Hillside Infant School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 17 October 2023

There is a real sense of community at this school. Pupils thrive here. This is because staff get to know pupils and their families, so they understand what they need in order to achieve well. Pupils are happy and safe and enjoy coming to school to learn and interact with their peers. Pupils feel safe at school, and they trust teachers to deal with any unkind behaviour from their peers. Pupils learn a broad and interesting curriculum. Every subject develops cumulatively from early years onwards. This means that pupils build the knowledge and skills they need to access learning in key stage 1 and beyond. Pupils are typically well prepared for the next stage of their education. Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. They enjoy learning and try hard. This is because teachers have high expectations of them. They relish the opportunities to learn outside the classroom. A programme of new activities introduced on 'Try Days' encourages pupils to experience something new. This includes educational visits that enhance the planned curriculum.

What the school should improve

• On some occasions, the activities provided to pupils do not match the ambition of the planned curriculum. When this happens, the opportunities for pupils to practise and apply what they have learned are more limited. The school should ensure that the tasks set consistently match the ambition of the curriculum and provide pupils with sufficient opportunity to embed their knowledge and understanding in different subjects.

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