Hawthorn

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 4 February 2025

The school is a haven of calm and positivity. The friendly, supportive atmosphere promotes pupils' personal development very well. Pupils attend school keenly and are rarely absent. Pupils arrive promptly to school, and transition swiftly into the established morning routine. Staff and pupils work hard, side by side, cleaning stables and the yard. Interactions between staff and pupils are informal, yet respectful. Early morning conversations centre on pupils' feelings and well-being. This helps them to be ready for the learning activities to come. Staff model the behaviours that they want pupils to develop. This works effectively. It is demonstrated in pupils' willingness to talk politely with visitors about their learning and wider experiences. Pupils feel safe and valued at school. They appreciate the staff and enjoy learning about, and looking after, the animals, particularly the horses. High expectations for pupils' engagement in therapeutic activities are met successfully and, over time, pupils build positive self-identities. Conversely, leaders' expectations for pupils' learning across the academic curriculum, including in reading, English and mathematics lack ambition. Lessons in key subjects are insufficiently frequent, and learning does not always build sequentially. Consequently, pupils do not learn and achieve as well as they should.

What the school should improve

• Curriculum thinking and sequencing in English and mathematics are not an accurate reflection of what pupils currently learn. Learning moves from one theme to another, without sufficient consideration of what pupils know and understand. Therefore, pupils do not learn and progress as well as they should. Leaders should ensure that they identify the precise knowledge that they want pupils to know, and sequence this well. Leaders should ensure that staff check pupils' learning carefully and adapt their teaching as required.
• Reading has not been prioritised. There are currently no systems to ensure that pupils engage with, or hear, a range of texts routinely. Consequently, there are limited opportunities to increase pupils' cultural capacity as well as fluency, confidence and enjoyment in reading. The school should ensure that its plans to raise the profile of reading are completed and introduced.
• Staff's expectations of what pupils can achieve academically are often too low. This is reflected in the small amount of time afforded to academic subjects, particularly English and mathematics, as well as in low-level learning activities. Consequently, pupils' opportunities to catch up on previously missed learning are reduced. The school should ensure that staff have consistently high expectations for what pupils learn and practise during lessons.
• The academic provision and extra-curricular opportunities on offer currently are not reflective of the school's stated aims. Pupils do not benefit from the rich variety of subjects and experiences that leaders intend. Leaders should continue work to implement their plans so that pupils benefit from the full range of subjects and opportunities that leaders intend.
• The proprietor body does not have robust systems for oversight or to assure the quality of education. School improvement planning lacks precision and does not prioritise the quality of education. This means the proprietor body does not hold a sufficiently helpful view of the school's strengths and areas for improvement. The proprietor body should ensure that systems to evaluate the school's work and to hold the school's leaders to account are strengthened.

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