Hillside Primary celebrates its best ever Ofsted report

Hillside Primary School in Ipswich is celebrating after receiving its best ever Ofsted report.

Following an inspection in June, inspectors praise Hillside as a welcoming school, where the pupils are keen to learn and value the positive relationships they have with staff.

The school is praised in its Ofsted report for its high levels of pupil attendance. 

Inspectors say that staff are “rightly proud of their close work with parents, carers and external professionals and the way this positively impacts pupils' attendance”.

Acknowledging that the school serves a diverse community, inspectors commend Hillside for its inclusive approach, saying staff “work diligently” to ensure all pupils feel welcome and supported.

School leaders identify pupils' needs early and provide effective support to help reduce barriers to learning, particularly for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) or those who are new to the English language.

Pastoral support at Hillside is also highlighted in the report as a “central feature” of the school's work.  

The Ofsted report notes that pupils benefit from a wide range of experiences beyond the classroom, such as residential visits, camping and theatre trips. A wide range of clubs, including sports, science and environmental activities, helps pupils develop new interests and talents. 

The Hillside inspection was carried out under the new Ofsted framework, where schools are no longer given one-word judgements; they are now graded across a range of areas on a five-point scale from ‘exceptional’ to ‘urgent improvement’, with ‘expected standard’ being the new benchmark for high-performing schools.

Hillside is at the expected standard in five of the seven areas assessed.

The full report will be available on Ofsted's website from next week.

“We are so proud of this Ofsted report which recognises the strengths of our school and the journey of improvement we have been on.

 

We were very pleased to see that our excellent attendance rates were well received and our work to make sure all children feel included and valued was highlighted by inspectors.

 

We look forward to building on the success of this our best ever Ofsted report, taking Hillside Primary from strength to strength, as we deliver an ambitious, rich curriculum and help our pupils develop a passion for learning.” 
Isobel Garner, acting Head of School at Hillside Primary School

“Congratulations to everyone at Hillside for this strong report, which highlights the welcoming atmosphere that pupils enjoy at this school.

 

We are very proud to see Hillside meeting the expected standard in so many of the categories evaluated and are delighted that inspectors recognised the many strengths of the school. 

 

I would like to thank staff for their continued dedication and the commitment they bring to their work every day.”
Lynsey Holzer, CEO of the Active Learning Trust