Hornton Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 21 November 2023

Pupils are proud of their charming village school. In keeping with the school's values, pupils aspire to be successful learners. They live up to the high expectations that are set for their education by behaving well and focusing diligently during lessons. Consequently, pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well across the curriculum. There is a friendly and caring environment in this school. One parent summed up the views of many by saying: 'Everyone here looks after one another. It's a real community for growth.' Pupils feel safe and secure. They develop warm friendships that extend across year groups, creating a distinct family feel. One pupil remarked that they know everyone's name in the school. Pupils are empathetic in considering the lives of those less fortunate than themselves. They learn about current affairs and organise fundraising events and initiatives to support worthy causes. Pupils are responsible. Recently trained play leaders organise enjoyable activities for other pupils during breaktimes. With the school sitting at the heart of the village, pupils develop a strong sense of belonging in their rural community. Pupils learn to cooperate with others by hosting intergenerational tea parties or through collaborating with a local charity to develop the school library.

What the school should improve

• In some subjects, teachers do not always have the secure teaching knowledge needed to implement the curriculum as consistently well as leaders intend. When this is the case, pupils occasionally develop gaps in their learning. The school needs to continue to improve teachers' expertise to ensure pupils achieve highly across all subjects.

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