In a recent inspection The Hill received an outstanding grade in the Foundation Stage of the school as well as in the care, guidance and support provided to pupils.

Headteacher Sarah Creighton said: "I am delighted that Ofsted has recognised the tremendous commitment made by staff and governors to the children and the school and the very rapid progress that has been made recently."

The school received a satisfactory grade overall and was described as 'rapidly improving.'

Standards are below average but there is a very strong drive to improve literacy and numeracy skills in order to soundly prepare pupils for the next stages of education, the report went on.

Much of the teaching is said to be 'no better than satisfactory' but some of it is 'outstanding', as are the relationships between the pupils and teachers.

Chair of governors Brian Key said that the improvement issues raised in the report were already part of plans to continue to raise standards.
The report capped off an exciting month at the school as landscaping work in the school grounds was completed after 18 months of planning and development.

Pupils helped design the new areas themselves with help from creative design consultant James Copp and sculptor Dan Jones, using collages as well as digital and 3D models.

Parents and ex-pupils were also involved in the design process along with landscape and architecture students from Leeds Metropolitan University.

Mrs Creighton said: "We have changed the physical landscape of the school grounds to provide better opportunities for our pupils – we want to give them the best start in life. This new environment will support the creative curriculum that we hope to implement at The Hill.

"Parents are amazed at our creative and stimulating spaces which were once unusable and overgrown. We are teaching more creatively and the whole atmosphere is buzzing with creative ideas."

Two of the newly completed areas between school buildings include exploration mazes, a 'Willow Dome,' imaginative sculptures inspired by the pupils' designs, hard surfaces for games and the 'Thurnscoe Globe,' a wooden, covered stage to encourage speaking and listening.

The third of the new areas is a special gardening yard where pupils will grow plants and vegetables in order to stimulate their interest
and awareness of healthy eating.