Pupils love school. They like everything about school. Pupils feel safe. One said, ‘The teachers make us feel safe.’ Pupils said that school teaches them how to keep safe. They talked about road safety, how to respond to strangers and how to be safe using the internet. Pupils were unanimous in their view that there was no bullying in school. The proprietor has high ambitions for the pupils. Her vision is to inspire pupils with a love of learning. Staff make learning fun and interesting. Pupils are curious and inquisitive. Pupils listen carefully to the teacher. They feel confident to ask questions. They know how to work in pairs and small groups with their friends. Pupils grow in confidence as they move through the school. They are keen to do things for themselves. Leaders are determined that pupils will have the skills and knowledge that they need to move on successfully when they leave Hessle Mount. A culture of caring and kindness permeates the school. One pupil said, ‘Everybody is kind.’ Relationships between staff and pupils are respectful. As a result, pupils behave well. One parent commented, ‘The children are kind, happy and well rounded.’ Parents and carers are overwhelmingly supportive of the school. Many said that they would recommend the school to others. One parent said, ‘The school goes the extra mile to ensure that pupils are cared for and their well-being is supported.’ What does the school do well and what does it need to do better? Children get off to a good start from the get-go when they join pre-school. They are happy and cared for well. Staff pay careful attention to all aspects of children’s wellbeing. Children settle quickly and grow in confidence. Activities are planned to engage children’s interests. They learn about shapes and numbers, and letters and sounds. This provides a strong foundation for building their mathematical and reading skills further up the school. The proprietor and the headteacher have made great strides in the development of the curriculum. They have designed a curriculum that offers a wide range of subjects. They set out what pupils should learn in each subject. Leaders have thought carefully about the sequencing of each subject. Pupils’ skills and knowledge build year on year. Teachers assess pupils’ progress during lessons. They use this information to adjust their plans to match pupils’ understanding. Important vocabulary has been woven into curriculum plans, so that pupils gain a better understanding of each subject. However, subject plans are complicated. They are made up of several layers of documents. This means that it is sometimes not clear exactly what knowledge or vocabulary should be taught. Work by leaders and staff has improved the mathematics curriculum since the previous inspection. Teachers are well organised and well prepared. They make Inspection report: Hessle Mount School 9–11 June 2021 2 ongoing checks on pupils’ work. Curriculum plans have been revised and are now better sequenced. Plans begin in early years, and there is a seamless transition to key stage 1. In some mathematics plans, the precise knowledge that should be taught is not clear enough. During the inspection, in a statistics lesson, two Year 2 classes were taught different terminology to describe their work on graph axes. In early years, children are immersed in letters and pictures. Phonics is taught daily across the school. This enables children to build systematically on the knowledge that they need to become fluent readers. Pupils read every day. They make good progress in reading. By the end of Year 1, most pupils are fluent and expressive readers. They can explain their strategies for reading tricky words. Teachers want pupils to have a love of reading. They provide a rich reading environment. There are interesting reading corners in every classroom, with books by many authors. Story time is an exciting part of the day. Teachers read wellchosen stories with enthusiasm and animation. Pupils hang onto their every word. Older pupils learn how to predict, explain and describe what is happening because teachers actively involve them in the story. Currently, early reading books are from different phonics programmes. Not all reading books contain the sounds that pupils have been taught. This could undermine the confidence of pupils who struggle to read. Trusting and respectful relationships between staff and pupils are a strength of the school. Parents praise the nurturing and caring environment that the school fosters. Adults are keen to positively affirm good behaviour and they reward it frequently with positive comments. Attendance figures are high, reflecting how much pupils enjoy being at school. The school promotes equality and diversity effectively. Pupils learn about one another’s cultural traditions. Every opportunity is taken to share experiences. Pupils and parents give presentations to classes about their cultural identity. The personal, social, health and economic curriculum covers health, relationships and living in the wider world. The statutory guidance relating to relationships and sex education has been fully integrated into the curriculum. Pupils grow in confidence as they move through the school. They leave Hessle Mount respectful and well rounded. Teachers know pupils well. They are quick to spot any pupil who is falling behind. Interventions are timely and get pupils back on track. Pupils with special education needs and/or disabilities have their needs well met. They are included in all aspects of school life. The proprietor and headteacher provide strong leadership to the school. They have great ambition for the pupils to love learning and achieve well. The proprietor has made significant improvements to safeguarding and the curriculum since the previous inspection. Leaders are now held to account by a recently established parent forum. The proprietor has ensured that the independent school standards are met.