders put in place focused support where needed. This means that all children, including vulnerable children, are very well prepared for year 1.

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Early years Strong standard

Children are happy and feel safe. Staff have created a warm and nurturing environment, where children are celebrated and thrive. They ensure that learning activities develop skills, alongside a love for learning. This means that children work with their peers and adults to understand the world around them with growing curiosity, confidence and independence.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Pupils embody the school’s values. They are confident, resilient and independent, starting from Nursery. Pupils are enthusiastic about the school’s buddy system, which pairs younger

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Expected standard

and older pupils together. This is because leaders foster positive relationships across the school family. This means that pupils are nurturing, kind and caring towards each other. When needed, pupils access effective pastoral support suited to their needs.

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Expected standard

Pupils develop detailed knowledge of learning across the personal development curriculum. They talk confidently about keeping healthy, staying safe online and forming positive relationships. Pupils discuss sensitive topics with increasing maturity. This is because leaders have developed a well-sequenced curriculum, adapted to suit pupils' needs.

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Expected standard

Pupils develop secure understanding of ideas such as equality, diversity and tolerance. This is because leaders have developed the curriculum to teach about faiths from around the world. As a result, pupils talk respectfully about their learning of other cultures and beliefs. Pupils make sure everyone is included. For example, pupils make sure everyone has a friend to play with. They also welcome visitors and new pupils with warmth and courtesy. Pupils take on a range of roles and responsibilities, for example eco-warriors, subject champions and members of pupil parliament. They build an age-appropriate understanding of values, including democracy and justice. Consequently, pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Expected standard

The wider curriculum offer is plentiful. This is because leaders actively develop pupils' interests and talents. This includes a wide range of clubs, such as netball, recorders and choir. Pupils value a broad range of school trips, for example visiting museums and a residential on the Isle of Wight. Leaders prioritise all pupils having access to a range of experiences. They track participation closely and use additional funding to make clubs and visits free to all pupils. As a result, vulnerable pupils have the same opportunities as their peers.

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Achievement Expected standard

Pupils’ achievement in national tests is a notable strength across the school. Most pupils attain above average outcomes in national tests, including at the end of key stage 2 and phonics. However, pupils’ achievement in their daily learning is more variable. This is because some pupils do not consistently apply key writing skills, including handwriting, punctuation and spelling. As a result, some pupils could achieve better in writing across the curriculum.

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Achievement Expected standard

Generally, pupils with special education needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged pupils achieve well from their starting points. They generally talk confidently about what they know across the curriculum. This is because staff make suitable adaptations so that these pupils can access the full curriculum. This means that vulnerable pupils typically develop appropriate skills and knowledge to enable them to progress to the next stage of learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders accurately understand the quality of curriculum and teaching. They have made appropriate changes where the curriculum needs to improve, for example, in writing. However, the impact of this work is variable. Teaching develops pupils’ knowledge and skills of how to plan, draft and edit writing. Consequently, pupils learn how to write, with increasing confidence, across a range of text types. Nevertheless, teaching is less precise in some areas, for example handwriting, punctuation and spelling. This is because teachers are not consistently addressing errors in pupils’ written work. As a result, some pupils do not achieve as well as they could in writing.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have developed the curriculum in several subjects. As a result, subject curriculums clearly identify what is taught and when. This means that pupils build learning over time. Consequently, pupils can typically do more and remember more, as they move through the school. Generally, the curriculum is well taught. There is a focus on teaching key skills in language, reading, writing and mathematics. Typically, teachers use their subject knowledge to support pupils to make suitable progress across the curriculum.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff generally support vulnerable pupils well in lessons. This is because adults have received suitable training to support them in meeting pupils’ needs. This means that teachers make appropriate adaptations to reduce pupils' barriers to learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders know pupils well and take time to learn about their interests, talents and needs. This is because leaders prioritise building relationships with pupils and their families from when they join the school, including in Nursery. As a result, leaders identify needs and barriers to learning and/or wellbeing quickly.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders have high expectations for vulnerable pupils’ achievement, behaviour and attendance. They work closely with staff, and external agencies when needed, to put in place the right support for vulnerable pupils. Staff receive suitable training to help them in meeting pupils’ needs. Typically, support reduces barriers for these pupils. As a result, vulnerable pupils, generally, learn successfully alongside their peers in the classroom. However, for some pupils with individual plans, targets could be more precise so that these pupils achieve even better.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders support disadvantaged pupils effectively. They use additional funding to reduce barriers to wider opportunities. For example, all music and sports clubs are funded for pupils. This means that disadvantaged pupils have full access to a range of wider curriculum activities.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders know their school well. They have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and what it needs to do better. Leaders work positively with pupils and their families to create change that will make the biggest difference to them. They have high expectations and aspirations for all pupils, including vulnerable pupils. This supports pupils to thrive during their time at the school.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Governors support school leaders effectively. They carry out regular visits into school, when they talk to pupils, parents and staff. They ensure that pupils are safe and have equal opportunities within their education. As a result, governors use their understanding of the school to be a critical friend. They support and challenge leaders to make sure that change has a positive impact on pupils, including vulnerable pupils.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Staff typically feel valued and well supported in their roles. This is because leaders provide suitable support and training for teachers and support staff. This includes working with other professionals, including the local authority and diocese, to ensure expertise is shared across the staff team. This means that leaders are effective in supporting staff's workload and wellbeing.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

At the heart of leaders’ work is relationships with parents. Most parents feel that their children are seen as individuals by staff. This nurturing approach supports pupils to achieve well and feel a sense of belonging. This is because pupils feel valued and their voices are not only listened to but heard by adults in the school.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils are welcomed with warmth and kindness at this nurturing, caring school. This is because staff know pupils and their families well. Pupils are proud to be members of their school community. They feel happy and safe here. Most pupils’ attendance is very high. The school’s values, including courage, friendship and ubuntu, are shown in daily behaviour. Relationships between pupils and adults across the school are built on respect. Unkind behaviour, such as bullying, is very rare. As a result, pupils feel valued and their voices are listened to and heard.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils typically enjoy learning the broad curriculum. Pupils generally learn well, including the skills and knowledge they need to be successful in reading, writing and mathematics. Some aspects of pupils’ achievement are shown in the broadly above average outcomes in national tests. However, some pupils struggle to apply some key skills, particularly in writing, in their daily learning. Vulnerable pupils generally achieve well. This is because leaders identify needs quickly and accurately. This means that staff put the right support in place for these pupils. Typically, pupils, including vulnerable pupils, are well prepared for their next steps in learning.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils, including vulnerable pupils, participate fully in all aspects of school life. This starts in the early years when children have an older pupil as their buddy. This means that pupils develop positive and meaningful relationships within the school family. Pupils take part in a wide range of clubs, including chess and mindfulness. There are opportunities for pupils, including vulnerable pupils, to find and develop talents in the arts and sports, for example, through funded music tuition and a wealth of sporting competitions. Pupils are encouraged to take on roles and responsibilities, such as eco warriors and subject champions. As a result, pupils are well prepared for life beyond school.

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Lead inspector:

Charlotte Martin, His Majesty's Inspector

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Team inspectors:

Neil Taggart, Ofsted Inspector Cathy Barr, His Majesty's Inspector

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Next steps

Leaders should continue to refine the teaching of writing to ensure that pupils are consistently applying transcriptional skills and knowledge to produce high-quality work across the curriculum. Leaders should ensure that rigorous monitoring supports staff to make skilful adjustments in teaching to make a sustained difference to vulnerable pupils.

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About this inspection

The chair of the board of governors in this school is Michael Cranfield.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

This inspection took place from 14 July to 15 July 2026.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMI.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the headteacher and other school leaders, governors, pupils and parents and carers. They also spoke with local authority and diocese during the inspection.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

This school is registered as having a Church of England religious character. It is in the Diocese of St Albans. Its last section 48 inspection was July 2019.

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About this inspection

The school currently uses no alternative provision.

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About this inspection

Headteacher: Laura Murphy This was the data available at the time of the full inspection, taken from different sources . More recent data may have been published since the full inspection took place.

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About this inspection

The inspector(s) used this data during the full inspection on 14 July 2026

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last 6 years.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational needs support at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English indices of deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standards in a combined reading, writing and mathematics measure.

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average

2024/25 (final) 68% 62% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing.

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average

2024/25 (final) 74% 72% Close to average

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average

2023/24 (final) 73% 72% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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average

2023/24 (final) 80% 73% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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average

‘S’ in the table above indicates the data has been suppressed, which is usually due to small cohorts. The suppression rules applied by the DfE when publishing the data have been mirrored and applied in the report card.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, including the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics and the disadvantaged gap.

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average

‘S’ in the table above indicates the data has been suppressed, which is usually due to small cohorts. The suppression rules applied by the DfE when publishing the data have been mirrored and applied in the report card.

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care. services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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