Hillside Community Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 9 July 2024

Pupils are happy, content and caring at this school. They enjoy discovering new learning, as well as socialising and engaging in activities with their friends. The strong and trusting bonds that pupils form with their peers and with staff are the foundations upon which the success of the school is built. The school expects pupils to become high achieving, diligent and conscientious citizens. Pupils respond positively to these ambitious expectations, which help to make sure that they learn well across the curriculum. They typically behave well during lessons. Classrooms are calm and purposeful. Pupils are encouraged to develop their sports and musical interests. They look forward to the school's annual 'Hillside's got talent' event, where they demonstrate their dancing, singing and gymnastic prowess. Staff also encourage pupils to share their talents during special assemblies, for example in Morris dancing and in martial arts. Pupils' horizons are broadened in different ways. For instance, Year 6 pupils look forward to their annual residential, where they engage in outdoor and orienteering activities. Pupils enjoy visiting museums, galleries and local places of interest, which are linked to different aspects of the curriculum. Pupils understand fundamental British values. They know that they should treat people from different religious and cultural backgrounds with dignity and respect.

What the school should improve

• In a few subjects, staff do not revisit and reinforce pupils' previous learning sufficiently enough to make sure that it is committed to their long-term memory. This hinders the progress that some pupils make through the curriculum. The school should ensure that, in these subjects, staff routinely check that pupils have learned and remembered the intended curriculum so that they can deepen their learning over time.
• The initiatives to improve pupils' rates of attendance are not having the rapid impact that the school would like. Some pupils' low attendance means that they miss out on important learning and other aspects of personal development. The school should the strengthen the effectiveness of its current strategies, including working closely with parents, to improve these pupils' attendance.

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