Hesleden Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 20 January 2026

Pupils enjoy coming to this small, rural school. They are greeted warmly by staff at the start of the day with a smile. Pupils’ wellbeing is a high priority. This gives pupils a sense of belonging. Pupils confide in their teachers and share their worries freely. They know that all staff will do what they can to help them. Incidents of poor behaviour, including bullying, are rare. Pupils feel safe and cared for. Relationships between staff and pupils are respectful. Typically pupils want to come to school, so they attend regularly. Pupils work hard and show a keen interest in their learning. However, gaps in pupils' knowledge are not identified accurately. Consequently, some pupils develop misunderstandings that persist and they do not remember enough of what they have been taught. Some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities experience delays in getting the support that they need to learn the important knowledge and skills they need to progress. In the early years, children's communication and language are prioritised. The interactions that adults have with children are celebratory and encouraging. However, children experience an inconsistent approach to how new vocabulary is modelled for them. Opportunities for them to practise their communication and language skills are not regular enough to be fully effective. At times, activities children are set lack ambition for what they can achieve. Pupils benefit from varied opportunities to explore and learn beyond the classroom. They enjoy their trips to museums and annual residential opportunities. These experiences, alongside visitors in to school, enrich the curriculum that pupils learn. Pupils celebrate wider world festivals and events but their understanding of the many different faiths and world views that exist in modern Britain is underdeveloped. This in addition to limited awareness of fundamental British values hampers their preparedness for life beyond school.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should ensure that the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are consistently and quickly identified so that the appropriate support can be put in place quickly, drawing on the support of outside agencies, where required. • Leaders should ensure that the curriculum is adapted more closely to meet the needs of pupils with SEND so that they secure the foundational knowledge they need. • Leaders should ensure that teachers use assessment accurately to identify and address gaps in pupils’ knowledge, so that pupils' understanding across the curriculum deepens and they remember more of what they have been taught. • Leaders should ensure that pupils develop a stronger understanding of fundamental British values and of the many different faiths and world views that exist in modern Britain. • Leaders should ensure that all children in the early years benefit from high-quality adult interactions, so that the opportunities they get to practise and learn new vocabulary and language are maximised. • Leaders should ensure that the tasks children complete in the early years appropriately challenge them and help them to gain new skills, as they learn and develop. • Leaders should implement a well-planned and evidence-informed professional learning programme for staff so that they have the skills and knowledge they need to adapt the curriculum more effectively for pupils with SEND.

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