Hillsgrove Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 26 September 2023

Pupils love their school. They said they are happy here and like all the learning opportunities given. Leaders have high ambitions for all pupils. Pupils particularly appreciate activities provided for them outside of lessons, such as using playground equipment at breaktime and football and dance clubs. The school makes sure that no pupils miss out on these experiences. The school's core values, pursuing excellence, engaging minds and inspiring futures, encourage pupils to conduct themselves sensibly around the school. Leaders and staff have high expectations for pupils' learning and behaviour. The school's new reward system helps everyone to behave well. Pupils are proud to take on responsibility as school ambassadors. At breaktimes, pupils play well together and look out for each other. They are pleased to be able to choose whether to sit in a quiet place, play games and sport, or join an indoor club. Pupils feel safe and are well cared for by all staff. They behave with respect and consideration towards each other and work collaboratively in and out of lesson times. When there are any disagreements, adults deal with them promptly and successfully.

What the school should improve

• Curriculum thinking in some subjects is recently introduced and, therefore, not as well established as in other subjects. The school must ensure that new curriculum thinking is thoroughly implemented as leaders intend.
• Occasionally, teaching does not check routinely the learning of pupils with SEND and, as a result, misunderstandings and misconceptions are not picked up quickly. The school should ensure that the learning of pupils with SEND is checked routinely, so that any misconceptions are quickly identified and addressed.

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