Hinstock Primary School

Age group 4–11 Inspection date(s) 5–6 July 2012 Inspection number 380646 Hinstock Primary School Inspection report

p.1

Unique reference number 123372 Local authority Shropshire Inspection number 380646 Inspection dates 5–6 July 2012 Lead inspector Sue Hall

p.1

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The registered childcare provision, managed by the governing body, was inspected under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006.

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 140 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Martin Kent Headteacher Denise Bidgood Date of previous school inspection 3 March 2009 School address Hinstock Chester Road Market Drayton TF9 2TE Telephone number 01952 550220 Fax number 01952 551058 Email address admin.hinstock@shropshirelg.net

p.1

Registered childcare provision EY369235, Hinstock Hedgehogs Nursery Number of children on roll in the registered childcare provision Date of last inspection of registered childcare provision 3 March 2009 Age group 4–11 Inspection date(s) 5–6 July 2012 Inspection number 380646 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.1

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 inspector observed six teachers in 10 lessons. She also heard a sample of pupils of mixed abilities from Years 2 and 6 read individually. The inspector talked informally to several parents and carers, held meetings with groups of pupils, senior leaders and representatives of the governing body. The inspector observed the school’s work, looked at data about achievement across the school and examined samples of pupils’ recent work. She scrutinised documents, including self-evaluation information and a sample of whole-school policies. The inspector examined evidence regarding the safeguarding of pupils. She analysed 63 questionnaires received from parents and carers, seven from members of staff and 51 from pupils.

p.3

Information about the school

The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school. The large majority of pupils are of White British heritage with a very small number speaking English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals is well below average. The proportion of pupils supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is slightly higher than is usually found. The school meets the current floor standard, which sets the government’s minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress. More pupils enter and leave the school other than at the usual time than is seen in many schools. The school holds Safer Schools, Walk to School and International Schools awards.

p.3

Information about the school

Hinstock Hedgehogs Nursery provides registered childcare for 42 children from the age of two to four. It is open during term times for the same hours as the school. This is managed by the school governing body and, therefore, included within this report. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

p.3

Key findings

 This is a good school. It supports pupils well, and ensures all are welcomed and valued for who they are. The school is not yet outstanding because pupils do not achieve as well as they could in mathematics, and monitoring of the school’s work is not always rigorous or evaluative enough to drive improvement.

p.4

Key findings

 Pupils achieve well and most make good progress as they move through the school. Standards in speaking and listening and reading are above average and many pupils also write well. Standards in mathematics are not quite as strong as in other areas. This is because not all pupils have the skills to answer mental mathematics questions speedily and this has an impact on their confidence in solving problems.

p.4

Key findings

 The quality of teaching is good, particularly for the youngest and oldest pupils, because tasks are very well matched to their ages and abilities. Staff have good relationships with the pupils and offer plenty of encouragement which ensures most work hard and want to do well. The curriculum is good with some imaginative and practically based activities that interest learners.

p.4

Key findings

 The behaviour of pupils is good. They have positive attitudes to learning and a clear understanding of how to keep themselves and others safe.

p.4

Key findings

 Leadership and management are good. The shared determination of everyone, coupled with the quiet resolve of the headteacher, ensures that the school continues to move forward. There are, however, some inconsistencies, including in the leadership of teaching because this is not always based on rigorous and objective evaluation. Performance management systems are appropriately linked to continuing professional development opportunities. The governing body has not always checked areas for which its members hold responsibility in a sufficiently focused manner. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

p.4

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise standards in mathematics by:  enabling pupils to develop secure mental mathematics skills so that they can carry out calculations speedily  providing a wide range of challenging activities that capture pupils’ interests and enable them to solve problems with confidence.

p.5

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the leadership and management of the school by:  ensuring that the monitoring of planning, teaching and learning is rigorously evaluative, and information is used to secure consistency in teaching  making sure that the governing body rigorously checks all procedures and practices in order to ensure the school continues to move forward.

p.5

Achievement of pupils

Children enter the Nursery from the age of two onwards. Their knowledge, skills and understanding, while variable, are often in line with expectations for their age. Children make good overall progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage. They enjoy their time in school and develop as happy and enthusiastic young learners. They make good progress, particularly in their personal, social and emotional development and their speaking and listening skills. When they enter Year 1, skills are often slightly above expectations for their age.

p.5

Achievement of pupils

With small cohorts, the numbers in some year groups are low and pupils’ abilities and the standards reached vary from year-to-year. In Years 1 to 6, pupils make good overall progress, especially in Years 5 and 6. At the end of Year 2, the large majority of pupils reach the national average in their work. Lesson observations and the sample of pupils’ work confirm though that currently, with good teaching in Year 2, pupils have achieved well this year. Recent work shows good use of targets for improvement so that pupils understand what they need to do to make their work even better.

p.5

Achievement of pupils

Data show that across the school standards in speaking and listening, reading and writing have often been better than in mathematics. Attainment in reading at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 is above average. The staff recognise that not all pupils have speedy mental mathematics skills and that they are not confident in solving word problems without support. However, the school has not identified the slight decline in mathematics particularly quickly and recent improvement planning has often focused on developments in literacy rather than numeracy. The action the school is now taking to remedy such weaknesses in mathematics is at a very early stage and has not yet had time to impact on standards and progress. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

p.5

Achievement of pupils

Achievement is particularly strong in Years 5 and 6 and when pupils leave the school, standards are above the national average. For example, in Years 5 and 6, excellent progress was seen when pupils investigated whether the question, ‘Is the length of a person’s outstretched arms the same as their height?’ and other similar questions. Pupils were very keen to discuss their hypotheses and then test these out by carefully measuring everyone in their group, and animatedly comparing the data to prove or disprove their theory.

p.6

Achievement of pupils

Pupils of all abilities make good overall progress and boys and girls achieve equally well. The very small numbers of pupils from minority ethic groups are usually bilingual and make the same progress as their classmates. Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, including those with complex needs, make good overall progress towards their individual targets.

p.6

Quality of teaching

The quality of teaching is good, varying from outstanding to satisfactory. Throughout the school, all staff have strong working relationships with their charges and provide plenty of praise to help them grow in confidence. The teaching of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is good. There is a good number of adults working in each class and this ensures everyone, particularly disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, receive much individual or group support. This enables these pupils to feel more confident in their work and contributes to their progress. The curriculum provides strong cross-curricular links between subjects and gives pupils many opportunities to write. Safety and international awards exemplify the range of activities the pupils are involved in. Teaching promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well, especially in the many opportunities to

p.6

Quality of teaching

work with a partner and in groups. The teaching of reading is good with an effective focus letters and the sounds they make which enables many pupils to become fluent and confident readers. Reading is also well supported by parents and carers.

p.6

Quality of teaching

Where teaching is most successful, the planning of activities is very well matched to pupils’ ages and stages of development. Planning in Years 1 and 2 and Years 5 and 6 carefully identifies the level of challenge in tasks that matches the different abilities of the pupils. Planning in some classes, including Reception and Years 3 and 4 is less effective. Occasionally, some pupils do not have enough opportunity to carry out practical tasks and have to listen to an adult for too long, or complete worksheets. In Years 1 and 2, pupils enjoy activities where there is a practical element to their learning, such as solving one- and two-step problems involving money. Because the teaching was enthusiastic, this made the task sound exciting and pupils were keen to find different ways of making the same total with other coins.

p.6

Quality of teaching

The teaching of the oldest pupils is very effective. Tasks are explained clearly to them and activities are very well matched to groups of different abilities. For example, when planning an advert for a charity mountain climb, video clips were used well to provide background information and to stimulate pupil discussion. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

p.6

Quality of teaching

The marking of their work is detailed and, coupled with accurate use of targets, ensures pupils think teaching is good and they know what they need to do to improve further.

p.7

Behaviour and safety of pupils

The behaviour of pupils across the school over time is good and a key reason why so many make good progress. Most are keen to come to school, concentrate well and try hard with their work, which is neat and well presented. Pupils get on well together with older pupils gladly playing with and supporting their younger friends. They play happily with others and move around the school in a sensible and orderly manner, even when they have been inside all day in very wet weather. Teachers manage the behaviour of pupils effectively and give praise to those who behave well rather than focusing on any minor misbehaviour. In discussions, most join in enthusiastically though a few pupils, especially in Years 3 to 6, do not make a lot of effort to put forward their ideas in discussions.

p.7

Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils have a good understanding of how to stay safe. The school helps them to learn about the dangers they may encounter in day-to-day activities and how to respond to these. They have a secure grasp of what bullying is and know that the school makes clear the expectation of good behaviour. Thanks to a recent focus upon cyber-bullying, they understand that social networking has positive and negative aspects. Parents and carers rightly believe that behaviour throughout the school is good and that their children are kept safe. Attendance is above average.

p.7

Leadership and management

This is a happy school where pupils enjoy their learning. Senior staff and the governing body have set the vision for school improvement. They are passionate in their support for, and the firm belief in, everything that the school stands for and does. Considerable work has been undertaken in recent years in extending the accommodation and learning resources. The establishment of the Nursery and the admission of children from the age of two has ensured pupil numbers are increasing and makes a significant difference to the learning experiences of the youngest children. Overall, the school has good capacity to improve.

p.7

Leadership and management

The many demands of building work have placed challenges on the school budget so that, for example, the headteacher teaches for half of the school week. There is a secure focus on the management of performance and improving pupils’ achievement and the quality of teaching. The links to professional development activities have been particularly successful in English. At times, though, monitoring and evaluation activities have lack evaluative rigour. The governing body is supportive of the school and has done much to help bring about improvements, including making good recent appointments of staff to help the school move forwards. Members of the governing body take seriously their responsibilities but have not always ensured that the checks of how efficiently the school runs are systematically reviewed. While some parents Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

p.7

Leadership and management

Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

p.8

Leadership and management

and carers do not think the school communicates very well with them, the large majority are very happy with what is provided for their children. Procedures to safeguard the pupils meet requirements.

p.8

Leadership and management

The curriculum is broad and balanced, meeting the needs of pupils of all abilities with several indicating they particularly like practical learning activities. The curriculum also promotes their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development effectively including in topic work and acts of collective worship. The school promotes equality well and tackles discrimination in any form. It is particularly successful in integrating pupils with a statement of special educational needs. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

p.8

childcare provision

Children enter Hinstock Hedgehogs Nursery at any time after their second birthday, with most transferring at the age of four into the adjoining but separate Reception class. The Nursery provision was initially established by the local authority but now runs as a self-funded setting. All aspects of provision in the Nursery are good, with strong features. Provision meets registration requirements. Children attend for a different number of sessions and make good progress in their learning and personal development, because of well-considered activities that meet their different needs very well. Nursery staff have a strong understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum. They provide numerous opportunities for children to make choices in what they want to do, alongside adult-led activities that teach specific skills. This was seen to very good effect when staff were happy to respond to a two-year-old’s

p.9

childcare provision

joy in standing under the downspout shower in a rain storm. The children were suitably dressed for such conditions and very well supervised with plenty of questions encouraging them to describe what they were experiencing. Occasionally, though, in some activities, staff miss opportunities to encourage the children to use a wider and more descriptive vocabulary. There is a very strong team approach by staff in the Nursery, which is well led. Liaison with the Reception class is improving, though observations and the children’s work indicate that in Reception there is too much teacher-led work for children of this age.

p.9

childcare provision

These are the grades for the Early Years Foundation Stage of the registered childcare provision, inspected under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

p.9

childcare provision

Overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage Taking into account: Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage The quality of provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage The effectiveness of leadership and management of the Early Years Foundation Stage for the registered provision

p.9

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.10

Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 54 42 2 2 Primary schools 14 49 32 6 Secondary schools 20 39 34 7 Special schools 33 45 20 3 Pupil referral units 9 55 28 8 All schools 16 47 31 6

p.10

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 to 31 December 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.10

Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

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

p.10

Common terminology used by inspectors

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

p.11

Common terminology used by inspectors

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

p.11

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.11

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.11

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.11

Common terminology used by inspectors

Floor standards: the national minimum expectation of attainment and progression measures.

p.11

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.11

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.11

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.11

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.11

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.11

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

main findings from the inspection of their school.

p.12

Inspection of Hinstock Primary School, Market Drayton, TF9 2TE

Thank you very much for making me feel so welcome when I visited your school recently. I enjoyed talking to you and listening to your ideas, especially when chatting with groups of you, hearing readers and looking at your questionnaires. I particularly liked watching what the children in Nursery were doing and how they enjoyed the heavy rain. I was also really impressed by how enthusiastic those of you in Years 5 and 6 are in your work – this helps you to prepare well for your future.

p.12

Inspection of Hinstock Primary School, Market Drayton, TF9 2TE

The school provides you with a good education. These are the things that it does particularly well.  Your behaviour is good, you get on well together, know how to keep safe and most of you try hard with your work.  The standards you reach in your work are above average especially in reading, writing and speaking and listening.  The quality of teaching is good especially for the youngest and oldest ones.  All the staff and governors (who are the people who help to run the school) work hard to make sure your school is led and managed well.

p.12

Inspection of Hinstock Primary School, Market Drayton, TF9 2TE

These are the things I have asked your school to do to make it even better:  to help you to become more confident in mental mathematics work so that you can solve problems more speedily  to ensure that senior staff and governors check what happens in school just a bit more carefully to make sure things keep improving.

p.12

Inspection of Hinstock Primary School, Market Drayton, TF9 2TE

You could also help your school by trying hard to always join in discussions.

p.12

Inspection of Hinstock Primary School, Market Drayton, TF9 2TE

Sue Hall 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.12