Hilltop School

Overview

Hilltop School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection. The school develops pupils to be the best they can be, with high aspirations and a focus on communication skills. Pupils are happy, feel safe, and benefit from well-equipped sites and specialist resources tailored to their individual needs.

Strengths

• Pupils engage positively in a calm learning environment where staff model positive behaviour and swiftly support those who become distracted.
• The curriculum provides strong opportunities for personal development, including activities like horse riding and sports, helping pupils prepare for adulthood.
• Staff know individual pupils well and adapt lessons effectively, ensuring pupils’ work follows the intended curriculum consistently.
• The school offers a well-thought-out personal development curriculum with targeted visits and experiences that strengthen pupils’ awareness of the wider world and their locality.
• Trustees have a secure understanding of the school’s strengths and support leadership changes and site developments.

Areas to improve

• The delivery of the phonics curriculum lacks consistency, with some staff lacking confidence, meaning some pupils do not make the progress of which they are capable.
• Some staff move lessons on too quickly without checking pupils’ understanding, and some learning activities distract pupils from developing the intended knowledge.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.