Huntington Community Primary School

School report Huntington Community Primary School Butterbache Road, Huntington, Chester, CH3 6DF

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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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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Most teaching is good and some is outstanding. The best teaching is at the top and the bottom of the school.  Since the last inspection, school leaders have improved the way they check, and record, how well pupils are doing. This has helped teachers to plan lessons that push pupils to make faster progress, particularly in their mathematical and written work. As a result, standards have risen.  The high-quality teaching in the Nursery and Reception classes means that children learn quickly when they first start school.  Pupils enjoy coming to school. Attendance is high, lateness is rare and pupils feel safe.  Behaviour is usually good and any upsets are sorted out quickly and calmly.  Pupils feel that their views are listened to and that they have an important role to play in helping to make the school better.  The school provides a wide range of interesting subjects and experiences that

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

develop pupils’ talents and interests and broaden their horizons.  The headteacher and governors have a clear understanding of how well the school is doing and what it needs to do to improve. The headteacher regularly checks teachers’ work and gives them written feedback about the quality of their teaching.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils’ progress in reading, especially for the small number of pupils that find learning difficult, is not fast enough.  While most teaching is good or better, there is still some teaching that requires improvement.  Pupils’ move from the Reception class into Key Stage 1 is not as smooth as it could be.  Subject leaders do not do enough to check the quality of teaching in other classes. This means they do not always know what is working well and what needs to be improved.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 15 lessons, two of which were joint observations with the headteacher. Inspectors also visited two school assemblies and the after-school clubs run by the school, observed break times and listened to pupils reading.  Meetings were held with groups of pupils, parents, school staff and the Chair of the Governing Body. A telephone conversation with a local authority adviser took place and the returns from the staff questionnaires were also analysed.  Inspectors took account of 49 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View).  A number of school documents were examined. These included information about pupils’ progress, school improvement plans and records of governors’ meetings. The work in pupils’ books and records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding were also scrutinised.

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Inspection team

Martin Pye, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Neil Dixon Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Huntington Community School is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported at school action plus, or with a statement of special educational needs, is lower than that found in most schools. The proportion supported at school action is also lower than average.  Most pupils are White British.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the additional pupil premium funding is below average.  There is an on-site breakfast club and after-school club that is not managed by the governing body. This will be inspected separately.  Huntington Community Primary School meets the government’s current floor standard, which sets the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Boost pupils’ progress in reading, especially for the small number of pupils in each year group that find learning difficult, so that it is in line with the faster progress being made in mathematics and writing by:  sharing good practice within the school to make sure teaching is always good or better in every class  making sure that the good progress that all children make in the Nursery and Reception classes continues at the same pace when they move up into Key Stage 1.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Make sure that other key leaders in the school, apart from the headteacher, have the time and opportunity to check the quality of teaching, and the progress of pupils, so that they can find out what works well and what could be improved.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Most children start school with skills and knowledge that are in line with those typically expected for their age. The bright, lively learning spaces, both indoors and outside, and the high-quality teaching in the Nursery and Reception classes mean that children make good progress in all areas of learning and develop good attitudes towards school.  Across Key Stage 1, pupils make steady progress and reach standards in reading, writing and mathematics that are just above average, with the strongest gains being made in writing. When they move into Key Stage 2, pupils continue to make good progress in all classes, although their progress is faster in the older classes.  At the end of Key Stage 2, pupils’ attainment in English and mathematics is above average, with the standard in mathematics being higher than that reached in English.  Across the school, most pupils, including those with disabilities or special educational needs,

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The achievement of pupils is good

make good progress in English and reach above-average standards overall. However, the school’s detailed records show that a small number of pupils who find aspects of learning difficult do not make as much progress in reading as they do in writing and mathematics.  The improved achievement in mathematics is the result of teaching that has got better at meeting the needs of the brightest pupils. In addition, the school has used pupil premium funding to pay for one-to-one teaching sessions for pupils whose progress needs a boost. School records, and the recent test results, show that this careful attention to particular learning needs has worked. Progress in mathematics for all groups of pupils has got faster.  The well-stocked library and daily class reading sessions demonstrate the value that the school places on books and literature. The youngest children get off to an excellent start with their

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The achievement of pupils is good

early reading. Short, active sessions help them to learn about, and enjoy, letter sounds. During this inspection, children in the Reception Year were observed making a magic potion of letter sounds. This practical and fun activity allowed the teacher to check what they already knew while giving the children a purposeful reason to make choices and use their experience and knowledge to learn more.  As they move through the school, pupils continue to enjoy reading, although some find it difficult to adjust to the different teaching style in Key Stage 1. In Key Stage 2, pupils who are falling behind with their reading do receive extra help. However, this extra support is not helping some pupils to catch up fast enough.  A particular strength of the school is the attention given to achievement in every subject and area of school life. Recognition for success in after-school activities, sports and the arts, as well

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The achievement of pupils is good

as the weekly awards for good conduct and hard work, helps pupils to know that all their efforts are valued.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Most teaching seen during the inspection was good and some was outstanding. Nevertheless, there is some teaching that requires improvement. A scrutiny of the work in pupils’ books and the school’s own lesson monitoring records indicate that the quality of teaching seen by inspectors is typical.  In the best lessons, teachers check that every task builds on what pupils already know. Work is pitched at just the right level and pupils are able to ask questions and share ideas. In a very effective English lesson, for example, older pupils demonstrated their knowledge of prepositions by moving around the room. This simple activity grabbed pupils’ attention and allowed the teacher to quickly check for understanding before moving the learning on, at a brisk pace, through discussion and group work.  In the weaker lessons, progress is slower because all the pupils are given the same work to do, so it is too easy for some and too hard for others. At other times, teachers give too many

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The quality of teaching is good

instructions. When this happens, some pupils get confused and do not develop the confidence to put forward their own ideas.  The extra support provided to pupils who need more assistance with mathematics helps them to catch up and achieve well. The support given to pupils who are falling behind with reading is less effective because it is not focused carefully enough on their individual needs.  All work is marked regularly and pupils can explain how marking helps them to feel encouraged to learn from any mistakes and improve their work in the future.  Work in books, and on display around the school, shows that teachers organise some very worthwhile activities that require pupils to face new situations, think hard, do their best and enjoy learning.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils enjoy coming to school. Their attendance is high and lateness is rare.  Pupils’ behaviour is good and, most of the time, they get on well together. Staff act as good role models and a high value is placed on courtesy and good manners.  All staff pay proper attention to the procedures and routines that keep pupils safe. Consequently, pupils feel well cared for at school. The school also teaches them how to keep themselves safe, to manage everyday risks and to help others. Some of the older pupils, for example, act as road safety officers and, by making posters, offering advice and giving talks in school assemblies, they teach others about safety matters.  Pupils know about different types of bullying and how it differs from the playground disagreements or broken friendships that happen from time to time. They say that bullying does happen sometimes but, when it does, staff take it seriously and deal with it quickly.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

Parents, in their comments to inspectors and in their responses to the online questionnaire, also felt that any rare instances of bullying, that they were aware of, had been stopped.  The school encourages pupils to have a say in how things are done. This helps pupils to realise that they have a role in shaping their school and local community and builds a sense of social responsibility. Pupil-led improvements to the outdoor areas, and their recent campaign to keep the nearby streets free from dog fouling, have brought benefits to everyone.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher has a clear vision for the school and has worked hard to bring about necessary changes. He regularly observes teachers’ work, tells them how to make teaching better and holds them to account for pupils’ progress. Improvements since the last inspection, notably in the Nursery and Reception classes and in the teaching of mathematics, show that his efforts have worked.  The progress of all pupils, including those supported through the use of extra funding, is recorded in great detail. This information is then used by all staff to plan lessons that provide equal opportunities for all, and to check if any pupils need extra support to get them back on track.  Subject leaders are effective teachers with good subject knowledge, but their role in checking how well their subject is being taught across the school is underdeveloped. They rely too heavily on paperwork rather than seeing at first hand what is actually happening in other

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The leadership and management are good

classes. This means that some good practice is not being shared as well as it could be. In addition, some subject leaders have too many jobs to do and this limits their ability to perform their roles as well as they could.  The different subjects on offer, and the way in which these are knitted together into termly themes, provide plenty of scope for pupils to practise a wide range of skills in meaningful ways. Links with a school in South Africa, the many museum visits and strong attention to sport, music, and the arts raises their cultural awareness. A well-planned programme for outdoor education, including the option for all Key Stage 2 pupils to take part in residential visits, supports their social and personal development.  The school website provides useful information and parents say that the staff are helpful and approachable. Nevertheless, about a quarter of the parents that responded to the online

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The leadership and management are good

questionnaire felt that they did not get enough information about their child’s progress at school.  The local authority has a well-informed view about the school’s work and is confident that the school is able to maintain its trend of improvement without any additional support.  The school’s procedures for keeping pupils safe meet current requirements.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The Chair of the Governing Body brings plenty of experience to the role and recognises that the governing body is now doing its job better than it used to. This is because governors now have the information they need in order to ask the right questions. They receive information about the quality of teaching and know how well the school is doing. The governing body has made sensible decisions about spending, including the use of the pupil premium, to pay for the extra support that has boosted pupils’ progress in mathematics.

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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 111093 Local authority Cheshire West and Chester Inspection number 401169

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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 218 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Clive Buckler Headteacher Duncan Rose Date of previous school inspection 20 January 2010 Telephone number 01244 981043 Fax number Not Applicable Email address head@huntington.cheshire.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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