Hawthorne Primary & Nursery School in Bestwood Village celebrate Ofsted outcome

‘Pupils love coming to this school,’ said inspectors

Hawthorne Primary & Nursery School, based in Bestwood Village, is celebrating the outcome of its latest Ofsted inspection where inspectors said the school has maintained the high standards of a good school.

The report said, ‘Pupils love coming to this school. They say there is nothing they would change about it. Staff make their school a welcoming and inspiring place to be. Pupils feel safe and secure here. Teachers make lessons enjoyable, so pupils love learning.’

Children are described as making a strong start to their education in the early years, quickly learning the school’s ‘Hawthorne Way’, and developing positive attitudes towards their learning. The report says children build on this strong start as they progress through school and describe children at the school as ‘…polite and well mannered. They work hard and try their best in lessons. Pupils play kindly and respectfully during playtimes. Staff support pupils sensitively to manage their feelings if needed.’

Rachel Jarvis is Headteacher at the school and said, “We are very proud to receive confirmation that we remain a good school and to see so many positive comments in the report. Our Hawthorne children made us very proud throughout the inspection, showcasing their excellent behaviour, their fabulous attitude to learning and their impressive knowledge retention.”

Inspectors said that Hawthorne children learn to be responsible members of the school community saying, ‘This starts with small jobs in the classroom. Pupils are proud to hold roles such as school councillors, science ambassadors, sports leaders and diversity team members. Pupils feel they can make a difference in these roles while building their confidence and skills for the future.’

The school’s redesigned curriculum is described as aspirational, and one which enables pupils to learn rich vocabulary and important life skills through memorable experiences, leaving them well equipped for the next stage of their education. Inspectors report that recent curriculum changes have reaped positive results for children’s outcomes and that high quality training for staff, who follow the ‘Hawthorne Harvest’ lesson structure, is presenting new learning clearly.

The report states that the school makes a priority of reading and that children benefit from ‘…expert phonics teaching right from starting school. Pupils who fall behind the phonics programme receive effective support to address the gaps in their knowledge. Many pupils become fluent readers quickly. They apply their knowledge of phonics confidently to their writing.’

The report goes on to say, ‘Older pupils write with increasing confidence when showcasing their learning in other subjects. Most use neat handwriting, spell accurately and experiment using ambitious vocabulary.’

The report praises the school for preparing its pupils for modern society saying, ‘Throughout the curriculum and assemblies, pupils develop an age-appropriate understanding of fundamental British values and equality. Pupils have a respectful attitude to those with different beliefs and backgrounds. They understand the importance of treating everyone fairly.

Headteacher Rachel Jarvis said, “This result is all thanks to the hard work carried out by our fantastic children and staff team, and to the amazing support of our school community, many of whom took the time to respond to the parent survey and to speak to the visiting inspector. We are committed to building on these strong results at Hawthorne, and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for our school and its children.”