Fenstanton and Hilton Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 13 December 2023

Pupils enjoy coming to school and are happy. They have positive relationships with staff. Pupils know that staff are there to help and support them. Pupils know whom to turn to if they have any worries. They feel confident and safe because of this. For example, a common view from older pupils is that leaders being around helps them to feel safe. All pupils know how to keep themselves safe, both online and in their day-to-day life. Pupils know and strive to follow the school's recently updated values of 'community, determination, integrity'. They rise to the high expectations of leaders and have mature attitudes towards their learning. This is because lessons are interesting and enable pupils to achieve well. The curriculum ensures that pupils are well prepared to move to their next phase of education. Most pupils behave well. They understand the school's approach to managing their behaviour. This results in a calm and purposeful learning environment. Pupils have a strong understanding of difference. This is reflected in their respectful attitudes towards one another. The majority of parents would recommend the school and are satisfied that the school's ethos supports their children's well-being and learning experiences.

What the school should improve

• The school has revised the curriculum across the school. In some subjects, this is in the early stages of implementation. Some pupils have undertaken work that they already know and can do, which slows down the pace of their learning. Staff need more training in implementing the revised curriculum so that pupils learn and achieve well.
• Over time, some of the guidance and support for pupils with SEND has been inconsistent. While pupils with SEND access the same curriculum as their peers, there are occasions when the support pupils with SEND receive is not precise enough for pupils to achieve as well as they could. The school needs to ensure that the guidance it provides for staff is consistently precise in meeting pupils' needs so that staff are able to plan and deliver the most appropriate support so pupils with SEND achieve consistently well.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)