Hook Norton Church of England Primary School

Hook Norton Church of England Primary School Sibford Road, Hook Norton, Banbury, OX15 5JS

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  The headteacher’s good leadership of teaching and learning, together with effective management of teachers’ performance, has ensured that teaching is at least good and some is outstanding.  Consistently good teaching ensures that all pupils make at least good progress.  Pupils eligible for extra funding (pupil premium) make consistently good progress in reading, writing and mathematics because of the effective support they receive.  Pupils have a well-developed understanding of how people live in different parts of the world, through long-established links with a school in Sweden and also links with France, Spain and Kenya.  Members of the governing body play a significant part in making important decisions which drive the school forward.  Outstanding spiritual, moral social and cultural development underpins pupils’outstanding behaviour.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The proportion of teaching which is outstanding is not high enough to ensure all pupils learn exceptionally well.  Evaluations of pupils’ learning at the end of Key Stage 1 are not as accurate as they should be.  Some pupils are rushed too quickly through topics in mathematics and their basic skills are not as secure as they should be. This makes it difficult for them to use and apply those skills when they come to solve problems. Inspection report: Hook Norton Church of England Primary School Primary School, 16–17 April 2013 2 of 9

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed teaching and learning in 22 lessons, taught by 10 teachers.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, senior leaders, members of the governing body, the local authority, staff and groups of pupils.  Joint observations of teaching and learning were conducted with the headteacher.  The inspectors listened to pupils reading.  The inspectors spoke to parents and took account of two letters and the 73 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View).  The inspectors observed the school’s work, scrutinised pupils’ workbooks, and looked at school policies, including those relating to safeguarding and equality, minutes of governing body meetings and planning documents.  The inspectors took account of the 25 questionnaires returned by staff.

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Inspection team

Barbara Atcheson, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Robert Ridout Additional Inspector Inspection report: Hook Norton Church of England Primary School Primary School, 16–17 April 2013 3 of 9

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Information about this school

 Hook Norton Church of England Primary School is an average-sized primary school.  Most pupils are from a White British background.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium (additional government funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, children who are looked after by the local; authority and the children of service families) is below the national average.  The proportion of pupils with special educational needs supported through school action is below average. The proportion supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also below average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school has an Early Years Foundation Stage unit for Nursery and Reception-aged children.  The school runs a breakfast club and afterschool clubs for its pupils.

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Information about this school

 There are no pupils taught in off-site provision.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise the quality of teaching to outstanding by ensuring that:  outstanding practice is shared more widely  all teachers help pupils to secure each skill in mathematics before moving on to the next step  all teachers help pupils to understand how to use and apply their mathematical skills  senior leaders check that improvements are carried out.  Ensure that checks on pupils’ learning at the end of Key Stage 1 are accurate. Inspection report: Hook Norton Church of England Primary School Primary School, 16–17 April 2013 4 of 9

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school has had a history of pupils reaching standards which have been significantly above average at the end of both key stages for the last five years.  In 2012, although pupils at the end of Year 6 achieved the same average points score as the previous year, their attainment at the end of Year 6 was not significantly above average because the national average had increased. Pupils’ performance in mathematics was weaker than their performance in English.  School information, confirmed by inspectors’ analysis of pupils’ work in books and lesson observations, shows that all pupils make at least good progress. However, the extraordinarily high results achieved by the 2012 Year 6 pupils at the end of Key Stage 1 in 2008 masked the subsequent good progress made by these pupils. This made it statistically impossible for them to improve on previous progress made – although in reality, good and sometimes outstanding

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The achievement of pupils is good

teaching ensured that all pupils made at least good progress.  While pupils do make rapid progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1, the legacy of over-generous evaluations of children’s learning at the end of Key Stage 1 will make it difficult for the school to show real progress at the end of Key Stage 2 for the next four years.  Children start in the Early Years Foundation Stage unit with typical skills, knowledge and understanding for their age. They make rapid progress because activities are exciting, planned at the right level, and prompt them to solve problems.  Pupils in Years 1 and 2 make good progress. In a Year 1 lesson on letters and sounds, pupils built successfully on secure previous learning, taking great delight in spotting the ‘are’ sound amongst a set of cards held up by the teacher.  Pupils in Years 3, 4 and 5 also make good progress in their lessons. However, the errors that

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The achievement of pupils is good

some pupils made in a ‘quick-fire’ question and answer session at the beginning of a Year 5 mathematics lesson had their roots in much earlier learning and showed that there are pupils who are not confident in using their skills to add and subtract, and in the place value of numbers and in their multiplication tables. Later, when learning how to use a protractor, a few found it difficult to describe a right angle. Although their progress in the lesson was good, it was hampered because early skills in mathematics were insecure.  Inspirational teaching in Year 6 helps pupils to make exceptional progress in this year. They were so involved solving mathematical problems in a practical lesson that they did not want to stop and even took their problem home to complete because they could not let it rest until it was solved. The squeak of delight from a hitherto reluctant mathematician on finding a solution

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The achievement of pupils is good

signalled a new-found confidence in the pupil’s power to solve a problem which had been set at just the right level of challenge.  In Year 6, gaps in learning between the lowest 20% and the rest are closed successfully because the teacher knows the pupils well. Early identification of a gap, together with precision teaching in small groups, supports pupils who have difficulties. Less able Year 6 pupils are challenged and extended in a small group taken by a specialist mathematics teacher.  Accurate identification and an appropriate range of extra support, in the form of skilled learning support assistants, enable disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs to make the same good rate of progress as that of other pupils.  There are very few pupils eligible for the pupil premium. They benefit from one-to-one and small group tuition which helps them to make good progress in English and mathematics and

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The achievement of pupils is good

successfully closes any learning gaps they might have. This enables them to perform as well as others in the school in reading, writing and mathematics.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is good. Some is outstanding and, for example, in Year 6, such teaching inspires pupils to learn very successfully. Consequently, pupils are highly motivated. They learn independently from a secure base of knowledge and understanding and have the confidence to try different methods, and to experiment and question.  Teachers use their own good subject knowledge well. For example, Year 4 pupils were totally engaged and focused in a music lesson where they were taught to play tuned instruments with control and rhythmic accuracy. They made rapid progress, working with ‘talking partners’ to learn new tunes and help each other improve their skills.  Teachers and teaching assistants are very enthusiastic. They use questions well to deepen pupils’ understanding and clarify any misunderstandings. They have a good relationship with their pupils. This means that pupils want to do their best and make good progress and that they

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The quality of teaching is good

achieve well over time.  Teachers make sure that pupils know their targets and the level at which they are working. They also know what they must do to reach the next level. Pupils say that teachers’ marking helps them to improve their work because they are given time to correct mistakes.  Exciting activities planned for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage inspire a love of learning. For example, children delighted in using and applying their literacy and numeracy skills to program floor robots to move between the houses of the `Three Little Pigs’.  Teachers and teaching assistants are skilled in identifying weaknesses and supporting pupils who have difficulties in their learning, but they are also good at extending more able pupils. For example, a small group of less able Year 6 pupils were totally focused throughout a lesson with a specialist teacher, where they were using factors of numbers to inform and check division. The

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The quality of teaching is good

pace of learning was fast and pupils had to think hard and listen carefully to the teacher’s good questioning and feedback so that they could build successfully on previous learning.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Outstanding spiritual, moral, social and cultural development enables pupils to have a clear set of personal values. Behaviour is exemplary. This is particularly evident where outstanding teaching motivates and engages the whole class.  Pupils work and play harmoniously. They are polite and have positive attitudes towards learning. They are confident to undertake independent learning because their teachers have given them the necessary skills and strategies that they need, and thus they make an exceptional contribution to their own learning.  Pupils say that bullying does not exist. They know about the different sorts of bullying and how to deal with it. They say that it is important to ‘treat others as you would like to be treated’.  They are knowledgeable about how to stay safe on the internet, in school and at home. They say they feel safe in school and know that there will always be someone who will listen to them

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

if they have any concerns.  Parents appreciate the benefits of the school’s breakfast club and after school clubs and pupils enjoy the companionship and games. Parents also recognise what the school strives to achieve. Most of those who responded to ‘Parent View’ said, that they would recommend the school to another parent. They also said that the school dealt effectively with bullying, and that their children were happy, felt safe and behaved well.  One parent, voicing the views of many, said that her child had grown in confidence and was ‘really happy to go to school’ because of the care of teachers ‘who really look after the children’.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher and senior leaders are ambitious for the school and continually drive it to improve. They are very effectively supported by other staff. Rapid action was taken to identify and tackle the 2012 dip in standards.  With the help of a consultant, the school quickly identified areas for improvement. The subsequent whole-school approach to mathematics has produced an improvement in the quality and quantity of work produced. However, the school rightly aspires to be outstanding and recognises there is still work to do to sharing outstanding practice more widely. It also recognises that it is important for senior leaders to check rigorously that improvements are carried out.  Subject leaders lead their areas well. They observe lessons, scrutinise work in books and check pupils’ learning carefully. This gives them a good understanding of how to improve standards in their areas of responsibility.

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The leadership and management are good

 Arrangements for managing teachers’ performance are good. Teachers have performance targets linked to the progress of the pupils they teach and to the school’s priorities. Teachers value the support and training they are given and say that this helped them to raise the quality of their teaching.  The local authority has provided a ‘light touch’ support for this school, based on its performance. As a result, since the previous inspection in 2009, external support and guidance have been limited to a ‘desktop’ analysis of the school’s performance.  The school places the promotion of equality of opportunity at the heart of all its work. There is no discrimination. All teachers are held to account and pupils’ progress is checked at regular meetings. If any pupil is seen to underperform, extra help is quickly arranged.  The few pupils who are eligible for additional funding benefit from support tailored to their

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The leadership and management are good

particular needs. One-to-one tuition and other additional support have helped pupils to reach higher levels than they would otherwise have reached and helped others to meet or exceed their end-of-year targets. Support for residential and other visits and for swimming has ensured equal access for all pupils and a home-school link worker has liaised with parents to improve the support given to a child at home.  Pupils benefit from a creative curriculum which provides good opportunities for pupils to have real-life experiences which will enhance their learning. Visits to the local area and visitors such as a grandmother who related her experiences of being evacuated bring learning to life.  Annual visits by Year 6 pupils and close links with a school in Sweden give pupils a unique insight into what is like to live and go to school in Sweden. Links with schools in France, Spain and Kenya enhance the pupils’ awareness and respect of different cultures and beliefs.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Members of the governing body play an active part in the strategic direction of the school. They have an accurate view of the school’s performance, including the quality of teaching and how pupils’ test results compare nationally and to those of other similar schools. Governors’ own observations are helping them to understand where weaknesses in teaching lie and to realise that more work has to be done to increase the proportion of outstanding teaching. They fulfil their responsibility in rewarding teachers’ performance only when justified by pupils’ achievement. Governors are fully involved with setting targets for the school and hold it to account robustly. Governors ensure that statutory duties such as safeguarding are met and that financial resources are managed well. For example, they know how many pupils are eligible for extra funding through the pupil premium, their levels of attainment and the impact

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The leadership and management are good

of the extra help provided by the money allocated. Inspection report: Hook Norton Church of England Primary School Primary School, 16–17 April 2013 7 of 9

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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 is

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Grade Judgement Description

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. Inspection report: Hook Norton Church of England Primary School Primary School, 16–17 April 2013 8 of 9

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School details

Unique reference number 123097 Local authority Oxfordshire Inspection number 411964

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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 Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 231 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Scott Orchard Headteacher Stella Belgrove Date of previous school inspection 10 March 2009 Telephone number 01608 737379 Fax number 01608 737684 Email address headteacher@hook-norton.oxon.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, please

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School details

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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