Hamilton Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.

Select The school is led well by the executive headteacher and deputy headteacher. They review the work of the school thoroughly and frequently and have helped it to improve quickly. Governors know the school well and are very supportive.

They challenge leaders and staff to improve teaching, behaviour and achievement. The quality of teaching has improved well and is good. Training and work with leaders from different schools and with other educational experts have contributed well to improving teaching and the checks made on pupils' progress.

Teaching assistants work well to help pupils learn. Homework helps pupils to develop an...d use creative skills. Pupils behave well and feel safe.

They play well together and appreciate the range of activities provided by play leaders staff and the school's sports coach. Attendance is improving well. Office staff and the school's Home School Link worker work well with parents to ensure that their children attend school.

Pupils enjoy exploring what makes each other special and appreciating different cultures. They are prepared well for life in a culturally diverse Britain. Pupils are now achieving well in reading, writing and mathematics from their varied starting levels.

Children get off to a good start in their early years at school. This is because staff work well together as a team and know the needs of the children well. It is not yet an outstanding school because : Pupils do not always form letters in writing confidently and correctly.

Sometimes pupils are not able to read and understand what they have written. Pupils are not always clear about what they need to achieve in their work. Pupils are not always given suitable work to help them to consistently reach higher levels than expected for their age.

Information about this school

There have been significant changes in staffing since the last inspection. None of the current teaching staff were at the school at the time of the previous inspection. An executive head teacher was appointed in January 2014 and a deputy headteacher was appointed in April 2014.

The school is now part of a federation with another infants' school called Northwood Broom Community School. They started linking together in September in 2013, but became a hard federation (joined formally) in January 2014. A growing proportion of pupils joins the school later than the normal points of entry.

Many of these have either previously not attended school at all or had brief experiences of a number of different schools. This is a smaller than average-sized primary school and most pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils who are supported by the pupil premium (disadvantaged pupils) is average.

The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those children that are looked after. The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported through school action is above average. The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is well below above average.