Hillside Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 22 November 2022

Pupils enjoy school. They attend regularly. The school code 'Be kind, be honest, be responsible, be respectful' is the bedrock of the expectations that staff have. These four phrases underpin the school's approach to managing pupils' behaviour. Pupils know and understand them. Around the school, most pupils show respect and consideration for each other. Pupils say that bullying is rare. They know that leaders have made a difference in the past two years. If bullying occurs, staff deal with it swiftly. Pupils are safe and feel safe. Every pupil participates in forest school so that exploration can take place in the school grounds. Staff have received relevant training, which means that pupils learn how to take safe risks when climbing and balancing. Leaders want to inspire pupils so they know of the opportunities they might take in the future. For example, there is an annual careers fair. Staff have made links with local and international companies. Pupils participate in cultural activities, such as filmmaking with a local community group or enjoying a concert with the multi-storey orchestra in a city car park.

What the school should improve

• Behaviour expectations are mostly understood and applied fairly. However, where the quality of learning is less secure, behaviour is more disruptive. In these cases, staff are not applying the behaviour systems consistently. Leaders should ensure they check that there is consistency in the application of agreed policies.
• The use of assessment for many foundation subjects is not yet fully in place. As a result, gaps in pupils' learning over time are not known. Leaders need to ensure that teachers' use of assessment identifies gaps in pupils' understanding.

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