Hutton Church of England Primary School

Hutton Church of England Primary School

Address: Church Lane, Hutton, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, BS24 9SN Unique reference number (URN): 144919

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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 Expected standard

Leaders have effective systems in place to monitor attendance. They work closely with families to understand the reasons for absence and provide appropriate support as necessary. Where attendance remains a concern, leaders act swiftly and take decisive action to secure improvement. As a result, overall attendance has remained in line with national averages over a sustained period of time. However, disadvantaged pupils' attendance is below that of their peers nationally. This has been affected by some pupils with significant barriers to attending regularly. Leaders acknowledge that greater impact of the school's systems for attendance is needed for this group of pupils.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

In most classes, pupils' behaviour is positive and the school environment is generally calm and purposeful. Pupils typically show an enthusiasm for their learning. For example, in history, younger pupils eagerly share what they have learned about the SS Great Britain and explain how this connects to their upcoming visit. Leaders deal with poor behaviour effectively and do not tolerate any discrimination or harassment, including bullying. Staff mostly follow the behaviour policies in line with leaders' expectations. They generally provide pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities the help they need to refocus on their learning if they struggle with their emotions.

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Early years Expected standard

The early years’ provision is a strength of the school. Together with the trust, leaders have implemented a curriculum designed to match children's needs closely. Staff carry out home visits to learn about each child’s background, interests and experiences. They use this knowledge alongside their own checks when children start school. This helps staff to adapt the curriculum to reflect the needs and characteristics of each cohort.

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Early years Expected standard

Staff typically teach the curriculum well. Leaders have increased their focus on children’s personal, social and emotional development to address gaps identified on entry to the school. For example, staff ensure that children are encouraged to take turns and share equipment well. Staff establish routines so that children can settle quickly into their new environment. They engage children in high-quality interactions to support their speech and language development. Staff plan activities in both the indoor and outdoor provision that are well matched to need, including for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This helps children to learn well and sustain concentration on tasks. Children enjoy stories and rhymes throughout the provision. This is complemented by staff’s effective teaching of phonics. Consequently, children quickly learn to read.

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Early years Expected standard

As a result of this positive start, most children are well prepared for the demands of the Year 1 curriculum.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

The school has a well-thought-out personal development programme. Leaders ensure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are disadvantaged

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Needs attention

benefit from the school's enrichment experiences by removing any potential barriers to participation. For example, the school supports families financially so that pupils can learn a musical instrument as part of a rock band. The school develops pupils' empathy through raising money for a variety of charities. Pupils learn to understand aspects of fundamental British values, such as the rule of law, through assemblies and visits from the local police. Pupils gain a love of the arts through starring in a range of productions from early years through to Year 6.

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Needs attention

Leaders have established a comprehensive personal, social, health education (PSHE) curriculum. It develops pupils' understanding of how to stay safe, including when online. Visits from the Royal National Lifeboat Institution help pupils learn how to keep themselves safe at the beach. Pupils can explain changes to their body in an age-appropriate way. The school promotes how people can be different through both its academic curriculum and assemblies. Consequently, pupils appreciate the importance of equality and understand the discrimination that exists in modern society. However, due to inconsistencies in the teaching of PSHE, some pupils' knowledge of topics is not as deep as leaders intend.

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Needs attention

Leaders have increased the amount of pastoral support on offer. This is due to the changing needs of pupils and families who attend the school. This support is both well planned and dynamic to be able to respond to issues as they arise. Those pupils and families who access this support are grateful for the listening ear and advice that they receive.

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Achievement Needs attention

The inconsistencies in teaching mean that pupils' progress through the curriculum is variable, particularly in key stage 2. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Despite the school starting to address older pupils' gaps in knowledge, there remains more to do to ensure that pupils secure a rich body of knowledge across subjects. As a result, pupils' published outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of key stage 2 have declined in successive years. This decline is also mirrored for disadvantaged pupils, whose results are below those of their peers nationally. Overall, too few pupils are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to be well prepared for secondary school.

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Achievement Needs attention

Pupils' achievement is better for younger pupils. Children achieve well in the early years. Over time, pupils' outcomes in the phonics screening check and multiplication check are at least in line, and sometimes above, the national averages. This reflects leaders' efforts to ensure that younger pupils grasp the basic skills they need in English and mathematics.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The quality of teaching across the school is variable. Despite leaders establishing an ambitious and logically ordered curriculum, sometimes it is not delivered with enough rigour. Where teaching is more effective, staff have high expectations of what pupils can do. They question pupils to check their understanding and provide work that is closely matched to pupils' prior knowledge.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

However, teachers can lack the expertise needed to deliver the curriculum effectively. They do not expect enough of pupils and do not always address basic errors in pupils' written work, such as spelling and grammar. As a result, these errors persist. Furthermore, sometimes teachers do not use what they know about pupils to provide work closely matched to their starting points. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders are aware of these weaknesses, but their actions have not yet secured the necessary improvements in teaching for some older pupils.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Teachers implement the phonics programme well. They follow the agreed teaching approaches closely. This ensures that the programme is implemented in the way that leaders intend. Staff give pupils who fall behind the help they need to catch up with their reading quickly.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders generally understand the barriers that pupils face, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). However, the support for these pupils is variable. Leaders typically work closely with families and other professionals to shape the support pupils need. They quickly identify those pupils who need additional help, including those who join the school partway through the school year. However, more staff require further training to help meet pupils' needs effectively. Sometimes, they give targets to some pupils that are too broad. This means that the specific steps needed to move pupils' learning forwards are unclear. In addition, staff do not always use the information they know about pupils well enough to provide the right adaptations. When this happens, pupils with SEND struggle to learn well. Where staff provide the right help, they use a range of appropriate strategies to help pupils succeed.

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Inclusion Needs attention

The school's use of funding for disadvantaged pupils is appropriate but has not improved outcomes as intended. Leaders, including governors, sometimes do not evaluate this work, or the additional support for pupils with SEND, with sufficient rigour. As a result, they are not always clear which strategies are having the most positive impact on pupils’ outcomes.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders know broadly the school's strengths and weaknesses. They take decisions in the best interests of pupils. However, in some areas, leaders’ checks on the school’s work lack precision. They do not check rigorously enough the impact of support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities or funding for disadvantaged pupils, particularly in relation to attendance.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders hold staff to account for their performance. They put in additional support and training where needed, drawing on shared expertise across the trust. However, the impact of some of this has been mixed. Staff generally follow the agreed teaching approaches, which leaders have trained them in. However, sometimes, they do not match learning well enough to pupils’ needs. Trustees and those responsible for governance share leaders' realistic view of the school. They make checks on the school's work, such as safeguarding, to ensure that their view of the school is accurate. Together, they fulfil their statutory duties for governance.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Staff are proud to work at Hutton. They feel that leaders have managed changes in the school well. Staff are positive about the way in which leaders manage their workload and wellbeing.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The majority of parents and carers would recommend the school. However, some parents of older pupils are less positive about the school. They have concerns about how the school communicates with them. Leaders follow the trust's communication policies but continue to look for ways to improve this further.

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

This school is at the heart of village life. Pupils enjoy taking part in local events, such as contributing to the Hutton in Bloom competition. This helps pupils to develop a sense of pride in their community. Most pupils enjoy school and attend well. They talk animatedly about the positive friendships they make. Pupils rightly describe the improvements that have been made to the way in which staff deal with any fallouts or bullying incidents. As a result, they have confidence that staff will help to resolve any problems they may have. Many pupils behave well. Occasionally, when teaching is less effective, a few pupils disengage with their learning.

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

Nevertheless, older pupils do not learn well. Due to inconsistencies in teaching, some pupils' educational experience through the school has been uneven, limiting their progress and achievement over time. This includes disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). While leaders have made some positive changes to address weaknesses, too much variability in the quality of teaching remains. Some pupils with SEND do not receive the right support they need to thrive. By the time pupils leave key stage 2, their outcomes are below those of other pupils nationally. However, improvements can be seen in younger pupils' learning. For example, children in the early years benefit from knowledgeable staff who help them to learn well.

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

Pupils have a voice, through roles such as the school council. The school choir gives pupils the opportunity to develop their musical talents. Pupils develop a sense of teamwork through participating in sports clubs. They experience the thrill of becoming more independent through a residential trip. Pupils gain insight into different lives and cultures through a twinning project with a community in Kenya.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure that all staff have the expertise to implement the curriculum effectively so that pupils learn and achieve well. Leaders should ensure that staff use assessment strategies effectively to identify how well pupils are learning the curriculum and use this to adapt learning tasks so that they are ambitious and closely matched to pupils' starting points. Leaders should ensure that teaching addresses gaps in older pupils’ knowledge so that they achieve well by the end of key stage 2. Leaders should ensure that targets for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are closely matched to their needs, implemented well and that they monitor the impact of additional support closely. Leaders, including those responsible for governance, should ensure that their work to improve attendance has a greater impact on disadvantaged pupils.

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About this inspection

This school is part of Kaleidoscope Multi Academy 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), Simon Marriott, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Tristan Cogan.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. 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 executive headteacher and other senior leaders, the CEO, the chair of the trust, a member of the local governing body, staff, pupils, and parents and carers during the inspection.

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About this inspection

The inspection started on 9 June 2026. Inspectors returned on 14 and 15 July 2026 to gather additional evidence in line with Ofsted inspections and visits: Deferring, pausing and gathering additional evidence policy.

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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. The school is part of the Diocese of Bath and Wells. The school's last section 48 inspection took place in June 2022.

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About this inspection

The executive headteacher took up the post in 2024 and the head of school took up the post in 2025.

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About this inspection

The school uses one unregistered alternative provision.

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Team inspectors:

Julie Barton, Ofsted Inspector Kevin Martin, Ofsted Inspector James Gentile, His Majesty's Inspector Sophie Hillson, His Majesty's Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

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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Facts and figures used on inspection

The inspector(s) used this data during the full inspection on 9 June 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

2022/23 (final) 66% 60% 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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Pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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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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national average

2022/23 (final) 50% 44% Close to average

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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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average

2022/23 (final) 67% 60% Close to average

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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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average

2024/25 (final) 67% 59% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 50% 58% Close to average

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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

2022/23 (final) 67% 59% Close to average

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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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gap

‘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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national average

2024/25 (3 term) 5.3% 5.2% Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 5.2% 5.5% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 5.3% 5.9% Close to average

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Persistent absence

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

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national average

2024/25 (3 term) 13.3% 13.0% Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 12.3% 14.6% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 16.0% 16.2% Close to average

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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.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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