Hindon Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, St Mary's and St John'sOfsted report card, 29 Sept 2026

Primary School, St Mary's and St John's

Address: School Lane, Hindon, ., Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP3 6EA Unique reference number (URN): 126444

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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 prioritise attendance. They track attendance closely and identify concerns quickly. Leaders work closely with families and provide timely support to help pupils attend school regularly. They understand the barriers some pupils face and take appropriate action to address them. Leaders use frequent communication, additional support and celebration of good attendance to encourage pupils to attend well. This caring approach helps many pupils improve their attendance. Persistent absence has reduced over time. Pupils typically attend school regularly. Overall attendance is close to national figures. Leaders continue to work determinedly to reduce persistent absence further.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders have strengthened the behaviour policy and established clear expectations of behaviour. Generally, staff apply these consistently. Pupils typically behave well and conduct themselves sensibly around school. The school’s values help pupils understand how to treat others with respect. Pupils behave well at social times. They treat one another kindly and show respect for staff and visitors. Bullying and discriminatory behaviour are not tolerated. Leaders check behaviour patterns carefully and provide additional support when needed. Staff make suitable adjustments for pupils including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Support from trusted adults and adjustments to routines helps these pupils feel safe and develop positive attitudes to learning.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

New leaders have established a caring and ambitious culture in which pupils are known well and their welfare is prioritised. They have taken a methodical approach to evaluating the school’s progress. Leaders have established high expectations and always act in the best interests of pupils. They have accurately identified the areas that require further work and are taking appropriate action to strengthen these. For example, leaders have ensured that pupils across the school benefit from a well-taught mathematics curriculum. They have identified appropriate next steps. These include increasing the rigour of assessment to identify and address pupils’ misconceptions and gaps in learning more consistently.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Staff greatly value the opportunities they have to develop their expertise. Leaders have ensured that professional learning is closely aligned to the school’s priorities for improvement. This helps staff understand the school's expectations and contributes to developing a shared approach across the school. Leaders have successfully rebuilt previously fractured relationships with parents. They communicate frequently and transparently to ensure that parents are well informed about school developments. Parents value the collaborative relationships they have with staff and appreciate the care shown towards their children. Parents are overwhelmingly confident in the school's direction and leadership.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Governors have played a determined role in leading the school through a significant period of instability. They hold leaders to account effectively. Governors receive regular information about the school's work and monitor leaders' priorities for improvement. They discharge their statutory duties effectively.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders have developed a well-planned approach to personal development that reflects the needs of the school community. Leaders have adapted aspects of the curriculum to reflect local circumstances. For example, they ensure older pupils know how to use rail networks safely, in preparation for secondary school. Pupils have an age-appropriate understanding of how to keep themselves safe online and offline. They understand the importance of British values. Pupils learn about different families, cultures and communities. They can explain why this learning helps them understand and respect others. Pupils benefit from opportunities to put democracy into practice when voting for school council representatives. They make intelligent links between the rule of law and the school's rules and expectations. Pupils understand that their views can influence change. For example, their decisions have led to improvements such as new playground markings for team games.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils reflect maturely about their learning. Leaders ensure that the curriculum meets statutory requirements for relationships and sex education and health education. Pupils understand how to maintain wellbeing. They make informed choices about lifestyle and welfare. Pupils know what makes a healthy friendship. They use learned strategies to resolve disagreements with others. Pupils benefit from leadership responsibilities. For example, older pupils take a pride in supporting younger pupils with their learning. Pupils value the opportunities they have to participate in community initiatives. These help them develop as responsible, active citizens. Pupils enjoy opportunities to develop resilience and independence through outdoor learning experiences.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Effective pastoral support removes barriers to pupils’ social and emotional development. Leaders ensure that pupils who require therapeutic provision receive support to alleviate their anxieties. This has been particularly useful in supporting pupils to manage their emotions. The school keeps its personal development programme under regular review. This ensures that it remains relevant and responsive to pupils’ needs. Leaders assure themselves of equity of opportunity.

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Achievement Needs attention

Some pupils are not as prepared as they could be for their next stage of education. Some pupils, including those who are disadvantaged and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities do not make sufficient progress from their starting points. Teaching does not help some pupils gain the breadth of knowledge and skills that they need. Staff do not consistently identify pupils’ starting points or address their gaps in learning. This impedes their ability to build securely on what they have already learned. The work some pupils produce reflects ongoing weaknesses in their knowledge and skills.

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Achievement Needs attention

Nevertheless, leaders have taken action to improve the curriculum design and teaching. This has ensured that pupils develop a secure knowledge of what they have been taught in some subjects. The school’s small cohort sizes limit the reliability of comparisons with national outcomes. The most recent multiplication check, although below the national average, indicates year-on-year improvements in the extent to which pupils recall important mathematical knowledge. This is reflected in pupils’ increasing fluency and confidence when applying multiplication facts to more complex mathematical concepts

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

In many subjects, new leaders have strengthened the curriculum design and have established clear curriculum plans that identify the knowledge and vocabulary pupils should learn and build over time. For example, in mathematics, the curriculum is well sequenced and teachers typically present information clearly. This helps pupils build on previous knowledge successfully.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

However, there is more to do to ensure that pupils benefit from the curriculum as much as they should. In some subjects the curriculum is not designed in a way that helps pupils build sequentially on their learning. Sometimes, the way the curriculum is taught is not best suited to what it is that pupils need to learn. As a result, some pupils do not gain the breadth of knowledge and skills that they need. Learning activities are not adapted well enough for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those with other barriers to learning. Therefore, some pupils do not make the progress they should including in early reading and writing.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Checks on what pupils know and understand are not used precisely enough to identify and address pupils’ needs promptly. As a result, some pupils continue through the curriculum with misconceptions that remain unaddressed. Others, who have secured their learning do not have the opportunity to move onto more complex concepts when they are ready to do so.

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Early years Needs attention

Staff establish warm and nurturing relationships with children and their families. These help children understand routines, settle quickly and feel safe and secure. Children typically play collaboratively with others and at times, sustain their concentration well. However, while all statutory wellbeing requirements are met, the way the curriculum is taught does not consistently build children's knowledge and skills. Staff interactions do not consistently extend children’s learning and development.

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Early years Needs attention

Although staff rightly prioritise early reading, writing and mathematics, they have not established children’s starting points sufficiently precisely. Therefore, the activities children complete are not sufficiently well matched to their needs. In addition, checks on what children know and understand are not used precisely enough to identify and address children’s needs promptly. Consequently, children do not build securely on previous learning.

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Early years Needs attention

While staff model vocabulary appropriately during whole-class sessions, children are often given insufficient opportunities to practise and apply this newly acquired language. Children, including those who are disadvantaged, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those with other barriers to their learning do not make the progress they should. Leaders are aware of this. They have identified the right priorities for improvement.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders have made a positive start to improve the provision for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They have created a caring and inclusive environment where pupils feel safe and valued. Staff know pupils well and provide pastoral care that helps pupils to feel included. Well-established morning routines help pupils settle positively into the school day and support their emotional wellbeing. However, there remains more to do. Support for pupils who face barriers to their learning is not yet consistent across the school. Leaders have not ensured that staff know pupils’ starting points in sufficient depth. This makes it difficult for teachers to provide the precise support that pupils need. As a result, learning activities are not consistently well matched to pupils’ needs. In some cases, pupils rely too heavily on adult support to complete tasks, which

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Inclusion Needs attention

limits their independence and hampers their ability to secure curriculum knowledge.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders act on advice and guidance from a wide range of external experts to support pupils' specific needs. They use pupil premium funding to provide targeted provision for the small number of disadvantaged pupils in the school. This supports pupils’ wellbeing and reflects leaders’ focus on helping pupils overcome barriers to learning and participation.

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

The school is a welcoming and friendly place to learn, at the heart of its local community. Pupils enjoy coming to school and attend regularly. Parents and pupils value the school's caring ethos, which is underpinned by its distinctive values. Staff know pupils and their families very well. From the time pupils arrive, staff build trusting relationships with them. As a result, pupils settle quickly and develop a sense of belonging. Pupils feel safe and are confident that staff will help them if they have any concerns. Bullying is not tolerated.

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

Pupils behave well. They are polite and considerate. Pupils enjoy their social times together. From the Reception Year, children develop positive relationships with each other. Pupils make warm friendships. Pupils benefit from the school’s enrichment programme. They make trips to places of interest. For example, pupils visit local forests to deepen their knowledge of science. They appreciate opportunities to develop their interests such as multisport and football. Pupils benefit from regular opportunities to participate in sports tournaments. These experiences help them to develop teamwork and resilience while extending their social horizons.

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

The school has been through a period of turbulence. New leaders have stabilised the school. They have worked at pace to identify and prioritise areas for improvement. Leaders are taking appropriate action to strengthen these areas. Pupils and parents value leaders’ commitment to securing better outcomes for pupils. However, leaders recognise that further work is needed to ensure that pupils benefit from a consistently high-quality education. This is because the way the curriculum is taught does not help some pupils to remember and build on important knowledge and skills. Consequently, some pupils are not prepared

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Team inspector:

Hester Millsop, Ofsted Inspector sufficiently well for the next stage of their education. In addition, some disadvantaged pupils, pupils with SEND and those facing other barriers to learning do not receive effective support to help them achieve as well as they should from their starting points.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure that the way that the curriculum is designed and implemented supports children and pupils to build their knowledge and skills securely over time. Leaders should ensure that staff understand the starting points and gaps for pupils with barriers to learning so that these pupils benefit from support which helps them to progress well. Leaders should ensure that assessment is used precisely so that pupils’ misconceptions are addressed promptly and those who have secured learning and are ready to move onto more complex learning have the opportunity to do so.

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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

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 interim headteacher and the wider senior leadership team during the inspection. The lead inspector also spoke with staff, pupils, parents, the chair of governors, other governors and the local authority school effectiveness advisor.

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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 Salisbury. Its last section 48 inspection was in November 2025.

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About this inspection

The school currently uses no alternative provision.

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About this inspection

The substantive headteacher was not available to meet with inspectors. The current interim headteacher was appointed in September 2025.

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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 29 September 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. National average: 26.5%

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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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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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(provisional)

The Key Stage 2 data we used for this inspection has not yet been published; therefore, we have not provided it alongside this school's report card. ‘R’ in the table indicates that the data is not yet available. We will update the table when the Department for Education publishes the data for the latest academic year.

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(provisional)

‘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

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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(provisional)

The Key Stage 2 data we used for this inspection has not yet been published; therefore, we have not provided it alongside this school's report card. ‘R’ in the table indicates that the data is not yet available. We will update the table when the Department for Education publishes the data for the latest academic year.

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(provisional)

‘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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(provisional)

The Key Stage 2 data we used for this inspection has not yet been published; therefore, we have not provided it alongside this school's report card. ‘R’ in the table indicates that the data is not yet available. We will update the table when the Department for Education publishes the data for the latest academic year.

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(provisional)

‘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) 5.0% 5.2% 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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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

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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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