Hexton Junior Mixed and Infant School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school The impressive leadership of the headteacher and deputy headteacher has rapidly turned this school around. All the areas for improvement from the last inspection have been addressed.

Governors have worked effectively with the local authority to secure strong leadership for the school. They have a clear vision for the future of the school. Standards have remained high despite considerable staff turbulence.

Pupils' books show that they are making good progress in writing and mathematics. Disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make good progress from their starting points. The effective s...pecial needs coordinator (SENCo) accurately identifies pupils' needs and ensures that they are met.

Teaching is good due to strong direction from the new leadership team. The skilled and well-trained team of teaching assistants give effective support to pupils in lessons. Provision for pupils' welfare and personal development is outstanding.

Pupils are exceptionally caring and kind to each other. Pupils' behaviour in lessons and around the school is typically outstanding. Pupils are respectful to each other and all adults and listen attentively in lessons.

Pupils feel safe in school. They are adamant that there is no bullying of any kind. Children in early years make good progress from their starting points in all areas of learning.

Recent improvements in the quality of outdoor provision ensure that children have opportunities to explore and practise learning outside the classroom. Pupils make good progress in reading and are taught well in guided reading lessons. However, teachers do not check that pupils in key stage 2 choose books that they can understand and read independently.

There are inconsistencies in the presentation of pupils' written work across the school. Pupils' learning in foundation subjects is not as secure as in reading, writing and mathematics. The curriculum is currently being reviewed.

Information about this school

This school is a very small primary school. The school is part of a collaborative partnership with a nearby primary school. There has been considerable turbulence in leadership in the last two years.

In January 2019, the school reduced from three to two classes. One class caters for Reception children and key stage 1 pupils. The other class caters for key stage 2 pupils.

Several parents chose to remove their children from the school due to the reduction to two classes. The number of pupils on roll dropped from 56 to 40 at the start of this term. A new deputy headteacher and Reception and key stage 1 teacher joined the school in January 2019.

The headteacher, deputy headteacher, business manager and SENCo are shared with the partner school. The deputy headteacher spends most of her time at Hexton. A small number of pupils live in the village of Hexton.

The majority of pupils travel to school from surrounding villages and the nearby towns of Luton and Hitchin. The school is situated very close to the Bedfordshire border. A proportion of parents choose to move their children out of the school at the end of Year 4 to attend middle schools in Bedfordshire.

School holidays in Bedfordshire are sometimes different from school holidays in Hertfordshire. Consequently, parents with children at school at Hexton and in Bedfordshire sometimes take holidays during the Hertfordshire term time. The majority of pupils are of White British heritage, with a lower than average proportion of pupils from other ethnic groups.

A higher than average proportion of pupils are eligible for free school meals and pupil premium funding. The proportion of pupils with SEND is above average. A higher than average proportion of pupils have an education, health and care (EHC) plan.