Hythe Bay CofE Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 24 January 2023

Hythe Bay is a happy, caring school. The school's distinctly Christian character underpins daily life and attitudes to learning. Pupils are kind, welcoming and respectful of others. This is a school where everyone is valued. As one parent commented, it is 'a school where every child has a chance to shine'. Relationships between staff and pupils are excellent. Pupils know that they can rely on any member of staff to help them with a worry or a concern. For example, pupils told the inspector that bullying is not common, but should such behaviour occur, staff will address it immediately. Staff and leaders know the pupils very well indeed. The care provided for pupils is a strength of this school. Pupils can talk equally confidently about their learning, future ambitions, and forgiveness. Pupils across the school, including in the specially resourced provision, know just what is expected of them in terms of behaviour and learning. Most pupils behave very well and work enthusiastically with others. As one pupil remarked, 'Teamwork is important'. Daily routines for learning are established, including in Reception. Classrooms are busy and purposeful. The curriculum is complemented well by trips, visits and 'beach school'.

What the school should improve

• Not all staff are as confident or skilled as they need to be in teaching mixed-age classes across the range of subjects. Consequently, there are inconsistencies in the quality of curriculum implementation, and pupils do not learn equally well across different year groups or subjects. Leaders should ensure that teachers access sufficient training and support, and acquire the necessary pedagogical skills to enable pupils of all ages to learn and progress well.
• Curriculum subjects are not consistently planned. Some subjects have been planned in such detail that staff are reluctant to deviate from the plan, even when pupils are able to move on more quickly or need further reinforcement. Occasionally, plans lack detail and this is reflected in pupils' slower learning. Leaders should ensure that all subjects are planned in appropriate detail, so that the intended curriculum is clear, implemented and learned.
• Subject leaders do not have detailed oversight of the effectiveness of curriculum implementation or of the quality of pupils' learning. Consequently, support for pedagogy, and/or adjustments to subject planning are not necessarily targeted where most needed. Senior leaders should ensure that they, and subject leaders, have a precise understanding of each subject area, in order to bring about further improvement.

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