Hawley Primary School

Age group 4–11 Inspection date(s) 20–21 March 2012 Inspection number 379169 Hawley Primary School Inspection report

p.1

Unique reference number 115913 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 379169 Inspection dates 20– 21 March 2012 Lead inspector Lindsey Diamond

p.1

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.1

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 304 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Peter Brody Headteacher Veronica Galpin Date of previous school inspection 1–2 October 2008 School address Hawley Rd Blackwater Camberley GU17 9BH Telephone number 01276 31048 Fax number 01276 33420 Email address headteacher@hawley.hants.sch.uk achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked

p.1

after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

p.2

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when.

p.2

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.2

Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days’ notice. The team observed 23 lessons, taught by 14 teachers, adding up to over 10 hours of teaching time. Assemblies, playtimes and lunchtimes were also observed. Meetings were held with members of the governing body as well as senior and middle managers. Inspectors took account of the responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) in planning the inspection, observed the school’s work, and looked at the school’s data on attainment, learning and progress for all year groups. The school development plan, self-evaluation documentation, samples of pupils’ work, safeguarding policies and documentation, and lesson plans were also scrutinised. The inspection team analysed 116 questionnaires completed by parents and carers and spoke to a number of parents and carers informally. Additionally, 159 questionnaires completed by pupils and 19 completed by staff were analysed.

p.3

Information about the school

Hawley is a larger-than-average primary school. About 40% of pupils attend from the immediate area, while others come from further afield. Many children join the two Reception classes from a range of nursery and pre-school provision, although for some, Hawley is their first experience of a school setting. The proportion of pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals is significantly below the national average. Nearly all pupils are from a White British background. The percentage of pupils with special educational needs and pupils with disabilities is broadly in line with the national average, although the proportion of pupils with statements of special educational needs is significantly lower than nationally.

p.3

Information about the school

The school meets the government’s current floor standards which set out the minimum expectations for attainment and progress.

p.3

Key findings

 This is a good school. The headteacher and other leaders, including the governing body, set high expectations and have a clear view of what is needed for improvement. As a result, achievement has significantly improved since the time of the last inspection, following a successful drive to improve the quality of teaching. It is not yet outstanding because in some lessons, learning tasks are not consistently well matched to meet the learning needs of all pupils. Likewise, data is not always used as effectively as it could be by teachers to measure the impact of different teaching strategies on pupils’ learning.

p.4

Key findings

 Achievement is good throughout the school. Pupils make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stages 1 and 2, and leave the school having attained higher outcomes than their peers nationally.

p.4

Key findings

 The quality of teaching overall is good and makes sure that pupils make good progress over time. Pupils have positive attitudes to learning and are very willing to participate in lessons. Most teachers allow pupils the opportunity to think and explore ideas for themselves, leading to good or better learning. Occasionally, teachers do not check pupils’ level of understanding during lessons. When this happens, less learning takes place for some pupils. Teachers are using marking effectively as a tool to support learning.

p.4

Key findings

 The school provides a safe learning environment. Behaviour in lessons and around the school is good.

p.4

Key findings

 Leadership and management are good. The leadership of teaching and the management of performance have been key factors in bringing about whole- school improvement. The school has not focused sufficiently on developing the role of middle leaders and teachers as leaders of learning.

p.4

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that it is consistently good and more is outstanding by:  ensuring that tasks in lessons consistently match learners’ levels of ability in order to enable each individual to reach their full potential  checking pupils’ understanding throughout lessons in order to be clear when intervention is needed or when teachers should introduce new learning.

p.4

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Develop the role of middle leaders and teachers as leaders of learning so that they are able to use data more effectively to:  inform future planning for learning  measure the rate of progress of individuals and groups  check on the effectiveness of any interventions put in place to address underachievement.

p.5

Achievement of pupils

Children enter Reception with skills that are broadly in line with those expected for their age. They make good progress during the year and are then ready for the challenges of Year 1. As pupils continue to progress through the school, the learning of all groups, including boys and girls, continues at a good pace so that by the end of Year 6, they reach above-average levels of attainment. Inspection evidence shows that achievement is good, although some satisfactory learning was seen in lessons. Parents and carers are rightly pleased with the strides in learning their children are making, with one parent who had recently moved their child to Hawley from another school happily reporting, ‘I am amazed at how quickly my child is learning.’ The progress of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is good. Parents and carers of these pupils are equally positive, with one reporting that the school is extremely well focused on ensuring pupils with specific needs are

p.5

Achievement of pupils

nurtured so that they are confident and able to learn.

p.5

Achievement of pupils

Pupils develop well the necessary skills in reading, writing and mathematics to help prepare them for the next stage of their education. They have good oral communication skills. They are skilled at applying these in a range of situations to support learning, in negotiating with their peers and in discussions with adults beyond the classroom. Pupils are given a wide range of opportunities to use these skills, both in the classroom and in other settings such as the school council, the Eco Chief and the various clubs that are on offer. The school has recently focused on improving progress in writing and, as a result, pupils make significantly better progress than their peers nationally and attain well. Opportunities for developing writing skills were seen in all year groups. As a result, even the youngest pupils were writing effectively, with many in Reception clearly forming letters and beginning to join their writing. Pupils were encouraged to write for a purpose. This

p.5

Achievement of pupils

was clearly seen when Year 6 pupils were given the chance to role play interviews with the Queen about her jubilee year, before using their skills to write up the interview for others to read. Similarly, pupils make good progress in reading and mathematics and are working at levels above the national average at the end of both Year 2 and Year 6 in both areas. The vast majority of parents and carers state that their children achieve well, and their comments reflect the evidence of the inspection team.

p.5

Quality of teaching

Most of the parents and carers who returned the questionnaires believe their children are taught well, and inspection evidence supports this view. Oral communication skills are taught well and pupils work together and collaborate very well. Teachers are adept at weaving meaningful opportunities for promoting pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development into lessons, and this adds much to their learning experience. Typically, teachers have high expectations of learners and push them to achieve as much as they can. Learning was most effective when the teachers planned tasks to accurately match the learning needs of all groups of pupils, and allowed them to have a role in their own learning, by giving them clear choices that influenced the format or pace of the lesson. When this happened, progress was good and, occasionally, outstanding. For example, in a Year 3/4 mathematics lesson, pupils were allowed the freedom to explore multiplication

p.6

Quality of teaching

through a team game. Pupils were keen to work at pace and move on in their learning, with one declaring, ‘This is exciting’, while another, on discovering a pattern in the numbers, said to their friend, ‘Oh wow, I didn’t know that would happen.’ This type of learning was seen in many lessons.

p.6

Quality of teaching

The school focuses well on using teaching as a tool to move learning on for pupils who find specific areas challenging, or who have fallen behind. In a small-group handwriting session with four pupils, the adult very clearly explained to pupils what they needed to learn, how to do it and how it would help them in other lessons. However, there were a few occasions when teachers did not cater precisely enough for the different learning needs or check pupils’ understanding during the lesson and questioning was not incisive enough. As a result, they were not always aware when pupils were ready to be moved on in their learning or if any intervention was needed. The school recognises this as an area for development. Other adults, including parents and carers, are used as an effective resource to support pupils’ learning.

p.6

Quality of teaching

The pupils benefit from a well-planned curriculum that helps them build up key reading, writing and mathematical skills in a progressive and systematic manner, and these skills are reinforced in different subjects. Marking is being used much more effectively than at the time of the previous inspection and is a useful tool in improving the quality of individual pupils’ work. Homework is set throughout the school and contributes well to the pupils’ learning.

p.6

Behaviour and safety of pupils

Although the overwhelming majority of parents and carers felt that behaviour and safety were good, the team investigated this area in some detail after a few concerns were raised. Staff, parents, carers and pupils were consulted. As a result of these investigations, a high number of pupils stated that bullying, of any kind, was not an issue, that should it occur, it would be dealt with swiftly, and that they felt safe in school. A minority of pupils expressed concerns about behaviour and bullying. When questioned in more detail about this, pupils’ understanding of inappropriate behaviour was seen to be actions such as talking in class or in assembly, or being over-exuberant at play times. Pupils show a good understanding of the risks associated with, for example, substance misuse, the use of new technology and cyber-bullying.

p.6

Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils were typically polite and courteous, and engaged well in learning. This occasionally became less focused when the quality of teaching was less engaging, although learners always conducted themselves in line with the generally high teacher expectations. Play times were enjoyable occasions. One pupil, expressing the views of many, Stated: ‘We have happy play times’, while another pointed out that ‘there is loads to do’. The school has been proactive, with the introduction of a Friendship Bench which a pupil explained is used ‘when we have nobody to play with’. Specially appointed and trained ‘peer mentors’ are responsible for looking after the bench and the children who go there. School records show that on the rare occasions where there is inappropriate behaviour, it has been dealt with quickly and effectively. These actions are clearly seen to be having a positive impact on improving the behaviour of individual pupils. No inappropriate behaviour was seen

p.7

Behaviour and safety of pupils

in lessons or at breaktimes. Attendance is above average and punctuality is good.

p.7

Leadership and management

The headteacher demonstrates an ambitious vision for school improvement. She has worked effectively with staff and the governing body, who all share this vision, to ensure the school continues to improve and to accelerate the progress for all pupils. Since the previous inspection the school has significantly enhanced the skills of senior leaders. There are clear plans now in place to develop the role of middle leaders and teachers as leaders of learning by developing their skills to make best use of assessment data to further accelerate pupils’ achievement and to rigorously evaluate the impact of any interventions put in place. Leaders and managers provide good role models for other staff and their ability to work together as a team is a strength of the school. A clear vision for the future, combined with the good progress in improving teaching and raising achievement, and further well-targeted action plans, demonstrate a clear capacity to improve still further.

p.7

Leadership and management

School leaders and staff promote equality of opportunity and tackle discrimination well. Governors and leaders ensure all the requirements for safeguarding pupils are met. The school has effectively invested much time and effort in engaging parents and carers and, as a result, has ensured that they are key partners in their children’s learning. The curriculum is good and is mostly very well matched to the needs of learners as well as to their interests. Staff recognise and value the efforts that are being made to continually improve opportunities for pupils, with one, reflecting the views of many, saying that ‘the staff work well together’ to support learning. Staff are very supportive of the school leadership. One teacher stated, ‘The headteacher is very proactive’, while another noted that the leadership ‘actively encouraged’ their professional development. The promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral and cultural development is a key feature of school life; as a result, pupils

p.7

Leadership and management

develop strong moral and social awareness and an appreciation of the views and beliefs of others. These features help to create a cohesive school community and prepare pupils well for life in modern Britain.

p.7

Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils. Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves.

p.8

Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 46 46 8 0 Primary schools 8 47 40 5 Secondary schools 14 38 40 8 Special schools 28 48 20 4 Pupil referral units 15 50 29 5 All schools 11 46 38 6

p.8

Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements have been introduced from 1 January 2012. This means that inspectors make judgements that were not made previously. The data in the table above are for the period 1 September 2010 to 31 August 2011 and represent judgements that were made under the school inspection arrangements that were introduced on 1 September 2009. These data are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk). The sample of schools inspected during 2010/11 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools. Primary schools include primary academy converters. Secondary schools include secondary academy converters, sponsor-led academies and city technology colleges. Special schools include special academy converters and non-maintained special schools.

p.8

Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100.

p.8

Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning and development taking account of their attainment.

p.9

Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the pupils’ work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

p.9

Common terminology used by inspectors

Attendance the regular attendance of pupils at school and in lessons, taking into account the school’s efforts to encourage good attendance.

p.9

Common terminology used by inspectors

Behaviour how well pupils behave in lessons, with emphasis on their attitude to learning. Pupils’ punctuality to lessons and their conduct around the school.

p.9

Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving based on its self-evaluation and what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

p.9

Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the governors and headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school.

p.9

Common terminology used by inspectors

Learning: how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners.

p.9

Common terminology used by inspectors

Overall effectiveness: inspectors form a judgement on a school’s overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school.

p.9

Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils’ attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

p.9

Common terminology used by inspectors

Safety how safe pupils are in school, including in lessons, and their understanding of risks. Pupils’ freedom from bullying and harassment. How well the school promotes safety, for example e-learning.

p.9

carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s

main findings from the inspection of their school.

p.10

Inspection of Hawley Primary School, Hawley GU17 9BH

Thank you all very much for welcoming us to your school. We enjoyed talking with you and your teachers and observing the lessons, assemblies, lunchtimes and play times. We also carefully read your opinions written in your questionnaires. We found that your school is good, and that your headteacher and other leaders are determined to make it even better.

p.10

Inspection of Hawley Primary School, Hawley GU17 9BH

These are the things we found that your school does well.

p.10

Inspection of Hawley Primary School, Hawley GU17 9BH

 Your headteacher, staff and governors are very clear about how they want to keep improving your school.  Children settle quickly into Reception and then progress well throughout the school.  The curriculum is interesting and fun, and is generally well targeted to suit your learning needs.  Communication skills are taught well and you use them effectively at work and at play.  The school has good systems in place to keep you safe.

p.10

Inspection of Hawley Primary School, Hawley GU17 9BH

We agree with your headteacher that your school could be even better and have asked her to do two important things.

p.10

Inspection of Hawley Primary School, Hawley GU17 9BH

 Make sure that teachers carefully match lessons to your different learning needs so that you are all able to learn as much as you can and check how you are doing in lessons.  Make sure that all staff use the information they have about your academic progress to help improve your learning still further and to better check and measure how well you are getting on.

p.10

Inspection of Hawley Primary School, Hawley GU17 9BH

I wish you every success for the future.

p.10

Inspection of Hawley Primary School, Hawley GU17 9BH

Lindsey Diamond Lead inspector procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.10