Hemsworth Grove Lea Primary SchoolOfsted inspection, 24 Oct 2012

Hemsworth Grove Lea Primary School Grove Terrace, Hemsworth, Pontefract, WF9 4BQ

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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This is a good school

 Teaching is good across the school. Most lessons are well planned and stretch pupils to do their best, especially in English.  In the vast majority of lessons, good relationships ensure that lessons are fast paced and teachers have good opportunities to develop pupils’ skills and knowledge and this leads to good achievement.  Pupils achieve well across the school. Children make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage and start to catch up with children of a similar age.  By the end of Year 6, pupils attain standards in mathematics in line with, and in English often above, what is normally seen. Reading is a strength of the school because of good phonics teaching and skilful planning.  Relationships across the school are strong and pupils behave well Pupils come to school on time and enjoy school. As a result, attendance is now above national figures.  Leadership and management, including the governing body, are good. Leaders check the

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This is a good school

school’s performance regularly and know its strengths well. This has led to notable improvements.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Progress in mathematics is not as good as in English. Not enough pupils reach the higher level in mathematics.  There are not yet enough examples of outstanding teaching to support even quicker progress.  At times, pupils’ standard of presentation hinders further improvement and pride in their work.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 19 lessons, three of which were joint observations with the headteacher and senior leaders. In addition, inspectors made a few other visits to classes, looked at pupils’ workbooks and listened to large numbers of pupils read.  Meetings were held with pupils, the Chair of the Governing Body and one other governor, senior leaders and a representative from the local authority.  In presenting the inspection findings, inspectors took fully into account the 24 responses to the on-line questionnaire for parents (Parent View) and feedback from large numbers of parents during the inspection.  Inspectors observed the school’s work, including the school’s own data showing pupils’ progress, planning and monitoring documentation, records relating to attendance and behaviour and documents relating to safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Michael Wintle, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Sue Eland Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is an average-sized primary school. Almost all pupils are of White British heritage.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for pupil premium is below the national average.  The percentage of pupils supported through school action is below the national average. The percentage of pupils supported at school action plus and those with a statement of special educational needs is broadly average.  There is a stable school population with large numbers of children entering the Early Years Foundation Stage and staying at the school right through until leaving in Year 6.  The school meets the current floor standard, which sets the government’s minimum expectations for attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve progress in mathematics so that it matches that achieved in English by:  sharpening pupils’ skills in mental mathematics  developing greater proficiency in using and applying basic number skills and to practise these skills as part of pupils’ work in other subjects  challenging more-able pupils in mathematics by giving them more demanding, open-ended work, which encourages them to think for themselves  improving how well pupils present their work.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching by:  extending the best examples of marking found in literacy books and then linking these more closely to pupils’ understanding of how they can improve still further  continuing to share best practice across the school to include more examples of inspirational teaching so that all pupils make faster progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Achievement is good. Pupils make good progress. Although not yet outstanding, it is improving, especially in English. Progress in mathematics is slower, especially for the more-able pupils.  Children enter the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills that are lower than expected for their age, particularly in their communication and language. Children are keen to learn and their early communication and number skills develop quickly. Children apply these well.  Pupils make good progress from Year 1 to Year 6 and show accelerated progress in the later stages of Key Stage 2. Since the last inspection, school leaders have worked hard to improve achievement which has risen as a result. Current pupils’ progress is also good. Accurate teacher assessments confirm that pupils in Key Stage 2 are on track to meet increasingly high targets.  Progress in reading is good and a strength of the school because, right from Nursery, children

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The achievement of pupils is good

have a secure grasp of a range of strategies to extend their reading skills. Children learn to recognise letters and sounds they make in the Early Years Foundation Stage and through Years 1 and 2. They learn to blend sounds and build words confidently. A large number of pupils enjoy their reading and are willing to share this with other pupils and adults. Older pupils read with expression and use their reading skills to research information.  Standards in English are above average. Pupils have opportunities to discuss ideas in order to achieve more. In one Key Stage 2 lesson, pupils were encouraged to find information about planets. Pupils spoke well about their learning and their teacher and could confidently use research information to establish their view.  Relatively poor presentation seen in pupils’ books in different subjects stops pupils from making even faster progress.  Pupils leave Year 6 with standards in mathematics that are broadly average. Progress is not as

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The achievement of pupils is good

rapid as in English and the numbers of pupils who go on to achieve a Level 5 in mathematics are lower than normally seen because pupils are not given opportunities to practise their mental mathematics or experience mathematics in other subjects.  Pupils who are disabled or with special educational needs achieve as well as their classmates because they receive the specialist support they need.  Progress of pupils supported by the pupil premium is good because the school deploys its resources well to support them.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The overall quality of teaching is good across the school. It is not yet outstanding because not enough lessons are outstanding.  Where teaching is good, teachers make lessons interesting and fun by involving pupils in discussions that help them to extend their learning. In these lessons, teachers make the purpose of the learning clear and keep introductions brief. They are skilled at allowing pupils to take control of their own learning. Through probing questions, they check pupils’ understanding so they are clear about what they have to do and have time to succeed.  Lessons provide many opportunities for pupils to use their reading and writing skills in different subjects. The teaching of reading is strong and skills are systematically taught and practised in many subjects. This is less evident in mathematics where not enough attention is paid to the presentation of pupils’ work. This makes it more difficult to see progress in some lessons.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils have limited time to practise their mental mathematics’ skills so that they become quicker at using basic numbers. These strategies are not taken sufficiently into other subjects so that mathematics is not taught in isolation.  Marking is good across the school and in places it is exemplary, especially in aspects of writing. Pupils say this helps them make quick gains. In mathematics, although marking is helping pupils to make progress, it is less effective. It often fails to make pupils think hard enough and does not link up with individual subject targets. This is especially true with the more-able pupils who are not being guided or regularly stretched in their work.  Teaching assistants are deployed well to support targeted pupils so that they achieve as well as the others.  Good use is made of activities that enrich pupils’ learning including, during the inspection, the visits made to a supermarket.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ good behaviour is a strength of the school. The vast majority of parents say that behaviour is good. Pupils are all valued and supported as individuals. They feel very secure and say how proud they are to be pupils at the school. One Year 6 pupil stated that, ‘My teacher knows us well and supports me in my work at school so that I am confident in tackling new things.’  Pupils are kind and supportive of others and help each other, for example by sharing resources and working closely together. This has a good impact on their work and supports their progress in lessons.  Pupils say they feel safe and are well looked after by all adults in the school. They have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe and older pupils act as good role models for younger pupils, for example at lunchtimes.  Pupils have a good understanding of different kinds of bullying, including on the internet. Year

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

4 pupils could confidently say what being safe online means and how important ‘strong’ passwords were when using computers. They say bullying is rare, but when it occurs, staff deal with it effectively. The school takes prompt action to tackle any form of discriminatory behaviour.  Pupils enjoy coming to school and this has helped attendance to rise to above the national average.

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The leadership and management are good

 School leaders and governors provide effective leadership to a committed and loyal staff. Morale in school is high because the headteacher, ably supported by a determined deputy headteacher, provides good leadership and clear focus. She leads a team that is committed to school improvement through effective school self-evaluation. Priorities are included in the school development plan with clear actions that show their impact.  Teaching is closely monitored and senior leaders have a good understanding about where to find the best teaching in school and what actions are needed to improve teaching still further. Senior leaders have been successful in raising the quality of teaching since the last inspection. They recognise that there is not enough outstanding teaching across the school or opportunities to experience inspirational teaching.  There is good support for new teachers because training is closely linked to school

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The leadership and management are good

improvement.  Joint lesson observations with the headteacher and deputy headteacher during the inspection showed that they recognise what works well and where further improvement is needed. The school has received good support from the local authority which has an accurate view of the school.  Finances are managed wisely. Pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium grant benefit from extra adult support and small group sessions which enable them to make good progress. One example of this is the way funding has been used to support a musical activity.  Leaders have succeeded in developing a broad and balanced curriculum that matches the needs of all pupils. For example, pupils talk excitedly about their ‘Cook it, Film it’ lessons that provide ‘real’ learning opportunities in Key Stage 2 and good links to other subjects.  Leaders at all levels are rigorous in their approach to safeguarding and the school’s

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The leadership and management are good

arrangements meet requirements. A careful watch is kept over pupils whose circumstances might make them vulnerable.  The school provides pupils with a clear moral and social code so that they value everyone equally. Their cultural development is promoted well through the use of additional funding to support visits to places of educational interest.  The governance of the school:  The governing body is effective partly because there is good self-evaluation in place and also because they challenge the senior leaders regarding school improvement. Governors use performance management systems to improve teaching, leadership and management. Governors are noticeable around school and many are well-known to the staff. They give up their time freely.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school

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Grade Judgement Description

is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 130968 Local authority Wakefield Inspection number 402438

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School details

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

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 210 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mr L Steele Headteacher Mrs J McNichol Date of previous school inspection 22 April 2010 Telephone number 01977 722240 Fax number 01977 723129 Email address headteacher@grovelea.wakefield.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', 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 .

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School details

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 and as part of the inspection.

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School details

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

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School details

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 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,

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School details

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’.

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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