Hugh Joicey Church of England Primary School, Ford

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 15 May 2024

Pupils live by the school vision of 'Love one another, love learning, love nature'. They are friendly and caring to one another and try their best in lessons. They immerse themselves in the natural world in weekly forest school sessions. Relationships between adults and pupils are warm and respectful. There is a family atmosphere in this very small school. Pupils feel safe and trust adults. Adults know pupils and their families very well. They respond sensitively to pupils' needs. Pupils behave well. They are polite and courteous. A very few pupils struggle to manage their behaviour. Adults help them to remain calm so they can focus on their learning. Leaders deal with the very few instances of bullying promptly. Pupils benefit from a wide range of experiences that enhance their personal development. They learn to persevere, to work together as a team and to solve problems. Pupils enjoy visits to local castles, for example, and these visits help to bring learning alive. The school has experienced considerable staffing turbulence in recent years. This has hampered some of the school's curriculum development and has resulted in inconsistent pupil achievement over time. The school is already working to improve its curriculum, but there remains more to do. In some subjects, pupils' knowledge is superficial and pupils have gaps in their knowledge.

What the school should improve

• In some subjects, the sequencing of pupils' learning is not clearly mapped out. Expectations of what should be taught and when are, therefore, unclear. This means that pupils are not supported effectively in order to build their knowledge well over time. The school should ensure that the curriculum pinpoints precisely what pupils should know and when and ensure that teachers are given the support they need to deliver the curriculum well in all subjects.

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