Windmill Hill Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 25 April 2024

Pupils at Windmill Hill Primary School, wear their uniforms with pride. They are happy in this caring and nurturing school. Staff know pupils and their families well. Pupils build strong relationships with staff. They trust staff to keep them safe. A calm atmosphere pervades the school. From the Reception class, children learn to follow the school's rules and routines. Pupils behave exceptionally well. They treat one another with kindness and courtesy. Pupils are keen to learn new things. They are also resilient when faced with challenges. The school has high expectations for pupils' academic achievement. By the end of key stage 2, pupils achieve well. Pupils enjoy the full range of opportunities for learning that the school presents to them, such as learning in the outdoors. They have ample chances to take up leadership roles. For instance, well-being officers play a part in educating their classmates about healthy food choices. Pupils have a keen understanding of how to keep themselves safe from harm. For example, they talked in detail about their understanding of road safety. They enjoy participating in different activities, including football club and choir.

What the school should improve

• Some leaders lack the knowledge to accurately evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of their areas of responsibility. They do not always know what is working well or what will improve outcomes for pupils. As a result, some pupils do not achieve as well as they should. The school should develop the expertise of leaders to evaluate the effectiveness of their areas and to know what actions are needed to secure improvements.
• Some pupils in key stage 1, including some of those with SEND, do not apply their phonics knowledge independently when reading. This means that these pupils do not read fluently as quickly as they could. The school should ensure that these pupils are provided with regular opportunities to practise the sounds that they have learned so that they begin to read with greater fluency and confidence.
• The curriculum in the early years has not been finalised. As a result, staff are unsure about what children need to learn in readiness for Year 1. This prevents some children from getting off to a strong start, particularly in terms of communication and language, and limits their achievement. The school should ensure that the early years curriculum sets out the important knowledge and vocabulary that children need to know and remember as the foundation for their future learning.

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