Hatch Beauchamp Church of England Primary School, located in Taunton, Somerset, underwent an inspection on 14 and 15 September 2022. The overall effectiveness of the school was rated as requiring improvement, with specific areas such as the quality of education and leadership and management also receiving a similar rating. However, the school demonstrated good performance in behavior and attitudes, personal development, and early years provision.
Pupils at the school express pride in their inclusive environment and actively engage with the school's core Christian values, which include acceptance, integrity, perseverance, courage, respect, and responsibility. These values foster a sense of belonging among students, who feel safe and eager to learn. The leadership team has focused on enhancing reading and mathematics skills, which has shown positive results. Nevertheless, the quality of education across other subjects remains inconsistent, leading to gaps in pupils' knowledge retention and their ability to make connections in their learning.
The school has faced challenges in leadership stability due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but trust leaders have worked diligently to address these issues. They have a clear understanding of the school's strengths and areas for improvement, and efforts are underway to enhance the curriculum offered to pupils. However, the impact of these improvements on foundation subjects is yet to be fully realized.
Reading is a strong focus at Hatch Beauchamp, with staff fostering a love for literature among pupils. Children begin learning to read as soon as they enter early years, benefiting from a well-organized approach and effective training for staff. This has resulted in pupils reading with increasing fluency and confidence. In mathematics, the curriculum is well-structured, allowing pupils to build their knowledge progressively from Reception to Year 6.
Despite these strengths, some subjects, such as history and art, lack clarity in their curriculum design, making it difficult for pupils to recall key knowledge. Additionally, not all teachers effectively assess pupils' understanding, which hinders their progress. The school has detailed plans for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, but some teachers do not utilize these plans effectively, resulting in some pupils not achieving their full potential.
Pupils demonstrate good behavior and adhere to the school's rules and routines, contributing to a positive learning environment. The school promotes personal development well, with pupils understanding the importance of positive relationships and British values, which helps them integrate with peers from diverse backgrounds.
The safeguarding measures in place are effective, with staff trained to recognize and report concerns. Pupils are educated on staying safe both in real life and online, ensuring they know how to seek help when needed.
To improve, the school must focus on clearly identifying the essential knowledge pupils need to learn across all subjects, ensuring that assessment practices are used effectively to monitor retention of knowledge. Additionally, staff training should emphasize adapting teaching methods to better support pupils with special educational needs, ensuring all students can access the curriculum and make progress. Overall, while the school has made strides in certain areas, there remains a need for consistent improvement across the curriculum to enhance the educational experience for all pupils.
